Hoosier Ink

 What Tools are in Your Writer's Toolbox? 

Writers helping writers. Encouraging, inspiring, and assisting each other in navigating the often-overwhelming world of putting our words to paper and then sharing the labored-over results with the world. I’d have thrown in the towel long ago without the prodding and nudging of fellow writers who so willingly share their experiences and wealth of knowledge. So, as promised, I’ve compiled a list of my fave writing support resources.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

• America’s Mad Professor of Fiction Writing, a.k.a. Randy Ingermanson, “The Snowflake Guy,” shares an incredible array of resources at AdvancedFiction Writing.

Says the Professor, “I’m a teacher. Teachers teach. We just can’t help ourselves. My mission is to create great fiction writers. I’ve been teaching for a long time, but I don’t love traveling. A web site lets me teach from home." 

• Author, editor, speaker Kathrese McKee publishes the fabulously helpful and insightful “Word Marker Tips for Authors” newsletter. Sign-up to receive timely tips, news, and resources on a plethora of topics from marketing to self-editing to dealing with writer’s block, here. Check out her newly-launched Writing Pursuits podcast and her Facebook page.

McKee reminds us, “Nobody writes more than one word at a time. It’s one book at a time, written one word at a time.”

• The Christian Indie Authors (CIA) Facebook group, where experienced indie and hybrid authors continue to learn, and where they share their wealth of knowledge with writers at every level. In the private group, authors discuss writing, publishing, and marketing.

“We are that corner cafe where you can talk shop and discuss the nuts-and-bolts of indie publishing. The CIA is singularly focused on providing the best resources and discussions for Christian indie book production, publishing, and promotion.”

What tools are in your writer's toolbox? In the comments, please share your favorite resources. Because we’re all in this pursuit of authorship together.

 Beth’s combined experiences teaching the high school Sunday School class, substitute teaching in the public school, and connecting with the teenage staff at the fast-food joint where she claimed a “back booth office” helped inspire her young adult “Choices Matter” fiction series. She's a "cheerleader" for saving sex for marriage and for "renewed waiting" because it's never too late to make wiser choices. Her “Waiting Matters … Because YOU Matter” blog helps people of all ages navigate the choppy waters of saving sex for marriage while her “Slices of Real Life” posts find GOD in the day-to-day moments of real life.

 As a genetic genealogy enthusiast, she writes and speaks about her experiences as a "foundling" who located her birth parents. Her journey to find and connect with her biological family is chronicled in the blog series “A Doorstep Baby’s Search for Answers.” All of her writing endeavors can be found on her website, https://bethsteury.com.