Free Resources from Writer Charlotte Dillon

Author websites can go one of two ways. Sometimes they're only about the author and their book. Basically an electronic billboard in the sky. Other author sites recognize that many viewers are not only readers, but writers, too. They share what the author has learned on the journey, and help writers along.

Charlotte Dillon is one of these. And she's not even published yet.

I am so impressed with the links Dillon shares. Besides her blog, she offers pages and pages of helpful information. And although Dillon is a romance writer, most of the resources will be helpful to writers of any genre.

  If you are working on building your characters, Dillon's Character page is bursting with information. She offers her own character chart to download, and a list of books she finds helpful. She shares insights on how to name your characters, along with links to many sites that will help writers find the perfect names. She also links to dozens of articles aimed at helping writers making their characters stronger and more three-dimensional.

For those considering submitting their manuscript, Dillon offers a wealth of information. One page is dedicated to instruction on preparing a manuscript in the proper format. Another page has dozens of articles on writing a synopsis, along with samples of good ones. And if it's time to write a query letter, Dillon offers a page with instructions, samples of effective queries, and a collection of articles on query letter writing.

On her links page, Dillon lists a large number of sites that help with grammar, tax information, and free downloads for writers. There's also a page of articles for writers, and a great list of research books for writers, sorted by genre. And the research links for writers page is chock full of websites to help you write in all kinds of genres.

If you're needing some encouragement, or a jump-start, go to Dillon's writing prompts, or read her collection of inspirational quotes. She also hosts a community forum for romance writers. You may also enjoy her collection of stories from writers who tell about receiving "the call" that their book would be published.

Check out Charlotte Dillon's website. You may want to emulate her one day.