A simple writing kit...
A simple post: let me share my resources for you. Or rather, let me share what I have and use. A kit, if you will.
A room of my own. No. A desk in my bedroom, or the kitchen table. Sometimes the pub. Work with what you have and use earplugs as necessary. Start now.
Other materials. Notebooks. I like basic A4 manuscript books which I buy in bulk, but I also love using the pretty notebooks which folks buy me for birthdays and Christmas.
Laptop. I favour that old stalwart, the state of the art laptop of the last century, the Lenovo Thinkpad. They are heavy, but reliable. I whack the keyboards hard and need something my big Celtic man hands cannot destroy. You can buy these creatures second hand for under £100. Feel the build quality.
Reference books. I am a word nerd and own a copy of the OED micrographic edition which you can read with a magnifying glass. I use Roget’s Thesaurus. I also have a range of dictionaries - of Philosophy, Medicine, Classics, Art History.
Other books. Read, read and read: it’s your best teacher.
Scrivener, spread sheets, anything fancy, bits of kit. Nope. See point 2. Scribbling in books. Also, I use felt pens for notes. I am decent with tech, but I prefer low tech. You are likely much fancier, but you should not be compelled to be so.
Do I have an MA or MFA in Creative Writing or have I been on any other kind of writing course, mentoring, anything? No. My first degree is in English Literature and I have been a secondary English teacher, but no; nothing else. Or any of the academies or creative writing courses. This is not to say I wouldn’t like the idea. Of course, I would. It just has not been possible. And you should not feel you must do such things to get published. However, they are wonderful things to do! See point 5, too. Always start there.
Tribe. I am quite shy and socially quite gauche, though I somehow manage to be simultaneously louder than anyone else: it is a killer combination. Where was I? Make a little tribe. In real life, through social media; as you come and as you like. A group of writers with whom you feel comfortable. Don’t be shy about asking people to be in a chat group with you because the worst that could happen is that you get horribly rejected and feel like Billy no-mates sitting there with the tumbleweed going past. This will not kill you. It will merely be humiliating and therefore good practice for your work as a writer and within the publishing industry. Besides, I will be in your tribe.
Groups. The Society of Authors in the UK. A wealth of info from a fiver a month - and always get them to vet any contract because, speaking from personal experience, there are some mendacious bastards out there, but we are not going to let them be mendacious around you, oh no, no no. Speaking of which: https://www2.societyofauthors.org/2021/02/16/what-do-we-look-for-when-we-vet-your-contract/
https://www2.societyofauthors.org/ Here is your trade union.
I really like The Empowered Author on FB, which is marketing advice, interviews and webinars, but so much more and really lovely and supportive interaction between members. I would always listen to Sam Missingham and Katie Sadler. https://www.facebook.com/groups/306865283135687
I appreciate Mums Who Write (£5 a month) because I have a big clutch of offspring and one has been very ill for quite some time so I need that hug, but I need it with the good sense, love and business eye of Rebecca Schiller, who made it. https://motherswhowrite.co.uk/feed
Beyond this? I subscribe to the TLS
and love reading it in bed, cover to cover, once a week, I read The Bookseller
https://www.thebookseller.com/
(I write for it too) every week, and I like to trawl socials for reading recommendations although, in reality, I like more to go into a bookshop and ask the booksellers - especially in my local indie bookshop as they are such bookworms.
And those, my darlings, are my resources.
