Going stir-crazy stuck inside? Missing the friendships and social engagements with the creative writing community? I know I am!
While attending in-person events is a wonderful thing, online writing resources mean that creative writing is more accessible than ever, especially if you live outside of a major city.
Here’s a list of 22 online resources to improve your writing and keep connected to the writing community during this difficult time.
Writing courses
- Masterclass offer online writing courses with big names like Margaret Atwood, Dan Brown and Neil Gaiman
- Clarion have been offering online workshops with noted SFF authors, although they’re so popular many are full
- Writing the Other offers courses on writing diverse characters
- The Australian Writers’ Centre offer online writing courses on a huge range of topics
- Kill Your Darlings include workshops on speculative fiction with Lisa L. Hannett and Angela Meyer
- Queensland Writers Centre offer online courses, especially for authors starting out
- Writers Victoria have online workshops including many genre fiction classes with well-known Australian authors
- Writing NSW also offer online writing workshops
- ProWritingAid are offering free writing workshops online
- NT Writers Centre are offering online workshops
Writing events
- Readings bookstore are putting on free online events and book launches
- The Emerging Writers’ Festival is launching their programme online
- WorldCon will be streaming their panels and programming online at the end of July
- Sisters in Crime are starting to deliver online events and sharing them on their YouTube channel
- Pandemic Book Launches is a Facebook group dedicated to horror and dark fantasy book launches, out of Ginger Nuts of Horror
- Melbourne Writers Festival will be heading online this year
Support for authors
- The ASA is offering advice to members and has a good list of online events and activities here.
- Aussie Speculative Fiction Facebook group is a great place to seek support and meet other local writers
- The Australasian Horror Writers Association have a Facebook group open to members
- Australia Council for the Arts is open for applications to their 2020 Resilience Fund
- City of Sydney are offering COVID-19 relief grants for the cultural and creative sectors – closes 27 April.
- Copyright Cultural Fund have a number of COVID-19 grants available
Do you have a recommendation for an online tool to help writers at this time? Let me know in the comments below.
