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Top Five Blogs for Writers

topfive

I am a writer. I use blogs written by other writers, editors and agents to help me find the information I need to succeed. Here are my top five choices in the category “Top Blogs for Writers.”

Okay, I didn’t take a survey. I don’t have any fancy algorithms in place.  These are the five blogs that have become my “go to” blogs for writing advice and inspiration.

1. Kristen Lamb

If you want to laugh, you need to click on this link and follow this blog. Even if you don’t give a whit about writing, Kristen is hilarious. Besides being great with words, she has sound advice about building an author platform.

WANA is Kristen’s “baby” (literally. This is why she’s affectionately called the “WANA Mama) and she cares about writers. I know this because she critiques a story of mine just because I complained about the difficulty in getting honest feedback in the comments section for one of her blogs.

I tend to have a love/hate relationship with Kristen (but it’s mostly love). After all, she told me to dump my series. I had to start completely over when I was two-thirds done with the rewrite of the first book and about one-quarter of the way into the first draft of the second book.

Sure, she helped me come up with plot ideas for the new series. She even made me laugh when I really wanted to cry (did that after I hung up the phone). The bottom line is that she wants to help every author who is serious about their craft.

2. Jami Gold

Jami’s a goldmine of information on structure, craft and the publishing world. Additionally, she’s a great instructor and believes in the WANA Way – authors helping authors.

I love her beat sheet template and have raved about it in other posts. Check it out here. While you’re there, subscribe to the blog. You won’t be sorry.

3. K.M. Weiland

Aside from loving Weiland’s book, Dreamlander, I first found her through a free download she offered. It’s an excellent booklet about creating realistic and relatable characters.

I don’t read every blog. I do subscribe to her newsletter and return to read the blogs that pique my interest. This is another writer who donates time and effort to helping other writers succeed.

4. Nathan Bransford

If you’re looking for practical advice on how to write query letters and other specific topics, look no further. Just follow Nathan.

Nathan was an author agent in his previous life. Now he writes middle grade fiction. His blog makes me smile. I feel like he’s talking directly to me.

5. Writer’s Digest

Okay, really I check out the whole website more than any particular blog. I do find the information that Brian Klems shares interesting and engaging.

This blog is updated on a daily basis, so I don’t read every post. If it doesn’t sound like something I care about at that moment, I know I can easily find it later with a website search.

Their general blog is probably where you’ll find the widest range of information on craft, publishing, conferences, finding an agent or anything else that comes to mind.

Are there other blogs that help you as a writer? Share the wealth, my friend.

What do you think? Add to the discussion here.