They say the best way to see further than other men is to stand on the shoulders of giants. This adage may work well in history, the sciences or other arts - but it’s a bit awkward when it comes to writers. In the first place, most writers I know sit when they work - so standing on their shoulders would probably result in an obstructed view of anything but the backs of other giants. In the second place, bending over notebooks and typewriters and computer keyboards may leave writers with rounded shoulders, largely unsuitable for standing.

That being said - as writers we could, and should, read and study the works of the writers of all statures, both of the past as well as the words our contemporaries.

I fully admit that they older I get, the less I know - so I’m constantly on the lookout for writing resources of all sizes to provide me with perspectives, news and other resources I hadn’t previously considered. Here’s a few I’ve scoped out this week:

Don’t be discouraged by the fact that many of these resources are run by writers still trying to make it in the professional field (much like those of us here at The Bitter Quill). Everyone who writes; be they professional, amateur or hobbyist, good, bad or mediocre, has their own take on the craft, their own methods for wrestling with the hideous, hideous white space, and their own experiences with trying to find a willing (and hopefully, paying) audience for their work. And what works for them may be a valuable tool for you. When I was in high school, I had a passionate crush on a young man who aspired to be a writer, and purchased Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones for myself strictly because of his suggestion. The romance never panned out - but the book has served me very well of the years; it is the one book on writing I’ve gone to over and over again, and I have purchased it for more than one aspiring author in my life.

And the young man in question must have known from whence he spoke; since high school he’s had several pieces published, and just recently a book of his short stories.

So, take some time to study the works and ways of your fellow authors. I just recommend in order to do so, you don’t stand on their shoulders. Find a giant near them to stand on, so you can peek over their shoulder to see what they’re working on.