What if I told you you’re missing out on half the writing resources I offer on this site?

Here’s the thing about websites: all the focus is on the homepage, and that poor little homepage gets crowded fast. That’s where I have to put all the obvious stuff like the new posts, social media buttons, et al. It’s like the front yard of your house: you mow the grass and add a few yard gnomes to make it pretty for the neighbors.

The back yard, however, is where all the fun happens.

Alas, it’s also got a fence around it, which means not everyone realizes there’s a party going on back there.

Every January, I do a “clean up” of my sites, in which I go through all the static pages, checking links and updating material. This year, as I was sorting through all the pages in my Start Here! section, I realized a lot of you—particularly if you’re relatively new to the site—may not even know that section exists. (There it is, waaaaay up there in the top taskbar. Wave hello!)

The 10 Writing Resources You Didn’t Know This Site Offered

Today, I’m going to give you a whirlwind tour of the back-yard party that’s always going on here at Helping Writers Become Authors. Following are the top 10 goodies you may be missing out on. Don’t forget to check back with the Resources page from time to time, since I’m always adding new stuff.

Welcome to the party!

1. Story Structure Database

When I launched the Story Structure Database last summer, its introduction page became the single most viewed page of the year—so I know a lot of you are seeing this. But if you’ve yet to discover it, welcome to my pet project: a database of structural breakdowns of popular books and movies, showcasing their major plot points and other structural moments.

This is designed to help you study what works and what doesn’t in story structure, so you can better apply it to your own stories. I occasionally still add new titles (you can subscribe to email updates here).

2. Popular Series Landing Pages

I corral all my most popular and important blog series at the top of the left-hand taskbar, for easy reference. Be sure to check out:

• How to Outline Your Novel
• The Secrets of Story Structure
• How to Structure Scenes in Your Story
• How to Write Character Arcs
• How to Write Archetypal Character Arcs
• Most Common Writing Mistakes
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Storytelling According to Marvel

3. Weekly Podcast

If you prefer to listen rather than read, don’t forget I also offer a weekly podcast. The podcast airs on Mondays and features a transcript of what I call the “big” post of the week, which you can always find here on the site as well. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Amazon Music, browse the archives of 600+ back episodes, or access each episode at the bottom of its correlating post’s transcript here on the site on Mondays.

4. Weekly E-Letter

In addition to the articles here on the site, I also send out a weekly email, introducing the weeks post and also sometimes including news and updates.

You can sign up for my mailing list here (and get some freebies including the following…).

5. Free E-Book: Crafting Unforgettable Characters

When you sign up for my mailing list, you’ll also gain access to a free download of my popular e-book Crafting Unforgettable Characters. Featuring some of my most popular tips on character crafting, it offers a firm foundation for understanding the basics of character building, as well as solid tips for troubleshooting. You’ll discover inspiring quotes from successful authors, writing prompts, and creativity exercises. This book will give you the tools you need to tackle your latest batch of characters.

You can sign up to receive Crafting Unforgettable Characters here (and I’ll also throw in the bonus of the Complete Outline Transcript of Storming and 5 Secrets of Story Structure.)

6. Infographics Treasure Trove

Over the years, I’ve featured tons of custom writing how-to infographics in my workbooks and blog posts. You can find the full set (which is always being updated) on the Infographics page (where else, right?).

Featured in the Outlining Your Novel Workbook

7. The Wordplayer’s Manifesto

Years ago, I put together what is, for me, the definitive manifesto of my goals and purpose as a writer. Since then, it’s taken off like hot cakes, and it’s as evergreen now as it was then. Click on the image for a larger view. Right click to save. Feel free to save it to your desktop, print it out, share it on your own website—whatever you need to do to declare yourself a writer of words!

8. Recommended Reading for Writers

One of the most frequent questions I receive is about which writing books I recommend. You can find my “top ten” list of recommended books for writers here.

9. Scrivener Templates

It’s no secret: I lurve the writer-centric word processing program Scrivener (I’ve written more about how I use it to outline and write my first drafts here). Wordplayer Stuart Norfolk used his tech savvy to integrate the principles from my books Outlining Your Novel and Structuring Your Novel into the free Scrivener template I offer right here.

10. Recommended Professional Resources for Writers

Another question I get a lot is: whom do you hire? Who does your editing/book cover design/etc.? I’ve listed all my favorite professional people and resources on this page, where you can also find info on e-book conversion, editors, and illustration.

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Thanks for joining me for this impromptu tour of the site. I hope it’s introduced you to or reminded you of some of the features you may not be using to full potential. Take whatever is useful to you and use it to write your best book!

Wordplayers, tell me your opinion! What would you like me add to the writing resources page in the future? Tell me in the comments!