The All-Time Best Resources for Creative Writers

What are the best resources for writers? What tools, writing software, apps, books, and courses will help you transform from aspiring writer to published author?

First, if we haven't met, my name is Joe Bunting. I've been writing professionally for more than a decade, authored more than a dozen books, and as the founder of The Write Practice, I've taught millions of people the craft of creative writing.

But I didn't do any of that alone. I used hundreds of resources to help me along the way, and I want to share the best ones with you below.

Do You Really Need These Resources to Write?

Like it or not, it's not enough to just write. If you want to become a writer and publish bestselling books, there are tools that can help you write faster and more efficiently, books that can teach you the craft, courses to practice your skills, and book writing coaches and editors who can point you in the right direction when you get stuck.

All of these resources are essential in your transformation from aspiring writer to published author. They certainly were for me. In fact, I wouldn't be talking to you now without some of the resources below.

I'm not saying just by buying these tools, you'll automatically be successful, but I do believe if you want to become a better writer faster some kind of investment is needed.

The good news is that today, there are so many tools and resources out there to help writers. But which ones do you need, and how can you know if they're worth your time and money?

I've tested all kinds of tools for writers over the years, and here I'll share all my favorites, the ones that have helped me the most and that I believe will help you, too.

I do want to let you know that some of the links below are affiliate links, and if you choose to purchase something using one of those links, I'll receive a small percentage (at no extra cost to you, of course!). This helps me keep writing and keep the lights on at The Write Practice so I can continue sharing everything I'm learning with you. I only recommend tools I've used and that I truly believe will improve your writing and publishing experience.

Check out the list of writing resources below, or if you want a shortcut, download a PDF with all the best tools for writers here. 

Best Writing Software and Apps for Writers

What are our favorite pieces of book writing software and apps for writers?
Check out the full list here or see some of the highlights below!

Scrivener (Mac or Windows) is the best word processor I've found for writers, and easily allows you to keep even the biggest novels or books organized. I often use it to capture ideas months or even years before I start the actual writing. If you have a hard time keeping your writing organized, I highly recommend this word processor. You can read my Scrivener review here or download Scrivener today.

The Write Plan Planner is the best way to make sure you actually finish your book. We designed this planner with everything we've learned over the last ten years of training thousands of people to finish their books. It will guide you through the entire book writing process, from your book’s structure to the editing process and even to publishing and marketing your book.  You can get The Write Plan Planner here.

ProWritingAid is my favorite grammar and style tool for writers. It will correct your grammar and spelling, but it will also go far beyond that, giving you in-depth analyses of your writing style so that you can refine your writing and become a better writer. You can find out more about ProWritingAid from my review here or go ahead and download ProWritingAid here. (HINT: Use my code WritePractice25 for 25 percent off!)

An Author Website. If you want to be an author, you need an author website. It's your home on the internet, the place where you'll gather your readers and sell your books. The good news is, building a great website doesn't have to be complicated. How to Build an Author Website is my complete step-by-step guide to creating the website that will be the foundation of your book sales.

Publisher Rocket. What if you have two different book ideas? Wouldn't it be nice to know which one would sell better? Or what if you want to optimize a book to sell better on Amazon? Or what if you want to see how much your favorite authors are making? You can do that and more with Publisher Rocket, a truly amazing, data driven tool to find out exactly how people are searching for books and what they want to read. Find out more on my Publisher Rocket review or click to download it now. 

Book Royalties Calculator. Wondering how much your book will make when it's finished? This book royalty calculator will help you estimate your book's profit. You can use the book royalty calculator here or the KDP royalty calculator here.

Best Books for Writers

Here are a few books we've published for writers,
but you can find all 70 of our favorite books for writers here.

The Write Structure presents the hidden principles behind best-selling, award-winning stories. Now, with The Write Structure, writers can learn these principles and quickly apply them to their own writing projects. Using simple, universal terminology and easy-to-grasp visualizations, allows new and advanced writers to better understand their own stories and make them better. Get The Write Structure here.

14 Prompts by Joe Bunting (me). Most collections of creative writing prompts have hundreds or even thousands of prompts, but this book isn't meant to be a random list of ideas to begin your novel. 14 Prompts will inspire you to a new way of seeing your writing process. Get the book for free when you subscribe here or purchase it on Amazon.

Let's Write a Short Story! by Joe Bunting (me!). What is the best way to improve at writing fast, get published sooner, and build a lasting career as a writer? Short stories. More than 100 five-star reviews on Amazon can't be wrong. Get Let's Write a Short Story!

The Write Fast System by J. Danforth helps you write your best books faster. This book lays out a systemic approach to planning, drafting, and editing that will get you unstuck and across the finish line in less time than you thought possible. I highly recommend it to anyone who is working on a book and wants to actually finish it. Get The Write Fast System here.

Best Story Structure Resources

Want to learn how to write a story that works? Here are the best resources to master story structure.

Take the free Plot Type Test. This free assessment can accurately predict your story's main plot type, helping you learn what's really happening at the heart of your story. Take the Plot Type Test here.

The Write Structure course expands on the story structure framework in the bestselling book The Write Structure and gives you the simplest, most practical way to apply story structure to your book. Get The Write Structure course here.

The Elements of Plot is our free guide that explains the basics of how plot works in a story. You'll learn more about the plot framework we use at The Write Practice called The Write Structure, and how to identify and include the six elements of plot. Read the plot guide here.

Story Grid by Shawn Coyne. A deep dive into the technical world of story structure by master editor, Shawn Coyne. While targeted mainly toward editors, writers who want to go deeper into story structure will benefit greatly. Get Story Grid here.

Best Programs & Courses for Writers

There are great writing courses out there, and… some not so great courses. How do you know which ones you should invest in? Here are a few of my suggestions.

Amazon Advertising Class (FREE)
Amazon ads have transformed my publishing process. In 2019 alone, I've sold over $24,000 worth of books through Amazon ads. The best place to learn how to use Amazon Ads to sell more copies of your books is through Kindlepreneur's free AMS Ad Course. 

MasterClass
In addition to the above courses, one great MasterClasses are online courses taught by incredible leaders in their fields. My favorite is Neil Gaiman's MasterClass: Neil Gaiman is a Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker award-winning author of Stardust, Coraline, and The Sandman, among many others. In his MasterClass, he breaks down his approach to storytelling so that you too can write captivating stories. Check out the best Masterclasses for writers here.

Best Publishing Resources for Writers

Are you ready for to publish your book? Here are the best publishing resources for writers.

Tools for Writers (Free)
How do you get published? How do you write a query letter and get an agent? How do you self-publish your book? This guide gives you all the tools you need to write, edit, publish, and market your book. It's a one stop resource to all of your writing needs, and best of all, it's FREE. Get your copy here.

Book Cover Design and Formatting
Readers judge a book by its cover, and so if you want to have a successful book, make sure to have a great cover! EBookLaunch is a great source for high quality, reasonably priced book covers. They also do book formatting. Get your book ready for print here.