recommended resources for authors and those interested in writing for film and TV – compiled by Book Pipeline staff
Featured Sites for Writers
Authors
Writer’s Digest
Writers helping writers improve their craft, achieve their goals, and recognize their dreams—since 1920. Their mission is to help ignite writers’ creative vision and connect them with the community, education, and resources they need to bring it to life. From inspiring prompts, practical techniques and insightful interviews, to instructional workshops, writing competitions, and professional services, Writer’s Digest helps writers of all genres and formats develop their craft and hone their business skills at every stage of their career.
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NaNoWriWo
National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel during the thirty days of November. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand-new novel. You may know this mass creative explosion by the name National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo–but that’s not all that NaNoWriMo is! NaNoWriMo is a nonprofit organization that supports writing fluency and education. But it’s also a social network for writers like LinkedIn is for job professionals, or DeviantArt is for artists, or Facebook is for moms whose kids accept their friend requests only to provide them with “limited profile” access. It tracks words for writers like Fitbit tracks steps for the ambulatory. It’s a real-world event like. . . well, nothing else.
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Poets & Writers
Founded in 1970, Poets & Writers is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization serving creative writers. Their mission is to foster the professional development of poets and writers, to promote communication throughout the literary community, and to help create an environment in which literature can be appreciated by the widest possible public. Each year, tens of thousands of poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers benefit from P&W’s programs, which include its eponymous magazine, a dynamic, information-rich website, financial support for readings and other literary events, and sponsorship of several writing prizes and awards.
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The Writer
Founded in 1887, The Writer is one of the nation’s oldest magazines focusing on the craft of writing. If you’re passionate about books, authors, and writing, you’ll find everything you need within their pages, 12 times a year. Inside, you’ll find: practical coverage of the craft of writing, profiles of both successful authors and emerging voices, expert how-to articles on writing, freelancing, querying, marketing, and more, publishing strategies and tips (including how to find an agent or editor), and inspirational features that speak to writers at all levels.
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Publishers Marketplace
Publishers Marketplace, a membership-based platform, is an online community helping publishing professionals (including aspiring authors) find critical information about other publishing professionals. Driven in large part by Publishers Lunch, the most widely read daily dossier in publishing and known as “publishing’s essential daily read.”
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The Write Life
The Write Life is the go-to resource for writers who want to make a living from their craft. They offer practical advice about freelancing and publishing, with the goal of helping you create your best work and earn more money from writing. Their contributors include successful writers and editors who have grown six-figure incomes as freelancers, worked on staff at respected companies, earned bylines at big-name publications and news outlets, released popular self-published books, landed publishing contracts with the big houses, and more. They also feature literary agents and other publishing and freelancing experts who help writers find their voice in the world.
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The Write Practice
The Write Practice was founded in 2011 with one goal: to help writers. To help them practice, become better writers, and get their best writing published. The Write Practice is here to kick-start your writing practice. You have to write millions of words no one is ever going to see before you can write the ones that will change someone’s life. All they ask for is fifteen minutes a day, five days a week—you will practice with fresh writing prompts, unique lessons on technique, and an encouraging, supporting writing community to give you feedback.
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Jane Friedman
With over 20 years of experience in the publishing industry and expertise in business strategy for authors and publishers, Jane maintains an award-winning blog for writers. She’s the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential industry newsletter for authors, and has previously worked for F+W Media and the Virginia Quarterly Review. In 2019, Jane was awarded Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World. In addition to being a columnist with Publishers Weekly and a professor with The Great Courses, her expertise has been featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, PBS, CBS, the National Press Club, and many other outlets.
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The Creative Penn
Run by best selling author Joanna Penn, The Creative Penn offers information and inspiration on writing, self-publishing, book marketing and how to make a living with your writing through articles, podcast episodes, video, books, and courses.
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Write to Done
Write to Done is about learning to write better. Your writing practice needs to be directed in a positive way. Write to Done exists so that you can learn new skills, practice them, and become a better writer. Whether you write nonfiction, novels, blog posts, or sales pages, you will find inspiration and tips at Write to Done.
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Screenwriters
Script Mag
An industry veteran, Script has been the leading source for information on the craft and business of writing for film and television since 1995. With insider news, articles written by working writers and filmmakers, and in-depth interviews, Script still leads the pack for screenwriting resources.
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The leader in screenwriting software, Final Draft also features articles, writer and industry interviews, podcasts, and screenwriting advice for those new to the craft.
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Script Pipeline
Why, yes, we are biased. . . . But the Script Pipeline site features a collection of produced screenplays to read (and their accompanying write-ups), writer interviews, recent script sales, and the new, popular article series Subplot, profiling emerging creatives for film and TV.
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IMSDb
A vast, searchable listing of produced screenplays and TV shows for educational purposes.
ScriptChat
Hosts weekly discussions for the screenwriting community on Twitter every Sunday night from 5-6pm PST. Topics and guests range, but focus exclusively on the film and TV writing industry. Created by Jeanne Bowerman (editor of Script Mag), with various moderators directing the conversation.
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