Hi writing family, Kelly Eden here from Medium.
I want to share three writing resources with you today.
First up: let’s talk about writing scams.
Sadly, they aren’t going away. It’s up to us to sharpen our awareness and be scam wary.
Publishing scams are the most common and, more recently, people posing as agents has become an issue. Do your homework and if anyone asks for money, start to ask questions!
Here’s a site I discovered this week that highlights a number of writing scams.
Writer Beware
Now we’ve got the nasty one out of the way, I’m excited to share a couple of resources with you that will help progress your skills, regardless of where you’re at in your writing career.
Free DIY writing course for beginner writers
In the research stages of creating my Personal Essay Course last month, I looked at a lot of beginner’s writing courses and noticed something I wasn’t that happy with—they are all incredibly expensive!
When I started out as a writer I would never have paid hundreds towards a course. Not when I wasn’t even sure if writing would work out for me. I think the most I spent was on a one-day writer’s workshop for around $100 (it was totally worth it!).
But even $100 is a lot to start exploring a new career or hobby.
I love seeing people give writing a go and I get ridiculously excited when I see their writing improving (I’m a teacher at heart!).
To make it easier for new writers, I’ve gathered 20 of my articles together to make an “Introduction to Freelance Writing” DIY course. I’ve tried to include articles which answer a lot of the questions I get asked by new writers, as well as tips to avoid common issues I see as an editor.
If you’re a Medium member, you’ll be able to access it all at once for free. Non-members can still access a limited number of articles per month (I would really recommend signing up to Medium if you’re a new writer, it’s a very supportive community to learn in!)
20 Articles That Will Get Your Writing Career Started
Pushing your writing skills
Finally, I want to chat with you about the skills you’re working on. My goal this year is to push my literary non-fiction skills. I’ve been a magazine writer for 12 years and while I still love that style of non-fiction, I also love to challenge myself.
This year, I’m studying the great essayists.
My trip to the mailbox was rewarded today with a very exciting delivery: Phillip Lopate’s book To Show and Tell: The Craft of Literary Non-Fiction.
I instantly read three chapters in the car, while waiting for my daughter’s dance class to finish, and so far I would definitely recommend it for anyone interesting in this genre.
What skills are you working on? I’d love to hear your writing goals.
Have a great week,
Kelly