For years, investing in myself as a writer meant carving out time to read and write. I still do that, as much as I can. But what changed some six months ago is that I am now willing to pay for resources, courses, webinars – selectively! – to improve my craft.
In case you’re not there yet (and even if you are, because these are free!), here’s a list I wish I had come across two years ago: a list of my top ten free resources that enabled me to improve my writing without having to spend a dime.
They come in five categories:
- Free mini-courses
- Writing platforms
- Podcasts
- Author newsletters
- Free e-books & downloads
My top 10 free writing resources
This was hard, and took ages to compile, because there are so.many.amazing.options. I forced myself to stick to 10, but that means I had to make some drastic choices that may cost me some sleep at night. Or make me find other ways to share additional resources I think you should know about.
Here goes. My top 10 is:
1. Free mini-courses: Yes, they are usually a teaser for a bigger coursepack that gets pitched at the end of the webinar or lesson series, but that just means the freebie is packed with insight because the teacher has to prove their worth
- Selena Soo is a PR and marketing pro, and often has a free video available (like this one, last accessed 30 June). The content varies, but it’s always insightful and actionable. If you like her, look up Marie Forleo – she doesn’t always have free content available, but when she does a teaser for her Copy Cure course, it’s pretty great.
2. Writing platforms: There’s so much noise online that it took time for me to find websites that resonated with me and were full of insightful content:
- Jane Friedman is my absolute favorite that I believe every author should learn from. She has free webinars, blogs, and newsletters that are absolutely brilliant, though I will way that her content with a price tag is worth every penny
- Reedsy is an incredible platform that I’m still discovering. In this context, I highly recommend their email-based Short Story course or Query Letter course
3. Podcasts: There are too many amazing podcasts to list here, so I’ll stick to my top three writing-related ones (if you want more suggestions, read this article)
- The Digital Writing Podcast: The hosts, Dickie Bush and Nicholas Cole, interview a slew of experts on different aspects of digital content in a conversational, insightful, actionable way
- Write or Die: Started by author Claribel Ortiga who seems to know everyone in the writing world, episodes mostly interview authors with an upcoming book. The conversations are insightful and enjoyable. This week was apparently the final episode, but it remains a solid library of content to go through
- Speak Up Storytelling: Author Matthew Dicks and his wife are co-hosts, and every episode includes a story told at an open mic type event, but they comment on what worked and what could have been improved, and there are tons of other brilliant tidbits every.single.time
4. Author newsletters: Almost every published author has a newsletter. I started signing up for these as a way to support authors I like, but quickly realized that some authors share all sorts of great insights and resources in their newsletters, for example…
- James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits”, writes 3-2-1, a weekly newsletter that’s one of the best out there. Simple format, great content, and an always-funny PS.
- Susan Dennard, author of “The Luminaries” (which I’ve yet to read) has a newsletter “Misfits & Daydreamers” where she keeps it real, short, insightful, and throws in a writing and journaling prompt.
5. Books & downloads: Offering a free e-book, chapter, or book is common nowadays in exchange for your email address that’s worth its weight in gold so to speak. I’ve listed two books, but if you want to see examples of great shorter content downloads, Laura Belgray has a whole list of websites with amazing opt-ins.
- Authors Publish have a few free books you can download. I read their Guide to Memoir Writing and Publishing. The style was underwhelming, but it had some useful content and links to resources.
- Start Writing Online: Free book download and email course by Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole (yes, they host the Digital Writing Podcast) with a mindblowingly easy to use and brilliant framework so you never run out of article ideas
The importance of finding what works for you
We’re in a golden age of content, but the flip side to that is that there is so much noise that it can be hard to hear yourself think.
So, while I highly recommend that you check out the above resources, even more importantly, I urge you to find an approach that works for you and includes time offline, ideally outside and far from screens. Mental health matters too!
And if you have resources to recommend, despite being selective (read more about my “content diet” here), I am always open to suggestions.
Featured photo: Pixabay