Life of A Writer

This past week I have been writing (of course) and visiting my favorite blogs as usual. During my "blog reading time" this past week, I read two interesting posts, and both those posts related to what it takes to be a writer. The posts were Freelance Writing: Not Everyone Can Do It, by Deborah Ng and Are You Skilled Enough to be a Writer? by Hope Wilbanks. Deborah created a list in her post, and one of the things Deborah said it takes to be a writer was that "you have to be willing to network." Then in Hope's discussion on what it takes to be a freelance writer, she elaborated by saying, "You must be willing to read, study and practice writing in general to improve your skills all the time." Let me just say I agree with both of these ladies. Not only did I want to draw your attention to their posts, but they inspired me to share my list of resources for writers with you.

Before I continue with my list of resources for writers, I would like to let you know that both new and veteran writers should benefit from the following resources. Without further ado, here are links to some of the many resources for writers that have helped me hone my writing skills over the years (links will open in a new window):

Network With Other Writers

When I first turned to the Internet to expand on my writing career networking wasn't as much of a trend, so I didn't start this until a few years ago. However, once I learned more about this popular trend, things started picking up for me. Here are a few websites to help you get started networking with other writers:

• ABCTales
• Absolute Write Water Cooler Forums
• Gather
• MySpace (After you join, add me as your friend)
• Readerville Forums
• Squidoo
• Urbis
• Writers Weekly Forums

Practice Your Writing

In order to improve your writing you have to practice, and writing exercises are a great way to do just that. "Practice makes perfect," right?

• Coffee Break for Writers Monthly E-zine: This is the e-zine I'm founder and editor of, and each month I list a new writing exercise for writers.
• Daily Power Words
• Writing Exercises Brought to You by Meredith Sue Willis
• Writing Prompts From Writer's Digest

Writers Read Too

When I need a break from writing, there's nothing I enjoy more than curling up in bed with a good book or magazine! After all, reading helps us improve on our own writing, and at times, I've discovered books that inspired me to write. Finally, in case you're wondering, yes, I have read all the books and magazines listed below. Do I recommend them? I wouldn't list 'em if I didn't.

• Must Love Mistletoe (Romance. A great holiday read!)
• Not Another New Year's (Romance)
• Parents Magazine
• Stories of Strength (Anthology of inspiring stories. 100% of the proceeds goes to disaster relief charities.)
• Writer's Digest Magazine

Study the Writing Craft

Even though I've been writing for many years, I still find myself studying. And most of the time I always learn something new. The more you study the better writer you'll become. Note: some of these resources for writers include links to a few of my own articles.

• ChrisBlogging
• Common Errors That Kill a Writer-Client Relationship
• Copyblogger
• Freelance Switch
• Freelance Writing Career
• Freelancing for Newspapers (Although this blog isn't updated as often as I'd like, it is a great resource for writers looking to break into writing for newspapers.)
• Free Press Release Writing Guide
• Guide to Grammar and Writing
• Letters to the Editor That Pull in Business
• Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer: How to Win Top Writing Assignments (I recommend this book for any writer. I learned a lot from this book!)
• The Elements of Style
• The Renegade Writer (After I read this book, I didn't realize you could break so many freelance writing rules.)
• The Renegade Writer Blog
• Writer's Guide to Paying Markets: How to Search the Internet for Paying Markets
• Writing Effective Episode Recaps

There you have it: my list of resources for writers. Well, a small portion of my list anyway. If you have a resource for writers you'd like to share, let us know about it.

Posted by Misti Sandefur, Christian author/freelance writer at 2:12 AM