Tools for the Writer

General Style Tips:

Visual Thesaurus - a tool for people who think visually, this online thesaurus and dictionary features more than 145,000 words that you can explore using an interactive map. 

Elements of Style - William Strunk Jr., English professor of Cornell University, originally published his book in 1935, but it remains a definitive guide for the serious writer. 

Associated Press Ask the Editor FAQ - AP editor David Minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online AP Stylebook. A forum on writing, style and phrasing issues.

Eminent Quotables - What writers say about writing - this handy reference provides succinct quotes from historic and contemporary wordsmiths, from Isaac Asimov and Jane Austen to Tom Clancy and Winston Churchill.

PlainLanguage.gov - developed to help improve communications from the Federal Government to the public, but can apply to business writing, too. Quick reference tips include checklists of things to remember when writing for the web.

Writers Online Workshops.com - the only program of web-based writing instruction developed by Writer's Digest. Offers something for every level writer and genre.

Writing Tips from Masters -- compiled by Gotham Writers' Workshop, it includes links to key writing tips from established literary figures such as Neil Gaiman, whose 8 tips for writing conclude with this simple advice -- "Write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best you can."

Guide to Grammar and Writing -- OnlineCollegeClasses.org pulled together some well-researched links on proper sentence and paragraph structure, crafting essays and using correct punctuation.  I find the links helpful to not only virtual college students, but also for aspiring wordsmiths of all levels.

Kennessaw State University's Tools in Writing -- A comprehensive collection of online resources for writers, including grammar guides, editing information, screenwriting information, writer's organizations and web writing and design.

Communities:

National Association of Science Writers  

Ragan.com 

Marketing Profs Know-how Exchange

IABC

Writers' Village University

Fiction Writing Resources:

Writer's Write Blog

WOW! Women on Writing -- connecting agents and authors, site features interesting agent and author interviews, as well as writer workshops and a frequently updated freelancer job board.

Writing Forward -- publishing articles on the craft of writing with an emphasis on creative writing (fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction).  This site's mission is to help writers expand their skills and to provide insight and inspiration.  Recent articles include how to deal with heartbreaking critiques of your writing; how to start a successful writers' workshop; and 23 writing tips that don't involve writing to overcome writer's block.

Language is a Virus -- For the aspiring new fiction writer, has downloadable widgets for curing writer's block as well as a character name generator. The site is managed by DIY (Do It Yourself) publisher Wordclay, and provides soup-to-nuts templates and other assistance to self-publish your novel.

Fiction Factor.com -- Monthly e-zine published by Australian freelance writer Lee Masterson. Features tips on writing better fiction, articles on improving your writing, tips on fiction writing, learn to write a novel and get stories published, promoting and marketing your fiction.

The Liars Club -- Philadelphia-based writers blog that includes Jonathan Maberry, Gregory Banks and L.A. Banks. Through a series of posts, the Liars Club contributors attempt to tell the truth, as best as they can, about some burning questions on writing and publishing. Very amusing and interlaced with practical advice for writers.

Links to Writers Organizations - This comprehensive list of writers groups compiled by www.forwriters.com includes journalist societies, international writing guilds, science fiction and fantasy, romance and other genre writing associations-- in short, virtually every group out there. 

Screenwriting Groups - From London to Hollywood, this handy list of screenwriting groups is a helpful guide for the wannabe or established writer for small and big screen. It's compiled by script consultant Dave Trottier, who has sold several scripts and has taught writing and communications courses at over 30 American universities.