Free Resources To Silence Your Inner Critic And Build A Sustainable Writing Practice

A perfectly imperfect writer’s guide to convenient, low-effort writing support.

How loud is your inner critic?

Some days, mine sounds like an evil marching band. It tells me my writing isn’t good enough, or my ideas aren’t original, or I’ll never finish what I start.

But here’s what I’ve learned: The goal isn’t to silence your inner critic completely. It’s to write anyway, no matter how “less than” you feel (e.g., less than perfect, less than confident, less than worthy).

To help you keep writing, I’ve put together a collection of resources I use to keep showing up on the page, even when that critical voice is at its loudest. Whether you’re struggling with self-doubt, searching for community or clarity, or looking to strengthen your craft, you’ll find something here to help you move forward.

The best part? Every resource is free.

Note: There’s an endless number of resources out there. This list is what I’ve found works in my own writing practice. It focuses on convenience, small routines and rituals, and low effort supports for when life gets tough.

Are you scared of sharing your writing?
Worried you’ll never be good enough?
Paralyzed by imposter syndrome?
Write anyway.
Because we’re all perfectly imperfect writers.

Webinars and Podcasts for Your Eyes and Ears

• The Authors Guild: Find free webinars to help you in every stage of your writing practice, whether you’re an author or not.

• Business Sermons and Clinics with Jane Friedman: Every month a new webinar about the business of writing is uploaded to YouTube.

• My go-to podcasts (listen wherever you get your podcasts): CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY with Evelyn Skye, Fiction Writing Made Easy, The Creative Penn Podcast, The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, The Unpublished Podcast

Bite-Sized Craft and Publishing Reads to Build Confidence

• Jane Friedman’s Free Resources: Guides on writing and publishing from a leading industry expert. For example, check out Creativity & Writing Life and Improve Your Writing.

• World Builders: Nathan Baugh’s newsletter on storytelling is incredibly informative and inspirational.

• Coaches and guides like Lauren Kay and Lauren Marie Fleming offer free resources that aim to educate, end gatekeeping, and build community.

• Also…Substack.

Meditative and Motivational Tools to Quiet the Critic

• Insight Timer: Free guided meditations for creativity, self-compassion, and silencing self-doubt. My other go-to apps for meditation are FitOn and Nike Training Club. (Yes, fitness apps also have meditation!)

• Calm sounds on YouTube: Search for “focus music” or “writing music” playlists to block out distractions and soothe your mind.

• Motivation App: Motivational quotes to gently uplift.

• Focus Apps: Search your App Store for simple, free timers that help you break your writing sessions into manageable chunks, making the practice less overwhelming and more sustainable. My go-to apps are Insight Timer and Flora.

Writing Prompts to Get Unstuck

• Reedsy Writing Prompts: A weekly email with curated prompts for every genre. Win $250 in the weekly short story contest.

• Writers Digest Weekly Prompts: Explore fresh challenges designed to spark creativity. There’s a short story prompt and a poetry prompt.

• Plot Generator: Low-tech, automatic idea generators for stories, plots, opening lines, and more. Think Mad Libs meant to reset your creativity and make you smile.

Find Your Community

• Substack! Substack! Substack! Need I say more?

• Find a writing/critique partner: Author and guide Lauren Kay has a free Critique Partner Connection database for authors.

• Start or join a free book club. (I’ve not succeeded at this, but I hear the right book club can be life-changing.)

Poetry and Artwork for Creative Inspiration

• Poem of the Day: From the Poetry Foundation, straight to your email inbox.

• Poetry Mobile App: Also from the Poetry Foundation, this app has a “Spin” button that cycles through its database and spits out poems based on the intersection of two categories (e.g., humour and family, joy and love, nostalgia and nature, etc.).

• The Daily Poem Podcast: From Goldberry Studios, listen on Substack or wherever you get your podcasts.

• DailyArt App: A daily dose of very digestible art history (it’s like a one-piece art gallery on your phone).

Do you have a resource that should be on this list? Send it my way!