Barnes and Noble has a program of free online classes they call Barnes and Noble University, or BNU. Check their website. The classes change every month, but there are always a few writing related ones. And some of the non-writing ones would be good for writers anyway, like the crime scene investigation class they ran a couple months ago. There are required texts for the classes, but you don't have to buy them through B&N, and with some planning you can probably get them used or at your local library.
Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer have a joint blog, chronicling the release of their first book together and the writing of their second. Some of it is more behind the scenes of the writing life, but they try to discuss craft regularly, and there was a really good series of blogs a couple months back about POV. crusiemayer.com/blog
Miss Snark is another that seems to be popular with the romance writer set. She's an agent, and focuses on the business end of things. She's got a real issue with people who try to take advantage of new writers, so you'll see scam warnings quite a bit. But you'll also see a lot of questions answered, for example a recent one was "what do they really mean when they say 'no unsolicited submissions?'"
http://misssnark.blogspot.com/Check your local area for writing groups- you might be surprised. Romance Writers of America is a large, generally well run organization. See if they have a chapter in your area. While they do focus on romance writing, a lot of their programs would be helpful to any writer. I went to a talk this morning about motivation and conflict that's helped me make a few decisions about my current WIP already. rwanational.org
You can study all the craft you want, but ultimately, the only thing that makes you a better writer is to write. Once you're doing that regularly, start looking for a critique group. Honest, unbiased feedback is tremendously helpful. There's been some talk of starting one here. Kelley Armstrong has a well established group on her site. kelleyarmstrong.com
I met my current real-world critique partners through National Novel Writing Month. Their forums are open year round, but I definitely recommend you try to get active with them in Oct/Nov. Most major cities in the US seem to have a chapter, and it's been a great place for me to meet other crazy writer types like myself. We're out there, but since we spend so much time tucked in a book or tied to a keyboard sometimes it's hard to find each other. And nothing beats getting together with people who love books and writing as much as you do. nanowrimo.org
Hope this information helps. Good luck!
Show Posts