Top Self-Taught Writing Fiction Resources

Many people learning to write sign up for writing courses or a program at college. Honestly, If you’re trying to get your writing career started, I would recommend the more affordable method- becoming self-taught through a variety of high-quality books.

I made a list of the best ones I’ve found during my career for you. You can get a Kindle Unlimited subscription, check them out at the library, or purchase them at Barnes and Noble.

1. You’ll need a book on scene work, the building blocks of any story. I recommend The Scene Book: A Primer for the Fiction Writer. It costs $4 on Amazon and has great prompts. I also recommend “Make a Scene” by Jordan Rosenfeld.

2. You’ll need a book on character development, the driving force behind the plot. I recommend Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints by Nancy Kress. It’s free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

3. Here’s a book covering the other basics of storytelling you’ll need to know: The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing: Everything You Need to Know to Create & Sell Your Work by Writer’s Digest. I found this one particularly helpful.

4. A resource you may want to access during your writing sessions: The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression by Puglisi

5. I would also recommend a book about worldbuilding, especially if you write any fantasy, historical fiction, futuristic fiction, or science fiction. A good choice is The Only World Building Workbook You’ll Ever Need: Your New Setting Bible by T.M. Holladay

6. Lastly I would get a book of prompts and exercises that can teach you tools to refine your word choice, thematic content, and the other elements of storytelling. I recommend these two: The Virginia Woolf Writers’ Workshop: Seven Lessons to Inspire Great Writing by Dannel Jones. And Writing Tools (10th Anniversary Edition): 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark. Both are available on Amazon.

There are other completely free resources available to you as well.

I would recommend finding some blogs about fiction writing you like, and subscribing by email so you can read the posts. Subscribe to a blog with creative writing prompts, for example, or read some posts about improving dialogue.

To boost your productivity you can participate in the National Novel Writing Month challenge which is about to start in November.

And here’s an outside of the box suggestion for when you get stuck on writer’s block. Try browsing https://postsecret.com/ People post their secrets there which you can use as seeds for your characters.

Lastly, I would recommend getting a few accountability partners to check in with weekly about your writing progress.

And don’t forget keeping a journal! Carry it everywhere with you for notes on your observations and people watching to improve your dialogue, and stray thoughts you want to save for later.

You can also make use of the following writing communities to find readers and get feedback on your work: Wattpad, Scribophile, and Critique Circle

When you’re further along on your journey, to make some income or find housing, you can apply to fellowship programs.

I hope this helps. Good luck!