There are so many amazing resources for writers that are available for free or minimal costs. On this page, you’ll find some of our favorite books, websites, and podcasts. Most of these are targeted toward an adult audience, so we encourage you to read backcover copy and reviews to discern if they’re right for you!
(We do have some affiliate links on this page. That just means if you happen to buy something listed here, the store might send us a percentage of the sale at zero cost to you.)
Stephanie’s Favorites:
- 2k to 10k by Rachel Aaron
- Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
- Save the Cat! Writes a YA Novel by Jessica Brody
- Fierce on the Page by Sage Cohen
- The Productive Writer by Sage Cohen
- A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
- On Writing by Stephen King
- Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon
- Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
- Writing the Breakout Novel and Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass
- Creating Character Arcs by K. M. Weiland
- Storyworld First: Creating a Unique Fantasy World for Your Novel by Jill Williamson
Jill’s Favorites:
- Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
- Writing Fiction for Dummies by Randy Ingermanson and Peter Economy
- On Writing by Stephen King
- Save the Cat by Blake Snyder
- Stein on Writing by Sol Stein
Books About Grammar:
- Punctuation 101: A Fiction Writer’s Guide to Getting it Right by Jill Williamson
- The Chicago Manual of Style
- The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
- Write Well: A Grammar Guide by Rachelle Rea Cobb
Books Written For Teen Writers:
(Including our own!)
- Go Teen Writers: Write Your Novel by Stephanie Morrill, Jill Williamson, and Shannon Dittemore
- Go Teen Writers: Edit Your Novel by Stephanie Morrill and Jill Williamson
- Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine
- Spilling Ink by Ellen Potter and Anne Mazer
- You: The Story by Ruta Sepetys
Helpful Websites and Podcasts:
- HelpingWritersBecomeAuthors.com (also a great podcast!)
- Writing Excuses podcast
- TheCreativePenn.com and The Creative Penn podcast, especially for self-publishing
- QueryShark.blogspot.com
- ManuscriptWishlist.com, a site where editors and agents can share what kind of submissions they’re interested in. (You can also search Twitter for #MSWL)
- Writer Beware, a great resource to doublecheck if an agent or publisher is legit
- Money Saving Guide For Authors and Writers (Thanks, Anna, for sending us this one!)