STARTING POINT

home    FAQ    marketplace    writing basics    starting point    mw folks    mailing list    bookstore

DIRECTORY

For the Novice Writer
WWW Indexes
General Writing Resources
Specific Writing Resources
Grab Bag
References
Writers Organizations

The following WWW sites have been recommended by members of misc.writing:

• The misc.writing FAQ - lots of good advice from the good folks in mw; among the topics addressed are proper manuscript format, use of pseudonyms, and vanity/subsidy publishers.

• The misc.writing.screenplays FAQ - covers formatting scripts, industry jargon, software, release forms and more.

• The rec.arts.poems FAQ - along with the basic FAQ, there are tips on writing poetry and a glossary of poetry terms.

• The alt.usage.english FAQ - answers to common questions regarding punctuation, pronunciation, artificial dialects, usage disputes, recommended books, plus much more.

WWW INDEXES

• For Writers Only - John Beslanwitch's comprehensive site, with a leaning toward SF.

• Zuzu's Petals Literary Resource - resources for poets and writers; features dozens of links for poetry.

• Writer's Resource Center - John Hewitt's popular site is home to many articles about the writing life, and more than 800 links to writing sites.

• Yahoo's Resources for Writers - scads and scads of links (I'd leave a trail of breadcrumbs!).

• Yahoo's Literature Resources - huge list of links (see advice above).

• About.com: Arts & Humanities - many reviews and links to sites where the main theme is arts. Sections include writing/publishing, books/authors, language, visual arts and more.

GENERAL WRITING RESOURCES

• Fiction Writer's Page - offers specific techniques for dealing with matters such as dialogue, style, and voice in fiction.

• Paradigm Online Writing Assistant - an impressive online writer's guide, intended for all writers, from inexperienced to advanced.

• The Writer's Techniques - nitty-gritty details about the craft of writing, courtesy of the participants of the Writers mailing list. This is a text-only site that loads quickly. Sections include: The Writing Arena, Critiquing, Writing Books, Writing Fiction, Writer's Block, Markets, Poetry, and more.

• Reid's Page for Writers - along with her free online writing courses and regular columns, Joanne Reid also offers a helpful Q&A section on her site.

• Internet Research FAQ - writers will find this guide relevant to both fiction and non-fiction research. Charlie Harris provides worked examples, tips for using search engines effectively, and a collection of "essential" Internet sites for finding information.

• The Write Page - how-to information for writers, with an emphasis on genre fiction.

• Purdue University Handouts on Writing Skills - geared toward business and academic writing, although some of the handouts apply to all writing activities; topics include grammar, style, revising, & writer's block.

• Publishers Weekly Interactive - great source for international news and information from the book publishing and bookselling industries. Features include book reviews, bestseller lists, classifieds, and much more. Allow yourself plenty of time to visit this site, and be sure to check out the in-depth author interviews.

SPECIFIC WRITING RESOURCES

Children's Writing

• Information for Children's Writers and Illustrators - a direct link to the collection of articles by Harold Underdown and others. While this is a good starting point for novices, the collection also goes beyond the basics into the trends and events in children's book publishing.

• The Purple Crayon - a children's book editor's site, with links to resources for writers, editors, teachers and parents.

• The Children's Writing Resource Center - presented by the newsletter, Children's Book Insider, this site offers scheduled chat sessions, a message board, how-to information and a research center.

• Children's Literature Web Guide - developed from a librarian's perspective, this site provides links to resources for book professionals, parents, and teachers, and features discussion boards and commentary on children's books.

Internet Writing

• Writing for the Web - guidelines for writing content for Web pages; includes studies of how users read online documents.

Journal Writing

• The Journal Guide - offers ideas and exercises to get you started, plus mailing lists and information about dream journals, historical journals, and personal research.

Mystery Writing

• Resources For Mystery Writers - provides links to dozens of criminology and investigation sites, as well as several mystery book sellers and publishers; this list is courtesy of the Mystery Writers of America (Northern California chapter).

Poetry

• Ultimate Poetry Links - this site features links to the top poetry sites, publications, workshops, books, and groups.

• The Poetry Society - although some of the information on this site is intended for a UK audience, the section called "Poetry Place" has a list of Internet resources.

Romance Writing

• Romance Central - the "workshop" section is particularly good - it contains dozens of articles; also offers a truly unique writer's Web forum.

Screenwriting

• Screenwriters & Playwrights Home Page - well-organized, comprehensive site; the original Internet resource for scriptwriters, by Charles Deemer.

• The Online Communicator - designed especially for scriptwriters in the film, video, audio, and interactive media industries.

• Wordplay - professional secrets for screenwriters; a classy site.

• For The Love of It - volunteer advisors from the film and television industries answer your questions; a unique site that is "dedicated to the Wannabee in us all."

• The Internet Screenwriters Network - article topics include career strategies and how to write good log lines; courtesy of the Hollywood Network, with some features available only to members.

Speculative Fiction & Horror

• SF & F Workshop (Information Page) - a club for new and aspiring writers who need support (requires a one-time $5 membership fee); also publishes a newsletter.

• Northwest Science Fiction Resources - a huge, well-organized WWW index of SF resources; a must-see.

• Writer's Desk: Mythology and Folklore - dozens of links to Internet resources, covering everything from Celtic Myth and Faerie Lore to Arthurian Legends and Alchemy.

• Mary Soon Lee's Speculative Fiction - offers advice for new writers on marketing SF&F short stories.

Technical Writing

• Gary Conroy's Technical Writing Website - a snazzy, current, and informative site.

• Society for Technical Communication - information on regional and local conferences, plus an excellent set of links to Internet resources.

GRAB BAG

• The Slot - a site for copy editors, developed by Bill Walsh, a self-described "common-sense newspaper editor"; the site is also home to The Curmudgeon's Stylebook.

• The Thought Cafe - a community of writers who meet online to chat, post their work and receive feedback. Members are regularly updated with new submissions and notified when comments are posted on their work. Offers a lively discussion board. A very friendly group -- new members will enjoy a warm welcome.

• The Writer's Block - tips on the diagnosis and cure of writer's block, as well as prevention therapy.

• Young Writer's Clubhouse - offers advice, inspriation, FAQs, online chat, contests and critique groups, all designed exclusively for young writers.

• INTA Trademark Checklist - developed to assist authors, journalists and editors with proper trademark usage; contains listings for almost 4000 trademarks.

• Creativity Web - discusses techniques such as mind mapping and lateral thinking; provides tips on developing your imagination.

• Protect Yourself from Usenet Abuse - offers how-to information about detecting common forms of email address forgery, dealing with and protecting yourself from online harassment.

REFERENCES

• Shaw Guides' Writing Conferences - detailed information on all sorts of writers conferences, seminars, and festivals.

• My Virtual Reference Desk - a current, thorough index of online reference material (facts, encyclopedias, maps, weather forecasts, news, stocks, etc); there are 221 listings just for "dictionaries".

• The Elements of Style - the classic desk companion by William Strunk Jr.; covers rules of usage and principles of composition.

• Bartlett's Familiar Quotations - another classic that is now online; features an alphabetical index, a chronological index, and a search engine.

• On-line English Grammar Clinic - a WWW message board where English grammar questions are answered by the professional teaching staff at Lydbury English Centre .

• Rhyming Dictionary - find words that rhyme with, almost rhyme with, or sound exactly the same as a certain target word.

• FAQ from alt.usage.english - answers to common questions regarding punctuation, pronunciation, artificial dialects, usage disputes, recommended books, plus much more.

• Style FAQ Index from Copyediting-L - informed (and diverse) opinions from the list participants on a number of editing questions.

• The WWW Virtual Library - a subject catalogue of WWW resources; topics range from aboriginal studies to philosophy to zoos.

• Library of Congress Home Page - special exhibitions, library services, and reference tools.

WRITERS ORGANIZATIONS

{For the mailing addresses of these and many other writer's organizations, read Section 10 of the mw FAQ.}

Australia & New Zealand

• Queensland Writers' Centre
• Victorian Writers Centre
• South Australian Writers' Centre (Email link)
• NSW WRITERS' CENTRE (Email link)
• Australian Society of Authors
• Australian Publishers Association

Canada

• Canadian Authors Association
• Periodical Writers Association of Canada
• The Writers' Union of Canada
• The League of Canadian Poets
• Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators, & Performers
• The Writers Guild of Canada
• Playwrights Union of Canada
• Crime Writers of Canada
• SF Canada
• Editors' Association of Canada
• BCSFA
• Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia
• Federation of BC Writers

UK

• The Writer's Guild of Great Britain
• The Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society
• The Society of Authors
• The Poetry Society

USA

• The Writers Guild of America
• National Writer's Union
• The American Society of Journalists and Authors
• The Authors Guild (Email link)
• Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)
• North Carolina Writers' Network (Email link)
• Northwest Playwrights Guild
• Mystery Writers of America
• Romance Writers of America
• Horror Writer Association
• Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
• Society for Technical Communication

If you discover a good writing-related site during your own web explorations, e-mail your suggestion to the webmaven. Personal home pages will not be listed here.