ProWritingAid is the single best software I’ve bought in my author career (even above Scrivener), and for limited time it’s on sale for half off.
I use the MS Word plugin version so that I can check my chapters as I move from rough draft into second draft phase. While it’s no replacement for an editor, it is a vital tool for me, as it takes care of the majority of simple mistakes I make.
Bottom Line Costs You can write, edit, cover, format, and publish a novel for $0 and a buttload of time. However, this is not a realistic option if your goal is to sell books and garner lifelong readers. (You’ll note that there is no inclusion for marketing, which is vital if you want to sell books and turn writing into a career. If, however, your only goal is to write and publish you can do it for free.) Free Option Write You can use Google Docs, or LibreOffice for the actual writing. Edit If you need free edits, your best option will be to find a local writing group and offer manuscript swaps. This will provide a proofreading—with minimal story level, or sentence level feedback—but it is possible to edit a novel for free. Likewise, there are the rare few authors who can edit their own novels without outside feedback. […]
At its core, fiction is about emotional experiences for the reader. Provide that and you’ll find that your readers will stick with you throughout your series and recommend your books to their friends.
Set aside several hours for setting up your Dragon. Much of the time will be your PC working without you, but it will bog down your computer to where you won’t get much else done. This is not the project to start when you’re in the middle of that manuscript which is due to your editor in three days!
Originally Compiled These lists were originally compiled on Daily Writing Tips “List of Prefixes and Suffixes and their Meanings” List of Prefixes a- or an-: at, in or in the process of, on; not, without acro- or acr-: beginning, end, height, peak, summit, tip, top ad- or (first sense only) ac-, af-, ag-, al-, ap-, as-, or at-: to, toward; adjacent to, near aero-: air, atmosphere, aviation, gas after-: following, lower, rear, resulting ambi-: both ante-: before, forward, prior or prior to anti- or ant- or anth-: against, alleviating, curing, opposed, opposite, preventing arch- or (second sense only) arche- or archi-: chief, extreme, principal; original, primary, primitive auto- or aut-: automatic, same one, self or self-acting bi- or (second sense only) bio-: between, double, two, twice; biographical, life chrono- or chron-: time circum-: about, around co-: alternate, deputy, fellow, in or to the same degree, joint, partner, together, with com-, col-, or con-: jointly, together, with contra-: against, contrary, contrasting counter-: against, complementary, contrary, corresponding, duplicate, opposing, retaliatory, substitute crypto- or crypt-: coded, covered, hidden cyber-: pertaining to computers or computer networks de-: derived from something, do the opposite, get off of, reduce, remove from, reverse of, something derived […]
“John Truby is one of the most respected and sought-after story consultants in the film industry, and his students have gone on to pen some of Hollywood’s most successful films, including Sleepless in Seattle, Scream, and Shrek. Based on the lessons in his award-winning class, Great Screenwriting, The Anatomy of Story reveals all his secrets for writing a compelling script. The book draws on a broad range of concepts and archetypes from philosophy and mythology, offering fresh techniques and insightful anecdotes alongside Truby’s own unique approach to building an effective, multifaceted narrative. The foundations of story that he lays out are so fundamental that they are applicable─and essential─to all writers, from novelists and short-story writers to journalists, memoirists, and those interested in narrative nonfiction.”
I wish I would have had a list of books like this when I first started out. After reading over 100 books, on writing, editing, publishing, and marketing, I decided sharing my top choices would help others like you. If this post helps, please leave a comment on which book helped you. I like to keep this list updated and see which books help others.
