Writing is a unique journey through many stages. From novice writers to professionals, there are resources and tools that help make the experience more worthwhile.

Below is a list of resources I have used extensively and books that have been a significant help in my freelance and fiction journey. Some links are affiliates for which I receive a small percentage if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you. Others are direct links to the source. I hope you find these resources as useful as I have.

Writing Software & Creative Tools

• Adobe’s Creative Cloud – This suite of software is packed full of resources for writers, designers, and indie publishers
• Book Design Templates – Access a variety of templates to self-publish your writing.
• ProWritingAid – To learn more about this tool, check out The Benefits of ProWritingAid in Storius Magazine.
  
• Publisher Rocket – Every author should use this tool before self-publishing on Amazon. Not only does it identify the most relevant niches for your work, but it also helps you pinpoint the best keywords and view similar author’s earnings.  
• Scrivener – This tool helped me write two novels in less than two years. Learn more.
• Query Tracker – An excellent database tool for tracking your agent and publisher submissions. A free version is available, but at $25/year, you can save your favorites and monitor your queries. As a bonus, you can read comments from other writers to see which agents are responsive and their current acceptance rate.
• Verve Hosting – A great site for reseller hosting, an ideal solution for niche website creators. Read more about the benefits of reseller hosting.

Books on Writing

• The Complete Guide to Magazine Article Writing – A great resource for learning the ins and outs of pitching articles to magazine editors
• The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression (Second Edition) – Learn how to express character emotion more realistically with this helpful guide.
• The First Fifty Pages – A huge help for those interested in penning a novel. Learn about the three acts approach and how to engage your readers. Other excellent resources by Jeff Gerke include The Irresistible Novel: How to Craft an Extraordinary Story That Engages Readers from Start to Finish and Plot Versus Character: A Balanced Approach to Writing Great Fiction.
• How to Sell Every Magazine Article You Write – This book is older than many on this list, but it’s still a great read for ensuring that you present your best self when selling your articles to magazines.
• How to Write and Sell Your Personal Experiences – This easy-to-digest book by Lois Duncan is a must-read for any writer, not just those writing about their lives.
• Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction – An excellent resource for fiction writers from an author whose novels have been made into several movies.
  
• Revision and Self-Editing for Publication: Techniques for Transforming Your First Draft into a Novel That Sells – I own just about every James Scott Bell book, and this is one of the most valuable. A must-read for any writer, not just before publishing your own work but also before sending any of your writing out for review.
• Write for Your Life: The Home Seminar for Writers – An excellent overview of the writing craft. Also check out some of Lawrence Block’s other titles, including Spider, Spin Me a Web: A Handbook for Fiction Writers and Telling Lies for Fun & Profit: A Manual for Fiction Writers.
  
• The Writer’s Guide to Conquering the Magazine Market – Another valuable resource for anyone wanting to try their hand at magazine writing.

Websites on Writing

• The Creative Penn – A great website for new writers and anyone interested in self-publishing.
• Hand Hobbies: A Resource Guide to Writing Basics – This website covers the many facets of writing, from inspiration and outlining to editing
• Medium – A wonderful resource for writing and business information. You can read a certain number of articles per month for free. To have full access and support other writers within the community, sign up for an annual membership.
• This-Writers-Life – Offers informative articles on the writing life, including tips for freelancers.
• Quora – Here you can post questions and share your experience with other writers.