While Mythic Scribes is geared towards fantasy writing, I’m a big believer in studying writing from many different angles. For that reason, I’m always on the lookout for great writing advice from authors in other genres.
Today I’m going to feature nine of the blogs that I turn to for inspiration. Each of these blogs offers great insight from experienced, talented authors. While there are many quality writing blogs out there, these are nine of the best.
In no particular order, here are 9 amazing blogs for writers:
1. The Bookshelf Muse
Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have created a useful resources for writers. Not only does The Bookshelf Muse offer helpful articles, but it also features online thesauri on topics such as settings, physical attributes and character traits. I also recommend their book, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, which is available from Amazon.
Here are some of their recent articles that I enjoyed:
- Adapting Story Structure for Any Project (Lydia Sharp)
- Increasing Your Book’s Momentum (Laura Carlson)
- Surprising Emotions: How Will Your Character React? (David Farland)
2. Courage 2 Create
Fiction writer and professional blogger Ollin Morales offers valuable inspiration and writing tips. I especially love how Ollin shares his own challenges in writing and in life.
I recommend checking out the following posts:
- Where to Begin Your Story
- 11 Ways To Get Over Feeling Guilty About Following Your Passion
- 10 Tricks To Motivate Yourself To Write–Right NOW
3. L.B. Gale
Fantasy author L.B. Gale not only shares constructive writing advice, but also engaging commentary on popular culture. If you are a fan of science fiction or fantasy entertainment, you will appreciate what she has to offer:
- How the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Can Avoid the Failures of the Prequel Trilogy
- There Are Two Kinds of Writers
- A Guide to Naming Characters
4. The Artist’s Road
Professional storyteller Patrick Ross brings a wealth of life-experience to the table in this unique blog. He has a lot of insight into creativity and the writing life, which makes this blog a must-read for all aspiring writers:
- The Balance Between Authenticity and Creativity
- Is Kickstarter the Answer for Aspiring Authors?
- Is it Wrong to Imagine Success?
5. Jeff Goins, Writer
I first discovered Jeff Goins through his posts on Problogger. He has a lot of valuable things to say about writing, success, and blogging. In my opinion, Jeff is one of the most inspirational guys in the world of writing:
- The One Fear That Will Destroy Your Art
- The Difference Between Good Writers and Bad Writers
- The Reason Your Marketing Is Utterly Failing
6. Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors
www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com
Historical and speculative fiction author K.M. Weiland offers a wealth of advice on the craft of writing. She routinely delves into the nuts and bolts of story structure and character and development in a way that is entertaining and accessible:
- Why Story Beginnings and Endings Must Be Linked
- The Necessity of Conflict
- 5 Steps to Dazzling Minor Characters
7. The Creative Penn
Thriller and non-fiction author Joanna Penn (J.F. Penn) is an expert on publishing, marketing, and writing. I have found her perspectives on social media and the ebook revolution to be enlightening:
- How To Get Amazon’s Top Customer Reviewers To Review Your Book
- Why Amazon’s KDP Select Is God’s Gift to Authors
- How To Sell Books With Social Media
8. Writer Unboxed
Writer Unboxed has been one of my favorite blogs for a while now. Founded by Therese Walsh and Kathleen Bolton, the blog features a myriad of writers from different genres. This is an excellent site to visit for daily advice and motivation:
- Transformational Journeys—Working With Archetypes (Robin LaFevers)
- Heroes and Villains (Sophie Masson)
- The Antihero – Writing a Dark Character that Readers will Love (Antonio del Drago)
9. The Other Side of the Story
Fantasy and science fiction author Janice Hardy is a teacher at heart, and she enjoys taking her readers through the writing process. She regularly critiques writing submissions from her readers, which she uses as teaching examples. I recommend starting with the following articles:
- Look! It’s An Idea: Going From Premise to Plot
- Know Before You Go: Should You Know Your Genre First?
- Theme Me Up: How to Develop Your Theme
BONUS: The Roundtable Podcast
Although it’s not a blog, I must mention one more site that I rely on for inspiration: The Roundtable Podcast. Hosted by Dave Robison and Brion Humphrey, this podcast helps writers to nurture their ideas and get the creative juices flowing.
You can listen to my interview on The Roundtable Podcast here:
Your Favorite Writing Blogs?
Now that you’ve seen my favorites, it’s time for you to share. What are your favorite blogs for writers?
Also, are you a regular reader of any of the blogs on my list? If so, what keeps you coming back?
Antonio del Drago
Antonio del Drago is a writer, philosopher and professor. His latest book, The Mythic Guide to Characters: Writing Characters Who Enchant and Inspire, is now available.
This article and its thread are pure gold. Thank you so much. It’s going to be extra hard to write this week with all these wonderful places to visit.
I’ll add The Editor’s Blog to the list (http://theeditorsblog.net). I like their long exhaustive articles.
You’ve certainly named some of my favorite blogs, Antonio. May I also say a good word for:
Write It Sideways: http://writeitsideways.com/
New Hampshire Writers Network: nhwn.wordpress.com
Write To Done: http://writetodone.com/
Their traffic is awesome and they’re nice people.
@AngelaAckerman Thanks, there are quite a few on there that I didn’t know about yet!
@Regina_Chapman You bet!
Just found this one … focused on the business side of writing. Awesome posts, extraordinary husband and wife team with hundreds of books published, publishing houses run, even a Kickstarter-funded anthology in the works …
http://kriswrites.com/2012/12/12/the-business-rusch-writing-like-its-2009/
The latest post is a summation of the epublishing industry RIGHT NOW, but all these posts a treasure trove of freelancing, copyright law, the writing life etc.
What an excellent resource! I was excited that I already follow a couple (hoorayz! I’m on the right track!) but just as equally excited to find new sources of inspiration. TY for putting this together — am bookmarking this page for future reference! 🙂
Andi Roo Thanks Andi! I’m glad that you found the list helpful.
Wow! Thanks so much for including me. I’m honored to be included in such a great list!
KMWeiland You’re welcome, and thanks for the retweet!
@mythicscribes Thanks so much for the shout out! We appreciate that.
@WriterUnboxed You’re most welcome! Thanks for the retweet.
The Writing Excuses podcast is amazing. It’s writing advice in small doses, and all the authors on it write in different genres. Fantasy, horror, sci-fi, historical fantasy, and even a webcomic.
JWhitmore I’m also a huge fan of Writing Excuses. It’s amazing how much you can learn in 15 minute chunks.
Antonio del Drago JWhitmore Right? There are times I’ve wished they’d go more than 15 minutes, but most of the time I’m happy with it. 15 minutes is just enough to get me pumped up just before I sit down to write.
One more suggestion: Writing Excuses podcast with Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells and Howard Taylor!
Interesting list! Haven’t seen a few of those before, so I’ll have to go peek.
A few which I think ought not be missed:
http://www.deanwesleysmith.com – possibly the best site for looking at the business end of writing today that exists on the internet
http://www.kriswrites.com – Dean’s wife, the only person to get a Hugo for both her writing AND her editing, writes a column every Thursday which is a “cannot miss this” set of essays.
http://www.thepassivevoice.com – A blog by a lawyer who specializes in IP law (i.e. your contracts!), this site aggregates news on the publishing industry from all over the internet – great for staying informed!
Wow. Thanks for the awesome shout out! This is really excellent company to be included in.
beccapuglisi You’re welcome, Becca! I hope that you had a great birthday, and thanks for the retweet.
Thank you so much Antonio. I am so honored to be included on this list!
ollinmorales You’re very welcome, Ollin. Thanks for coming by, and for retweeting the article.
@mythicscribes Wow! Thanks so much for including us! I’m honored to make your list! Have a great week!
@AngelaAckerman You’re welcome Angela! We glad to help spread the word, and thanks for the retweet.
My nominations for must-read are http://www.davidfarland.net/ – this has proper, detailed examinations about every facet of writing.
Then there’s http://www.writingexcuses.com/ – not, not strictly a blog, but with seven years of fantasy podcasts to pick through, I can’t quite imagine life without my Monday morning fix.
As for the above – bookmarking now!
@thecreativepenn You’re most welcome, and thanks for the retweet. 🙂
Brilliant; bookmarking this and I’ll check out the list later. I’ve been needing some help in the craft 🙂
Jamie
I really like Jim Butcher’s Live Journal
http://jimbutcher.livejournal.com/
I’ll have to check out these others you mentioned here. Thanks!
The_Drill99 Thanks for suggesting Jim Butcher’s site, Phil. I really enjoyed his article on climaxes.