Writing
Writing software: Scrivener, hands down. See this video I made on how I use it.
Writing Fiction:
Story Engineering, by Larry Brooks. This book was the missing piece for me – the wool lifted from my eyes, and I felt like I finally learned how to write. There is a method and structure to writing a novel, and he pulls back the curtain. He is a bit repetitive and tries to convince the audience over and over not to be a “pantser,” so it’s not without its faults, but for me, it was life-changing.
Helping Writers Become Authors series, by K.M. Weiland. This series took what I learned in Story Engineering to a whole new level. I have all the books and the corresponding workbooks, and have incorporated all the notes I’ve taken from both into my Scrivener novel template.
- Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success (Helping Writers Become Authors Book 1)
- Outlining Your Novel Workbook: Step-by-Step Exercises for Planning Your Best Book (Helping Writers Become Authors 2)
- Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story (Helping Writers Become Authors Book 3)
- Structuring Your Novel Workbook: Hands-On Help for Building Strong and Successful Stories (Helping Writers Become Authors Book 4)
- Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration: Learn to Nurture a Lifestyle of Creativity (Helping Writers Become Authors Book 5) [Disclaimer: I have not actually read this one… If anything I have an overabundance of ideas!]
- 5 Secrets of Story Structure: How to Write a Novel That Stands Out (Helping Writers Become Authors Book 6) [FREE]
- Creating Character Arcs: The Masterful Author’s Guide to Uniting Story Structure, Plot, and Character Development (Helping Writers Become Authors Book 7)
- Creating Character Arcs Workbook: The Writer’s Reference to Exceptional Character Development and Creative Writing (Helping Writers Become Authors Book 8)
Scrivener Templates:
- Story Engineering Template: MG Herron’s No Nonsense Novel Template for Scrivener
- K.M. Weiland’s Template: Scrivener Template for Outlining and Structuring Your Novel
Use these as a starting point. Take them, read the books, make lots of notes, and make them your own, using your own process.
World Building
If you’re interested in creating your own maps, here are a couple of resources:
- Roll for Fantasy’s Map Creator – pretty basic but entirely customizable. Also could be time consuming.
- Inkarnate (what I used to make these maps) – create a free account and get started! There is also a paid version but free is pretty great!
Reading
Organizing my ebook library (and converting to different formats): Calibre