Top 5 Free Writers’ Resources
By Shelly Yang
If you're looking for writing support but tired of endlessly scrolling only to hit a paywall, you’re in the right place. This is our rundown of our top 5 free online resources for writers, covering craft, publishing, and professional standards. While many of these sites offer programmes that you pay for, this list focuses on the wealth of invaluable resources they provide for free.
Honorary Mention: Our Inspiration Station
Before we dive in, a quick plug for our own tool: The Inspiration Station, available exclusively to our members. A valuable part of our community, it’s a bank of fun writing prompts and reflections from starting a memoir to dialogue practice. Already a member? Take a look around! Not a member? You can learn more about joining here.
Now, onto the best free resources from around the web!
1. Jane Friedman’s Blog
If you want to understand the business of being a writer, this is the place to go. Jane Friedman’s Blog is a trusted source of clear information on agents, self-publishing, marketing and more. While her main business includes paid courses, this link takes you directly to her comprehensive free resources. It’s perfect if you’re at any stage seeking no-nonsense advice from industry experts.
2. Curtis Brown Creative Blog
Coming from a major literary agency, the advice on the Curtis Brown Creative Blog is invaluable. While their main offering is paid courses, their free blog is where their agents, tutors, and students share submission advice and writing tips. It’s a golden resource for any writer curious about what agents look for.
3. Jericho Writers
Jericho Writers offers practical, actionable advice for writers looking to get published. It’s a full-service author membership site, but their free content includes worksheets, articles, and webinars. To access their full library, you’ll need to create a free account.
(A quick tip: If that main link isn't working, the easiest way to register is to click on any free resource you want to read, and a simple sign-up form will appear on that page.)
4. The Society of Authors (SoA)
The Society of Authors is the UK trade union for writers, illustrators and literary translators. While you'll find that some resources on their site are for members only, their public guides are very useful. If you like learning through listening, they even have a free podcast: ‘SoA Sounds’, which covers a wide range of industry news, advice, and funding opportunities.
5. The National Centre for Writing
The National Centre for Writing is a major resource for writers. Their ‘Writing Hub’ is a vast digital library of free content on craft across many genres, including ‘The Writing Life’ podcast featuring in-depth conversations with authors. They also offer a fantastic set of free resource packs for early-career writers, created by award-winning authors.
Over to You …
That's our roundup of the top free resources we think every writer should have bookmarked. From the business savvy of Jane Friedman to the professional guides from the Society of Authors, having the right toolkit can make all the difference. If you know of any others that deserved to make this list, let us know!
P.S. Don't forget, that Inspiration Station we mentioned is just one of our exclusive member benefits. You can see the full list and learn more about joining here.