Jump-start your writing dream
Write your way to success with these helpful writers' resources
By Ilona Biro
Sometimes, as I shift around paragraphs or discard chunks of unwanted prose, I wonder how writers managed in the past. I imagine Shakespeare writing his sonnets with pen and ink — and no eraser. Or Hemingway pounding out his novels on an ancient Royal — without a bottle of correction fluid.
Today most modern scribes would be lost without their computers, not to mention that most essential writerly tool, the delete button.
"Technology has been a godsend," says Nik Gregory, who writes science fiction from his home in Hull, England. "You've got spell checks and grammar checks that will get the majority of mistakes and the rest just needs a once-over." Gregory also relies on search engines and online encyclopedias, because who wants to lug home library books?
Beyond the word-processing tools Word provides, the web offers access to writers' resources, online classes and the camaraderie that writers, who often toil in isolation, desperately need.
Connecting with others
Online writers' groups allow writers to share experiences and ideas, critique each other's work and commiserate when the going gets tough. "They're very important for many reasons," says Jen Harrison, a writer and member of Litopia Writers Colony, a forum for writers. Writers' groups provide validation, a place to gather pertinent information, "and just an all-round great way to connect with folks outside of my own tiny universe here in the foothills of western Maine," she says.
For professional writers like Debbie Ridpath Ohi, the web has made it easier to research potential markets. She's referring not only to the websites of book and magazine publishers, but also to writers' market databases, like WritersMarket.com, which is updated more frequently than a print directory.
Ridpath Ohi's website, Inkspot, was one of the most celebrated writers' sites for many years. Now she runs Inkygirl, a site for writers looking for work. "So many so-called job sites for writers included non-paying listings and I got frustrated having to page through these to get to the real jobs," she says.
Learning the business
For beginning writers, Ridpath Ohi recommends Moira Allen's Writing-World, a site packed with articles covering most aspects of the business of freelance writing. Another favourite is Sal Towse's aptly titled Internet-Resources.com. Her site maintains a huge list of links, including online submission guidelines for writing contests.
Along with essays on literary life, every issue of Poets and Writers applications for emerging and established writers. The ultimate starting point for many writers is Writers Online Workshops. It offers courses at every level and promises to improve your writing in just six to 14 weeks.
Tracking the write resources
Ever have a spell of brain freeze, where a word or phrase escapes you? OneLook Reverse Dictionary allows you to plug in a word and generate dozens of related words and concepts. Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, builds on the knowledge of the whole world, as anyone can post entries or add to existing ones. (Beware — that also means everyone is the editor). Or try Encarta for a dictionary, encyclopedia and atlas all in one.
With so many fascinating sites it makes sense to head to Xlibris' long list of everything from online encyclopedias to rhyming dictionaries. Another goldmine is Writer's Digest's listing of 101 top sites for writers, which is updated annually.
To get creative juices flowing, Writer's Digest provides daily writing prompts, which function like exercises, jumpstarting your brain for a day (or just a brief session) of writing.
Correcting your work
For sticky grammar issues, Judy Vorfeld's Webgrammar is a treasure trove of quick fixes. Dr. Grammar, another long-standing site, is a good place to go for a second opinion.
Writing software runs the gamut from style and grammar guides to software for screenwriting, which puts your words into proper format. Sites such as Writers SuperCenter and Master Freelancer list most of the titles on the market, but caveat scriptor! Before making an impulse purchase, get advice on these programs from others who have tried them.
Learning to be a scribe
One of the biggest and best-known writing schools is Gotham Writers' Workshop. Originally established as a private creative writing school in New York City, it now offers a full slate of online courses.
For anyone tackling a major literary work, the Humber School for Writers in Toronto offers a 30-week correspondence program designed to allow promising writers the unique opportunity to work on their novel, short stories or poetry. Students submit work directly to their teacher, usually an author, and receive editorial feedback by snail mail or e-mail.
A similar program, the Wired Writing Studio, is offered by the Banff Centre in Alberta. It starts with a two-week on-campus session in October and then a 20-week online residency where writers are paired with mentors and coaches.
Hunting those elusive grants
Susan Ioannou's Wordwrights website brings together a comprehensive listing of Canadian writers' organizations, websites, retreats, grants and provincial arts councils.
Finding an agent
When your manuscript is ready to go, it might be time to find an agent. Mediabistro, a free online site geared to writers of all persuasions — from magazine pros to budding novelists — has a section devoted to finding an agent. For a membership fee, writers get access to a valuable series of interviews with agents that describe exactly what they're looking for, along with discounts on Mediabistro's huge slate of courses, some of which are online.
Laughing off rejection letters
We all have gotten a few of these. Share the pain (and a few laughs) by visiting Rejection Collection and adding your latest rejection letter to the virtual pile. You'll feel much better, guaranteed.
