Professional Organizations to Join:

Academy of American Poets www.poets.org
American Christian Writers www.acwriters.com
American Crime Writers League www.acwl.org
Horror Writers Association www.horror.org
The International Women’s Writing Guild www.iwwg.com
Mystery Writers of America www.mysterywriters.org
National Association of Women Writers www.naww.org
National Writers Association www.nationalwriters.com
National Writers Union www.nwu.org
Poetry Society of America www.poetrysociety.org
Romance Writers of America www.rwanational.com
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America www.sfwa.org
Sisters in Crime www.sistersincrime.org
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators www.scbwi.org
Western Writers of America www.westernwriters.org

Rocky Mountain Region

Northern Colorado Writers www.ncwc.biz

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers www.rmfw.org
Wyoming Writers, Inc.: www.wyowriters.org

For Self-Published Authors:

Colorado Independent Publishers Association: www.cipabooks.com
Small Publishers Association of North Americawww.SPANnet.org

Writers Conferences to Attend:

For a complete and updated list of writing conferences, visit Shaw Guides at http://writing.shawguides.com
For a breakdown of conferences by region, visit Writer’s Digest’s website at: www.writersdigest.com under “Find Resources”

Writing Contests and Awards:

The easiest place to find information on Contests and Awards is still the Writer’s Market Books (Writer’s Market, Children’s Writer’s Market, Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market, etc.) Check the sections in the back on Contests and Awards

Or sign up for the Poets and Writers free newsletter online to receive monthly information about upcoming contests.

Great Websites for Writers:

New websites and blogs for and about writers appear and disappear daily. Keep your eyes and ears open for sites your friends and colleagues enjoy and recommend. In the meantime, here are a few to get you started:

Visit Writer’s Digest’s website for a list of their 101 top websites for writers at www.writers.digest.com under “Find Resources.” I recommend many of the sites they have listed, and they update their list annually.

Preditors and Editors: A Guide to publishers and publishing services for writers at: www.anotherealm.com

Poets and Writer’s Magazine Website: www.pw.org. Subscribe to their free newsletter for up-to-date information on contests and events, etc.

Publisher’s Marketplace: www.publishersmarketplace.com. Subscribe to their free daily newsletter on happenings in the publishing industry. For an additional fee ($20 per month) you can get access to their marketplace, where you’ll find updated information on who’s selling what to whom. This can be very helpful when you’re looking for an agent or editor, so I recommend subscribing at least during that time period. For the member’s price you will also get a more thorough daily newsletter.

Children's Book Insider
www.cbiclubhouse.com
This is an excellent resource for children's book writers. It is full of advice, recommendations, and guides from successful professionals in the field. There is a small monthly membership fee that grants you access to a community of writers, a step-by-step writing course, video instruction and commentary, current publishing news, and much more.

Agents Association of Authors' Representatives
http://www.aaronline.org/
The Association of Authors' Representatives is a not-for-profit organization of qualified literary agents and dramatic representatives of authors, dramatists and other creators and owners of intellectual property.>br?

Colorado Independent Publishers Association
www.cipacatalog.com
CIPA has over 30 Associate Services Provider Members who offer support in every stage of your book production. See a list of Service Providers.

Why We Write

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
The Writing Life by Annie Dillard
Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brand
If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland

Learning to Write:

On Writing by Stephen King
Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing by David Morrell
From Where You Dream by Robert Olen Butler
Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin

Joy Writing by Kenn Amdahl
The Art of Fiction by John Gardner
Stein on Writing by Sol Stein
How to Write a Breakthrough Novel by Donald Maas
Writing for Story by John Franklin (nonfiction)
Writing the Nonfiction Book by Eva Shaw

Magazines to Subscribe To:

Writer’s Digest
The Writer

Grammar and Style:
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
Grammatically Correct by Anne Stilman
The Wordwatcher’s Guide to Good Writing and Grammar by Morton S. Freeman
The Synonym Finder by J.I. Rodale

Writing Exercises:
Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldman
Walking on Alligators: A Book of Meditations for Writers by Susan Shaughnessy

Writing Fiction:
Scene and Structure by Jack Bickham
Novelist’s Essential Guide to Creating Plot by J. Madison Davis
Novelist’s Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes by Raymond Obstfeld

Writing Children’s Books:
You Can Write Children’s Books by Tracey E. Dils
How to Write a Children’s Book and Get it Published by Barbara Seuling
The Writers Guide to Crafting Stories for Children by Nancy Lamb
Writing with Pictures: How to Write and Illustrate Children’s Books by Uri Shulevitz

Writing for Young Adults
Wild Ink: How to Write Fiction for Young Adults by Victoria Hanley

Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy:
How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasyby Orson Scott Card

Writing Mystery and Suspense:
How to Write Killer Fiction by Carolyn Wheat

Writing Memoir:
How to Write Your Own Life Story by Lois Daniel
Writing About Your Life by William Zinsser
Your Life as Story by Tristine Rainer

Writing How-To Books:
Writing Successful Self-Help and How-To Books by Jean Stine

Revision:
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Ennie Browne and Dave King
Revising Fiction by David Madden
Revising Prose by Richard A. Lanham
The Complete Guide to Editing Your Fiction by Michael Seidman

Getting Feedback:
Writing Alone, Writing Together by Judy Reeves

What Happens Next?
Writer’s Market FAQs by Peter Rubie