At SpaceCrafts we try to help you through that fantasy world — and many other folks do, too. There are actually lots of resources in the writer’s world and here are some links to lists, descriptions, explanations, and software that might help you in your quest to have your writing published.
The Craft of Writing
Writing is a craft, an art, a calling and a vocation. It’s also work. If you want to write, you won’t find the time, you’ll make the time. You won’t wait for the right inspiration to strike or the perfect first sentence to present itself. You won’t worry about writing the Great American Novel right out of the box.
You’ll just start writing, regardless of where you are or what else needs to be done. You’ll write on your computer at home, during boring meetings at work, on the shopping list in the grocery store and on the back of an envelope while waiting for a prescription to be filled. The words will come and, the more of them you put down, the more will flood in to take their place.
This list of creative writing resources gives you some guidelines to help with the discipline and process of writing as well as how to get your work published.
Books on How to Write
- “A Crash Course in How to Be Creative from Rod Serling“ — Andy Badalementi, CI-Group
- “A Glossary of Terms Useful in Critiquing Science Fiction” by David Smith
- “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” by Stephen King
- “On Writing Short Stories” by Tom Bailey
- “Writing for the Movies“ — Movie Outline
- “The Kick-Ass Writer: 1001 Ways to Write Great Fiction, Get Published & Earn Your Audience” by Chuck Wendig
- “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print” by Renni Browne and Dave King
- “The Smart Way to Open a Story” by Charles Baxter
- “Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence” by Lisa Cron
- “Writing 21st Century Fiction: High Impact Techniques for Exceptional Storytelling “by Donald Maas
- “Writing the Breakout Novel“ by Donald Maas
Books on Getting Published
- “How to Write a Book Proposal, 4th Edition” by Michael Larsen
- “Jeff Hermann’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents” by Jeff Hermann
Writing Blogs and Websites
- Clear Writing with Mr. Clarity by Joe Roy
- Terrible Minds by Chuck Wendig
- Writer Unboxed
- Writing Tips for Beginners — SFWA
Formatting Your Work
SFWA posts many articles and posts on proper formatting. Check out their page of links on
- Manuscript Formatting and Preparation (SFWA)
- Manuscript format by Chuck Rothman
- Word count by Chuck Rothman
- The Obligatory Manuscript Format Article by John Gregory Betancourt
- FAQ for Beginning Writers
- Information Center
Grammar, Spelling & Punctuation
- The Elements of Style by Strunk & White (book)
- Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss (Book — Uses British rules of grammar)
- Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing — Mignon Fogarty (Website)
- The Grammar Hotline — University of Maryland (Website)
- Clear Writing with Mr. Clarity — Joe Roy (Blog)
Where to Submit Your Work
Writing Workshops
- Clarion — The Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination
- Clarion West Writers’ Workshop — The Clarion Foundation
- Grubstreet — Grubstreet, Inc.
The Business of Publishing
- Jane Friedman’s Blog (and publishing paths graphic)
- Manuscript Wish List
- “Publishing for Profit: Successful Bottom-Line Management for Book Publishers” (5th Edition) by Thomas Woll
- Query Shark by Janet Reid
- “The Forest for the Trees: An Editor’s Advice to Writers” by Betsy Lerner