Christine Kelly Reads and Writes

Hi all– this part two is long overdue. I had started working on this ages ago. I wanted to focus on FREE resources for new authors.

Starting out you’ll be eager to soak up as much information as you can. If you’re like me, you’ll even be eager to fork over some cash to get there. A few times I paid for resources and assistance that perhaps I didn’t need. I am not saying it wasn’t useful, but there are a TON of free resources out there that you can exhaust those options and save your money for the other resources that cost money (and that you can’t get elsewhere). There are many resources I have paid for that have helped immensely and I look forward to sharing what worked for me in a different post (probably next quarter at this rate!).

First, Callie Rowland put together a great blog post of free resources on her website. It’s itemized by category for best optimization.

I wanted to expand on her list a bit because there truly is endless amount of information you can soak up without breaking the bank and each of us will find something that we find helpful that another may not. Can help also be subjective?

Reedsy has amazing videos and resources. Sign up for their newsletter and be sure to check their website when you can. Jessica Brody, who wrote, SAVE THE CAT WRITES A NOVEL , has a free video that I have re-watched numerous times.

Additionally, newsletters from authors or industry professionals are great resources. A few have paid options along with free ones. My favorite I follow for tips and craft is Parker PeevyHouse and Jane Friedman’s (which does have links to paid content).

One of the biggest free resources that has helped me hone in my craft is…BETA READING. Finding people to beta read your work, and in return you read their work can help you realize where you need to improve by not only hearing from others, but identifying certain things in other peoples work. Where can you find Beta Readers for free? Critiquematch.com or via social media. There are a few paid resources to connect you with others in the community as well, but I’ll save that for the money post.

On social media I have loved following Julie Artz who also has a website full of free resources. Helpful craft tips can be as simple as Teresa Traver’s sentence revision tweets. Seeing how someone can revise can help you approach your revisions different.

While searching for agents, be sure to bookmark their webpages because many, like Eric Smith, will have endless amount of resources available to you.

If you are someone that likes listening to podcasts, obviously there is The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Podcast, along with LitMatch, Savannah Gilbo’s podcast (it’s short and actionable), and Publishing Rodeo.

Lastly, Libby or your library will have great options for craft books. If they don’t, you can always ask a librarian to request adding what is missing to their selection.

So before you reach for your wallet, check out as many free resources as you can. They are out there and they are helpful. You don’t need to break the bank to get a start on improving your craft and finding out more about this industry. And here is a friendly reminder: just because someone does and can spend money on improving their craft, it does not mean they’re better than you.

Keep reading and writing and you’ll see how much you can improve without your bank account taking a hit.