I have a bit of a love hate relationship with online writing resources. When first starting out on your writing journey, you can easily get overwhelmed by all the online information out there. Who is giving advice and is it good advice? Is it good advice but only for writers living in a certain area or writing in a certain genre. When should you pitch to an agent and should you go down the self published route?
Plus once you start researching, asking these sort of questions online, the algorithms start suggesting courses, people to follow, things to do, and before you know it you have fallen down a rabbit hole that has sucked all your time, taken your money and you still end up looking at cat videos!
So here are some ideas to help you navigate this minefield:
Free online webinars aimed at writers can provide a good starting point however, be aware that many of these are marketing funnels which will try to get you to sign up to an extended course or membership. I have attended webinars purely for the ‘freebies’ and left towards the end. Others I have had genuine interest or need for that specific knowledge or skill, and I have been happy to pay for a course or membership. As long as you are aware that this will happen, then you can decide it it is something you need right at this moment.
Do I need it now? It is easy to get overwhelmed by all the information online and in books, however, take a step back and think. If you are just starting out with writing down your story or book ideas, then you probably don’t need to know how to write a letter to an agent pitching your book just yet. Instead make your focus on how to start writing, how to organise your ideas and just getting something down in writing. To be honest, it will probably take you a while to get that first draft written (depending on genre and appropriate word count) and who knows what publishers will be looking for by then.
What do I need? I found a few different courses online to try for free. I found the quality and range could differ greatly between different sites, and I was glad to sometimes have the chance to try a free membership or subscription before deciding to spend my money on one course over another.
Staying on track. Although it can be fun and interesting to learn a new skill, such as how to build a website or a YouTube channel, it can distract you from your main goal which is writing that story or piece of non fiction that you have been interested in for a while. Yes having an online presence can be desirable as far as marketing yourself and your book(s), but maybe that is something you can look at further down the line once you have your first draft finished.
Tools that help verses tools that hinder. I have found a particular writing software that I love and can easily work with, yet a writing friend of mine has found that it does not really suit their needs. in my earlier career, I learnt how to word-process and gained qualifications in that area. Soft ware has moved on since then and I am very aware of what works well for me and what doesn’t. I was happy to purchase the full license for this software and continue to use it on a daily basis. However, I would be quite happy to use other free online word-processing packages if I needed to. There is always the trusty pen and paper if all else fails. Other online resources can help you plan your work and organise it, usually with a free or trial version before having upgrade or buy the full version. Again, it depends on your budget and how much time you want to dedicate to learning a new system. You can always write notes and save them on your laptop or in the could, or you can ditch the digital and write your notes on sticky notes or paper.
Finally, it looks like Artificial Intelligence is here to stay, and there are people who are for and against it. Just be aware that getting AI to write your story may see like a quick fix, but there are many reasons not to, especially as the detection of AI use in creative work is becoming more sophisticated. I think a limited use of AI can be helpful to the writing process, however I would never copy and paste word for word from an AI query. I suggest if AI is something you are interested in or concerned about then you do your own research into the pros and cons of using AI in the creative sector.
So there we have it my top three tips are:
- Stay focused on why you are here – for your writing and getting that final draft completed.
- Keep a tight grip on your money, not all online resources are necessary or a bargain.
- Remain true to yourself, AI may seem to have the answers but you need to develop your own writing voice.
