Resources

Writing is our craft and our passion. This page is devoted to sharing some of our favourite resources for writers.

Inspiration. Dream Dictionaries. Craft Development.

INSPIRATION:

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott

Give it all, Give it Now: One of the Few Things I Know about Writing, by Annie Dillard

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, by Natalie Goldberg

Write Away: One Novelist’s Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life, by Elizabeth George

The Artist’s Way Every Day, By Julia Cameron

STAYING OUT OF THE REJECTION PILE:

The Artful Edit by Susan Bell

Elements of Writing Fiction – Beginnings, Middles & Ends by Nancy Kress

The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide to Staying out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman

Forest for the Trees (An Editors Advice to Writers) by Betsy Lerner

Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go by Les Edgerton

How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead by Ariel Gore

A Passion for Narrative: A Guide to Writing Fiction by Jack Hodgins

2010 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market by Alice Pope

WRITING GREAT SCENES:

Writing Dialogue, by Tom Chiarella

Writing Dialogue for Scripts, by Rib Davis

Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time, by Jordan Rosenfeld

FUN DICTIONARIES:

Urban Dictionary defines anything your Oxford dictionary won’t.

Visuwords is an online graphical dictionary.

The Curious Dreamer is a free online dream analysis service.

Dreamforth: dream interpretation, a dream dictionary, and dream themes.

AGENT SEARCH:

Agent Query is a database of literary agents.

Agent Research & Evaluation – check agents’ public records for any negative reports.

2010 Guide to Literary Agents by By Chuck Sambuchino

Guide to Literary Agents Editor’s Blog – where and how to find the right agents to represent your work.

QUERY HELP:

How to Write a Great Query Letter: Inside Tips & Techniques for Success by Noah Lukeman – download free e-book!

How to Write a Successful Query by Moira Allen at Writing-World.com

Successful Query Letters – Writer’s Digest

Advice on Writing Query Letters – Writer’s Digest

10 Query Letter No-Nos – Writer’s Digest

Query Tracker – organize your search for agents, view example query letters and schedule e-mail reminders to follow up on queries and submissions.

REFERENCE:

Grammar Girl – quick & dirty tips for better writing

The Elements of Style by William Strunk – this should be on every writer’s bookshelf

Merriam-Webster – one of the best dictionaries and thesauruses available online

Predators & Editors – a guide to publishers/writing services for serious writers

The Writing World has a great list of links to help you with “Character Naming.”

The Writer’s Digest Character Naming Sourcebook by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Websites for Writers is an independent directory of online writing resources

OH CANADA!

The Canadian Writer’s Market, 18th Edition. Editor:  Joanna Karaplis.

The Writers’ Union of Canada – National organization of professional writers

Writers Guild of Canada – register your work here!

Canadian Authors Association – Canada’s national writing organization

Places for Writers – posts writing contests and submission calls

PLACES TO PUBLISH:

Every Day Fiction – publishes a new short story every day (1000 wds or less)

Banana Fish – publishes short fiction and memoir (weekly)

Globe & Mail (Facts & Arguments) – publishes personal essays (800-1000 wds)

Vestal Review – devoted entirely to publishing flash fiction (1000 wds or less)

Quick Brown Fox – for a list of markets for short pieces