RESOURCES FOR AUTHORS
The writer's journey can be a long and lonely one, and there are many lessons to learn along the way, often through trial and error. I wouldn't be where I am today without following in the footsteps of those who went before me (or at least attempting to stumble along in those footsteps). Here, I've collected some of the best tools and resources I've found over the years. Hopefully you'll find something useful, whether you've been at this writing thing for a long time or you're just getting started.
BOOKS
SAVE THE CAT! WRITES A NOVEL by Jessica Brody
This is a great resource for learning how to identify story structure and then use that same tried-and-true formula in your own work.
MAKE A SCENE
by Jordan Rosenfeld
This book will get you thinking about your story scene by scene so you can ensure every scene serves a purpose and works for the good of the story.
CHARACTERS & VIEWPOINT
by Orson Scott Card
Point of view can be one of the hardest things to master in writing. This book breaks it down in a way that's easy to understand and apply.
EARLY READERS CATCH THE WORMS by Carol Beth Anderson
This book walks you through putting together and communicating with alpha, beta, and ARC readers to help you make the most of the process.
PODCASTS & YOUTUBE
SIX FIGURE AUTHORS PODCAST
Marketing is HARD, and if you're anything like me, it's not your favorite part of being an author. Fortunately, these guys are experts, and they're here to teach you how it's done.
WRITING WITH
JENNA MORECI
Jenna is an independent author and YouTuber who delivers a unique brand of straightforward advice for writers in an often humorous way. Prepare to be entertained.
You're welcome.
CREATE IF WRITING PODCAST
This is a newer discovery for me, and I'm still listening to a backlog of episodes, but I've come away from every single one with new ideas and inspiration for my writing and/or my author platform.
CLOUD KITTEN CHRONICLES
Megan Tennant is another independent author with a YouTube channel that's great for authors. Regardless of what stage you're at in your author journey, you're sure to find something helpful on the Cloud Kitten Chronicles channel.
THE CREATIVE PENN
PODCAST
This podcast has been around for a long time, and if you're not already familiar with it, you should be. There's tons of great, up-to-date information for authors looking for ways to write better stories and reach a wider audience.
SCI-FI & FANTASY MARKETING PODCAST
This is essentially the older version of the Six Figure Authors podcast listed above, but there's still tons of great information here that's worth a listen, particularly if you write sci-fi/fantasy.
OTHER RESOURCES
COURSE: BOOK COVERS START TO FINISH
by Trash Dogs Media, LLC
Authors Erin Michelle Sky and Stephen Brown are the team behind this course, which will show you exactly how and where to get a great cover for your book. From cover concept to finished product and beyond, these guys will take you through all the important steps. The course includes a U.S. copyright contract you can use with any illustrator for your cover.
TRELLO
Organize anything
Trello was designed for businesses, but it actually works really well for plotting and outlining stories, too. I'm a highly visual person, and I love that Trello allows me to see everything laid out in a visually appealing way with pieces I can move around and color code to help me organize. Best of all: it's free!