The Writing Lab

We've been around the block a few times and we've learned a thing or two. Whether you're just sitting down to write or you're getting ready to dive into the special slice of mayhem that's querying, we've got some tips and tricks for you.


Helpful Links (Because Writing Isn't Monkey Business)

Writing
The Other Side of The Story
Absolute Write Water Cooler

Researching
Wikipedia
Absolute Write Water Cooler

Networking
Absolute Write Water Cooler
YALITCHAT (on Ning)
Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Romance Writers of America

Querying
Query Tracker.net
Agent Query
Nathan Bransford's posts on the basic query letter format and on examples of good queries.
Janice Hardy's post on writing a synopsis (Yes, you should have one. We know you hate them. Everyonehates them)

Industry News
Publishers Marketplace
Publishers Weekly


Helpful Books (Because You Like Books, Don't You?)

The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White
Comma Sense: A Fun-damental Guide to Punctuation
by Richard Lederer and John Shore

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Brown and Dave King
On Writing by Stephen King

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell
The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner