helpful things

Resources for writers

Writer Life/Community:
Chicken Scratch Books Writer Courses
Chicken Scratch is my publisher, but they're also an incredible resource for middle grade writers, teachers, and parents. They offer free and fee-based writing courses taught by an industry veteran to help you hone your craft.

Serious Writer
A growing community for writers focused on the clean/Christian market, Serious Writer hosts conferences and contests, offers a wide range of classes, and provides an active social media forum for writers to connect. Serious Writer Club has both a free option as well as a membership-based option.

Almost an Author
Full disclosure: I blog for them, but even if I didn’t – I’d bookmark this site. Why? Because there’s all kinds of great info about genre and craft, and tons of support. The overall vibe is highly encouraging, and I like/need that.

Story Embers
A fantastic resource for clean/Christian writers who want honest conversations and resources about writing brokenness, redemption, and love. Their website and podcast are both fantastic. 

Searching for an Agent/Editor:
Manuscript Wish List (manuscriptwishlist.com and #mswl on Twitter)
This site connects agents and publishers to writers by doing exactly what it says – collecting wish lists of what agents and publishers are looking for and posting it online.

Query Tracker
This site appeals to my spreadsheet-making sensibilities.

Publishers Marketplace
For a $25/month fee, you can access agent and publisher research – lists of who is acquiring what and for how much.

Books about writing
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Revision and Self-Editing by James Scott Bell
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
On Writing by C.S. Lewis
Your First Million Words by Jeff Wheeler

Finally – it’s not a book about writing but if you want to write and sell middle grade (or other children’s books), pick up a copy of the Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market.