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Where can I find resources to write about experiences that I don’t have? How do I do research for writing about disability, trauma, race and racism, gender and sexuality, violence, etc.?

One way is to ask people who have had those experiences. There are forums for this sort of thing, including:

https://www.reddit.com/r/askreddit or https://www.reddit.com/r/TooAfraidToAsk/ - you could also poke around more specific “ask a…” subreddits, as well as searching for “AMA” posts with relevant information.

I also like to follow social media accounts run by people who are living with certain conditions or otherwise qualified to talk about their personal experience. Of course, they can only speak for themselves, and take things you find on social media with a grain of salt, but it can be a great window into things like life with a specific disability or after a specific experience. There are people who make content about having grown up in a cult, or living with terminal illness, or having spent most of their time in prison, etc.

Nothing, however, beats good old fashioned research. Visit a library near you. Read books, especially well researched nonfiction by experts, about your topic. Check the “sources” section of relevant Wikipedia pages.

Watch lectures or take online classes from college professors. Learn how to evaluate a source, and be intentional about your goals. Is it perfect historical accuracy? A nuanced, humanizing portrayal within your story? Simply avoiding common misconceptions?

As for online research, here are some places to start:

https://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/

https://cripplecharacters.tumblr.com/

writersources.tumblr.com

https://writingtheother.com/

https://its-a-writer-thing.tumblr.com/post/671496173666942977/resources-for-writing-sketchy-topics

https://wordsnstuffblog.com/

https://www.dabblewriter.com/articles/sensitivity-reader

https://little-details.livejournal.com/

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Writing FAQ Masterpost

Questions About Publishing

How do I overcome anxiety or perfectionism that is keeping me from writing?

I want to write, but don't know how to get started or get un-stuck.

Where do I get ideas? How do I figure out what to write or write next?

Will my idea be too offensive? Am I allowed to write this?

How do I write about experiences that I don't have, particularly touchy topics?

Is my story idea good? Should I write this?

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Questions About Publishing

There is a LOT of misinformation and confusion in online writing forums about getting published.

In general, if you are asking a question about publishing before finishing your manuscript, you are getting ahead of yourself and overthinking something. None of this stuff matters in the early stages. Don’t fuss around asking strangers on the internet about random aspects of the publishing world. Spend that time writing. Worry about how publishing works once you’re done.

Even worrying about “if I write XYZ, can that get published?” - if you’re not a working genre fiction writer who is writing to market, don’t worry about it. Read what’s being published in that genre, and spend your energy on your manuscript. 

When it comes to publishing a novel, in short, there are two ways to do it. The first one, which is what most people think of when they say “getting published,” is traditional publishing. The way this works is:

Steps To Traditional Publishing

Step One: Author completes a manuscript. The length of this manuscript will be dictated by the realities of what it takes to tell your story, and what the market in general is looking for (basic info here).

Step Two: Author polishes and edits manuscript. This could include developmental editing, which looks at your plot, structure, overall story, etc. and copy editing, which checks for grammar and spelling mistakes.

It is possible to hire services for this, but it’s not generally required. If you can have a trusted friend go over it or find a fellow writer to swap this sort of work with, that’s also fine. Do not believe that in order to have a shot at getting an agent, you need to spend hundreds of dollars on a third party editing service.

Step Three: Author develops a query package. You will need to write a query letter for your book, which explains what your book is about, what genre it’s in, and what currently popular books are similar to it. Some agents also want to see things like a blurb (a teaser/hook for your book) or synopsis (detailed summary of the entire plot).

Query letters are hard! But they are easier to do once your book is done, so don’t fuss about it until you’re done writing. When it’s time, here are resources for writing your query:

Query Shark

How to write an awesome query letter

NY Book Editors query letter advice

Step Four: Author queries agents with their manuscript. There are directories that will tell you what agents are accepting queries, and in what genres, and what type of books they’re looking for. There will be information about what the agent wants to see (query letter, length of synopsis, first few pages), and how they want it to be formatted and sent.

Find agents that seem like a good fit, and take the time to tailor a query package based on what they want to see. Use a spreadsheet to keep track of who you have sent queries to and when. Here are some good sites to find agents:

Manuscript Wish List

Publishers Marketplace

Agent Query

Poets & Writers Agent Database

Step Five: Patience. It takes a while to hear back from agents. Some may turn you down outright, while others might request a full manuscript to read.

If you get an offer of representation from an agent, you do not need to accept it immediately. Look over the contract they would have you sign, and make sure you understand and accept its terms. Chat with them about your career goals and ask lots of questions. Ask if you can speak with other authors they represent. Let any other agents who currently have your query package know right away that you have gotten an offer, and give them time to make a competing offer. 

Step Six: Having an agent. Once you have an agent, they will help you deal with everything from there on out. They will pitch your book to publishers and help represent you when dealing with publishing contracts. Marketing and publicity, launch and debut, cover art, adaptation rights, etc. You will not need to ask people on the internet for advice on this or worry about doing it yourself. 

You may not get an agent! If everyone you send a query to turns you down, you might need to revise your query package or look for different agents. It’s a tough process - but it’s very doable once you have a solid, polished, finished manuscript. And there are some publishers that will accept un-agented submissions - this is called the “slush pile,” and it’s an even rougher go than getting an agent.

Note that at no point during this traditional publishing journey should you need to shell out large amounts of cash. Money flows to the author, never away from the author. You do not need to worry about paying an artist to make you a cover, or paying for things like social media and marketing. 

The other form of publishing is self publishing, sometimes called indie publishing. In this format, you publish your book yourself using a platform like Amazon Kindle. You are then responsible for marketing, publicity, cover art, editing, formatting, etc. There are some people who make a lot of money doing this, but they spend a lot of time putting out frequent, consistent books in very in-demand genres. Self publishing a single novel, especially one in a less commercial genre, will likely not lead to much attention or money.

Steps to Self Publishing

Step One: Complete your manuscript.

Step Two: Edit and polish your manuscript. Since you are not going to have access to the resources of a large publishing company, you may wish to pay for editing services. However, keep track of these costs and be realistic about your choices.

Step Three: Research the market. Look at similar books on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and bookish social media. Notice what types of tags and keywords people are using. Understand how people are presenting and marketing similar books.

Step Four: Develop assets. You will need an ebook cover and a print option cover if you want to make that available. You will also need to format your book for print and e-readers. You will also want to have an author website, possibly a newsletter, and social media presence. Some of this may cost money, especially if you want to hire an artist for your cover or use powerful social media tools. This is not the same as paying a publisher to publish your book. 

Step Five: Build pre-launch buzz for your book. Connect with similar authors and readers on social media. Consider recruiting ARC readers and reviewers using websites like BookSprout or Book Sirens. Again, some of this might cost money for tools or services. Keep track of your costs and don’t go overboard. 

Step Six: Launch your book. Many authors use the Kindle platform for this. There are pros and cons to their Kindle Unlimited program, so do your research. Use well researched keywords, tags, and strong promotional copy. Make sure it is added to Goodreads and BookBub. Consider ad campaigns on social media.

Step Seven: Repeat, repeat, repeat. Making money as a self published author requires consistent output. Write and publish more books. Keep up your social media, blog, or newsletter. Keep an eye on trends in your genre. Participate in online communities and avenues to getting more eyeballs, like BookFunnel promotions.

Resources on self publishing:

Jane Friedman's guide to self publishing

Self publishing vs traditional publishing

How do you successfully self publish?

Dabble Writer self publishing guide

Paying For Publishing

You may see references to “vanity presses” or “hybrid” publishing. THESE ARE A SCAM. Basically, these are companies that pretend to be publishers, and say that they are willing to publish your book, but require you to pay them for things like printing costs, marketing, editing, etc. This is not a good way to get your book published, because you will spend more money than your book will make.

There is no prestige in “getting published” this way, because the publisher isn’t taking the highest quality books, but just whoever can pay them. And they will not be invested in your success, because you have already paid them. It is unlikely that they will get your book into bookstores or have the ability to help you rank high in Amazon and other searches. 

If a publisher reaches out to you rather than you submitting to them, they are a scam. If a publisher asks you to front the costs for putting your book out, they are a scam. And if you do “publish” a book with one of these places, that will kill your ability to get it published elsewhere, because most legitimate publishers require first rights.

Beware, also, of self-styled gurus that will tell you how to make tons of money in self publishing if you only buy their course or sign up for their services on how to run the perfect ad campaign or become a seven figure indie author.

Always check Writer Beware before getting involved with any sort of publishing scheme.

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Anxiety and perfectionism make it hard for me to write - how do I overcome this “internal editor” or fear of my writing not being good?

I love this quote from Ira Glass:

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

― Ira Glass

Seen this way, that anxiety is actually proof that you have what it takes. You care about your work being good, and you have a natural aversion to work that is “bad,” for whatever definition of bad is most important to you. 

Early on in your drafting, do not imagine anyone else reading your work. Get out of other people’s heads. Do not picture another person’s response to your writing. Keep it private. Don’t research agents or publishers or awards you’d like to win. Write for yourself and only yourself. There will be plenty of time to get feedback later, once you’ve polished it up as best you can.

ESPECIALLY don’t worry about the potential responses of your friends, family, classmates, etc. It is unlikely that the people who happen to be close to you in your life will be on the exact wavelength as you in terms of literature and creative vibes. Do not try to predict whether your mom will like it, or try to picture your buddy reading it. You are writing for yourself, and the right audience for your work. 

Read. A lot. Read in the genre you’d like to write. Read with a curious learner’s mind. Notice how they do things on a structural and stylistic level. Read interviews with authors you like, and check out books on craft. Don’t indulge in thoughts like “I’ll never be this good” - instead, focus on what is working, and why, and how. 

It might help you to give feedback on other people’s writing, on sites like Scribophile and Destructive Readers. You can get a sense for what works and what doesn’t, and how to understand and explain it. You can also see that other people are figuring this out, too, and you’re not the only person working on writing at this level. However, if you find that this does not help your anxiety, don’t do it. 

Give yourself permission to suck. Understand that the sole purpose of a first draft is to exist, so it can be polished later. Focus on word count or time spent writing rather than whether your work is “good.”  Find whatever works best for your anxiety overall. It is unlikely that substance abuse is a solution. The whole “write drunk, edit sober” thing is romanticized, and if you are self medicating your anxiety, this will ultimately cause more problems than it solves. If this sort of perfectionism and fear of not-good-enough is holding you back in other areas of your life, talk with a therapist. Try exercise, meditation, calming music, tidying your workspace, and spending time outdoors.

Do it. Write. Do it anxious, do it scared, do it before you’re ready. Don’t let anxiety become an excuse that convinces you that you can’t write or that you need to solve some nebulous problem in your mind. Don’t wait to feel completely confident before you bother trying. 

Alternatively, if it is really causing you a lot of distress, you don’t need to write. If you don’t enjoy writing and it just triggers anxiety and frustration, that’s okay - it might not be for you. Spend time doing things that you actually enjoy. If you don’t feel a strong desire to write and are just trying to force it, ask yourself why you’re doing that and what your other options might be. 

5 ways perfectionism sabotages your writing

7 ways to silence your inner editor

Writing With Anxiety

Overcome perfectionism to meet your writing goals

Why the internal editor is a problem and what to do about it

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How do I get started? How do I overcome writer’s block? I feel stuck or overwhelmed by the blank page - where do I start?

The only way out is through. You’ve got to find a way to get the words down, so you have something to work with, edit, or share later. 

Some people like changing their text editor’s font to something silly or unreadable, so they don’t take what they’re writing as seriously. You can also try turning your screen off or making your text the same color as the background so you can’t see what you’re typing. Experiment with voice to text or handwriting.

There is plenty of advice out there that you might find inspiring. Read that, and if you find a quote or piece of advice that inspires you, keep it somewhere you can see.

Sometimes it’s about getting into the right mindset and avoiding distractions. Make sure your setup is as comfortable and ergonomic as possible. Try turning off your internet or setting your device to “do not disturb.” Find music that helps you focus. Some writers like chewing gum or sucking on hard candies while they work. Some wear a specific hat, scarf, pair of gloves, etc. to signal to their body that “it’s time to work.”

Goals and metrics really help some people. You could try setting a timer for fifteen minutes and committing to just not taking your fingers off the keyboard for that entire time. Or set a goal of 300 words to write before getting up. Even if you just start off writing “I don’t know what to write,” letting the words start to flow will get the habit ingrained and get things moving.

It’s as hard, and as easy, as: just start. Just do it. Type a word. Then another one. Give yourself permission to suck. Focus on quantity over quality at first. Find whatever style gets you flowing - first person, third person, pretending to be your character and write a letter to a friend about what happened to them, writing down a basic summary of what you want to write, etc.

Some people like using writing prompts, which can be a story starter, a snippet of dialogue, a photo, etc. Challenge yourself to write something based on a prompt, or with another restriction, and see what happens.

Resources:

Writing prompts from Art Institute of Chicago

Dialogue prompts

Story A Day writing prompt sites

Short Story Ideas

Random Image Generator

What Happens Next prompts

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Where do I get ideas? How can I figure out what happens next, what my character should do, etc.?

Many people write because they have a story in their head that they just want to express. If there is anything in your head that already exists - an image, a snippet of dialogue, a scene, a character description - start with that, and go from there.

If you want to write a story but genuinely can’t think of one that you want to write, try getting bored. Don’t listen to podcasts when you drive or work. Turn the TV off. Ride public transit, go for long walks, watch the leaves on a tree sway. Think about “what if…” scenarios that are interesting to you. Fantasize about things you think would be fun, interesting, sexy, frightening, etc. 

If you are partway through a story but are stuck on a certain point, try skipping that part. You can just put in brackets [THEY DO NEXT THING?] and go to the next part that you have thought of and want to write. You may find later that you didn’t need to worry so much about this bit! I had a writing professor that often said “if it’s boring to write, it’ll be boring to write.” Your stuck-ness might be telling you that this next part doesn’t really need to be written, and you can just do a time skip or brief narration to move past it.

Maybe you’re just burned out on this particular project. Get some space from it and come at it from a different direction. Re-read or watch any other media that you were into when you first started the project or got the idea. Daydream about what might happen next. Make a moodboard or playlist about your story and find ways to get re-inspired. Or, switch to a different project and let this one simmer in the back of your mind for a bit.

If you need more active ways to get un-stuck, try going back a few story beats before the point where you got stuck. The key might be there. Is there something you could turn into a clue, a plot point, or foreshadowing? Is there something that leads to the stuck point that needs to be changed? Make a list of things that definitely don’t happen next. Go back to the basics: what’s at stake? What do the characters want? What’s preventing them from getting that?

If it’s an issue of research, figure out what information you’re missing. Maybe you can’t work out a way for the characters to escape a burning ship without injury, or you need an explanation for how something happened. Use the research tools here. And remember that it’s fiction, and you’re in charge, so you can twist or change things to make it work.

Maybe it’s an issue of anxiety. Maybe you’re overthinking it, or have gotten too focused on one minor detail. Try writing differently - from a new character’s POV, or about an event that took place before your story’s timeline, or as a news article reporting on the events of your story.

Try checking out prompt lists or “what happens next” generators. Find a random photo and decide to include that object or image. Open a dictionary to a random page and commit to using one of those words in your next sentence.

If you have a beta reader who you trust, who understands your vision and your characters, you could ask them to help you brainstorm what might happen next. But be careful about indiscriminately asking people to help you write your story, because you could get overwhelmed or paralyzed by too many options, or you might get caught up chasing something that doesn’t work for your story. Sometimes, even just ruling out other people’s ideas that you don’t like is a way to jumpstart things.

12 techniques for getting un-stuck

Getting un-stuck

How to get un-stuck when writing

Picture prompts to inspire writing from the NYTimes

Picture writing prompts

Six writing prompts to figure out what happens next

Use a random generator to beat writer's block

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Can I write this? The work I want to write includes “dark topics,” will I get in trouble? Will people be offended?

You are allowed to write anything you want. 

It’s likely that if you find something interesting, exciting, titillating, or fun, someone else might as well. There are plenty of readers who like horror, gore, tragedy, violence, depictions of trauma, etc. Try reading things with similar content to see how it’s handled and how readers respond.

That said, if you are writing for a specific platform or audience, it’s important to know the limits. Self publishing on Amazon, Wattpad, etc. will require you to adhere to the content requirements of that platform. If you’re hoping to attract “women’s literature/book club fiction” type audiences, but your book has just one wild scene that is unusual for that genre, you may run into trouble.

And if you’re a young person intending to submit work for a class, or if you’re sharing it with friends or a writing group, it’s important to be aware of how certain things might be perceived. Many people who like to write “dark” fiction choose to share it with communities that appreciate that sort of stuff, rather than showing it to their mom and then worrying what she thinks.

You may also offend some people. No piece of art is made for everyone. Some people may find your writing to be in poor taste, crude, unpleasant, etc. You are not writing for those people. Having someone dislike your work will not hurt you, and it is OK to not be for everyone.

One exception would be in very online spaces where people believe that certain content in fiction is deeply dangerous, and could decide to doxx or swat or otherwise attack someone whose work they find offensive. Don’t get involved in those spaces. Watch your opsec with personal information if you are sharing writing online and stay out of arguments about this.

That said, if someone gives you constructive feedback that your work is offensive in the sense of perpetuating harmful stereotypes, or that you have gotten something insensitively wrong, that’s another thing. Examples might be using a character’s fatness to imply laziness or low intelligence, a racialized violent criminal, or a woman overcome with depression and guilt after terminating a pregnancy (depicted in a way that implies that this is just the natural outcome, when in fact most women report feeling relief). It’s good to be open to learning and to want to depict things with nuance and thoughtfulness.

In this case, you should be focused on how to do research, find a sensitivity reader, and get clear on your personal intentions about why you’re writing this story and for whom. But asking people on the internet whether you’re “allowed” to write something, or whether anyone might get offended, will not help.

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Is this a good idea? Should I write this? Would anyone read this? Does this sound cool?

This is an impossible to answer question, mostly because almost every great story sounds kind of boring when you try to summarize it. If someone asked “will a book about a kid with dead parents who goes to a magical school, and makes some friends and has powerful enemies after him become globally popular?” that would be a meaningless question, because there are ways to write that premise that would be uninteresting.

If someone said “you have to watch this movie, it’s about a short guy whose uncle gives him a magical artifact that he has to go on a long walk to a volcano to destroy, and there are other taller guys who get up to side adventures along the way” you might not feel immediately compelled to drop everything and watch it. “Three neighbors in a New York apartment building solve complicated murders” could be a total cliche laden snooze fest, or it could be a beloved television series. “Some boys go on a hike to see a dead body and learn about friendship” is a classic film, though it sounds pretty lame when you put it like that. 

Keep in mind that there is a difference between a plot and a premise. A premise is the background or setup for your story, but it doesn’t actually summarize what will happen, what changes, what’s at stake for the characters, etc. A plot is the sequence of events that sets up and resolves the conflict. Most posts asking whether a “story idea” is “good” describe a premise.

A cool premise is a great place to start, but it’s only the first stage. Instead of trying to get confirmation that you’ve come up with a premise that will guarantee an interesting story, keep noodling around with it, daydreaming, imagining what sorts of characters might be relevant, and what sorts of problems they’d encounter.

Don’t worry about whether other people think that a brief overview of your idea. It’s all in the execution. Start writing - no one can give you permission or guarantee that it’s a good idea. Spend time with your world and your characters. Tell a story that you find interesting. Read books in the genre you’re thinking about to get a sense for what works and how.

Resources:

What is a premise in writing?

Idea, premise, plot, and story

Ideas are cheap

It's all in the execution