In this post I summarise and provide links to some of my favourite writing resources. I have found all of them helpful in different ways, and many of them are free!
I also link to a few of my previous blog posts for areas where useful or relevant.
I hope these resources are informative and useful (or at least entertaining!)
BOOKS
Covers the importance of internal conflict and how this magic ingredient will keep the reader turning the pages until sunrise.
I published a blog post a few months ago which summarises this topic: however, I strongly advise reading Story Genius if you’re able to.
Adapted from Blake Snyder’s well-known book on screenwriting. This book covers ‘universal’ story genres and how you can use these and the Save the Cat beat sheet to structure your novel.
Ackerman and Puglisi have a number of resources to help their fellow writers. However, I particularly recommend their thesauri for writers, which cover a range of topics, e.g. The Emotion Thesaurus, The Negative Trait Thesaurus, and The Emotional Wound Thesaurus (to name a few). They help writers explore elements of their story and character, and find interesting new ways to think about and describe them.
PODCASTS
Predominantly covers the business side of publishing (especially independent publishing) and discusses changes in the publishing landscape. Loads of useful information (especially for indie authors).
Informative and highly entertaining! If you don’t mind f-bombs (I whisper f-bombs under my breath when my kids are being a-holes, so I enjoy this element of the podcast) then I highly recommend listening.
One of the longest-running writing podcasts around! It has a different flavour again: much more stream of consciousness and with more of a focus on traditional publishing.
Lots of useful information on story structure and character types, plus the author discusses her experience of going through years of debilitating writer’s block.
On a related note, I’ve also included my own detailed breakdown of the Enneagram subtypes with practical examples
Emphasis on how to maintain joy and happiness in your writing life, with an emphasis on young adult literature and traditional publishing
YOUTUBE
Lots of great information about internal conflict, story structure, and character archetypes. Emphasis on the science behind storytelling.
Author documenting her journey on the traditional publishing route.
Insider tips and information about the traditional publishing route
Funny, informative, and opinionated writing craft videos (as long as you don’t mind f-bombs)
Entertaining vlogs and discussion videos
Hilarious animated videos telling you how NOT to write. Worth watching even if you’re not a writer!
IN CONCLUSION
I haven’t covered all the writing resources I use here, but I feel these are some of the most helpful in getting started and beginning to work on your writing craft. I’m discovering new resources all the time, so I will add these to my website in due course.
BEFORE YOU GO…
What do you think of the resources above?
Please feel free to comment on the article and/or contact me if you have any questions!
Socials: @cbentleywriter on most of them!
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I welcome respectful and friendly discussion on the topics I write about, including if your opinion differs from my own.
Disclaimer: generative AI
I do not use generative AI to produce or inform my blog, my images, or my fiction. All of my content is generated by the chaotic firing of my own (human) brain! (I have access to some images through my Wix subscription). I do not consent to the use of my content, images, or fiction to train generative AI models. Please contact me to discuss permission and compensation if you wish to use my content in this way.
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