Okay, confession time — I get asked about writing resources a lot. And because I talk about writing all the time (and my memory is… let’s say “creative”), I thought it would be easier just to put everything I use and love in one place. So here it is: my little grab-bag of writerly support.
It’s not exhaustive, it’s not official, it’s just the things that have helped me, made me laugh, kept me writing, or reminded me that I’m not alone in this slightly bonkers creative life. Take what works for you, leave the rest, and maybe you’ll discover a new favourite along the way.
🎧 Podcasts I Love
- The Creative Penn (Joanna Penn) – Jo has been podcasting for years and honestly, her back catalogue could keep you going forever. Writing, publishing, marketing — it’s all there.
- The Worried Writer (Sarah Painter) – Like a gentle hug in podcast form. Sarah interviews all kinds of authors and somehow always makes me feel braver.
- Fated Mates (Sarah MacLean & Jen Prokop) – Warning: fangirling incoming. These two are funny, sweary, clever, and passionate about romance. I spend my Wednesdays with them and feel smarter every time.
🌐 People & Places Online
- David Gaughran – He does all the things. Books, website, YouTube, and always with a twinkle in his eye. If you’re thinking about self-publishing or marketing, he’s gold.
- Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) – If you want trustworthy advice about the business side of being an author, this is where you go. They know their stuff.
📚 Books That Actually Help
- On Writing by Stephen King – Half memoir, half pep talk. It’s brilliant.
- Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg – Old but wonderful, especially when your confidence wobbles.
- Save the Cat! Writes a Novel – For when you just need to wrangle that story into shape.
- The Emotion Thesaurus – My secret weapon for writing romance emotions without repeating “her heart raced” a hundred times.
👥 Finding Your People
- Try Googling or Facebook-searching “writers’ group” + your area. I promise, something will pop up.
- Libraries and councils often sneak in brilliant literary events.
- If you’re into fanfic (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it), Wattpad and AO3 are rabbit holes of creativity.
- #AuthorTube on YouTube — mostly YA, but a great community vibe.
🖊 On Beta Readers
This one’s tricky. The right beta reader is part luck, part magic. Things I’ve learned:
- They should read your genre (otherwise feedback is skewed).
- They need to be honest and kind. Brutal isn’t helpful.
- Sometimes swapping work is the best system — my beta is also my friend, and we write close enough genres that it just clicks.
If you don’t know anyone, try the #betareader hashtag on Twitter/X. You’ll find people looking and offering.
⚠️ A Quick Word of Caution
If you’re thinking of paying for editorial, marketing, or any writing service, please do your homework.
- Check reviews.
- Ask for a sample.
- Look at their socials — if it’s just the same two people liking everything, maybe not.
There are brilliant professionals out there (hi 👋), but also some very shiny scams.
And breathe… That’s my list (for now). I’ll probably keep adding to it as I remember more, because writing really is a lifelong learning curve.
Oh, and while we’re on the subject — if you want something a little more structured than my scatter of “Jo-ramblings,” I did actually write a book on this stuff: How to Build an Author Platform. (Yes, I know, shameless plug… but also genuinely useful if you’re wrangling websites, socials, or branding as an author.)
And of course, if you ever get to the stage where you want a proper editorial eye on your manuscript — well, hello 👋 that’s what I do. You can hop back over to my Editorial & Author Services page and see how I can help.
Jo x
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