If you dream about being paid for creative writing, you’re not alone. Many people want to sell their written work but don’t know how to go about it. Before the Internet, becoming a creative writer was tough. Today, plenty of websites, books, and courses are available to help you on your journey. Check out these blogs and use the ideas to make your dream come true.
Practical Creative Writing
Grace Jolliffe started her site, Practical Creative Writing, to encourage her fellow authors. This site has got plenty of advice for beginning writers, from time-management tips to creative writing exercises and quick story starters. You’ll also learn about self-publishing, overcoming writer’s block, and much more.
If you’re just getting started with creative writing, be sure to click on the How to Write—for Beginners tab. This section of the Practical Creative Writing site offers basic lessons in creating characters, plots, and story arcs. You’ll also learn how to stimulate your imagination to generate creative ideas.
Wrighting Words
Heather E. Wright’s site, Wrighting Words, is geared toward young adults and teachers. However, there’s plenty of good information here for any aspiring author to use. You’ll find writing prompts, self-publishing advice, and books and links recommended for all writers.
Wrighting Words is particularly helpful for teens and pre-teens who are writing for school assignments, personal expression, or a potential career. Young people will find links to sites that publish the works of teens, age-appropriate writing prompts, and other helpful guidance.
ThinkWritten
ThinkWritten is a bare-bones guide to writing. The site offers tips for writing fiction, nonfiction, children’s literature, memoirs, and poetry. You can also read about publishing and author marketing. Finally, if you suffer from fear or just have a tendency to get stuck, the writing prompts are the perfect way to turn that blank page into a creative work.
Become a Writer Today
Become a Writer Today is just what it says: a website offering practical help for new writers. Like the sites above, this one offers plenty of writing-related posts from site owner Bryan Collins and guests.
One of the highlights of Become a Writer Today is the “Great Books to Read” section. Collins sells two books that may help you: “A Practical Money-Making Guide for Freelance Writers” and “A Handbook for the Productive Writer.” As a bonus, you can learn how to use Twitter to further your writing career.
Writer’s Fun Zone
Writer’s Fun Zone (WFZ) caters to fiction and creative nonfiction authors, both aspiring and published. Site owner Beth Barany’s mission is make book writing and marketing fun instead of intimidating. One look at the home page says it all.
WFZ leads you through all phases of writing a novel, from planning, writing, and editing to publishing and marketing. Additionally, you can hire Barany as a writing coach if you need motivation and direction. Take advantage of the many classes for novelists, or shop the WFZ store for a book that addresses your needs.
The Writing Reader
The Writing Reader focuses primarily on writing prompts. Creative types can use each prompt in a number of ways: journaling, fiction, studio art, and so on. Owner Liz Shaw also aggregates helpful resources, such as blog posts and podcasts, by other writers.
Novelty Revisions
Novelty Revisions by Meg Dowell is a website that helps all writers turn their ideas into written words. The site shows you how to overcome struggles such as procrastination, writer’s block, time management, disorganization, and much more. Dowell offers writing tips on these issues as well as encouragement for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and information on getting published.
One special feature of Novelty Revisions is The Novella Concept, a way of supporting causes through your writing while creating your own publicity. You’ll also find interviews and regular blog posts on this site.
She’s Novel
Through She’s Novel, novelist Kristen Kieffer helps fellow authors learn from her mistakes. You can read Kieffer’s numerous blog posts and access the archives for even more novel-writing tips. The She’s Novel store offers several e-books, a daily planner for authors, and a course on self-editing.
Modern tools and resources can turn your dream of becoming an author into reality. With the blogs listed here and the support of other writers like yourself, you’ll be on your way to publication in no time!
image credit: http://pedagogyandpractice.pearsonhighered.com/
