Ten Quick Hits - 2025 version

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Over the years I have either hit upon or been led to some great online sources of useful info to help my own writing or to support my students.

 Here are ten of my current go-tos.

Back to Basics
Online submissions have changed the way we submit work and respond to editor queries. But this lays out the basics of how to format a manuscript.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiS2mnHF7Jg

Canadian Editors Association
A breakdown of the various services offered by editors, and what you might expect to pay for professional editing. https://editors.ca/hire-an-editor/rates/
Also, check out my blog posting about predatory soliciting.

Categories of Children’s Books
There’s a lot more to writing for children than just knowing the genre you’re writing in. Age and reading level have a lot to do with it. Broken down here. https://greenleafbookgroup.com/learning-center/book-creation/childrens-book-categories-what-are-they-and-why-are-they-important

Funds for Writers
Contests, grants, and submission opportunities https://fundsforwriters.com/

How Story Works podcast by Lani Diane Rich
Useful insights into how story works - for fiction and creative nonfiction. https://open.spotify.com/show/5jBSbQJvcmy77oXbuenqgc 

Key Book Publishing Paths - probably the article I most recommend. Breaking down the various options in a continually changing publishing world. Lots of other great stuff on Friedman’s site, too. 
https://janefriedman.com/key-book-publishing-path/

Purdue University's Online Writing Lab
If, like me, you have forgotten all the grammar you learned in school and don't want to rely on AI, check out this invaluable site. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/

To Market, To Market
Looking for an agent, a place to submit your work? Lots of writers find this site useful. https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/

Voice Lessons
The element of ‘voice’ in writing can be hard to describe, learn or teach. This goes a long way towards explaining something that is a lot more than simply the dialogue you put in a character’s mouth.
https://catherinenikkel.com/types-of-voice-in-writing/

WORD's Navigation Pane I could never spend the time to find my way around Scrivener, which many writers - use and love. Instead, I have been using Word's Navigation Pane (called Document Map in older versions) to keep everything in one place for long and short prose manuscripts for decades. This short video shows you how. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiS2mnHF7Jg
 


Image BizzyBizzyCreative 

 

Add your suggestions in the Comments. 

(I know there are few poetry resources specifically listed here. 

Will add a new posting later once I have consulted the poets in my life.)

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