Resources for Writers

Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash

It is always good to find help along the way. Here are a few that I find particularly beneficial.

Resources for Writing and Drawing

Tell it Slant: Writing and Shaping Nonfiction by Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola.

This book is an excellent resource for writing memoirs and nonfiction. The authors offer great insight into the writing process. They begin with exercises to bring memories to the surface and continue through crafting the work. There are numerous books on crafting your writing, but this one offers some great generative ideas.

Craft and Current by Janisse Ray

Each chapter begins with a short essay and gives the author a writing prompt. The author addresses the mystery of where writing comes from and the technique involved in crafting the work. There is an accompanying workbook. Janisse Ray is a best-selling writer with several titles in print. She also offers insights into the writing process in her Substack newsletters Trackless Wild and The Rhizosphere.

The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling by John Muir Laws

John Muir Laws has authored several field guides to Western US natural areas and books on nature sketching and drawing. The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling teaches drawing, writing, and measurement (such as bird counts) to give the reader a complete toolkit. The book is voluminous enough to be daunting, but the learner who tackles one section at a time will find a way through. I found it helpful to begin with the chapter titled, “Nature Drawing.” He also appears in The Nature Journal Connection and other YouTube videos. His Instagram posts are helpful, and his handle is @johnmuirlaws.

Journaling with Nature by Bethan Burton

Journaling with Nature is the title of Bethan Burton’s webpage. It includes tips for nature journaling for those who journal by drawing. I first discovered Burton’s work on Apple podcasts. The episodes are also readily available on YouTube and links appear on her website. She also produces a newsletter with signups on the web page. Her fine art prints and greeting cards are available there as well. Be advised that shipping is from Australia. Her Instagram handle is @journalingwithnature.

Important Words by Bill Brown and Malcolm Glass

Bill Brown was a mentor to several Tennessee poets. I have attended a few of his poetry workshops where he distributed handouts that included several poems on the same subject, all used with the various authors’ permission. His approach was to read aloud these poems on the same topic and then challenge the participants to write a poem of their own. His book takes the same approach but only used copies are available now. The book is a great resource and its use honors Bill’s legacy.

This article only scratches the surface. Please mention your favorites in the comments section. Links to other newsletters are also welcome.