My Writing Resources - Online
There’s such an abundance of online content about writing, the key is finding what helps you most, depending on what you need. The following are online resources that I’ve found hugely beneficial to helping to tell my stories and to hone my craft - all but one are free.
BEST COURSE - Brandon Sanderson’s writing science fiction and fantasy lectures at BYU
This is by far the most comprehensive and practical writing resource I have come across. It covers all the main components of writing (plot, viewpoints, world building, short stories, characters and publishing) and although it’s geared towards sci-fi and fantasy, it’s massively beneficial to any author. I love how Sanderson gives examples and makes each technique understandable and adoptable. He also understands different writing styles very well, and that none are correct, just different approaches for different writes at different times.
He also covers Sanderson’s Laws of Magic, which are very instructive for magic systems, but even more helpful for creating effective set-ups and payoffs.
There are different lecture series from different years on Brandon Sanderson’s YouTube channel:
BEST FOR HONING YOUR PROSE - There is so much to say about prose that I could list 100 articles, but here’s two of my favourites
I love books that flow and are a joy to read, even when there isn’t a lot of plot happening, and both articles help with this. There’s a great article on refining your prose by author Diana Urban
43 Words You Should Cut From Your Writing Immediately (dianaurban.com)
And a guide to the different figures of speech - how many did you already know?
The Top 20 Figures of Speech (thoughtco.com)
BEST INSPIRATION - Neil Gaiman’s Make Good Art commencement speech
Gaiman gives a great insight into his career that can fill you with inspiration and make you want to write every day. Listen to this on the days that you don’t feel like writing, and on the other days too.
Here’s a link to the most viewed version on YouTube:
Neil Gaiman 2012 Commencement Speech "Make Good Art" - YouTube
And it’s also been printed in this really creative book:
Make Good Art: Amazon.co.uk: Gaiman, Neil: 9781472207937: Books
MOST ENTERTAINING - Alan Moore’s BBC Maestro Storytelling course
Filled with interesting insights into Moore’s career, techniques, inspiration and reading recommendations were new to me, there is plenty to keep you hooked and to benefit your writing. As Moore sits in an ornate chair, surrounded by books, every video feels like a story in itself.
It lasts 6 hours but is broken down into 33 bitesize lessons. There is a cost to this course on BBC Maestro, but you can sign up for one free lesson (creating and inhabiting credible characters):
Alan Moore | Storytelling Online Course | BBC Maestro | BBC Maestro
For writing resources part 1, click to read my blog post about the best books I’ve found to hone my writing skills:
Mark is the author of We Come In Peace and Doomsday
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