Alphabet Blogging: G is for…

Growing.

There are so many jobs that fall on an author’s shoulders nowadays. Not only do we have to be continually honing the craft of writing, but we have to be marketers and savvy business managers. We have to have at least rudimentary grasp of the publishing world, how to tell if contracts are any good or not, how to navigate the digital side of the world…there are so many ways that an author has to learn and grow.

Thankfully, there are a lot of ways to do that in this day and age–we can attend conferences, listen to audiobooks and podcasts, read books and blogs, take courses, watch vidoes…there are dozens of options. Growing and learning has never been easier.

If I may, I’d like to share some of my favorite resources for writers:

*One of my favorite writing courses are these free online lectures from Brandon Sanderson’s class at Brigham Young University. These video lectures are, in my opinion, invaluable for fantasy and science fiction authors.

*Looking for a good resource about the business side of writing? Kristin Kathryn Rusch’s business blog archives are some of the best I’ve found.

*Are you really into finding the exact, perfect word to describe something? Years ago, a dear friend bought me a copy of the Flip Dictionary. My copy is dog-eared and almost falling apart.

*The Emotion Thesaurus is another book I’ve dog-eared, though I’ve only had it a few years. It’s perfect if you want to zoom in on the exact type of body language and unique tells characters might give with each emotion they feel.

*If you really like writing realistic characters and digging into what makes them tick, another book I highly recommend is Brandilyn Collins’ Getting Into Character.

*And of course, Self-Editing For Fiction Writers is an absolute must-have.

*And if you like to meet up with other authors in person, I’ve heard the ACFW conference is a good one. I’ve never made it, but I have attended both years of Realm Makers–so if hanging out with nerds is your thing, then come join us! 🙂

Hopefully this has been helpful, and gives you guys a good place to start! Do you have a favorite book, podcast, or other useful writing tools that has helped you grow as an author? Please share in the comments!