Below is a list of handy links and handouts that my wordsmiths have brought to my attention that could be useful for all writers. Check them out.
Pre-Writing Resources 
Writing Resources (Plot Structure Etc) 
Editing Jessica Brody wrote an insightful blog post about how to create a writing routine with will help you settle in and get those words on the page.
The Writers of the Future contest is one of the prestigious contests for science fiction and fantasy writers.
To help writers through the chaos brought on by Covid-19, David Farland, Orson Scott Card, and Tim Powers have pulled their resources together to offer this free writing course. If you go through the course and do all the exercises, you will come out of the course with a short story. And for those who are more advanced writers, you will gain some insights from some of the best science fiction and fantasy writers alive.
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel Starter Kit
DISCOVER THE SECRET STORYTELLING CODE BEHIND EVERY BESTSELLING NOVEL
WHAT IS THE SAVE THE CAT! METHOD?
The Save the Cat! story-structure method breaks down every great story ever told into 15 “beats” or plot points that map out a compelling story with a satisfying character arc. Originally created for screenwriters, bestselling author Jessica Brody has successfully adapted the method for novelists with her #1 bestselling book, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and the popular Save the Cat! online novel writing course.
Loglines are an important part of writing a novel. They are a one to two story sentence summary of your novel. They help you keep your story focused. Loglines are used after the novel is complete no matter what publishing path you choose.
Romance Novel Beat Sheet: Your Guide to Hitting All the Right Notes (Article)
Romance writer TN Elsewhere ML Morada Granada wanted to share one of her favorite sites for sorting out all the notes and beats in a romance. Yes, romance has a few quirks all it's own.
The Structure of a Romance Novel
This download was obtained from a lovely romance writer who closed her coaching business to focus on her words. Thankfully the download remains thanks to Morada Granada ML of Tennessee Elsewhere region of the NaNoWriMo chaos.
This is a replay of Brandon Sanderson's keynote speech at Teen Author Boot Camp. Writers of all ages can benefit from hearing this advice.
We are fans of Jonna Penn, who runs a podcast called The Creative Penn. There are so many useful episodes in the archives, with so many guests over the years sharing their wisdom. But this particular episode is with Dr Euan Lawson, who co-authored The Healthy Writer with Joanna Penn.
It all comes down to mindset, but Christie Craig (romance and romantic suspense writer) has a fresh take on the things that we should and shouldn't do (including how we shouldn't compare ourselves to others — something much easier said than done).
In this digital age we often spend more time than normal staring at a computer screen or other digital devices. Here's some tips and tricks to keep your eyes healthy.
Writer Beware
If it sounds too good to be true, it's probably a scam. Check the site below, and if it's at all like what you read there, run, don't walk away from it.
Writers Helping Writers
They have some of the most helpful resources for writers. Many of us here at the "Coffee Shop" use their books on a regular basis.
Think of this as that place for the pesky details you can't seem to remember. It's a quick reference sheet not a full story bible.
Style Sheet PDF
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Style Sheet Word Docx
This is meant as a quick reference sheet for pesky details, not a full story bible.
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This is a way for everyone to see the same timer. I have used it on several occassions.
This timer silently counts down to 0:00, then alerts you that time is up with a gentle beep sound.
JJ Wallis loves these. Here's what she has to say about this resource.
With my ADHD brain, I struggle to stay on task and not be distracted. To get around this, I use writing sprints and visual timers. I started with a Pomodoro app but then moved to using YouTube video timers. With my desktop setup, I have multiple screens and keep this video full screen on one. If I get a distracting thought, I just look over and see how much time I have left to trick my brain to remain on task until it reaches zero.
Onomatopoeia — using words to describe a sound
Sound is just one of the five senses, and using words to describe those sounds is an art form within itself. This downloadable resource contains a list of words that could be used for a variety of scenarios. From animal sounds to the sounds from electronics, this resource will help everyone to build show into their stories.
I know there are many scrivener templates out there. I (Ann Bell Feinstein) use Save the Cat Writes a Novel to structure my manuscripts. I have given you the same template (minus some story specific information) I use. I hope it helps you.
STC Scrivener Template
I took a scrivnener template and added the save the cat beats and some other templates I found useful. Maybe you will too. You will have to unzip the file and import it into scrivener. To use this template, download the .zip file. Then extrac the file. Create a new project using Scrivener, and instead of choosing an existing template, choose "import templates" from the options menu at the lower left of your window. After you have imported the file, it should show up with your other templates when you create a new project.
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Jami Gold (a paranormal romance writer) has compiled a wonderful collection of beat sheets for writers based on a variety of models, including Save the Cat!, Story Engineering, and the Six Stage Plot. There are checklists for writing engaging scenes and Scrivener templates. She also links to other useful resources for writers.
Outline an entire story on one page to get that crucial big picture view, this is a free 7-day course by Rachael Stephen.
Quick guide to plotting that explains both the why of the structure while giving it a practical way to apply it. This is also easily adapted to any beat list or story structure that you may use.
There are so many models for story structure out there, and this is another one to add to the list. But this one comes with a detailed blog post and a FREE downloadable worksheet.
Plot out your stories with confidence.
Writing a well-structured romance isn’t the same as writing any other genre—something the popular novel and screenwriting guides don’t address. The romance arc is made up of its own story beats, and the external plot and theme need to be braided to the romance arc—not the other way around.
As a writer of Romance, I find plotting using romancing the beat incredibly helpful. Rather than having to pick up the book and page through to the beats, Gwen Hayes offers a free scrivener template and if you sign up for her newsletter you can download a PDF cheat sheet of the beats.
Beth Hill is a freelance editor and the author of The Magic of Fiction: Crafting Words into a Story. This blog post forms a chapter from her book, containing all the information that a fiction writer needs to punctuate dialogue correctly. There is even a downloadable version of the chapter available for purchase ($0.99 USD).
Writers are often on the hunt for names for their various characters, but with this fake name generator, you'll get a name, physical characteristics, a home address, an occupation, and the make and model of the car that your character drives.
It's also good for those who are planning to live a secret life.
Despite the name Fantasy Name Generator you can get many other types of names here. Take a peek.
The SPA Girls are Trudi Jaye, Cheryl Phipps, Wendy Vella and Shar Barratt: four New Zealand authors who between them have had more than 100 books published.
They’ve been self-publishing since 2013, and Wendy Vella alone has sold more than 2 million copies of her historical and contemporary romances.
The SPA Girls Podcast (SPA = Self Publishing Authors) is one of the industry’s leading publishing podcasts globally, with over five years worth of weekly top-rating episodes.
Aimed at the beginning self-publisher, the podcast has received rave reviews from listeners and guests alike! Each week the SPA Girls bring listeners a new episode covering all things self-publishing, writing craft, marketing advice, advertising strategies and expert guest interviews.
There is just so much useful advice, hints and tricks that can be found in the SPA girls podcast back catalogue, I’m unable to list all my favorite episodes. I’ve linked one of their more recent episodes on what to do when you’re stuck in a creative rut which may help during the pressure some writers experience during NaNoWriMo, but it’s well worth your time to look through their back catalogue to see what may resonate with you.
Click the shuffle button to get a randomly generated prompt. Then start writing!
Great for when you’re experience some creatively slumps or blocks, need some prompts for a scene or even an entire story, hit shuffle and see what you get.
Jane Friedman is highly respected within the industry and frequently shares her knowledge and experience with writers. One blog post in particular is updated every year with the latest information about various publication paths, listing the pros and cons. This is one blog post that Judy L Mohr has bookmarked, eagerly awaiting the updates to the information provided in the new year.
Free short term rebel planner. It allows you to see where your time needs to be visually. Have fun rebels.
Writer Beware
If it sounds to good to be true it's probably a scam. Check the site below, and if it's at all like what you read there, run, don't walk away from it.
No writer is an island. Writers enjoy and, in fact, need to connect with other writers. So, when we encounter a blog post from one of our favorite authors on the topic of connecting with other writers, we have to share it.
Take a read of some of the tips that Joanna Penn has on how to find your writing community.
Jessica Brody wrote an insightful blog post about how to create a writing routine with will help you settle in and get those words on the page.
The number of times that we writers are told to use "stronger verbs" can drive us a bit coo-coo, especially if we are struggling to think of some stronger verbs to use.
This blog post from Jerry Jenkins dives into the types of verbs and shows how you can spice up your writing with stronger verbs. BUT there is also a downloadable list of 249 strong verbs to add to our vocabulary.
It all comes down to mindset, but Christie Craig (romance and romantic suspense writer) has a fresh take on the things that we should and shouldn't do (including how we shouldn't compare ourselves to others — something much easier said than done).
John McIntyre a newspaper editor (I think he's retired now.) give a hillarious but honest view of what editors do.
This is a replay of Brandon Sanderson's keynote speech at Teen Author Boot Camp. Writers of all ages can benefit from hearing this advice.
We at Jesssies Coffee Shop are also fans of Jonna Penn, who runs a podcast called The Creative Penn. There are so many useful episodes in the archives, with so many guests over the years sharing their wisdom. But this particular episode is with Dr Euan Lawson, who co-authored The Healthy Writer with Joanna Penn.
It's no big surprise that those of us at Canterbury Writers are fans of the resources from Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. Their Writers Helping Writers is a treasure trove of information. But they also have another website that is also filled with a treasure trove of resources.
One Stop for Writers is a subscription services, filled with extensive databases for a variety of different show elements. But you can access their checklists and tip sheets page for free. This is just a taste of some of the amazing materials found on One Stop for Writers.
In this blog post Jessica Brody walks you through a streamlined editing process. Hint you don't start on page one, at least not at the scene level. That's right you can't or shouldn't do it all in one pass.
Writers Beware
If it sounds to good to be true it's probably a scam. Check the site below, and if it's at all like what you read there, run, don't walk away from it.