It's generally advisable for professionals of all kinds to dedicate time to professional development. Professional development can help you stay up-to-date with best practices, current events and subject matter in your field, new discoveries or techniques, or can simply be a space in which you are able to improve your craft and become the best professional you can be. The same is true for writers. Writers commonly study their craft by practicing the written word, by reading voraciously, by connecting with other writers through writing groups, conferences, and the like, by connecting with readers through reading clubs, social media and other venues, by taking classes, reading writing blogs, and more.
Below, I have assembled a list of classes, blog articles, and other resources you might find useful as a writer on a budget who wishes to study their craft and continue to grow. If you have other free or low-cost suggestions of professional development resources that other writers might find useful, please share them in the comments or through one of Underground Bookshelf's social media networks.
Image Description: A journal lies open on a wooden table with a pen next to it. An untidy scrawl decorates the pages that are visible. A teacup rests on the table in the background. The lighting is dim with only the book illuminated.
Credit: Yannick Pulver / Unsplash
Free Professional Development Resources for You to Explore:
- Class Central: Class Central houses a large assortment of free courses available for you to audit, including many on writing and editing. See the list of courses available in 2024 in the article, "180 Free Online Writing Courses to Improve Your Skills," at https://www.classcentral.com/report/writing-free-online-courses/. Below, I have pulled out several examples that you might find useful.
- Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization (University of Michigan): https://www.classcentral.com/course/writing-editing-structure-19554
- Start Writing Fiction (The Open University): https://www.classcentral.com/course/start-writing-fiction-1759
- Creative Writing: The Craft of Plot (Wesleyan University): https://www.classcentral.com/course/craft-of-plot-5625
- Write a Feature Length Screenplay for Film or Television (Michigan State University): https://www.classcentral.com/course/write-a-feature-length-screenplay-for-film-or-tel-17968
- Memoir and Personal Essay: Managing Your Relationship with the Reader (Wesleyan University): https://www.classcentral.com/course/memoir-reader-relationship-12397
- Reedsy: While Reedsy primarily connects writers, editors, proofreaders, and others involved in the publishing industry, it also offers several free courses on subjects like writing your first book, self-publishing, book marketing, and more. Visit Reedsy at https://reedsy.com/. Below, I've assembled a list of articles discussing genre-writing tips from Reedsy that you might find interesting.
- Fantasy: https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-fantasy-novel/
- Thriller: https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-thriller/
- Young Adult Fiction: https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-young-adult/
- Science Fiction: https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-science-fiction/
- Mysteries: https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-mystery/
- Romance: https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/romance/how-to-write-a-romance-novel/
- Literary Fiction: https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/literary-fiction/writing/
- Children's Books: https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-childrens-book/
- Picture Books: https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-childrens-picture-book/
- Nonfiction: https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/nonfiction/
- Self-Help: https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-self-help-book/
- Cookbooks: https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-cookbook/
- Memoirs: https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/memoir/
- Comic Books: https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/how-to-make-a-comic-book/
- Think Written: Think Written offers tips for book marketing. If you're running out of ideas for reaching audiences, try one of their "50 Free Ways to Market Your Book" at https://thinkwritten.com/free-book-marketing/.
Sources:
- 6 Fantastic Tips for Writing Stellar Science Fiction (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-science-fiction/
- 7 Free Book Marketing Tools for Authors (Written Word Media): https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/free-book-marketing-tools/
- 9 Best General Resources Websites for Writers (Writer's Digest): https://www.writersdigest.com/resources/9-best-general-resources-websites-for-writers-2021
- 10 Free Book Marketing Tools for Authors (Writers' Hive): https://writershivemedia.com/free-book-marketing-tools-for-authors/
- 10 Tips for Developing Your Own Unique Writing Style (WordTune): https://www.wordtune.com/blog/tips-for-developing-your-writing-style
- 15 Amazing Free Writing Resources (TCK Publishing): https://www.tckpublishing.com/free-writing-resources/
- 20 Incredibly Useful Resources for Aspiring Authors (Medium): https://writingcooperative.com/16-incredibly-useful-resources-for-aspiring-authors-730012a4d91c
- 50 Free Ways to Market Your Book (Think Written): https://thinkwritten.com/free-book-marketing/
- 180 Free Online Writing Courses to Improve Your Skill (Class Central): https://www.classcentral.com/report/writing-free-online-courses/
- Best dictation software for typing in Google Docs (Zapier): https://zapier.com/blog/best-text-dictation-software/#googledocs
- Best free mobile dictation software (Zapier): https://zapier.com/blog/best-text-dictation-software/#gboard
- Canva: https://www.canva.com/
- Creative Writing: The Craft of Plot (Wesleyan University) hosted by Class Central: https://www.classcentral.com/course/craft-of-plot-5625
- Descript: https://www.descript.com/
- Hemingway Editor: https://hemingwayapp.com/
- How to Find Your Writing Style: 8 Tips for Developing Voice and Tone (Masterclass): https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-find-your-writing-style
- How to Write a Children's Picture Book in 8 Steps (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-childrens-picture-book/
- How to Make a Comic Book in 5 Superheroic Steps (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/how-to-make-a-comic-book/
- How to Write a Children's Book Families Will Love (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-childrens-book/
- How to Write a Cookbook in 9 Bite-Sized Steps (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-cookbook/
- How to Write a Fantasy Novel (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-fantasy-novel/
- How to Write a Romance Novel (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/romance/how-to-write-a-romance-novel/
- How to Write Literary Fiction in 6 Steps (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/literary-fiction/writing/
- How to Write a Mystery (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-mystery/
- How to Write a Thriller in 7 Heart-Stopping Steps (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-thriller/
- How to Write a Self-Help Book (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-self-help-book/
- Google Docs Editors Help: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/4492226?hl=en
- Grammarly: https://www.grammarly.com/
- MailChimp: https://mailchimp.com/
- Mail Signatures: https://www.mail-signatures.com/signature-generator/
- Memoir and Personal Essay: Managing Your Relationship with the Reader (Wesleyan University) hosted by Class Central: https://www.classcentral.com/course/memoir-reader-relationship-12397
- Nonfiction: 24 Genres and Types of Fact-Based Books (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/nonfiction/
- Notta: https://www.notta.ai/en
- Placeit: https://placeit.net/
- Pro Writing Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/
- Reedsy: https://reedsy.com/
- Reedsy's Recommended Writer's Resources for 2024 (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/writers-resources/
- Slick Write: https://www.slickwrite.com/#!home
- Start Writing Fiction (The Open University) hosted by Class Central: https://www.classcentral.com/course/start-writing-fiction-1759
- Substack: https://substack.com/
- The best dictation software of 2024 (Zapier): https://zapier.com/blog/best-text-dictation-software/
- The Diversity Style Guide: https://www.diversitystyleguide.com/
- The Ultimate Guide to Writing Styles with Examples (Grammarly): https://www.grammarly.com/blog/writing-styles/
- Thesaurus.com: https://www.thesaurus.com/
- Ubersuggest: https://ubersuggest.zendesk.com/hc/en-us
- What is a Memoir? An Inside Look at Life Stories (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/memoir/
- Word Counter: https://wordcounter.net/
- Write a Feature Length Screenplay for Film or Television (Michigan State University) hosted by Class Central: https://www.classcentral.com/course/write-a-feature-length-screenplay-for-film-or-tel-17968
- Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization (University of Michigan) hosted by Class Central: https://www.classcentral.com/course/writing-editing-structure-19554
- Writing Young Adult Fiction: An Editor's Guide to Awesome YA (Reedsy): https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-young-adult/
- VoiceTyper: https://www.voicetyper.com/
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