Writing Resources | Writing Forward

The Writer’s Journey: A Must-Read for Storytellers

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions. If you read only one book on storytelling, make it The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler. Over the years, I’ve read a lot of books on writing fiction. Many have been helpful, but some have left me feeling disappointed, especially those that promise their methods will result…Read More

Writing Resources: A Poetry Handbook

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions from qualifying purchases. Poetry is the music of language, the fine art of the written word. It demands a broad vocabulary and creative thinking. It promotes rhythm and meter, and it invites imagery. Poetry engages the imagination, stimulates the intellect, and touches the heart. Reading and writing poetry…Read More

A Must-Read for Storytellers: Save the Cat

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions for this website from qualifying purchases. “It’s the scene where we meet the hero, and the hero does something — like saving a cat — that defines who he is and makes us, the audience, like him.” — Blake Snyder, Save the Cat Save the Cat is…Read More

Writing Resources: No Plot? No Problem!

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions from qualifying purchases. There are a million ways to approach writing a novel. You can outline your plot. You can create a series of scenes and use note cards to organize them. You can use a tried and proven formula from any number of plotting resources. Or…Read More

A Handy Book for Poets – Poetry: Tools & Techniques: A Practical Guide to Writing Engaging Poetry

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions from qualifying purchases. I have found it quite challenging to find good books on the craft of poetry writing. My favorite resource, which is also the most comprehensive, is Perrine’s Sound and Sense. But that’s a costly book because it’s used in college-level poetry courses. For years,…Read More

Writing Resources: Grammar Girl

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions for this website from qualifying purchases. As a writer, it’s only natural that I pay attention to the mechanics of my craft, which is why I’m always on the lookout for useful writing resources. When I discovered the Grammar Girl podcast, my interest in grammar piqued, and…Read More

A Few Favorite Journal Writing Tools and Resources

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions from qualifying purchases. We usually understand a journal to be a place for writing about ourselves, but journals can be used for plenty of other purposes, many of which are useful to writers. I’ve had my share of adventures in journal writing. As a teen, I kept…Read More

Screenplay by Syd Field

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions from qualifying purchases. Studying the craft of writing from a variety of angles will benefit any writer. If you write short stories, you’ll learn something from studying a little poetry. If you write poetry, you can learn something useful from playwrights. And if you’re a novelist, you…Read More

Writing Resources: The Elements of Style

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions from qualifying purchases. Writing resources are easy to come by. But good writing resources, ones that will truly help you improve your writing, can be difficult to scout out among the many books on writing that are available. Originally published in 1959, The Elements of Style has…Read More

The Reviews Are In: 1200 Creative Writing Prompts

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions for this website from qualifying purchases. When I wrote 1200 Creative Writing Prompts, my goal was to provide writers with a treasure trove of inspiration and ideas for writing fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Writers often struggle with writer’s block or lack of motivation. I wanted to fire…Read More