References for Fiction Writers & Novelists

If your writing still seems unpolished, it could benefit from a good edit. Sometimes hiring an editor isn't always an available option, most of the time you have to perform that job yourself.
Inexperienced writers usually cannot detect mistakes in punctuation, spelling, word choice, phrasing, and style simply by looking over their work. This list of online grammar and editing resources is to help you have a “back-up” program to check for easily overlooked blunders. Don’t depend on your computer’s writing software, like Microsoft’s Word program. These page has a lot of great resources for fan-fiction writers, self-published or Indie authors, novelists, or anyone wanting to hone their writing skills.

Included in this post are valuable blogs, forums, and fiction writing support groups devoted to helping struggling writers with helpful editing tips, agent updates, and so much more. Please check back because I will add to this list.

Writing and Editing Blogs

Ten Rules For Writing Fiction - if you're serious about trying to getting published, then read this post, then read it again. And memorize it.

Literary Rambles one of best resources for up-to-date agent information.

Author! Author! Anne Mini's Blog is a useful site for new writers. It provides formatting guidelines, submission advice, editing tips and so much more by a published author. A remarkable resource for any writer.

FLOG Notes on manuscript formatting and other advice for fiction writers.

Adventures in Children's Publishing a blog for YA writers great site!

Cliches and Expressions Origins

Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors

The Blood-Red Pencil Sharp and pointed observations about good writing

Fiction Groupie Writing, Reading, Learning. Pantsing My Way Through Debut Authorhood

Writer Forums

WEbook an online community where you can share your work, get feedback from other writers & readers in your genre with a list of over 80 established literary agents.

Romance Divas free writer's resource website and discussion forum dedicated to the romance and writing community.

Urban Fantasy Writers free writer's resource and discussion forum dedicated to the urban fantasy genre.

Absolute Write Water Cooler a forum for just about any kind of writing, frequented by authors of all skill levels.

YALITCHAT a forum that actively seeks to advance the good of the entire young adult community worldwide, every day. Through writing, reading, selling, buying, teaching, leading, creating, editing, etc. YA books--we become the medium by which the world experiences what it means to be young adult.

Agent Query offers the largest, most current searchable database of literary agents on the web—a treasure trove of reputable, established literary agents seeking writers just like you. And it's free!

Horror Writers is an online community for writers of creepy fiction. So whether you write short stories, novels, or film scripts, this site will provide you with an absolute treasure trove of material relating to all aspects of the horror genre

KBoards Writer's Cafe a greeat community of self-published authors on Amazon who share wisdom, publishing advice, and support.

Sites with Tips on Self-Editing

Self-Editing Part 3: Character Development [NouveauWriter] Don't lose sight of your character's true self.

Avoid Rejection: Editors Pet Peeves [Fantasy Faction] Seven problems and fixes. Em dash? Autonomous body parts!

The Chicago Manual of Style Online

Blogs on the Craft of Writing

How To Write Your Novel's Hook [www.publetariat.com] Thirteen choices to get your creative juices flowing.

Six Limitations of the First Person POV [Ingrid's Notes] Beware imprisonment and the tell tell trap.

Evil Editor Why you don't get published blog.

Editorial Ass writing tips by a recovering editorial assistant.

Terribleminds writers would come together and put all their fiction, but that idea miscarried before it could be born wriggling and screeching.

These are some of my favorite sites and blogs to visit:

Revision: Character

http://ccyager.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/revision-character/

Character Questionnaires

http://www.writingclasses.com/InformationPages/index.php/PageID/106

Joslyn Pine on Editing Fiction

http://www.creative-writing-now.com/editing-fiction.html

*Self-publishing? Check out this awesome book formatting site, BOOKOW: http://www.bookow.com

Story Structure and Revision Checklist

http://writtenwyrdd.typepad.com/writtenwyrdd/2010/09/story-structure-and-revision-checklist.html

Revising Your Novel by James Scott Bell

http://www.wherethemapends.com/special_features/Bell_Revising.htm

Plot Revision for Novel Writers

http://jenniferjensen.suite101.com/plot-revision-a72339.html.

Revising Plot–Scene by Scene

http://www.routinesforwriters.com/2009/01/23/revising-plot-scene-by-scene/

Using the Elements of Fiction to Create Pacing in Your Novel
http://literarycornercafe.blogspot.com/2011/02/writing-tips-using-elements-of-fiction.html

Weaving Subplots into Your Novel
http://www.fictionfactor.com/articles/subplots.html

How to Balance Action, Narrative and Dialog

http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-goal/write-first-chapter-get-started/how-to-balance-action-narrative-and-dialogue-in-your-novel

Great Blog Post on Writing Dialogue

http://theeditorsblog.net/2010/12/08/punctuation-in-dialogue/

Setting: “Where am I” And why should I care?”

http://www.darcypattison.com/revision/using-setting-description/

Setting and atmosphere

http://www.revisionworld.co.uk/node/9032

Using Setting & Description in Creative, Yet Crucial Ways

http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/40-FE3-SettingDescription.html

Sensory Details Put Reader On-Location

http://www.darcypattison.com/revision/stronger-setting-details/

Advice on Writing a Novel and Revision

http://www.darkwaves.com/sfch/writing/ckilian/

Adding Character Description

http://www.darkangelwritingtools.com/2011/03/description-fiction-characters-and.html

17 Reasons a Manuscript is Rejected

http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/17-reasons-book-manuscripts-are-rejected/

The Reason Editors Reject Manuscripts

http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/reject.html

Three Reasons an Agent Rejects Your Pages

http://kidlit.com/2010/10/29/guest-blog-three-reasons-sambuchino/

What do you mean, most submissions are rejected on page 1? http://www.annemini.com/?p=2158

Why Manuscripts Get Rejected by Literary Agents

http://christiekoester.blogspot.com/2011/04/why-manuscripts-get-rejected-by.html\

“Rhetorical Questions” Blog Post by BookEnds, LLC, literary agency

http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2009/07/rhetorical-questions.html

Tastes, Smells, Sights, Sounds, And Touchy-feely Things

http://thedabblingmum.com/writing/fiction/arline07.htm

Creating Memorable Characters

http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/characters.shtml

Creating Realistic Characters

http://www.windriverpublishing.com/Information/creating_characters

Building a Strong Plot

http://www.windriverpublishing.com/Information/tips_building_plot

"Why Your Cover & Blurb Suck" by Rebekah Haskell
http://www.rebekahhaskell.com/why-your-cover-blurb-suck/

LONG List of Writing Resources

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bookbiz/writers.htm

Editing Software for Fiction Writers

AutoCrit Wizard Whether your goal is to reach a best-seller list, to get your first publishing contract, or to finish your memoir so you can share it with your family, your writing needs to shine.

Editor software for checking spelling, word usage, punctuation, and style, is compact and fast

Scrivener (Highly Recommended!) allows you to split up a long text into mediumer, more manageable chunks (chapters, scenes, main points - how large or medium is up to you) and to edit them independently or together as one long document

DictionaryBoss Great resources like spell check, dictionary look-up, translations, word of the day.

The AutoCrit team has made the Wizard more
powerful, faster, and easier to use.

A new version of AutoCrit is launching soon. The new AutoCrit will have the same great features you love from the original, plus:
Faster, more intuitive editing user interface (new)
Adverbs in Dialogue analysis (new)
Summary Report (new)
Word and phrase frequency summaries (new)
No word limits, upload your entire manuscript (new)
Comparison of your manuscript to published fiction with the ability to customize results based on specific fiction genres (new)

Visit the site for more details, AutoCrit Editing Wizard

Research and Resource Links

SEVENTH SANCTUM
A Word A Day
Anagram Server
AncientGreece.com
Archaeology
ArtServe
Bonsai Story Generator
Chris Pound's Language Machines
Crime and Clues
Criminology Mega-Site
Daire's Celtic Names
Creativity Portal
Dictionary of Military Architecture
Encyclopedia Mythica
Flat Earth
Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts
Greek Art & Architecture
History of Astronomy
HyperHistory
Internet-Resources
Inventors at About.com
J. Lynch's Writing Resources
Kleimo's Random Name Generator
Knighthood, Chivalry, & Tournaments Resource Library
The Labyrinth
Margaret Fisk's Writing Links
Medieval Names Archive
NetSerf.org
The Online Medieval and Classical Library
Science Over the Edge
Serendipity (Manon's Generators)
Seventh Sanctum
Slanguage.com
SSA Popular Baby Names
The Best of the British
True Crime Fanatic
Valkyrie Tower
Visual Thesaurus
Vocabulary Helper
Writing Tips/Journal Prompts

Misc Reference Links For Fiction Writers

Fiction Writing Tools series

More Author Resources & Services

I have included a list of services that I offer authors to help them along their creative journey. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Developmental Editing: https://tinyurl.com/2s3krtfj

Discreet Ghostwriting Services: https://bit.ly/3QESgBI

The Plot Coven (Custom Plots): https://bit.ly/3U8uWOa

The Plot Coven Facebook group (Premade Plots & Concepts): https://bit.ly/3U7G121

Book Marketing Services: https://bit.ly/3G8Q5A5

Promotional graphics (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.): https://bit.ly/3wmYHRJ

The Cover Coven (premade & custom book covers): https://tinyurl.com/2xmmj7t2

The Cover Coven Facebook group (monthly cover sales): https://www.facebook.com/groups/thecovercoven/thecovercoven

Fiction Writing Tools series: https://amzn.to/3IIVJdV

Fun & Inspiring Creative Writer Notebooks: https://bookcover-designs.blogspot.com/p/writer-notebooks.html

Wishing you lots of prosperity, creativity, and positivity!

Writing References