Writing Resources for MEA Contributors

Weaving your story isn’t as hard as you might think. Once you’ve committed to embarking on your journey, you’ll find lots of support to help you along the way.

Open Culture maintains an archive of free MOOC’s (Massive Online Open Courses) offered by colleges throughout the world. Topics range from the sciences to the humanities, including several related to basic writing and military history/culture. Access here.

These sites give great advice on how to start writing if you’ve never done it before:

• Writing a Combat Sequence
• How-to-Journal – Where-to-Begin
• Write-a-Journal-Entry
• Journal for You
• Journal Writing
• Ron Rash: How I Write
• Seven Tips from Edgar Allan Poe on How to Write Vivid Stories and Poems 

Already a skilled wordsmith and looking for new ways to take your craft to the next level? Explore some of these resources for professional writers:

• Advice and inspiration for today
• Write Better, Get Published, Be Creative
• The Writer’s Center
• Poets & Writers | Contests, MFA Programs, Agents & Grants for Writers
• Writers Guild of America, West
• Stop Reading and Start Writing : NPR

These sites have compiled some good ideas on forming Veterans’ writing groups in your area:

• Veterans of War, Veterans of Peace
• Veterans writing group preserves memories for future generations
• Writing Project Helps Veterans Heal Wounds : NPR
• CHUCK CHILDS (USAF) » Black Hills Veterans Writing Group

If you’re interested in beginning a blog, there are comprehensive guides out there to get you started:

• First Site Guide: How to Start a Blog

Have college papers or scholarly articles to write? This site offers a comprehensive guide to academic writing:

Academic Writing Guide 

Have a book ready to go? Check out MEA’s Self-Publishing Guide

• MEA Guide to Self-Publishing 

Art Resources

Interested in expressing yourself through visual mediums?

This site offers free guides for painting and sculpture using several different materials:

• Dick Blick Art 

*Military Experience and the Arts is not responsible for the content of external websites.