AJ Benson at The Quill's Lair

 Below are writing tips I have found useful in developing my trade-craft as an author. I will be adding to these as I discover new ones.

Here are some techniques that can help you on your way.

• • How to Write a Book Now: How to Write a Novel is the first series of articles I read on story structure.
    
    • “We will introduce you to some of the most powerful secrets to novel writing we’ve been able to find and discover to date. They will help you create a well structured and emotionally compelling novel without relying on clichéd formulas.”

• • How to Write Well talks about how to write a useful outline.
    
    • “The final stage of preparation – writing an outline for your novel – builds on everything you have done so far.”
  • Write Like Rowling Blog is a wonderful blog which really analizes the tradecraft used by Rowling.
    
    • “I started Write Like Rowling with the goal of helping writers create original and authentic work by studying the mechanics of successful storytelling. “

• • The Better Novel Project Blog deconstructs best sellers to look for common elements in the story structure.
    
    • “Better Novel Project is all about deconstructing bestsellers, discovering what elements they have in common, and using those elements to create a versatile story structure. We believe research is more effective when it is fun, so each post is hand-illustrated with a doodle or infographic.”

• • National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) (November) and Nanowrimo camp (April, July) are valuable communities for the novelist. There is support and encouragement to be found among them.

• Writer’s Digest has something about almost everything in which an author might have interest.
  
  • • “Write Better, Get Published” is a wonderful article on getting published.
      
  • There is a ton of information here!

Tools can make the job easier.

• • Scrivener is the author’s tool of choice, making it straightforward to manipulate your story, from large muscle movements to small tweaks.
  • Keystroke Medium has great videos about the writing process, including tools, and interviews.
  • ProWritingAid can help improve your editing process.
  • Fictionary can help you to transform not just your words, but your story.
  • If you’ve been struggling to build a website, MakeAWebsiteHub.com is a great resource to help writers manage all aspects of their web presence. Whether you’re hoping to create a blog for creative writing, or a more professional portfolio website to display or sell your work, their guides can help every step of the way. 
  • How to Create a Website has a guide which features what templates to use to build a site, and three bonus tips to take your website to a new level.
  • The article on “Voice to text apps” might help you in getting your thoughts to paper.

• • An anagrammer can help you create interesting names with hidden meaning.

• • Reading prompts can be found on my Google+.

• • 10 Places to Find Awesome Free Stock Photos for Your Blog is a great article by The Write Life.

• How can you make a little money before your novel is done? The Write Life suggests you seek out a trade magazine. “If you’re interested in a corner of the magazine market that has less competition, higher rates, and a ton of prospective markets, consider trade magazine writing.”

 A quick checklist for self publishing

For traditional publishing, finding an agent is vital!

• • Do your research. I have found that taking classes to improve your writing can connect you with agents. I have been introduced to several agents this way. It also helps you get a feel for the personality of an agent. It will help you decide if you want to build a relationship with that person or if it isn’t a good fit.

• • #MSWL is a hashtag on Twitter that stands for Manuscript Wish List. It’s used by both agents and publishers to let people know what is on a given agent’s manuscript wish list. This is one of the best writing tips I have discovered.
    
    • • MS Wish List is a great site to check out for potential agents and their wishlists.
    • Here are some agents I found as of 1/15/16 by querying on #MSWL YA Fantasy or from newsletters I receive. They offer writing tips and insight into what they want to see in manuscripts.
      • • John Cusick of says “In young adult and middle grade I’m drawn to contemporary realistic stories with strong hooks, as well as fresh fantasy set in our world and others…”
      • Agents identified here have no affiliation with AJ Benson and are listed for informational purposes only. Authors should research any agent with which they hope to build a business relationship.

• • Writer’s Digest Guide to Literary Agents is a useful place to explore information about finding agents.

• • Query Tracker helps authors find agents. While it does not tell you much about the strengths of various literary agencies, it does tell you about the response rates of agents to queries, and for which genres each agent accepts queries.

• I have also found that agents are much more available to authors when the writer has taken classes from the agent. Try looking for classes on udemy.com and Writers Digest.

Fantasy-specific writing tips can offer some unique insights.

• • “Writing a fantasy novel: 34 must-visit websites” is a great page to immerse yourself in the genre.

• • Fantasy name generator is useful if you want something fresh. I prefer to use it for inspiration and make each name have a hidden meaning.

• Fantasy Author Brandon Sanderson‘s Laws of Magic have helped me create a magic system that makes sense.
  • • Sanderson’s First Law of Magic: An author’s ability to solve conflict with magic is DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL to how well the reader understands said magic.
  • • Sanderson’s Second Law of Magic: Limitations > Powers
  • Sanderson’s Third Law of Magic: Expand what you already have before you add something new.

More writing articles can be found on my Writer’s Corner board on Pinterest, and my Writer’s Support collection on Google+.

If you need to laugh at yourself as a writer, check out my Writer Memes on Pinterest, or check out heralds for writing news such as conferences and competitions.