A couple posts ago, I brought you the Great List of Craft Books! Useful but books mean money and we’re all broke, I get it. So today, I bring you my favorite resources that are just as comprehensive and totally free!

C.J.’s best of list

All of these resources are 100% free! I don’t receive any kudos or money from recommending them, just happiness. Every title is a link, so have at.

I’m also going to recommend you check out Susan Dennard’s and KM Weiland’s full websites because they’re full of good articles.

I will be updating this, so please send me your favorites (esp individual articles!) in the comments.

Querying and Submission

Querying and sub suck. Hopefully these guides will make it a little easier.

The anatomy of a query letter - C.J. Subko

In which I walk you through the query letter that got me my agent.

How to write a 1-page synopsis - Susan Dennard

The best synopsis guide you’ll ever use

The complete guide to query letters - Jane Friedman

Very comprehensive. Like, very

The parts of a good query - Susan Dennard

Part one of Susan’s How I Got My Agent series

Structure

Building your novel from the ground up, no matter which kind you use.

Worldwide story structures - Kim Yoonmi

An amazing analysis of structures other than the three act favorite

How to write character arcs - KM Weiland

Putting this with structure because arcs really create your structure. This one is chonky, click all the links!

Secrets of story structure - KM Weiland

I love her stuff better than Save the Cat. Here’s your three act structure broken down

Outlining and Planning

Picked your structure? Get started here

How to structure your story’s outline - KM Weiland

An outlining and structure article in one! My bible

Writing multiple plotlines - KM Weiland

When you can’t stick to one story

Before I start drafting - Susan Dennard

How Sooz plans her novels. Part 2 of a series, so read them all to go in depth

Editing and Revising

So you wrote the damn thing, now what?

A guide to revisions - Susan Dennard

Susan’s basic guide. Check her site for more in-depth tips!

Ten editing tricks that will make your writing better - Gabino Iglesias

Ten tips from one of horror’s finest writers

Genre-Specific

Resources that tend towards a certain side of the writing world.

Worldbuilding geography - Elise Carlson

Especially for SFF writers, a whole guide to things like climate, sewage, and more

Fantasy worldbuilding questions - Patricia C. Wrede

For SFF writers, a whole bunch of questions to guide you into a cohesive world

How to keep your mystery villain a secret until the end - Zara Altair

Also good for non-mystery writers with mysterious plots

Practical polytheism - Bret Devereaux

For anyone creating their own religion, or using a pagan one

Of kissing and romance - Susan Dennard

A guide for romance in any genre

POV

Show don’t tell on the internet!

3 tips for improving show don’t tell - KM Weiland

The basics of deep POV, although not called that here

6 tips to write deeply emotional fiction - KM Weiland

Tips for getting into your characters feels

Setting

Building the world around your world.

16 ways to make your setting a character - KM Weiland

A really comprehensive look at setting

Specific Skills

Here are some random things that you might find useful.

A writer’s guide to horses - Susan F. Craft

So you never misuse your horses again

Features and descriptions - Writing with Color

The whole website is amazing, but these articles are essential for avoiding stereotypical descriptions

Write better action scenes - KM Weiland

Tips on fighting and battles

Magical cookies, or don’t write the boring parts - Susan Dennard

Susan’s surefire tip for finding your joy when you’re stuck

Thanks for reading! Look out for my favorite writing software post in the future.

Thank you for reading C.J. Subko Books. This post is public so feel free to share it.