Resources
for Writers
The Internet contains
a gold mine of resources for writers. If you are interested in exploring
Web sites for writing inspiration and information, start out by exploring
the following, which are our own favorites. You'll find them current,
authoritative, and all offer some free content with tangible value
to writers.
Click
on the following titles and you will immediately be connected to
the Web sites:
www.ncarts.org
The Literature Program of the North Carolina Arts
Council offers grants and services to North Carolina writers and
nonprofit organizations. These include literary organizations, literary
magazines and presses, libraries, and non-literary organizations
that make literature part of their public activities. We support
writers and programs in fiction, poetry, literary nonfiction, literary
translation, spoken word performance, children’s literature, and
literary work that crosses genres and art forms.
www.triggers.com/whatare.html
This is a great site for our WGOT non-fiction group,
for memoir writers and family historians. It was brought to our
attention by Al Perry, a Winston-Salem resident who is a member
of our WGOT non-fiction genre. It breaks through writer's gap by
providing special "triggers" to jolt the memory back to episodes
of importance in our life. So Proustian! This is very helpful for
a person who wants to use the past as material for journaling. Some
great "freebies" are here, but some writers will want to order the
book that triggered the subject.
www.yourdictionary.com
Wordsmiths will flip over this handy site. It's
more than an encyclopedia of dictionaries. It offers nine thesauri.
It's an entire world of dictionaries, whether you speak English,
Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Hebrew or Egyptian.
This is the widest and deepest collection of dictionaries on the
web. Technical documentation on the site include specialized dictionaries
for accounting, advertising, agriculture, anthropology, archeology,
architecture, art, astronomy, automobiles, and aviation -- and that
is for only one letter of the alphabet!
www.infoplease.com
This is the way to find facts and figures on the
internet. Up-to-date news and statistics complement in-depth almanacs
covering geography, history, entertainment, sport, business and
more.
www.loc.gov
This site should be on your "must visit" list. The
"loc" stands for Library of Congress, where you can look up books
by author, title, publisher or ISBN. Or visit the U.S. Copyright
Office to find out everything about copyrights and how to protect
your work. Meet amazing Americans, jump back in time, or take a
"tour" of all 50 of our states by clicking on "America's Library,"
a fun site for kids and families.
www.writersdigest.com
Our favorite magazine for writers provides up-to-date
in-depth information for all genres as well as instant access to
thousands of editors and agents. Includes a free weekly e-newsletter
with posted articles from special WD publications, including WD
print interviews. Your most complete source of where to sell your
work, prepared by book and magazine editors themselves.
www.blackwriters.org
The African American Online Writers Guild provides
links, discussion groups, listings of Black agents, publicists,
editors, publishing companies, consultants, newspapers and magazines
that celebrate the strength of Black heritage and the beauty and
richness of African American culture.
www.writersmarket.com
Here is where to get a quick list of target markets
perfect for your query letter or manuscript. Easy-to-use search
settings make it a snap to search through thousands of markets in
seconds. The freelance writer's "bible" since 1921 has always been
in book format, but is now available online, providing complete
market contact information to subscribers, including pay rates and
submission guidelines that are constantly being updated.
www.writers.com
Offering online writing classes in all genres since
1995, this Web site includes writing tips, information on contests
and an online bookstore. Instructors are well-published authors
who are experienced in teaching as well as writing.
www.pw.org
This is another great site that will become one
of your favorites. 'PW' stands for poets and writers, the site of
Poets & Writers Magazine. It includes the most comprehensive
listing of literary grants and awards, deadlines, and prizewinners
available in print. With a circulation of 70,000 copies nationwide,
the magazine includes essays on the literary life, and articles
with practical applications for both emerging and established writers.
www.ssws.net
For writers who lean toward short story writing
and magazine writing, this is the Short Story Writers Showcase.
You don't need to submit to this site to benefit from the list of
links and other writing resources. If your interests lie with genre
short fiction, take a look at what others are writing and get inspired.
www.ncwriters.org
Another "must" site for exploration. In national
writers conferences you will hear the comment "why are more and
more writers moving to North Carolina?" Founded in 1985 as a nonprofit
organization, the North Carolina Writers' Network unites our state's
poets, fiction writers, essayists, playwrights, technical writers
and journalists of all ages, background and skill levels. With 1800
members, it is the largest statewide literary service organization
in the United States. Keep up with literary happenings in North
Carolina by becoming a member. PO Box 954, Carrboro, NC 27510
www.renaissance.dm.net
The Elizabethan World unfolds here. From heraldry
to general history, you'll find all you need to know to write that
romance novel or other period work. Learn about Tudor England, the
food, occupations, games, heraldry, pastimes, religion, fashions,
manners and attitudes in the time of Queen Elizabeth I and Shakespeare.
The site also features a discussion group and lists links to other
Renaissance sites.
www.rwanational.org
Welcome to the Romance Genre. The Romance Writers
of America will tell you that two basic elements comprise every
romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying
and optimistic ending. Seven romance sub-genres include contemporary
romance, historical romance, inspirational romance, paranormal romance,
regency romance, romantic suspense and time-travel romance.
www.afrigeneas.com/kidz
The Kidz Korner is a good way to get African American
kids interested in genealogy, to prepare the next generation of
genealogists. It's a very basic primer that helps them to start
thinking about their family heritage, starting with the parents
and grandparents with whom the child is familiar, and interviewing
the family's oldest members to find out about their parents and
grandparents.
www.biography.com
Search here for 25,000 personalities, with related
links to 2,500 videos and more. Read short biographies, post on
their message boards or download educational material.
www.childrens-express.org
Children's Express is a national news agency in
the United Kingdom "where young people aged 8-18 produce articles
on issues that are important to them but of interest to everyone."
Young writers from Great Britain and Northern Ireland have already
produced more than 350 interesting articles. Check it out!
www.teenwriting.about.com
Part of About.com's universe, this site shares writing
tips and offers help with punctuation and parts of speech. It treats
creative teens with respect and candor. Have fun with a caption
writing contest or use their random link generator to find a poem,
quote or story about teenage dilemmas.
www.newriters.com
This is an internet service that displays works
of new writers on the Web site, including poetry, short stories,
fiction and non-fiction synopses of novels, and script concepts
for stage, feature film, TV movies, sitcoms and documentaries. Take
the plunge and put a couple of your better pieces on this site.
It provides book publishers with a chance to see what new talent
is out there quickly and efficiently.
www.write4kids.com
Includes some free ebooks, tips for beginning children's
book writers, and a writer's guide that takes you step by step through
the publishing process. Also introduces Children's Book Insider,
a newsletter specifically for children's writers.
www.imdb.com
It is doubtful that you will find a more comprehensive
film resource on the net. Simply go to the search box at the top
of the home page, type in whatever it is you're looking for (film,
actor, director, hairdresser, etc.) and get ready to surf. For instance,
try typing in "Alfred Hitchcock" and you'll get a brief biography,
a photo gallery, a complete filmography and other useful information.
Clicking on a movie title will lead you to a listing of the cast
and production crew, professional reviews, a plot summary, and more.
www.childrenswriter.com
With five editors and researchers and the staff
at the Institute of Children's Literature behind them, is it any
wonder that Children's Writer is the most widely read publication
in its field, by editors in virtually every children's book and
magazine publishing house in North America.
www.poets.org/index.cfm
Click here and enjoy well-loved poems in text and
audio format. The Academy of American Poets. Discussions, events,
a bimonthly e-newsletter and more. Registered visitors (all you
need is a functional e-mail account) also can create their own anthologies
based on site content.
www.scbwi.org
Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators,
8271 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048. Applications for writing
grants are available by writing the SCBWI Executive office. Winning
grants are for $1,500. Runnerup grants are for $500. Only one grant
may be applied for in any calendar year and active SCBWI members
only are eligible to apply for these grants.
www.americandialect.org
If you are a linguist, then you are always on the
lookout for new words and phrases in the ever-changing English language.
Download Adobe Acrobat for free. While the emphasis is on North
American English, linked Linguist sites include Eastern Michigan
University, Edinburgh University, Moscow State University, Stockholm
University, University of Tubingen and Listserv. A highly academic
reference section may help linguists and fiction writers who are
working on regional dialogue.
www.publist.com
Today America; tomorrow the world! Within a week
of the time that our own Nancy Gates had her poem, "Flying Over
Chicago at Night", published in the Kafla Intercontinental,
sponsored by an India cultural association, she was approached by
another Indian publisher to submit for an Anthology of poetry. By
clicking on this site, you can search more than 150,000 periodicals,
worldwide, by title or subject to find a publication that you haven't
previously contacted.
www.ralan.com
This is the Ralan Conley Webstravaganza. If you'd
like frequently updated science-fiction and humor markets, Ralan
is the site for you. It also lists more than 670 writing-related
links.
Want more writers' Web sites? By clicking
on "Our Writers", you will be introduced to some Web sites from
WGOT writers and authors here in the Triad.
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