Resources for Artists.

advice from across the net

Note to reader: I will be updating this periodically; this page may even be broken or not very useful at times. Use as you like, but don't forget that these are "my" suggestions on what a resource should be or shouldn't be. Maybe you will find something out there that is better than all these combined.

Sometimes it can be helpful to see other people's journeys and understand how they discover their path to artistry. It can also be very validating, since these paths can be very daunting and difficult. Other times, a very simple technique or study can save countless hours of work, enabling the student to work smart.

Following are links that I think will be very useful for any writer, but it's mostly focused on newer writers who are straddling the journey between apprenticeship and mastery.

Constructed Languages

Found a nice link online where a committee seems to have already aggregated lots of resources for creating languages. Link here.

World-Building

Nice article here! The article says it's aimed at beginners, but I think it's fairly comprehensive, and is well suited for non-beginners too.

Writing

Storytelling

I encourage any one eager to tell stories, but doesn't want to study it per se, to go to mediums that they like. Studying these mediums, especially if they are something you already spend a lot of time with, can be a good way to think about the deeper meaning behind the story, but also have fun.

Sometimes critique goes a very long way in evaluating why a story is good or bad.

Good critics study what they criticize; in my opinion, these kind of critics do a service to the industry by combining their gut sense with a study of the craft, offering answers to a very important question - why. When I see criticisms like this, it is very difficult for me to either agree or disagree; I may like it or not like it, but I find it difficult to argue with the reasons being presented.

Even if they tear apart your favorite movie, and have great points.

This video on Iron man's character arc by CinemaStix is something I really like. Not only did I find his thoughts insightful, I found it very difficult to agree or disagree. His study felt very accurate.

I think this writer's idea is really neat. She analyzes Marvel to offer insight into story telling.

I read the following blog post and bought 'Writing For Story'. Jon Franklin did a very analytical review of plot, and might be helpful for those who like to approach storytelling with a more structured approach.

Personally, I remember reading it a lot in 2023 and getting annoyed at how right he was...I felt like he was serially proving me wrong with every paragraph. I would also recommend it for any writer who needs the final few pushes to mastery.

This book was essential because I was always good at writing, but terrible at storytelling...I had pages of perfect prose, but nothing interesting actually happened in those pages.

If you're good with words, but feel like no matter how beautiful you write them, the story you write lacks punch or entertainment, this book would be a good idea.

When I revisited the page in April 2024 to link the article here, I came to know he died that year. It's amazing how he instilled so much wisdom and insight in such a small book. I hope he rests in peace.

I came across this article on storytelling by Ian Irvine, and I really liked it. I feel it breaks down the need for conflict in a detailed fashion. Based on the article it looks like the writer did a lot of research combining several sources, making it invaluable for those who wish to learn but don't have time or energy to read a lot of books. I would recommend this for intermediate level writers, or for writers who need guidance on storytelling, specifically (like me).

Literary theory

I recommend starting here. The same writer, Fija Callaghan did a deep dive into plot here, strongly recommend it.

YouTube video featuring Kurt Vonnegut. His insight into plotting character arcs is quite cool.

Interesting theory on approaching depth in literature, by Hemmingway.

Publishing

I like this article on word count. In my opinion, the writer of the article did a good job breaking down the word count expectations in the industry as objectively as possible, giving a lot of data.

Insight from an editor I respect. I never met him, and as of April 2024, had any fiction published in the market. However, he seems to know what he is talking about, and I found this page very cool. It explains the business side of protecting your rights, and is important for writers as they approach publication.