WRITING RESOURCES

A1Here are the best informational books, websites, and videos on crime writing, indie publishing, screenwriting, and forensics I’ve found so far. The list continually grows as I find and learn new stuff. If you’ve something you’d like added, think should be shared, updated, or find an error in, please email me at garry.rodgers@shaw.ca.

Writing, Editing & Publishing Books

Think And Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill (Motivation)

On Writing – Stephen King  (Writing)

Elements Of Style – Strunk and White (Writing)

Wired For Story – Lisa Cron (Writing Science)

60 Ways To Murder Your Fictional Characters – Sue Coletta (Writing)

The Indie Author Mindset – Adam Croft’s Brilliant Book on Self-Publish Thinking

How to Write Deadly Crime Thrillers – Garry Rodgers and Sue Coletta (Writing)

How to Self-Edit Deadly Crime Thrillers – Garry Rodgers and Sue Coletta (Editing)

Save The Cat Writes a Novel – Jessica Brody on Adapting Screenwriting Techniques to Books

Story Engineering – Larry Brooks (Writing)

Story Physics – Larry Brooks (Writing)

The Little Red Writing Book – Brandon Royal (Writing)

The Little Gold Grammar Book – Brandon Royal (Writing)

The Accidents of Style – Charles Harrington Elster (Writing)

The Emotion Thesaurus – Angela Ackerman / Becca Puglisi (Writing)

This Year You Write Your Novel – Walter Mosley (Writing)

Complete Write A Novel Course – Will Buckingham (Writing)

The Writer’s Compass – Nancy Ellen Dodd (Writing Craft and Business)

The Craft & Business Of Writing – Assorted Contributors (Writers Digest)

The Complete Handbook Of Novel Writing – Assorted Contributors (Writers Digest)

Writing Fiction For Dummies – Randy Ingermanson & Peter Economy (Writing)

The Everything Guide To Writing A Novel – Joyce & Jim Laverne (Writing)

The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Writing A Novel – Tom Montelone (Writing)

How To Write A Book in 20 Steps – Jerry B. Jenkins (Writing)

21-Step Self Editing Checklist – Jerry B. Jenkins (Editing)

Thanks, But This Isn’t For Us – Jessica Page Morrell (Editing)

Self-Editing For Fiction Writers – Renni Browne & Dave King (Editing)

The Story Grid – Shawn Coyne (Editing & Outlining)

Little Book of Self-Editing For Writers – Bridget McKenna (Editing)

Indie Authors Guide to Book Editing –  Sarah Kolb-Williams (Editing)

How To Self-Edit Your Book – Laura Bowers (Editing)

ProWritingAid – 20 Editing Tips (Promotion for Editing App PDF)

Author’s Quick Guide To Editing Your Book – Kristen Eckstein

Write. Publish. Repeat – Sean Platt & Johnny B. Truant (Publishing)

Publishing eBooks For Dummies – Ali Luke (Publishing)

2015 Guide To Self-Publishing – Assorted Contributors (Publishing)

Start Here: How To Self-Publish a Book – Jane Friedman’s Step-by-Step Guide

APE – How To Publish A Book – Guy Kawasaki & Shawn Welch (Publishing)

How To Market A Book – Joanna Penn (Marketing)

Business For Authors – Joanna Penn (Business)

How To Make A Living With Your Writing – Joanna Penn (Business)

The Book Designer – Joel Friedlander (Publishing)

99Designs – Economical & Quality Book Covers (Publishing)

WebsiteSetup – How to Build a Custom WordPress Website (Web Tech)

Build Your Author Platform – Carole Jelen & Michael McCallister (Social Media)

Writing, Editing & Publishing Websites

SueColetta.com – Fellow Crime Writer and Best Friend on the Internet (Great Content!)

Evernight Designs – Awesome Book Covers by Elle J. Rossi

Belinda Pollard – Small Blue Dog Publishing – Should Writers Do Their Own Editing

The Indie Author Mindset Mini-Courses – Great Stuff For Indie Publishers from Adam Croft

The 80/20 Book Marketing Formula – Current and Relevant Info from Nicholas Erik

The Creative Penn – Joanna Penn (Business and Writing)

Hunter’s Writings – Extensive Links to Crime Thriller Resources

Fiction Writer’s Mentor – Tracy Culleton’s Awesome Writing Resources

Hand Hobbies: A Resource Guide to Writing Basics – Excellent Prompts & Tips

Writing Careers: The Business Behind Becoming an Author – From ZenBusiness.com

A Novel Edit / The Magic of Fiction – Beth Hill (Editing)

The Editors Blog – Beth Hill’s site

Writing Numbers In Fiction – Beth Hill’s Blog Post (Writing & Editing)

Showing & Telling Particulars – More from Beth Hill

DIY/MFA – Gabriella Pereira’s Do It Yourself Masters of Fine Arts (Writing)

How To Edit Your Own Book – BookBaby (Loaded With Excellent Links)

How To Format An eBook – Nepo Press (Simple Step-by-Step Video Tutorial)

How To Publish An EBook – Post by Jane Friedman with Lots of Links

Print On Demand Books – Great Tips and Sources at Shopify

Calibre eBook Conversion – Calibre-ebook.com (Free Software For Simple eBook Formatting)

How To Start A Blog – A Simple Guide for Beginners From WebsiteSetup

The Book Designer – Joel Friedlander (2-Way Templates for eBook Formatting)

Reedsy – Comprehensive Book Publishing Services

Reedsy – How to Format a Book

Reedsy – How to Copyright a Book

MarcyKennedy.com – Check out Marcy’s Busy Writer’s Guides – Awesome!

JessicaMorrell.com – (Writing and Editing Tips)

Points Of View – Briget Mckenna’s Site (Writing & Editing)

Online Learning Center – Glossary of Fiction Terms (Writing & Editing)

Maryville University Online Literary Device Guide – Great Guide with List of Literary Terms

Maryville University Online Creative Jobs for English Majors – Become a Writer / Author

King County Editorial Style Guide – Excellent Resource from a Government Department

Money Saving Guide For Authors – Super Information and Links, Especially for Beginners

Novel Writing Checklist – Quick & Detailed Resource from Reedsy

Common Errors In English Usage – Great Alphabetical Database With Search Engine

PhraseFinder – Locate Origins And Meanings Of Common and Unique Sayings

350 Positive and Negative Characteristics – Fabulous Writer Resource

Visual Thesaurus – Online Thesaurus With Search Engine

RefSeek.com – Online Almanacs (Huge Resource)

WorldAtlas.com – Cool Interactive Trip Around The World)

ObituariesHelp.org – Scads Of Information About Writing Obituaries And Funeral Planning

Northwest Independent Editors Guild – Great Connection To Editors

BrandonRoyal.com – The Little Red Writing Book (And Others)

Karen Woodward Blog & Resources – (Writing)

Virtual Salt – A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices – (Writing)

The Search Engine For Writers – (You Name It)

Keyboard Shortcuts For MS Word – (Valuable Editing Tool)

WordTips – Allen Wyatt’s Quick Tips & Links to Everything About MS Word

ThePunctuationGuide.com – Great, Simple, Interactive Site for Proper Punctuation

Compound Pejorative Profanity – Creative Use of Dirty Words

ClicheSite.com – Search Engine and List of Cliches From Around The World

Colette Sartor’s Writing Resources – (Spend All Day Here)

Authors Publish – 42 Different Writers Rules for Writing (Excellent Advice)

StoryFix.com – Larry Brooks’s site (Writing)

StoryGrid.com – Shawn Coyle’s site (Editing and Outlining)

ThrillWriting.Blogspot – Fiona Quinn’s site (Lots of Tips)

Scene Editing Checklist – Susanne Lakin’s Template

WriteOnSisters.com – Gobs of Info here

BadRedheadMedia.com – Rachel Thompson (Social Media)

Phrase Finder – Origins of English Phrases

Josh Vogt’s Links to Writing Craft & Business – Over 150 Links to Great Info

Authors Publish – 40 Authors “Rules For Writing” – Great Tips From Great Writers

Katherine O’Moore-Klopf – (Dozens of Links to Editing Resources)

Grammar Girl – Minon Fogarty’s Quick, Dirty Tips on Writing & Just About Everything Else

Grammar Girl’s Self-Editing Checklist – More from Mignon Fogarty

Business Insider Article –  Guide to Proper Comma Use

Humintell – Detecting Emotions From Expressions

Copyright & Fair Use – Legal Tips via Jane Friedman

GrammarCheck.net – Great Tool For Proofing Your Content

BookBaby – Nine Manuscript Editing Software Programs to Consider

TurboTax – A Tax Cheat Sheet For Kindle Self Publishing

Who Is Hosting This – What Freelance Writers and Professional Bloggers Do

InformED – 25 Ways To Boost Your Writing Skills (must read)

WordHippo.com – A Dictionary on Steroids

BuzzFeed.com – Style Guide with Everything From Slang to Abbreviations to Locations

Green’s Dictionary of Slang – Great Search Engine for Slang & Swearing

Anne R. Allen – Blog Post From Anne’s Site With Extensive Links For Fiction Writing Words

Happy2MoveLondon.co.uk – Complete Dictionary of Cockney Slang

Ideal Roadmap to Character Development – EditionGuard

Sit Down and Write – Poetry Resources

How to Find a Real Literary Agent – Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America

11 Basic Writing Rules – From Custom-Writing.org

TheatreSeatStore – Script and Screen Writing for Theatre & Film (Thanks to Anna for the link!)

Certstaffix – Tools & Editing Software for Writers (Thanks to Olivia for the link!)

Screenwriting Resources

Story Immersion Project – Anne Helmstadter’s Online Screenwriting Course (A Must)

Have You Mastered the 3-C’s of Screenwriting? – Concept, Characters, Conflict (A Must)

*If you had to boil everything down to the bone in the realm of art, craft, and business of screenwriting, you’d be left with three core elements – Concept, Character & Conflict.*

31 Must-Read Screenwriting Lessons from Rod Serling @ Twilight Zone – (Must Read)

Arron Sorkin Screenwriting Masterclass – From One of the Film Industry’s Bests

Ron Howard’s Directing Masterclass – From One Of Hollywood’s Timeless Greats

International Screenwriting Association – Top Notch Group to Join

Writers Guild of America (West) – Leading Professional Organization

Writers Guild of America (East) – Leading Professional Organization

Writers Guild of Canada – Leading Professional Organization

New York Film Academy – College of Film, Media & Performing Arts

Screencraft – Scads of Good Information and Resources Here

Script Reader Pro – Well Worthwhile to Check Out

Open Screenplay – Where Screenplays Come to Life

Freshmen Screenplay – Screenplays Made Easy

Flying Wrestler – Erik Bork Teaches Screenwriting (Also a Great Book “Idea”)

Syd Field – The Art of Visual Storytelling

Blake Snyder / Save The Cat – Every Screenwriter Must Know Storytelling Basics

Aristotle’s Poetics – The Origin of the 3-Act Structure

The Script Lab – Great Educational Resources Like The First Ten Pages

The Black List – Showcase Your Screenplay Before Industry Professionals

Going Into The Story – Scott Meyers Blog on The Black List with Top Connections

The Protagonist’s Journey – Scott Meyers Book on Character-Driven Screenplays

The Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb) – Find Pretty Well Any Script Ever Written

Indie Film Hustle – Survive & Thrive in the Film Business as an Indie

John August – Advice From one of the Film Industry’s Best Screenwriters

Screenwriting.io – Blog Spin-off From John August & Full of Practical Information

Script Magazine – Writer’s Digest Specialty Publication for the Film Industry

Studio Binder – World’s Leading Film Management Software

Reddit Screenwriting – Great Spot to Network with Others in Film Content Production

Lessons From The Screenplay – Movie Scripts Analyzed to See What Makes Them Great

Twitter – Don’t Overlook Twitter’s Value to Connect With Writers and Producers

Netflix – See What’s Being Made and Why. Stay Current.

Bitter Script Reader Blog – Quote From the Website “The advice and rantings of a Hollywood script reader tired of seeing screenwriters make the same mistakes, saving the world from bad writing one screenplay at a time. Learn what it takes to get your script past one of these mythical Gatekeepers.”

Forensic Books

Forensic Science – An Introduction to Scientific and Investigative Techniques (Science)

Post Mortem – Establishing Cause Of Death – Dr. Cyril Wecht (Pathology)

Forensics For Dummies – D.P. Lyle (General)

Howdunnit Guide to Forensics – D.P. Lyle (General)

Autopsy Guide For Screenwriters and Novelists (General)

Forensic Pathology Basics For Writers (General)

Gray’s Anatomy For Students – (Simplified)

Writers Guide To Weapons – Benjamin Sobieck (Technical)

Analyzing Ballistic Evidence – Tony Latham (Technical)

Working Stiff – Dr. Judy Melinek (Medical Examiner & Forensic Pathologist)

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis – (Educational / Simplified Guide PDF)

Missing Persons Investigations – Training Manual / Guidelines for California Police Officers

Forensic Websites

Forensic Outreach

Forensic Science Central

Forensic Science Simplified

Simplified Guide To Toxicology

Forensic Science Resources

Forensic Magazine

The Forensics Forum

Forensic Pathology Forum

PathologyExpert.com

Merck Medical Manuals

Practical Homicide Investigation

Center For Disease Control – Coroner/Medical Examiner Systems & Requirements by State

CoronerTalk.com

Crime Traveller – Researching Crime and the Criminal Mind

NCSTL.org – Finding Forensic Resources on the Web

National Forensic Science Technology Center – nfstc.org

NFSTC Simplified Guide to Trace Evidence

U.S. Department of Legal Studies – Link Analysis & Intelligence Charting Software

Introduction to Criminology & Forensic Science

Maryville University Online Criminal Minds – Psychological Assessment of Greatest Criminals

Explore Forensics

InnerBody.com – Interactive 3D Site on Anatomy

Become A Forensic Scientist

Homicide Investigation Checklist

Working With The FBI – Resources for Writers and Producers

FBI Statistics On Serial Killers

FBI Multi-Discipline Investigators Perspective on Serial Murderers

Cause Mapping / Link Analysis

Crime Scene Forensics

Criminal Justice Writers

The Graveyard Shift – Lee Lofland

The Writers Forensics Blog

Police Magazine

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