We’ve all been there. No matter how long we’ve been writing and no matter how many books we’ve written, from time to time, we get stuck. The whole point of creativity is experimenting, flexing our creative muscle, stepping outside our comfort zone. And by doing that, it’s only a matter of time before we’re writing about completely foreign subject matter and find ourselves clueless as to the finer details.
If I were to give my protagonist the career of a restaurant owner, having previously owned/operated one myself, I doubt I would need advice unless it was in regard to the particular setting I had chosen. But if I were to make her a mortician, Google would become my best friend.
Google is great. Don’t get me wrong, I use it, I love it, I’d be lost without it. But sometimes, 
finding yourself with 1,343,895 search results in 1.2 seconds can be a bit overwhelming. It can also be a real time-suck. There is such a thing as research overkill.
But, what if you had a little black book of go-to “advisors” who have already done the homework of sorting out the relevant information from the filler?
That’s what I have done here. Below you will find some of my favorite bloggers and several of their posts as a sampling of what they offer. Although there are many, many more, and I certainly didn’t intend to slight anyone, you should be able to find much of what you’re looking for within the links of the blogs I’ve included.
All blogs marked with an * were a Top 10 Winner in the Write to Done 2015 Best Blogs for Writers contest.
I would recommend following the first two on Twitter. They each post new material regularly, but they also run links to their archives often so if you missed it the first time around, you won’t have to hunt through a laundry list of back posts. Their posts are comprehensive, informative, well-researched, AND they are writers themselves so they know the importance of accuracy in details. They’ve done the leg-work for you freeing you up to write. As an extra bonus, if you’re looking to connect with like-minded people, they attract fellow writers that love to talk shop!
And here’s the list…
*Helping Writers Become Authors – K M Weiland.
A few of my favorite posts (although they’re all good:)
Another blog I seem to turn to often is Fiona Quinn’s Thrill Writing.
Fiona contributes many posts to things such as: weapons, survival in the woods, writing with an accent, firefighter’s turnout gear, situational awareness, info for writers – interview with a correction officer. There are so many more, but that’s the short list. If you wonder how certain procedures are done or how your heroine can get out of a jam armed with nothing but a hairdryer, this is the blog for you.
Having recently moved on from an involvement with a narcissistic villian myself, I found this post not only informative, but eerily accurate.
Narcissism, Is Your Villain In Love With Himself?
Another favorite that covers a wide variety of writing-related topics is Kristen Lamb’s We Are Not Alone blog.
Lies & Secrets: The Lifeblood of Great Fiction
13 Ways Writers Are Mistaken For Serial Killers – Love some of her titles!
A 2-part post: Real Writers Don’t Self Publish & Real Writers Don’t Self Publish Part II
Some of the following are more niche based, but are very thorough in what they offer. Together, they cover many aspects of the writing profession.
Justin McLacklan
Chuck Wendig – Terrible Minds Blog
Rambling Blog – A direct link to the goodies.
A side note – Chuck has an impressive body of works listed on his website, but if you don’t have Chuck’s book, The Kick-Ass Writer, you are sorely missing out. Chock full of great advice, it’s a must-have. A side, side note – if you are the “Oh my” faint-hearted type, take a Xanax and enjoy. Even his euphemisms are R-rated.
*Bryan Hutchinson – The Positive Writer
*Darcy Pattison – Fiction Notes
Shrunken Manuscript – I’ve done this. You’ll be amazed at what you find using this method. You’ll see your story from a whole new perspective.
Sculpting a Story – I mention this particular post because in it, she talks about Scrivener. I am a huge fan of Scrivener and never tire of singing its praises. Which brings me to the last person I’ve included on this list. I consider him to be THE Scrivener guru.
Joseph Michael – Learn Scrivener Fast
As I said, there are more blogs out there that deal with every aspect of writing, but they aren’t all worth the time it might take you to read them. This is a small sampling of people who know their business and bring the best of what they know to you. So, click on the links, browse around, and tell me what you think. If you have one that’s your “go-to” blog, please feel free to share it in the comments so other readers can take advantage of your find.
Write to the ends of your imagination
K.E. GARVEY 
Thank you so much Kathy – I hope u don’t mind I’ve done a small re-press as it’s such great advice I want to keep it close at hand! x x (also pin’d)
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Not at all. Glad you found it useful. I can only hope to be so good one day that I don’t need go-to advisors. (But where’s the fun in that….Haha)
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lol ditto
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Reblogged this on A Han-made Blog and commented:
This is such wonderful advice I need to keep it close by!
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