Writing Software

Scrivener – my favourite writing software. Includes folders, outlines, templates & imaging.
Compiles for publication, both print and digital formats.
Microsoft Word – everyone else’s favourite writing software
TextEdit for Mac – basic, simple software for word processing, comes with new Macs
NotePad for Windows – basic, simple software, comes with new PCs

Editing Software

Hemingway – free web-based editing software
Autocrit – more robust, paid programme, helps with common errors, spelling and grammar, sentence and phrase construction and much more.
ProWritingAid – another paid editing software.  I haven’t tried this, but I’ve heard good things about it. It will also check across the web to see if anyone is plagiarizing your work.

Publications and Magazines

Memoir Magazine 
Writer’s Digest 
The Writer Magazine 

Legalities

U.S. Government Copyright information: A page that has frequently-asked questions about the copyright laws of the United States.
Canadian Copyright information: explores what copyright is, the process for registering copyrights in Canada and the benefits of registration

Checking for Plagiarism:  This website has a list of softwares and resources for checking to see if anyone has copied your work online.  I haven’t vetted this myself, so caveat emptor.

Organizations and Associations for Writers and Authors

NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month – nonprofit organization that provides tools, structure, community, and encouragement to novice and experienced writers.
AWAI – American Writers and Artists Inc.   Focus is largely on how to write sales copy, has good information if you want to promote sales of your memoir.
SCBWI – The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.  The international professional organization for authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults.
Canadian Authors – a membership-based organization for writers at all stages of their writing careers: aspiring, emerging, and professional.  Webinars, training, events, awards.
WGC – Writers Guild of Canada – supports and advocates for Canadian Screenwriters.
TWUC – The Writers Union of Canada – advocacy, professional development, school readings programmes, grievance assistance.
HERE is a much longer list of Writers’ Organizations.
 

Places to Upload/Publish your Work

(Caveat:  If you are interested in approaching a traditional print publisher, it’s probably best to avoid uploading to a public website anything you’re considering offering them, as they tend to view these works to be previously published and therefore ineligible.  However, it can be a great way to have your other work seen by publishers’ scouts looking for new talent.)

Wattpad.com:  Traditional publishers’ scouts often go there to find new talent, and some writers who posted their own pieces there have found agents and publishers for new work.  

Patreon: Many writers (and artists in other disciplines) publish there.  It’s set up as a variation on the old-fashioned patron system.  People look around on the site for artists or writers they like and then pay a small monthly fee to help out their favourites.

Great Reference Sites

ProWritingAid – this article offers some good questions for memoir writers and the site also has some wonderful articles and blog posts on grammar, punctuation, word usage and many other writing skills and disciplines.

Punctuation in Dialogue:  This post by Beth Hill is a wonderful article on how to use punctuation in spoken or internal dialogue. It’s my go-to resource when I’m not sure where to put that pesky comma.

Motivation:
(Articles & Training)

I’ve created a mini-course for people who are having trouble with writer’s block.  You can check it out  HERE.
(The rest is under construction.  Hang in there…I’m still researching!

 

Final Words

Here’s a wonderful bit of writing advice from Bill Roorbach and Dave Gessner: