"Brevity is the soul of wit." Polonius, Act II, scene ii, Hamlet, William Shakespeare "Omit Needless Words" - #17 in Strunk & White's Elements of Style (page 23) Updated 2/24/04 Resources for Writers Here are some links which all of us have found helpful in one way or another in our writing. We've got dictionaries, thesauruses (or thesauri, if you like), style guides, grammar guides, information about copyright and some articles on writing in general and writing fan fiction in particular. All links open in a new browser window.     Grammar & Style 11 Rules of Writing This site provides a concise guide to some common grammatical and punctuation questions Big Dog's Grammar Guide Another quick grammar guide that can answer most of your questions. The CFAN Style Guide Mainly applicable to Marvel Comics-based writing, but also has some good overall style and grammar pointers. DangerMom's Handy-Dandy Grammar Guide A good, no-nonsense site with lots of grammar information in easy to read format. Elements of Style An online copy of William Strunk's famous style manual from 1918 [not the Strunk and White 1959 edition, which everyone should own a copy of.] Grammar Now You type in your grammar question, and - voíla! - you get an email with an answer. How easy is that? The Online English Grammar Will have the answers to all sorts of grammar questions. So You Wanna Avoid Common Writing Errors? An easy to follow guide to avoiding common writing errors, including sections on apostrophes, homonyms, and - one of Vic's pet peeves - the correct use of hopefully.     Dictionaries and Thesauruses (Or Thesauri, if you prefer) Look stuff up; spellcheck. It makes you look smart and keeps your audience from tearing their hair out, or even worse, moving on to the next story. ARTFL Project: ROGET'S Thesaurus Best of British - the American's Guide to Speaking British A helpful guide to British slang for Americans. Especially useful if you're writing Spike, Giles or Ethan. Freereality Online Thesaurus, Phrases and Quotations Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary Your Dictionary.com And here are two glossaries of fandom/fanfic terms: A Fan Fiction Primer CFAN: Common Terms and In-Jokes     The Craft of Writing Cereta's Fanfic Symposium This is a good place to read articles on the whys and wherefores of fanfic, and writing in general. We'd recommend reading: Apology for Criticism by lucy. (Thanks to Michela Ecks for pointing me at this one.) Citizens Against Bad Slash A great resource for writers, especially for slash, but not necessarily... lots of good essays and stuff on writing. Damon Knight on Plot An interesting read on the various basic types of plot and how they work. Dr. Merlin's Guide to Fanfiction A good article for the budding fanfic author. Includes links to other resources. Easter Egg Vinegar In Your Eyes Nice set of articles by well-respected fic-writers in various fandoms, on various topics. The Eclectic Writer A great place for articles for professional writers, but those of us writing fic should know some of this stuff too. Forward Motion Writers' Pages Advice from Holly Lisle (a well-known author) on writing and getting published. Hardcore Critique Advice No, it's not about porn. It's a quick and dirty list of points which, when practiced effectively, can help improve your writing. Just Playing Smart Luna has put together a fabulous style guide -- it's mostly for West Wing writers, but some of the more general information is applicable to anyone who writes anything. Macedon's Taberna: The Craft of Writing An interesting and helpful article on what works and what doesn't in fiction, and fanfiction. The Mannerly Art of Critique Another good article on what it means to critique a work -- and that criticism does not equal ripping something to shreds. The Mary Sue Litmus Test Originally written for Gargoyles fanfic (who knew?), this is a useful test. And there are also some good links that will explain exactly what a Mary Sue is, and why she may not be someone you want to write about. Minotaur's Sex Tips for Slash Writers Not for the faint of heart, Minotaur's site provides lots of information for writers of m/m slash. Slashfic, for those of you who don't know, pertains to same-sex pairings. The Official Kate Elliott Website Another published author offers advice on writing. She's got interesting things to say about the process of writing, as well as stuff about world-building and character development. Strong Characters vs. Weak Characters by C.J. Cherryh -- Interesting article on characterization and writing well-drawn, not weakly-drawn characters. Writerisms and Other Sins: A Writer's Shortcut to Stronger Writing By C.J. Cherryh -- excellent advice from an expert. Writing Your Story-A General Overview of Story Development A well-organized site that takes you through the steps for developing and writing a story. Writers University A fabulous resource for fanfic writers, with articles on the history of fanfiction, the role of beta readers, constructive criticism, and more. You should all have this site bookmarked! You and Your Characters by James Patrick Kelly -- Helpful article on characterization from a published author So You Wanna Publish a Book? A site for people who are interested in learning how to get published. For people who are interested in writing children's books and being published, Dot has found both of these sites helpful... Children's Publishers' Submission Guidelines Online for Writers and Illustrators The Purple Crayon So You Wanna Write a Children's Book?       The Beta Process If you click on The Beta Process, you'll be shown exactly how one of our stories went from first to final draft, with everyone's input and help. Since we're always interested in the writing process, let us know what you think of this. Is it helpful? Is it how your stories get betaed? Do you have a better system? Inquiring minds want to know. At Angel's Journal, Evan Como's Angel Fanfic site, you can find a couple of other good examples of how the beta reading process works. Watching a fic go from draft to final is fasicnating. They're listed in the "Evan's Journal" area. A Short Guide to Betareading Exactly what it says -- a short essay on what a beta reader does and why you need one. When Beta and Writer Collide (And Why They Should) A good article on why having a "yes-man" as your beta isn't necessarily a good thing. Beta Readers: Finding One Is Worse than Blind Dating A good essay on actually, you know, finding a beta reader, which can sometimes be difficult, especially for new writers. The Beta Reader/Writer Relationship: Negotiation and Etiquette Once you've found a beta reader [or three], you have to figure out what you need from them, and what they're willing to do for you. This article will help.     Copyright Information 10 Big Myths About Copyright Explained COPYRIGHT 101 - A Brief Introduction To Copyright For Fan Fiction Authors Legal Fictions: Copyright, Fan Fiction, and a New Common Law To find out what fanfiction is, and some of the legal issues surrounding it, check this article out.   Other Resources Fan Fiction Research Collective This site is still under construction, but it's a resource for fic writers in any fandom -- a database of knowledgeable people on many, many topics that might come up in your writing. Check it out -- maybe sign up to share your own expertise. Fan Fiction Writers Resources A list of links to writing resources on the web [most of which we've got covered here] Open Directory: Arts: Resources: Style Guides Another list of style guides and writers resources on the Internet The Write Tools An excellent site with links to every type of resource a writer could wish for -- encycolpediae, grammar and style guides, quotations, almanacs -- you name it, they've probably got it.   If you know of any other links or resources you've found helpful in your writing, or if you've found any broken links on this page, please let us know. home | links | recommendations | what's new? | resources | peeps & roaches | contact The images used on these pages are link-ware, created by Ann. Find them, and more at: