Welcome to episode three of the Writing Resource Round-up — guest blogger edition! I’m Emily Gantt, Mel’s friend, colleague, and fellow word nerd. I’ve been behind the scenes helping Mel as her virtual assistant for a couple of months now, and when she asked me to take the lead on this one, I jumped at the chance.
This writing resource round-up centers around some of my favorite writing influencers, bloggers, and courses that have helped me grow from writing hobbyist to full-time freelancer and aspiring author.
Wanna see your name on next month’s round-up? We’d love to hear from you! You can also leave your info below, and we’ll reach out. No follower or domain authority minimum required (getting your foot in the door is hard enough without all that).
Enough with the formalities — I’ve found some stellar resources, and I can’t wait to share them with you!
Writing Resources + Blogs
Writers Helping Writers
Writers Helping Writers isn’t a blog in the traditional sense — it’s more like a super-charged writing resource repository. Here you’ll find access to educational courses, character development tools, and a colossal descriptive thesaurus collection. The thesaurus collection lets users filter by personality traits and occupation to help writers create well-rounded and lifelike characters.
Though not article-centric per se, the site features several equally valuable blog articles, like “The 10 Key Scenes You Need to Frame Up Your Novel” by Angela Ackerman. The wealth of knowledge and carefully thought-out collections earned Writers Helping Writers a place in my personal bookmarks tab.
Favorite posts:
- 4 Ways to Fix a Boring Story
- Does Your Story Idea Need a Makeover? Try Cratedigging
- Descriptive Thesaurus Collection
The Blog Herald
The Blog Herald is much like other online news sources, but instead of reading about Trump and Pelosi, you’ll find helpful info on Facebook algorithm changes and search engine ranking tips. You’ll also find interviews with industry leaders like John Pettitt, CEO and developer of Repost, a revolutionary tool for evergreen content creation.
The Herald’s content isn’t only for bloggers, either. The archives are full of practical guides and resources for podcasters and online educators, too.
Favorite posts:
- 4 Ways to Increase Your Chances of Ranking for Any Keyphrase
- Avoid Legal Battles by Knowing these 4 Blogging Laws
- 5 Things to Remember When Launching a New Blog
Live Write Thrive
C.S. Lakin, author and creator of Live Write Thrive, is a no-nonsense blogger with a plethora of writing tips to help readers put their best novel forward. Lakin’s passion shines through with tough-love articles like “Is Your Premise Worth Your Time (or Anyone Else’s)?” and “3 Ways to Counteract Self-Sabotage.”
She has several writing resource books to help novelists navigate the writing and publishing processes and also offers paid editorial services. She loves supporting her fellow writers by allowing guests posts and even has a contact form on her webpage.
Favorite posts:
- How to Overcome Discouragement as an Author
- Using Beats to Keep Readers Emotionally Engaged
- 4 Ways to Bring Out Theme in Your Story
Copyblogger
Copyblogger is a content marketing website that provides bloggers with resources to turn text into money. One of this company’s mottos is that technology doesn’t drive the internet; quality written content does — technology simply allows readers to consume it.
Complex algorithms and SEO courses make homegrown-bloggers feel that keyword stuffing and ornate graphics are the only way to draw readers (and thus money). Copyblogger reminded me in a world full of SEO ranking and keywords that great writing matters.
Favorite posts:
- 5 Ways to Tap into an Endless Wellspring of Creative Content Ideas
- When Are You Done Editing? A 5-Point Blueprint for (Recovering) Perfectionists
- How to Add Color and Richness to Your Writing … Without Making Us Want to Barf
The Creative Penn
It isn’t happenstance that The Creative Penn by NYT best-selling author Joanna Penn is continually named one of Writer’s Digest’s top 100 blogs for aspiring authors. Penn provides an eclectic mix of writing resource formats, including podcasts, audiobooks, courses, and toolkits.
The Creative Penn somehow manages to cover every genre on the spectrum, with how-tos for creating sci-fi, romance, nonfiction, and horror literature. The sheer amount of valuable content should make The Creative Penn a staple in anyone’s online repository.
Favorite posts:
- On Writing and the Fear of Judgment On Writing
- Comparisonitis or “Everyone Else Is Better Than Me”
- Legal Issues: Using Real People, Quotes, Lyrics, Images And Citing Sources
Courses for writers and bloggers
Blogging Masterclass: Build A Successful Blog In 2020 And Beyond
If you’re searching for an in-depth blogging course, from getting started to optimizing and repurposing content, this masterclass is it. Brad Merrill, founder and head exec of Merrill Media, leads the class, bringing tried and true methods he implements in the corporate world to your computer screen.
The masterclass is available with a Skillshare membership and provides invaluable information on domain authority, web security, monetization, and promoting your business. Both new and established bloggers will benefit from Merril’s comprehensive curriculum.
Creative Writing: The Craft of Plot
Fiction writers, this next course is for you! Instructor Brando Skyhorse offers creative writing resources FREE through this Wesleyan University class on Coursera.
As the course name implies, these writing resources center around engaging the reader, creating conflict, and structuring your narrative. If you’re new to fiction writing or just don’t want to fork out, this class will let you get your feet wet without spending a dime.
Writing For Publication
Writing For Publication is a 24-lecture course detailing the ins-and-outs of traditional publishing. Author, blogger, and all-around publishing expert Jane Friedman leads the program, offering advice from her own experiences to ensure your book makes it to shelves. The class delves into topics like picking the perfect publisher, comprehending contract terminology, and marketing to your target audience.
Social media accounts every writer should follow
Bethany Atazadeh – Instagram + Youtube
Author Bethany Atazadeh is hands-down my favorite YouTuber and writing influencer on the web right now. Adorable personality aside, Bethany posts incredible content that all writers can either relate to or learn from. I discovered her YouTube channel out of desperation while aimlessly googling for writer’s block solutions. Needless to say, her tips worked. That video turned me from skeptic to subscriber in an instant.
In her videos, Bethany covers self-publishing, novel structuring, editing, and more free writing resources to benefit any aspiring author. She also offers subscription boxes for her Patreon supporters, mailing out things like her favorite notebooks, planning stickers, writing resource worksheets, and even her own handmade crafts.
Kristina Adams – Instagram
If you aren’t following author Kristina Adams, you’re doing the Instagram thing all wrong. Kristina is the author of the Hollywood Gossip series and uses her social media platform to inspire and guide aspiring authors with helpful infographics, tips, and links.
Her blog Writer’s Cookbook is stockpiled with educational and motivational content tackling topics like picking back up after a hiatus and “Why You Need to Write Unlikeable Characters“. Yep, go ahead and hit that follow button.
Laura Rike – Linkedin
Laura Rike describes herself as a “Rogue Pinterest Powerhouse,” and after watching her free Pinterest course, I couldn’t agree more. Laura mastered in graphic design and worked for years as a virtual assistant with many corporations. Rike uses the information she gained from managing social media accounts for businesses to help entrepreneurs expand their brand with Pinterest.
As a mother, her tips for time-management and activating passive income truly resounded with me. You can sign up for her free Pinterest class here or contact her through LinkedIn for a one-on-one consultation.
That’ll do it for this month’s edition of Writing Resource Round-up. Do you have a suggestion for blogs or other resources we should cover next month? What do you think of this month’s selection? Let us know in the comments! Better yet, if you’re a blogger or influencer, leave your contact info below for a chance to be featured in next month’s post!
Want more helpful content to reference? Check out last month’s Writing Resource Round-up!
One Response
Love this! Thank you for sharing such an insightful article!