8 Practical Resources for Writers

There is an amazing amount of tools on the web for writers. Through my own writing adventures I’ve established a list of go-to sites that I like to use whenever I want to brush up on grammar, network with other writers, check out new book releases, track down an agent, or learn a new word. So without further rambling, here are eight of my favorite web sites for writers (you've probably heard of at least a few of them):  

1.      rachellegardner.com Rachelle Gardner is a literary agent that blogs about important topics such as what makes a blog or book compelling, how to get published, information on self publishing, and hundreds of other invaluable tidbits from an industry insider.  

2.      grammar.quickanddirtytips.com Mignon Fogarty delivers grammar lessons that will school even the most educated writer (she would definitely cringe at that sentence).

3.      goodreads.com Find books, rate them, make lists of what you want to read, participate in Q&A discussion groups with your favorite author, and as a published author Goodreads can help you to reach your target audience.

4.      writersdigest.com – writing prompts, articles on grammar, discussion forums, author interviews, contests, you name it! Great tool.

5.      querytracker.net – this web site allows you to search for agents by name, genre, location, etc. AND it gives you information like response statistics AND it helps you to keep track of your query submissions.  

6.      grubstreet.org – This one is local to MA, however it’s well worth it to travel here from afar for their annual Muse & the Marketplace conference. This conference is incredibly informative and offers the opportunity for a one on one discussion of your work with a literary agent. If you’re local, Grubstreet also offers a variety of workshops to help you hone your craft.

7.      nanowrimo.org – It’s a web site dedicated to National Novel Writing Month and helps you to track your progress and receive moral support from other writers. The magic happens in November…so get ready!

8.      rhymezone.com – This rhyming dictionary is an excellent tool for my fellow lazy poets.

Of course this is just a small sampling of the myriad web sites available to writers. I’m looking forward to posting more in the future, but for now…what are some of YOUR favorite web resources? Or resources that you wish were available? I’d love to hear them!

(image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net)