Writing can be an incredibly isolating and challenging task. It's hard to find help, and sometimes it's hard to even know where to look to find help. Sometimes, it's hard to even know what's good resource versus a bad one, and sometimes you don't even know what you don't know to even ask about! That last one seems to be the story of my life.
So, here I've compiled some of my favorite resources that I use on a regular basis and I think would be helpful for writers all along their journey, whether you're just starting out, published, lost, or just curious.
750Words.com
I love 750 words. It tracks how long writing my words takes, gives me a general overview of my words and gives me that so satisying little x-marks-the-spot every day you write. Not breaking that chain is a huge motivator!
These sites do similar things and have similar resources for each of them. I am using querytracker, but I pop onto agentquery to check information too. It's a great way to look for that agent who will be perfect for you and to keep track of who you queried when.
They post an amazing amount of articles about a wide range of topics from who is a new agent, to writing effective dialogue. It's a great all around resource to check out.
I love Joanna. She shares amazingly helpful information about publishing, self-publishing, non-fiction, fiction and more. She's fun, chipper and you should also be listening to her podcast to enjoy her lovely voice! (seriously, she's got the most soothing voice ever)
Love him or hate him, Chuck Wendig tells things as he sees them on his blog. His writing advice is almost always the swift kick in the ass I need to get back to it, or to see things differently. I love all the guest posts he has too and have found some truly awesome people from the guest posts.
Sign up and ask your questions. It's a great resource to find answers, help, advice, etc.
Writer beware! This site will warn you about problems found with agents, publishers, editors, and more. If a deal sounds too good to be true, better check here first.
QueryShark
Literary agent Janet Reid is a gift. She answers questions, dissects queries and shares lovely, funny stories about publishing. Read from top to bottom before you start querying.
Various Professional Organizations
There are a lot of writing organizations around for various genres: romance, horror, mstery, scifi, fantasy, etc. Find out if there is one meeting in your area and go check them out. Alternatively, join online and participate in their group chats, forum boards, etc. It's a great way to find other writers in your genre.
Those are some of my standbys and favorite places (mostly) online that I go to when I need a little something extra or run in to questions. Also don't be afraid to email, tweet, or reach out to other writers. As long as you're professional, and not creepy about it most writers are happy to help at least guide you in the right direction.
Happy writing!