Z is for Zone

 

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


Z is for ZONE

No, I'm not talking about the "zone" writer's get into when they're on a roll, and no, I'm not talking about that famous diet. Instead, I want to share with you another awesome blog resource: Kill ZONE

From the website, "The Kill Zone is the musings of 11 top authors covering topics that inspire, anger, amuse, and entertain us. Each day, we’ll share what goes on inside our heads as we observe and write about the world around us. The Kill Zone is a doorway into the thriller and mystery writer’s mind."

And on that happy note ... we've made it to the end of the A to Z Challenge. I hope you've found the resources from this month's postings helpful. I plan to catch a few ZZZZZzzzzz's tomorrow. ;)

Happy writing.

Y is for YOUNG ADULT FICTION FOR DUMMIES

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


Y is for YOUNG ADULT FICTION FOR DUMMIES by Deborah Halverson

Yeah, yeah, the title of the book is actually: WRITING YOUNG ADULT FICTION FOR DUMMIES, but I needed to make it fit in my A to Z list. ;)

If you are writing for the YA market, this is a definite must have. Plus, regardless of the market or genre you are writing for, this book has the best section on VOICE that I've ever read anywhere. "Voice" is such an elusive concept, but Deborah Halverson gives you concrete steps to take to improve the "voice" in your writing. I highly recommend this book.

X is for eXactly write

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


X is for eXactly write (uh, yeah, pun intended)

Okay, we're coming down the final stretch, and OH. MY. Gosh. This is freaking hilarious ... CLICK HERE - trust me - YOU WON'T REGRET IT ... This awesome link gets the whole writing eXperience eXactly write. ;)

 

 

W is for Writer Unboxed

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


W is for Writer Unboxed

Go now:  http://writerunboxed.com/    
Come back and let me know what you think in the comments. (Please do come back.)

V is for Visuwords

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


V is for Visuwords

Writers need words, and sometimes we need a thesaurus or dictionary to help us utilize our words more efficiently. Here's a really fun website that lets you LOOK at words and their relationships with other words in a visually dynamic way: http://www.visuwords.com/

It's really fun. Check it out. ;)

U is for University of Chicago Grammar Resources

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


U is for University of Chicago Grammar Resources

Unless you're perfect, we all have questions when it comes to proper or correct grammar. University of Chicago offers a website with helpful information.

University of Chicago Grammar Resources

Where do you turn when you have grammar questions?
Do you just google it and trust the first website that comes up on the list?

T is for THE STORY BOOK

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


T is for THE STORY BOOK by David Baboulene

Sure, T is for "THE" is a stretch, but this is a great book, and I had to include it in the list of resources this month! This is where it fit. :) 

Such. A. Great. Book.

Click here: For my FULL review of THE STORY BOOK

S is for SAVE THE CAT

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


S is for SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder

Seriously, if you haven't read this book yet ... WHAT are you waiting for?

 

 

Have you already read SAVE THE CAT? If so, did you find it helpful?

R is for Rachelle Gardner

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


R is for Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

Rachelle is an active blogger, providing great information regarding writing and the publishing industry: RachelleGardner, Literary Agent

What agents do you follow online because they provide great information?

Q is for Query Shark

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


Q is for Query Shark

If you are in the trenches of sending query letters to agents, you need to check out this website: http://queryshark.blogspot.com/ 

P is for Predators & Editors - AND - Publisher's Marketplace

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


P is for Predators & Editors - and - Publisher's Marketplace

I could not choose just one resource for the letter P. Both of these websites are essential tools for you in the publishing world:

Predators & Editors

Publishers Marketplace

O is for ON WRITING

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


O is for ON WRITING by Stephen King

The first half of ON WRITING is a memoir of King's life, and if you are a fan of his, you'll love it. From wiping his bum with poison ivy to being locked in a closet, the glimpses into his life will make you appreciate his writing even more.

The second half of the book is about the craft of writing. King offers many helpful tips, such as stop researching so much and just write the story:

"Remember that you are writing a novel, not a research paper. The story always comes first" (page 233).

The only downside to this book is King's language. If you're a fan of his, you already know he uses profanity. If you flinch at the F word, you may need to take a muscle relaxant before starting this book.

Are you a fan of Stephen King?

N is for Nathan Bransford

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


N is for Nathan Bransford

Here is another legend in the industry: Nathan Bransford. And his blog is an incredible wealth of information. He recently published a book on the craft of writing, and I've added it to my must-read list.

Have you already read his book? What did you think of it?

M is for Mystery Writers of America

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


M is for Mystery Writers of America

Here is another great organization for you to check out. Their website offers tons of great information:  Mystery Writers of America

L is for Lamott

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


L is for Lamott 

Not many authors can boast over 34,000 ratings on Goodreads and an average 4.2 rating (out of 5 stars) ... but Anne Lamott can! Her book about writing is a legend in the industry.

For more details - check it out on Goodreads!

Have you read this book already?

K is for Kidlit.com

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


K is for Kidlit.com 

I am a huge fan of Mary Kole over at http://kidlit.com/. Not just because she runs an awesome blog, but also because she took the time to help me personally (years ago) when she didn't even know me. She didn't have to, but she did. And I'll be forever grateful.

In addition to her blog, she's also written an excellent book on the craft of writing:

J is for Jane Friedman

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


J is for Jane Friedman 

Jane Friedman certainly has her finger on the pulse of the publishing industry, and her insights are very educational. I always learn something new when I check out her blog.

http://janefriedman.com/

I is for International Thriller Writers

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


I is for International Thriller Writers 

According to their website, http://thrillerwriters.org, "The International Thriller Writers is an honorary society of authors, both fiction and nonfiction, who write books broadly classified as “thrillers.” This would include (but isn’t limited to) such subjects as murder mystery, detective, suspense, horror, supernatural, action, espionage, true crime, war, adventure, and myriad similar subject areas. ITW’s mission is “To bestow recognition and promote the thriller genre at an innovative and superior level for and through our Active members; to provide opportunities for mentoring, education and collegiality among thriller authors and industry professionals; and to grant awards for excellence in the thriller genre.” ITW By-laws: Article II, Purposes, Section 2. One of the main purposes of the organization is to provide a way for successful, bestselling authors to help debut and midlist authors advance their careers. To that end, ITW has designed numerous, effective programs and events which promote debut and midlist writers and their work, sometimes in partnership with bestselling authors. In addition, ITW promotes literacy, gives money to worthy organizations, supports libraries, and advances the genre. Finally, it brings together almost a thousand writers, readers, publishers,  editors and agents at its annual conference, ThrillerFest, as well as at CraftFest, a writing workshop program, and AgentFest, where aspiring authors can meet and pitch top literary agents."

Do you belong to a writers' organization?

H is for HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD THRILLER

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


H is for HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD THRILLER by James Frey

I'm really excited about the information I learned from Frey's book regarding character development and the idea of the plot behind the plot. I've already utilized many of his suggested exercises for my next manuscript.

The excellent sections in this book included:

* How to create a villain
* Exploiting the dark mission of the villain
* The plot behind the plot
* Creating a hero

For my full review, click here.


Do you enjoy writing or reading thrillers?

G is for Guide to Literary Agents Blog

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


G is for Guide to Literary Agents Blog

Chuck Sambuchino is an editor and published author who runs the Guide to Literary Agents Blog, one of the biggest blogs in publishing. His site has instruction and information on literary agents, literary agencies, query letters, submissions, publishing, author platform, book marketing, and more.

* Guide to Literary Agents Blog * 

Have you ever utilized this awesome resource?

Cutting Secondary Characters

Today's A to Z post is below, but I also wanted to let you know that I've got a great post (if I do say so myself, thank you very much) today over at: darklydeliciousya.blogspot.com ... It's all about cutting unnecessary characters from your manuscript. So check it out!

 

F is for Flogging the Quill

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


F is for Flogging the Quill

How important is the first page of your manuscript? How many times have you read the first page of someone else's story and made a gut decision about whether or not to buy the book and keep reading? That first page is ESSENTIAL. But how do you make it great?

Flogging the Quill is an excellent website where Ray Rhamey posts the first page of a writer's manuscript and critiques it, but that's not all, the visitors to the site also critique the writing by voting yes or no about whether or not they'd turn the page and by leaving comments on the post. A writer can learn essential story writing techniques by not only visiting this blog but also by participating in the critiquing of other people's writing.

Do you have the nerve to submit your first page for public flogging?

E is for ELEMENTS OF STYLE

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


E is for ELEMENTS OF STYLE by Strunk and White

When I attended my first writers' conference, one of the most helpful tips was to read this little book. What a timeless gem. I continue to read it multiple times during manuscript revisions to keep it fresh in my memory. 

Is there a book you refer back to often to help you with your writing?

D is for Donald Maass

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


D is for Donald Maass

I have found the books written by Donald Maass to be extremely inspiring and resourceful as a writer. I refer back to his books time and time again. Two of my favorites:

 

 

According to his website (click here for more info) "Donald Maass founded the Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York in 1980. His agency sells more than 150 novels every year to major publishers in the U.S. and overseas.  He is the author of The Career Novelist (1996),Writing the Breakout Novel (2001), Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook(2004), The Fire in Fiction (2009) and The Breakout Novelist (2011).  He is a past president of the Association of Authors’ Representatives, Inc."

What about you? Have you read any of his books? What did you think of them?

C is for Conferences

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


C is for Conferences

Writers' conferences are a huge resource for information, networking, and pitching. Agents, editors, publishers, and fellow writers attend these conferences to teach and learn from each other. The first conference you attend is likely to be quite overwhelming (it was for me), but I also learned a lot, got my hopes up a lot, and made friends a lot. Chances are, there's a great local conference near you.

Simply go to Google, type in your state, writer conference, and see what pops up on your screen.

You can also visit:
Writers Digest List of Conferences
SCBWI Annual Conferences
Poets & Writers Conferences
2014 Writers Conferences

And if you think you're too much of an introvert to ever attend such a public event, then WriteOnCon is for you!! This is an awesome writers' online conference: WriteOnCon

Have you ever attended a conference - - or want to attend a conference? Which one?

B is for BROWNE & KING

 

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


The letter B is for BROWNE & KING

If you're a writer, you'll need editorial skills, too, because whether you choose the traditional path of publishing or you choose to self-publish, you will need to polish your manuscript and make it shine! Editing your own work is essential, and Renni Browne and Dave King have put together a must-have book to guide you through the process:

Do you have a favorite book on the craft of writing?

Insecure Writer's Support Group

 

 

 

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day.

 

Click here for more information about the group.

 

Post your thoughts on your own blog.

Share and Encourage.

Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak.

Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance.

It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

 

I highly encourage you to check them out today and join the group.

 

Do you belong to a writer's group?

How has it helped you?

 

 

A to Z Challenge

Well, here we go again. It's another year, another April, which means one thing:

another A to Z Challenge!

 

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2014.html

 

What is it you ask?

"The brainchild of Arlee Bird, at Tossing it Out, the A to Z Challenge is posting every day in April except Sundays (we get those off for good behavior.) And since there are 26 days, that matches the 26 letters of the alphabet. On April 1, blog about something that begins with the letter “A.” April 2 is “B,” April 3 is “C,” and so on. You can use a theme for the month or go random – just as long as it matches the letter of the alphabet for the day."

 Click here for complete details!

 

 

So for the entire month of April, I will be focusing on a specific topic of information to share with you ... about writing! (surprise, surprise, surprise!)

 

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.

 

The letter A is for AGENTS

If you're pursuing the traditional path of publishing, you may be looking for an agent, but do you want just any agent? How do you know that he or she will be reliable, honest, and ethical? 

 

Start here:

Association of Authors’ Representatives http://www.aaronline.org/

 

The AAR is a professional organization of hundreds of agents that work with book authors and playwrights. They hold their members to the highest standards of ethics. The website offers a wealth of information and insight into the industry.

 

...

I'll see YOU back here tomorrow for the letter B.

...

 

In the meantime, are you participating in the A to Z Challenge? If so, do you have a theme for your posts this month?