10 Blogs to Read if You’re a Hopeful Writer

The best writers read. It’s what my dad told me when I was growing up and writing fantasy stories about princess and Christmas trees. Years later, it’s what my teachers told me in high school English courses and what my professors said in my college creative writing courses. Even now, every site and educational article for writers rings this motto home. If you want to be a good writer, you have to read, read and read some more.

But when there’s a wealth of information out there, what exactly are you supposed to read? Here are some of the best blogs for writers, from humorous short stories to the most-needed grammar tips.

“You want to get published. That makes sense. Most writers do,” reads the About Page of this writing blog. The Write Practice is a blog focused on dedicating writers to their craft through consistent and unique writing practice. The site includes writing prompts, lessons on writing technique and even a community to provide support and feedback. Read some blog posts by professional writers about how to publish a book or take a grammar tutorial to brush up your skills. If you’re a writer looking to improve your craft and orient your professional goals, The Write Practice is the place to visit.

Write to Done has your bases covered, whether you’re looking for a creative writing blog or articles covering nonfiction writing. Like The Write Practice, this blog focuses on helping writers write better through positive learning. While the site includes tips for genre-specific writing, it also speaks to the general writer; all kinds of writers can find help from the “tips” and “motivation” sections of the site, which speak to general writing fears and provide creative inspiration.

Run by Joanna Penn, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, The Creative Penn focuses on getting your work published. On the site, you can find answers on writing a novel and writing nonfiction; however, Penn’s professional expertise shines through with sections on publishing, marketing, and making a living writing. Her site will put you into an “author mindset” to get yourself motivated and confident about pursuing your professional writing dreams. If you don’t want to learn simply by blog posts, you can also find content in her books, podcast and courses.

Looking for a little more humor in your writing despair? Chuck Wendig’s blog, Terribleminds, is the place to go. Wendig is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and a prolific one at that. His blog is a self-proclaimed collection of “rambles,” but you’ll find everything from book discussions to lessons on “Writing From A Place of Fear Versus From a Place of Love.” Wendig’s work is conversational, funny, and personal. If you’re looking for honest inspiration and advice, his work is sure to fulfill the need.

Four seasoned writers have come together — across genres, publications, and perspectives — to create a blog that focuses on writing despite rejection, deadlines and lost passion. The nearly decade-old blog uplifts writers with advice on craft and weekly inspiration. Their belief is that every writer has to deal with numerous kinds of “storms,” whether it’s a rejection of their work or difficulty balancing writing with their everyday life. Their work provides specific, concrete ways to battle the storm and make writing the sunny craft it should be. The site also recommends numerous outside resources for writers, including personal writer blogs and organizations.

Writer’s Digest is a catchall for all things writing advice. While they have writing articles on any writing topic and genre, the site also includes online workshops and prompts to help boost your writing education. Feeling competitive? Writer’s Digest offers numerous award competitions in any genre and word count limit you can think of. There’s a community forum for further questions and resources, a podcast for the more audio-inclined and even free writing exercises and downloads to help practice your craft.

If you’re supposed to read to get better at writing, you’re relying on other writers to share their work for inspiration, education and motivation. Writers Helping Writers embodies this idea with a blog for writers by writers. Their resident writing coaches share book reviews and recommended writing books for all practicing writers to read and work on. Their advice also reaches into the publishing and marketing realm, tackling topics like corporate sponsorships and self-published books.

Want a regular guide to writing? Get writing tips in your inbox daily from — you guessed it — Daily Writing Tips. The scheduled model gives you no excuses from sitting down and working on your writing just a little bit every day, even if it’s ten minutes during your morning commute. The daily writing tips aren’t just prompts or tasks but also include a wide variety of writing answers. Want to know about writing a book or novel with speech recognition software? Is it “bare” or “bear” with me? Find your answers on Daily Writing Tips.

Quick and Dirty Tips might provide fun writing advice with a casual tone — but the content is seriously helpful. If you’re struggling to solidify your grammar and punctuation for your final draft, the site is crucial to understanding even the most frustrating grammatical slip-ups. If you’re still working on an early draft of your work — whether it’s a novel, article or speech — Quick and Dirty Tips has you covered with articles on craft and content. If you’re looking for inspiration outside of the blogs for writers niche, the site provides tips on all things lifestyle, including parenting, relationships and even pets.

The Write Life brings a focus on the digital world into their work, helping writers build their online content and form online relationships with other working writers. Their educational articles focus on both the creative and marketing aspects of professional writing, with sections on blogging, publishing and craft. The Write Life even has information on freelance writing. Whether you’re hoping to freelance as a full-time career or just a side gig, the site provides helpful tips on pitching to editors, handling invoices and writing headlines.

Although the blog remains Internet queen of all things writing, knowledge about writing isn’t limited to these sites. Resources for writers come in all different mediums: think anything from podcasts to documentaries.

Whether you’re looking to read, listen, or watch, these websites and resources have a wealth of knowledge from writers themselves — especially ones who have struggled with the craft and publishing before reaching success.

--