Last Updated: Tuesday, 6 May 2021                 Featuring 505 Links

Categorized & Alphabetized                 *** Please report any broken links you find ***
New Writing Link:
(Help) English Tools: 25 learning tools, designed for teachers & learners, but some helpful to writers, like the Alphabetizer

Thanks to:
      James Lang for various tips on existing links

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All these links were operational and 'as described' at the time they were added. The very generous Robert Laughlin does a biennial check of all the links, so they are pretty up-to-date. These links are provided in good faith with the belief the info is correct, but I accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions in them. Each visitor assumes all risk associated with their use or misuse. Please let me know if you encounter any difficulties, disappointments, etc. These links to websites are provided for informational purposes only. Inclusion does not imply any endorsement of the products, services, information, or resources provided. Ralan.com does not make any claim as to the quality or content provided by the owners of these links.

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Please note that all email addresses (printed in italics) on this site are protected to avoid abuse by spammers.
For some. however, you will need a JavaScript-enabled browser to see the email addresses.

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[Top]
Agents (see also: "Beware"):

Agent Query: a searchable treasure trove of reputable, established literary agents (DATED; SOME BROKEN LINKS, BUT STILL MANY GOOD ONES, USE CARE)

Association of Authors' Representatives: list of approved agents (DATED; SEARCH WORKS, BUT SOME AGENTS MAY BE CLOSED/CHANGED, USE CARE)

FirstWriter.com searchable & category list of literary agents

QueryTracker: online tracker/organiser for agent queries; includes searchable database of agents

The Safest Way to Search for an Agent: article by Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware

Writers Guild of America, East: list of signatory agents

Writers Guild of America, West: list of signatory agents

WritersNet: discuss literary agents and agenting, get help with your query letter

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Articles about Writing (articles are the main fare):

Blog Where Writers Meet - Omnipapers.com: Ways to Organize Your Home Writing Cabinet (infographic)

Eclectics.com Articles: synopses, characters, settings & sensual romance (DATED; MANY BROKEN LINKS, BUT STILL SOME GOOD ONES, USE CARE)

Elizabeth Engstrom's Writing Tips: handouts given out in her sf/h classes over the years

The Expert Editor: a comprehensive guide to editing versus proofreading

Just About Write: a resource for lesbian writers & readers; articles, newsletter, promotion (DATED; SOME ARTICLES OUT OF DATE, USE WITH CARE)

Learn How to Get Published and Make a Living as a Writer: great advice from seasoned pro Marcia Yudkin

Novelists Inc.: sample articles from the newsletter

PoeWar.com Writer's Resource Center: articles, resources, and links (DATED; ARTICLES ARE DATED, USE WITH CARE)

WritersServices.com: workshop, great articles, links, message boards

You Too Can Sniff Out Scams: Marcia Yudkin's good advice

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Artists:

M.W. Anderson: artist & writer, fine art & illos, has done covers for Lone Wolf Pubs & others

Artstopper: UK/Canary Island artist Teresa Tunaley; all genres, nature, landscapes, people, humor, e-cards

The Dragon Charmer: custom dragons, fantasy & wildlife art, needle felting, photos

Jesse Bunch: American artist; fine art & illustrations

Patricia Hartman's Original Art: cover images; 3D modeling really lends itself to sf & f art

Illustratum: Elena Betti, a versatile Italian sf/f/h illustrator

Frank Wu: Hugo Award Winner of Best Fan Artist & 13th Best Science Fiction Artist in the World

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Associations for Authors:

Australasian Horror Writers Association: Home, About, Events, Photos, Community, Posts, Midnight Echo magazine

Australian SF Foundation: sponsors & encourages the creation & appreciation of SF in Australia through a variety of activities

The Author's Studio: dedicated exclusively to interviews with authors; the good, the bad and the ugly of writing (NO UPDATES SINCE 30Nov12)

British Fantasy Society: info, links

Canadian Authors Association (CAA): oriented towards beginning writers

Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP): the name says it all

Garden State Speculative Fiction Writers: a multi-genre group catering to writers from all walks of life

Horror Writers Association (HWA): for dark fiction writers, editors, publishers, etc.

International Women's Writing Guild: non-profit; serving the writing community since 1976

Mississippi Writers Guild: provides information & guidance on the craft of writing; upcoming literary events

National Writers Union: contract advice, grievance resolution, health/dental, education, Job Hotline, networking

Quebec Writers' Federation: represents English-language writers in the majority French-speaking province

SF Canada: "how-to" articles, links, membership info

SFPA: Science Fiction Poetry Association, founded in 1978 for poets and readers of sf poetry

SFWA: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer's of America, Inc.

Women Who Write

The Writers' Union of Canada (TWUC): for novelists and short story writers; good website, many contests, etc.

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Authors (all websites listed here offer significant and free writing help material):

Piers Anthony: one of the greats -- lots of help for writers here too, be sure to visit

Daniel Arenson: author of fantasy novel "Firefly Island," several good, original articles on writing

Marion Zimmer Bradley's: biography, bibliography, e-books, info, & articles for writers

Orson Scott Card: need I say more?

Stephen Coonts: "Tips For Writers," a sobering, and true, article for hopeful writers

Susan Hanniford Crowley: sf & f author, editor, & writing teacher

Lars Eighner: writer's info page

Simon Haynes: "Hal Spacejock" series author; excellent "How to" articles: ...Write a Novel, ...Get an Agent, etc.; free writer's software

Emily Hanlon - The Fiction Writer's Journey: articles on writing, prompts, exercises from a novelist & writing coach

J.A. Konrath: mystery writer ("Whiskey Sour"), good writing tips, links, his blog: A Newbie's Guide to Publishing

Lori L. Lake: novelist, anthology editor, short story writer; many helpful articles about the writing craft

Mary Soon Lee: professional sf/f writer; (NO UPDATES IN 7 YEARS, BUT STILL SOME GOOD STUFF)

Holly Lisle: SpecFic writer with LOTS of writer help online

Scott Nicholson: thriller writer (The Red Church); several great articles on writing

Jason Sanford: illuminating sf/f/mys writing blog by creator of storySouth & the Million Writers Award

Douglas Smith: Canadian sf/f writer, info on foreign markets

Robert J. Sawyer: simply the biggest writer/writing website, bar none

Lisa Silverthorne: lots of info here (NEGLECTED BUT STILL USEFUL, SOME BROKEN OR OUT-OF-DATE LINKS

Marcia Yudkin: great writing articles & advice from a seasoned pro

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Beware (see also: "Agents"):

Federal Trade Commission: main page, look for link

Fraud.org comprehensive site by the National Consumers League

Fraud Resources: list of government agencies, professional associations, other resources

Marcaria.com: Trademark & Other Intellectual Property Resource Guide: plagiarism and trademark resource guide

SFWA "Writer Beware": warnings for writers by SFWAs Victoria Strauss

The Short & Concise Plagiarism Guide for Students: but great info for all writers

13 Warning Signs of a Bad Literary Contest: watch out before you send a check

Writer Beware Blogs: sponsored by the SFWA & the MWA

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Blogs:

Nann Dunne's Just About Write: no longer active, but the article archive is fantastic

Futurismic: for people interested in the future & the effects of science/technology on the present (NOTE: DATED CONTENT!)

Politics for Worldbuilders: many blogs by Oren Litwin, political science PhD & writer

Reedsy: free industry insights, publishing news, videos, articles, courses, contests, book design/marketing

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[Top]
Bookstores:

Atomic Books: legendary Baltimore weird indie bookstore, also online magazine distributor with many hard-to-find sf titles

Bakka-Phoenix: Toronto bookstore

Biblio.com: works with 1000s of worldwide independent bookstores/sellers; 100 mil. used/rare books

The Book Depository: huge range, reasonable prices, free worldwide shipping on all books

BooksPrice.com: free, find the best price on a purchase of several books

Bookwire: by Bowker

Borderlands Books: San Francisco sf/f/h/mys new/used bookstore with own cafe next door

CengageBrain: new textbooks, eBooks, single eChapters, & study tools; at a savings

Chegg: sells and rents textbooks & eTextbooks

Cobblestone Books: Sacramento store specializing in collectible/out-of-print crime & SF

Dark Delicacies: online presence of the famous Burbank horror book shop

Direct Textbook: find books/textbooks; searches 30 online stores & 1000s of U.S. libraries

DreamHaven: Minneapolis mail order & physical (hours limited) bookstore; also sells comics/graphic novels

Flights of Fantasy: Book & RPG store in Albany, New York

Forbidden Planet: SF-oriented megastore serving London and 8 other UK cities

Galaxy: genre specialty store of Abbey's, a large general bookstore in Sydney, Australia

IndieBound: a great alternative; get books online from independent bookstores near you

Mysterious Galaxy: Crime & SF bookstore in San Diego CA

Pandemonium Books & Games: Book & RPG store in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Porcupine Books: used books in London, UK

Powell's Books: online U.S. book store

Project Gutenburg: free bookstore; over 50K epub or kindle out-of-copyright books; download forever or read online

Science Fiction Bokhandeln: Stockholm bookstore (website in Swedish)

SlugBooks: save on textbooks by comparing prices on various websites

Uncle Hugo's: and Uncle Edgar's both burned down by rioters, inventory destroyed, closed... GoFundMe to help

VitalSource: large online catalog of eTextbooks, eResources & other digital course materials to student & faculty

White Dwarf Books: a Vancouver, BC, CA bricks-and-mortar store specializing in sf/f

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Chat for Writers:

BellaOnline.com, Fiction Writing Forum: message boards & chat

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Contests & Awards:

FreelanceWriting.com's Writing Contests: contests, grants, & fellowships

SFWA's Contest Beware: contests & anthologies to avoid

Winning Writers: finds & creates quality resources for poets & writers; WD Best 101

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Copyright & Contract:

American Society of Journalists and Authors: ASJA

Creative Rights for Writers of Theatrical & Long-Form TV Motion Pictures: Writers Guild of America, West

Copyright Basics: copyrights made easy for kids... and us grown ups too

University of Rochester; Copyright and Fair Use: resources on fair use & permission to use copyrighted material

International Property Rights Office: Copyright Registration Service; online registration

Ivan Hoffman: Attorney at Law (several articles)

Patent, Copyright & Trademark: copyright, plagiarism, & online protection

Printable Contracts: sample author contract

ScrivenersError: blog; law & reality in publishing from the author's side

SecureYourTrademark.com: Preventing Plagiarism and Copyright and Trademark Infringement

SFWA Rights & Copyright: helpful article

SFWA Model Contract - Magazines: for short fiction published in a magazine

SFWA Model Contracts : for author/agent agreements, hardcover & anthology publications

SFWA Rights & Copyright: helpful article

Stanford University Libraries: Fair Use article

Trade Book Publishing Agreement Checklist: overview of a book publishing agreement

Understanding Rights, Copyright, Permissions & Plagiarism: on Moira Allen's Writing-World.com

United States Copyright Office: info, forms, online registration

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[Top]
Courses, Classes, & Schools:
(Some of these are free, some require a fee.)

Ace Reader: learn to read faster

Cascade Writers: world class workshops featuring top New York editors, agents, & authors like: John Scalzi & Ellen Datlow

Centauri Arts Camp: summer camp in Ontario, Canada for ages 8-18, writing, acting, moviemaking, drawing, photographing, etc.

Clarion: the famous Clarion workshop (scroll down for info)

Clarion blogs, journals, articles & interviews: author Liz Argall's excellent Clarion resource (LAST UPDATED July 2015, BUT STILL SOME GOOD STUFF)

Clarion West: 6-week summer program for writers who pursue sf/f/magical realism professional careers

Lars Eighner's Writers' Workshop: (COMPLETE COURSE SEEMS ABANDONED, BUT STILL A FEW USEFUL ARTICLES)

HollyLisle.com: free online writing classes

The New School: a vital center for writing & the instruction of writing for almost 80 years

Odyssey Online Writing Classes: online classes adapted from effective Workshop techniques; top instructors

Odyssey Writing Workshop: Jeanne Cavelos' SpecFic workshop —

Odyssey Writing Workshop Free Podcasts: excerpts from lectures given by guest writers, editors, & agents

Purdue University Online Writing Lab: 200+ free resources: writing/teaching writing, research, grammar/mechanics, style guides, ESL, job search, professional writing

Seton Hill University: one of few U.S. institutions offering a MA degree in "Writing Popular Fiction"

Writers' Village University: free writers' course, links, bulletin board, group, chats

Writing the Other: Nisi Shawl & Cynthia Ward; diversity fiction writing workshop & book

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Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, etc. (for translation engines, see also: "Services."):

Acronym Finder: web's largest acronyms & abbreviations searchable database

alphaDictionary.com: with links to foreign dictionaries, grammar, & related resources

Biographical Dictionary: 20,000+ notable people who have shaped our world throughout time

Cambridge History of English & American Literature: "Non-English Writings: Aboriginal," free 18 vol. encyclopedia

C.J. Cherryh's Antique Words: or words of changed usage (DATED, BUT STILL RELEVANT)

Dictionary.com: free online dictionaries, word games & reference directory

DOD Dictionary of Military Terms: military words, phrases, abbreviations, acronyms, NATO terms

The Encyclopedia Mythica: mythology, folklore, legends, super beings, legendary creatures/monsters

TheFreeDictionary.com: dictionary, thesaurus, literature reference library & search engine

FreeThesaurus.com: a comprehensive (145,800+ unique entries) online thesaurus of synonyms, antonyms, & related words

Gaelic Dictionaries Online: links to many resources (SOME LINKS DON'T WORK)

Memidex: free online dictionary/thesaurus; extensive cross-referencing, complete inflections, simple interface, & frequent updates

Merriam-Webster: searchable dictionary, thesaurus, Spanish/English, & medical; also word games, language links

OneLook Dictionaries: searches 300 online dictionaries, multiple definitions

OneLook Thesaurus: when you don't know the word, but you know something about it -- great! (DATED, BUT STILL FUNCTIONING)

Oxford Languages: tips, origin of words & dictionaries, word games, crosswords, jargon buster, email questions

The Phrase Finder: phrases, sayings & idioms

The Phrontistery: 17k word obscure & rare word dictionary

Rhyme Desk: a rhyming dictionary and other English language tools for creative writing

RhymeZone: rhyme, synonym, antonym, definition, related/similar words, Shakespeare, quotations, spell, pics

Roget's Thesaurus: an online older version (but free) of the genuine, original thesaurus

Rhymer: free online rhyming dictionary

Semantic Atlas: thesaurus & translator; English, French, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese

The Septic's Companion: British slang dictionary with audio pronunciations

Thesaurus.net: quickly provides possible synonyms, antonyms, dictionary definitions, & other info

Travlang's Translating Dictionaries: free, lots of languages including Esperanto

Urban Dictionary.com: user contributed slang dictionary

Visual Thesaurus: entertaining visual tour of the English language

Wikipedia's List of Online Dictionaries: with links to grammar & related resources

WordDB.com: search database for certain letters & similar words, or unscramble words

Wordigg: 1m+ words with examples; also word searches & synonyms

Word Finder: can't recall the right word?--get help here... also for word gamers

Word Plays: love to play with words? — here you go

you go WORDS!: word site used by teachers and writers to research various word combinations

Your Dictionary: huge index of multi-lingual, specialty, thesauri, language ID & indices

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Editors (Independent):

Cindy Davis: much published author, strong editing experience; editing/critiquing/ghostwriting

Dave King: free articles; fee advice & editing from Writer's Digest contributing editor

Brad Schreiber: general editing/ghostwrting services, book/script consulting, teaching, etc.

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Events: book fairs, conventions, etc.:

Ansible International Events List: comprehensive list of international events

Ansible UK Events & Conventions List: fully covers only British Isles events plus all Eurocons & Worldcons

Locus Convention: list of most major conventions

Publishers Weekly Book Event & Conferences: dates & info for book events worldwide

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Film - TV - Theater:

Box Office Guru: release dates for films & more

CBC Radio: how to pitch a radio show idea to the CBC

"Daily" Script: a collection of movie scripts & screenplays (NO LONGER DAILY, BUT A GOOD PRE-2009 ARCHIVE)

Done Deal Professional: script sales, agents, query/contract examples, & more

Drew's Script-O-Rama: links to 100s of TV & film script samples

E-Gor's Chamber of TV Horror Hosts: indexed biographical info on worldwide TV horror program presenters

E-Script: the Internet's scriptwriting workshop

Film Scriptwriting: guides, getting started, screenplay format, character development, how to sell, and much more

The Hollywood Reporter: film industry general info

Independent Film Channel: site of the TV channel, festival & coming film news

IndieWIRE: the leading source on independent film since 1996

International Centre: for women playwrights

International Screenwriters' Association: promotes & encourages films

Internet Movie Database: general info

The Lonely Keyboard: John Robert Marlow's extreme-depth interviews with working screenwriters

Movie Bytes: screenwriting contests; free newsletter, news & deadlines

Nielsen: provides clients the most complete understanding of what consumers watch & buy in 100+ countries

Playbill: the magazine for the Broadway theatre scene

Screenwriter's Utopia: the portal for screenwriting, 1000+ content pages, interviews with screenwriters

ScreenwritingU.com: articles, classes, newsletter, discussions

Scriptapalooza: contests, agencies, producers, news, buyers, more

Script Magazine: a magazine for screenwriters

Script Secrets: screenwriting links (OUT-OF-DATE, BUT STILL LOTS OF USEFUL LINKS)

Scriptwriting 101: by E. Russell Henninge; the nuts & bolts of writing a script

Sitcom Format Margins & Spacing: how to format a sitcom

TVWriter: Larry Brody's tips & tricks

Variety: general info

Writers Guild of America, West: you'll find just about everything here

Robert E. Yahnke's Cinema History: covers films of the silent era to films of the 1960s

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Fun With Words:

alphaDictionary.com: Fun With words

Cliché Finder: search engine that returns clichés using your phrase

Crossword Guru: stumped?--find the answer here; 2.5 million clues, updated daily from top puzzles like LA Times/NY Times, etc.

Crossword Quiz Answers: find all crossword quiz app solutions; categories & latest questions

Daily Celebrity Crossword: shares daily updated answers for the PuzzleSocial, Inc. Daily Celebrity Crossword

FunWithWords.com: 500 pages of word puzzles, games, amazing lists, & fun facts.

Hanging Hyena: cryptography tools, puzzles, word scrambles, anagram puzzles, word jumbles, word games, encode/decode secret messages, & study helpers

Richard Lederer's Verbivore: fun for wordaholics

Merriam-Webster Word Games: Today's Game, More Word Games, and Daily Crosswords

New York Times Crossword Answers: new content each day, plus links to other crossword puzzles

Word Central, for kids: by Merriam-Webster

Wordplays.com: various word games

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Genre Specific:

Chronos: The Future of Time Travel: time travel, teleportation, temporal phasing, & 9-dimensional theory

Crime Magazine: award winning encyclopedia of true crime/crime-related issues (NO NEW CONTENT, BUT STILL A GOOD ARCHIVE)

Crime Writers of Canada: the name says it all ... or does it?

Dragon Writing Prompts: 1k+ prompts, inspired by John VanSickle's SF list below (LAST POST IN OVER A YEAR, BUT STILL A GOOD ARCHIVE)

Firearms Tutorial: firearms, ammunition, nature of injuries...

The Grand List of Overused SF Clichés: what it says, by John VanSickle

History World: articles by period & theme, tours through time, timelines of historical events

Horror World: horror's #1 community on the web; Stoker Award finalist

Thistles & Pirates: Cindy Vallar's Favorite Research Links; huge resource, many subjects

Vision: a Resource for Writers; ezine edited by Lazette Gifford (LAST POST 01Oct15, BUT STILL A GREAT ARCHIVE)

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Grammar, Proofreading, & Style Help:

Accredited Online Colleges Writing Center: geared for students, but good common grammar mistakes & areas of confusion for all writers

alphaDictionary.com: with links to foreign dictionaries, grammar, & related resources

Australian Help Grammar Guides: unique link list to guides (with articles) for grammar, math, plagiarism, citation, & more (SOME LINKS DEAD OR MISLEADING)

The Blue Book of Grammar & Punctuation: current rules, with examples & quizzes

C.C.C.F. Guide to Grammar & Writing: brush up the technical aspects of writing (LAST UPDATED 2004)

The Chicago Manual of Style Online: the must-have reference for everyone who works with words

Common Errors in English Usage: (what it says)

Daily Grammar: emailed grammar lessons & quizes

EnglishGrammar.org: free video lessons, exercises, and much more

Excelsior College Online Writing Lab: includes: Locating Info.../Writing Process/Grammar/Essays/Digital Writing/Paper Capers/Avoid Plagiarism/ESL WOW/Argument...

The Farlex Grammar Book: all the rules of English grammar, explained in simple, easy-to-understand terms

Garbl's Writing Resources Online grammar, style, references, wordplay

Get It Write: articles about grammar, punctuation, mechanics, & word usage

Good Grammar, Good Style Archive: formerly the Ask Miss Grammar website (LAST UPDATED 2010)

GrammarNow!: grammar, composition, editing, & proofreading NO NEW CONTENT, BUT A GOOD ARCHIVE

How Good Grammar Saves Lives and Other Reasons It's Still Important by Julia Olech: article about punctuation & contractions

Linguapress.com Online English Grammar: free with clearly explained grammar rules & examples

Literary Education Online (LEO): St. Cloud State's style & grammar topics (LAST UPDATED 2004)

My English Teacher: lessons, help, answers NO NEW UPDATES, BUT STILL USEFUL FOR ENGLISH STUDENTS

94 English Grammar Resources, etc.: link page for what it says in the title

ProWriting Partner Guide to Grammar and Writing: a helpful list of grammar resources

Punctuation Made Simple: a guide by Gary Olson, Eng. professor, U. of S. Florida (LAST UPDATED 1980 - SO, PUNCTUATION HAS CHANGED SO MUCH?)

The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): offers over 200 free resources: writing/teaching writing/research/grammar/style/ESL/job search

The Slot: by Bill Walsh - copy editing, grammar, & style (CONTINUES AS A MEMORIAL ARCHIVE TO BILL WALSH, lots of good knowledge & advice!)

Student's Grammar Resource Guide: long link list of really cool grammar websites; geared to students, but great for all

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Groups (communities, critiques, & online workshops):

Broad Universe: membership group supports & promotes women writing sf/f/h; online mag, discussion list

Critique Circle: free membership, open to all genres, secure full control posting

Critique.org workshops for serious writers only, all genres and other related workshops

DFW Writers' Workshop: helping North Texas writers hone their craft for 32 years, genres, nonfiction & poetry

fantasy-writers.org: free online critique group; private messaging, large forum, links, downloads

Holly Lisle's Forward Motion for Writers:all genres; free boards, critique groups, workshops

International Women's Writing Guild (IWWG): founded 1976; network for personal & professional empowerment of women through writing; open to all

TheNextBigWriter Writing Workshop: fee workshop providing detailed feedback, support, & motivation

Odyssey Critique Service: in depth critiques from Jeanne Cavelos' Odyssey Writing Workshop

Online Writing Workshops for SF/F/Horror: high quality workshop for serious aspiring writers of speculative fiction

SF Writers Meetups: meet other SF writers in your home town

SFNovelists: was a hard science SF novel critique group's website (ABANDONED IN 2014, BUT STILL A GOOD ARCHIVE)

Scribophile: a community where serious writers share feedback and experience and learn about the writing craft

Whisper from the Heart Poetry Club: online, South African poetry club, free membership; contests, tours, newsletter, etc.

WNC Mysterians: writing group for serious mystery, suspense & thriller writers in Asheville & Western North Carolina

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Help For Your Writing:

Absolute Write: articles, interviews, columns for freelance, screen & play writing, novels, non-fiction

Advice on Novel Writing: by Crawford Kilian; plotting, narrative voice, scene construction, & marketing(NO LONGER UPDATED, BUT A USEFUL ARCHIVE)

Beating Writer's Block: infographic with 11 awesome tips that work

The Creative Penn: The Ugly Truth About Writer's Block (And Its Cure): by Joanna Penn

The Editorial Department: "Guides for Writers" - articles, interviews for writers, editors, & publishers

18 Ways to Find & Fix Typos: every typo finding & fixing technique you'll need

English Tools: 25 learning tools, designed for teachers & learners, but some helpful to writers, like the Alphabetizer

Esther Luttrell's Creative Writers Think Tank: m300+ free story ideas, prompts &: challenges for writers/clubs/classes (free Pinterest registration required)

The Grinder: submission tracker & market database for writers; weekly & monthly newsletters

Richard Harland's Writing Tips: good habits, elements, characters, story, language, getting published (OUT OF DATE, BUT STILL A GOOD ARCHIVE)

John Hewitt's Blog: random articles, craft tips, and more in the Archives section

How Well Do You Know Your Characters?: article by Wilfred Bereswill

Just About Write: a resource for lesbian writers (NOW CLOSED, BUT STILL SOME GOOD ARTICLES)

Learn the Elements of a Novel: by Peder Hill; articles, excerpts, blog, links

Make Your Story a Movie (or series): by John Robert Marlow, free book (2019 update) for those who want to adapt stories from other mediums for Hollywood

Will McCoy's Author's Compendium: compiled list of important tools & lots of links

Reedsy Short Story Ideas: a super list of over 200 writing prompts, searchable by genre

QuitDay: Smoking and Artistry: Overcoming Addiction (focus on artists but applies equally to writers)

Rhyme Desk: an interactive writing tool for poets, songwriters & copywriters

The Scriptorium: Sherry D. Ramsey's excellent writer's site: info, exercises, tools, more (NO UPDATES SINCE 2013, BUT THE ARCHIVES ARE WORTH WHILE)

Seventh Sanctum: various writing, inspiration, & name generators for all genres; also writing generators

Storyfix2.0: no motivational B.S., just the truth about what it takes to get published, by Larry Brooks

Submitting to the Black Hole: submit/search response times for various speculative fiction markets

The Ten Types of Writer's Block: and how to overcome them

Wordiness, Wordiness, Wordiness List: how to cut the writing fat

Writers Write: interviews, reviews, news, job listings, all genre writing links, GLs

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Hired Help:
(The appearance of any product or service here does not imply endorsement. I urge you to use your best judgment & shop carefully. Ralan.com cannot be held responsible for anything you experience related to these sites, or your use or misuse of their services. Unless, of course, you make millions because of it, in which case I'll naturally want my share.)

Book Editing Associates: a network of professional editors, writers, book designers, indexers, & publishing/self-publishing consultants

Cindy Davis, The Fiction Doctor: much published author, strong editing experience; editing/critiquing/ghostwriting

Editage: manuscript editing services; some editors are published sf authors

Editorial Department: offering free 5 page critique

Help.Plagtracker: find and edit accidently plagiarized content, edit spelling & grammar

International Writers' & Artists' Residency: year round; work alone or in groups in Val David, Quebec, Canada

TheNextBigWriter: private community; guaranteed feedback (novels, shorts, & poems), recognition & rewards

Now Novel: online writing community, free articles, can provide paid one-on-one mentorship to writers

Brad Schreiber: general editing/ghostwrting services, book/script consulting, teaching, etc.

Scribendi.com—Professional Proofreading Editing Services: also good articles in the Resources section

Stickler Editing: professional editing, proofreading, & copywriting services

WriteItNow: from 1st idea to final manuscript, it will organize & inspire your writing; free demo

Writers.com: since 1995, 24-7 online courses, tutorials, editing from published, working writers with teaching experience

Writer's Relief Inc: mss preparation & submission targeting

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Interviews:

Duotrope Interviews: with magazine and book editors

Six Questions For...: where editors, publishers, agents, educators, and writers discuss writing

D.L. Snell's Market Scoops: editor interviews; what they want to see in submissions (NO UPDATES SINCE 2015, BUT THE ARCHIVES ARE STILL WORTH WHILE)

Screenwriter's Utopia: "the" portal for screenwriting, 1000+ content pages, interviews with screenwriters

Writers Write/Readers Read: author interviews from before 2009

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Jobs:

FlexJobs: job opportunities for writers and others

HireMinds: jobs for writers, reporters, editors, etc. in the MA, NY, & New England area

Mediabistro: writing, editor, & creative jobs (among others)

Neuvoo.ca: centralize all jobs available on the web, including writer, editor (other countries=.com, .co.uk, .de, .es, etc.)

Red Flag Phrases To Avoid In Freelance Help Wanted Ads: by Angela Hoy

Sunoasis Jobs: job announcements for writers

Trovit: classifieds search engine operating in 46 countries, also for writers, editors

Workopolis: search site for Canadian writing jobs

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Libraries:

Bartleby.com: unlimited free access to books & info for students, researchers, & the curious

The British Library: biggest library in the world, 14M books & 170M total items

DagonBytes: the most famous texts & authors, with a flashy intro

J. Lloyd Eaton Collection: UC Riverside; one of the two biggest bricks & mortar sf collections in the world

The eLibrary: up-to-date & family safe info

eLibrary: diverse digital archive

FreeFictionBooks.org: a collection of free, legally published, fiction books that can be read online

Gizmo's Freeware: links to Free Science Fiction & Fantasy Books Online

Internet Archive: oodles of sf-related video, audio and textual material

ipl2 (Internet Public Library): online serials, newspapers, search tips, & more (CLOSED, BUT THE ARCHIVES ARE STILL WORTH WHILE)

The Library of Congress

Library Spot: spotlights new web resources

Merril Collection: Toronto Public Library; one of the two biggest bricks & mortar sf collections in the world

Project Gutenberg: the oldest and largest online library of out-of-copyright texts, and you can loan them forever

PublicLibraries.com: list of online local U.S. branches

ReadPrint: offers thousands of free books for students, teachers, and the classic enthusiast; search within the books

Refdesk.com: categorized collection of resource links

WorldCat: connects you to the collections and services of more than 10,000 libraries worldwide

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Link Pages for Writers:

EnhanceMyWriting.com: a guide to indispensable writing resources

Guide to Grammar & Style: by Jack Lynch; grammar, style, & usage, including references to alt. usage; (NO UPDATES IN 5+ YEARS, BUT STILL USEFUL)

Internet-Resources.com: writing links & links for writers writers' resources on the web and more (NO UPDATES SINCE 2014, BUT STILL USEFUL)

Learn to Write: links to buy books, subscribe to mags, etc.

Litline: resource links to "all things literary"

150 Resources to Help You Write Better, Faster & More Persuasively: what it says, covers fiction & nonfiction

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Magazines, print & electronic: (* for publications with fiction, see my market pages)

American Folk: no new content in a long while, but good archives and still "just for folks"

Funny Times: just for fun

Locus: good web extension of the long-standing print source for sf/f publishing

Tangent Online: online short story reviews of Classic SF/F, Pulp Magazines, & SFWA qualified maga & e- zines only

Vision: A Resource for Writers: writers magazine; some articles are sf-oriented (CLOSED, BUT ARCHIVES STILL ONLINE)

Writer's Digest: 1000+ searchable markets, tips, market 'Hot List', more

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Marketing Help:

bizfluent: book promotion ideas

Book Marketing Tips: book marketing tips or other information on writing, publishing, and marketing your books

Duotrope: searchable database of mainstream & genre markets, plus a submission tracker; fee required

Foreign Language Market List: compiled by Canadian sf/f writer, Douglas Smith, 2001 John W. Campbell finalist

The Grinder: submission tracker & market database for writers; weekly & monthly newsletters

How to Promote Your Book on the Internet - 10 Great Ways: on Bob Baker's FullTimeAuthor.com

MoneyPantry: Make Money Writing Greeting Cards

NetRead: marketing solutions that publishers access through their web browsers

Proper manuscript format: by William Shunn, presented as a sample manuscript

The Publicity FAQ: great advice from a seasoned pro, Marcia Yudkin

Publishers Weekly: online version of the publishing industry's main source of info

Ralan's Specfic & Humor Webstravaganza: - pro, semipro, pay, token, anthos, books, flash/poetry/audio/twitter/humor, contests, & writing links

Submitting to the Black Hole: response times for SF/F/H markets, regular updates

WebWombat: Online Magazines: worldwide search engine; English & otherwise

Writer's Digest: 1000+ searchable markets, tips, market 'Hot List', more

Writers Weekly: the highest-circulation freelance writing ezine in the world

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Names:

Baby Name Guide: in 28 different categories

BabyNames.com: your #1 source for baby names, meanings, and advice

Babynology: baby names with meaning around the world

BellyBallot: useful info about names: origins/usage/backgrounds; choose by region, aristocratic, biblical, royal, romantic, etc.

Best little Baby: over 70,000 baby names & origin meanings; name generators & games

Character Name Generator: 1M+ character names, filtered by Fantasy, Language, Archetype, and Mythology, with meanings

Fantasy Name Generator: serious, fun, and specialized names

RPGinspiration.com: name generators of all types and species, plus other random generators

Seventh Sanctum: various name generators for all genres; also writing generators

Think Baby Names: meaning, origin, history, religious significance, & popularity of first names

The Vampire Name Generator: for dark/ominous characters of all types not just the undead, plus many links to other name generators

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Publishing:

Bookselling This Week: ABA's latest news on book sales & the bookselling industry

ePublishing Resource Center: all types of electronic publishing covered

EmailUniverse.com; ezine-Tips: if you're starting an ezine, start here

ParaPublishing.com: book planning & free e-newsletter

Piers Anthony's Internet Publishing: huge list of e-publishers, with ratings (like who pays & doesn't)

Trade Book Publishing Agreement Checklist: common terms

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Reference Sources:

Alien Planet Designer: a brief discussion of the techniques used

AnagramSite.com: a word or phrase formed by reordering the letters of a word or phrase

Antique Words: C. J. Cherryh's list of words commonly used prior to the 1900's

Basic Prose Style & Mechanics: booklet on the basic principles of prose style & mechanics by Craig Waddell

The Best of British: the American's guide to speaking British

Biography: people, nostalgia, celebrity, history & culture, black history, crime & scandal, video, hip-hop; 25,000+ bios

Brainy Quote: quotes by topic, author, & type

Casebook: Jack the Ripper: just about everything you want to know about the Whitechapel Killer

dMarie Time Capsule: On This Day in History: details of any period in history

Don't Lose The Plot: by Isabelle King, all in one formula to completing your first draft

Exploring English: Language & Culture: free course, British life & culture, improve English language skills & knowledge

Handbook of Space Astronomy & Astrophysics by Martin V. Zombeck

iTools Research Tools: online reference & research tools

Lib Quotes: all quotes are sourced; Authors/Topics/List/Pictures/Resources

MAD Sci Network: science question answers, Wash. U. Medical School

Manuscript Format: Introduction by William Shunn

MapQuest: lots of great maps

Military History Resources: huge... and recently updated

NewspaperArchive.com: searchable from the late 1800s to now, US/Canada/UK

Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection online maps of current & general interest

Physics & Astronomy Directory: university/college departments, online technical schools, institutes/national labs, professional societies, etc.

Project Gutenberg: definitive reference for any pre-20th and many 20th century books

Publishing Business Group links to resources for magazines, newsletters & online publishing companies (NO UPDATES SINCE 2008, BUT MOST LINKS WORK)

Quotery.com: growing number of quotes; categories: quotes, authors, topics, pictures, lists, & search

Refdesk.com: "the single best source for facts on the Net"

SFWA Manuscript Preparation by Vonda N. McIntyre

Thesaurus.com: dictionary, thesaurus, word dynamo, quotes, reference, & tranlastor

Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus: type in a word to get a map of synonyms, antonyms, & definitions with your word in the center

Twists, Slugs and Roscoes: A Glossary of Hardboiled Slang - compiled by William Denton

Union Pacific Railroad: history & maps

USNO Naval Oceanography Portal: critical info from ocean depths to distant space for military, scientific, & civilian needs

The Word Detective: Evan Morris' word Q/A column (LAST POST 27Feb17, BUT STILL "AN ARCHIVE OF OVER 1500 COLUMNS YOU HAVEN'T READ YET")

World Factbook: the CIA's "snapshot" of the world, updated regularly

World Wide Words: words & phrases - what, where, how & misuse of; also grammar, style & punctuation (CLOSED EARLY 2017, BUT A GOOD ARCHIVE)

Writing Realistic Courtroom Scenes: article to help you write the best courtroom scene

Zeluna.net: a comprehensive resource for fantasy writers & artists interested in fairies & fairy tales

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Resources:

About.com - Freelance Writing: all about freelance writing

AcademicInfo - Subject Guides: over 25,000 resources, every subject you can name (SOME LINKS BROKEN, BUT STILL USEFUL)

Book Lover Resources: links to publishers, reviewers, authors, bookstores, & more

The Book Of Zines: loads of links of interest to ezine owners and those who want to be one; also has print zine content (NO UPDATES IN A WHILE, BUT STILL USEFUL)

Castles of Wales: history, building techniques, biographies, locations, background, & photographs

Dave Wilton's Wordorigins.org: for anyone (like me) who is into word origins

Dictionary of Psychology and Mental Illnesses: 25k psychological definitions, search or browse by letter

The 80 Best Tools for Writers in 2016: categories: Writing, Brainstorming, Inspiration, Organisation, Productivity, Reference, Editing & Proofreading, Publishing

EyeWitness to History: history through the eyes of those who lived it, presented by Ibis (NO UPDATES IN A WHILE, BUT STILL USEFUL)

FearOf.org Phobias List: complete list of phobia names and what that phobia is about

FindLaw: online legal resource library

Freelance Writing Organization-Int'l.: free online database; just about all you need

Jane Friedman - How to Publish an e-book: helping authors & publishers flourish in the digital age

Guide to Writers Conferences & Writing Workshops: free listings

HorrorNet: horror search engine & directory

HowToDoThings.com: unbiased, authoritative information on a wide range of topics

How to Get a Book Published: in 10 not-so-easy steps

The Information Research FAQ: guide to doing Internet research

The Institute of Historical Research: resources for historians; articles, free event advertising, MA/PhD study, training courses, an open-access library, and more

Internet Speculative Fiction Database: effort to catalog works of science fiction, fantasy, & horror

The Locus Index to Science Fiction: Site Directory: catalog of authors, genre stories, magazines, collections, & anthos, 1984 to 2007

Mammal Names: terms for animal groups & infants

New Advent: almost everything about Catholicism

Publishing Law Center: downloadable (with a free 30-day Scribd membership trial) document from the law offices of Lloyd L. Rich

ResearchBuzz: for newsletter on latest research news send

Resources for Mystery Writers: links for forensics, law, guns, poisons, police & org. crime... whatever (NO RECENT UPDATES, SOME LINKS ARE DEAD)

Internet Research Resources for Science Fiction Writers: article and links by Greg Knollenberg

Science Fiction Studies: from DePauw University

SFWA's Author's Information Center: help to perfect your craft & protect your interests

Univ. of Illinois Writers Workshop: grammar handbook, tips, critique info, help for writing teachers

Univ. of Michigan Fantasy & Science Fiction Website: assisting scholars of all types all over the world

U.S. Newspaper List links to U.S. newspapers

The Victorian Web: a continually expanding collection of interlinked documents & images

World SF Blog: various bloggers (NO NEW CONTENT SINCE Jun 2013, BUT STILL INTERESTING)

WOW! Women On Writing: all genre writing resource for women - guys OK too!

The Write Path: journal-writing workshops by Susan Reuling Furness

Writing Mythology: interviews, ideas, humor, events, reading lists for mythology lovers

The Writer's Center: workshops, links, articles

Writing-World.com: huge site for all writing, articles, links, tips, markets... whatever (SITE ABANDONED Dec 2015, BUT ARCHIVES ARE USEFUL)

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Reviews:

The Bedlam Files reviews of film, fiction, nonfiction, & commentary by Adam Groves

The Book Smugglers: Hugo nominated British review site of speculative & genre fiction for all ages

Errant Dreams: Heather Grove's genre book reviews

SFBook Reviews: providing speculative fiction book reviews since 1999, plus news and more...

SFF180: SF & F book reviews ENTIRE ARCHIVE BEING MOVED HERE; SOME LINKS ARE TEMP. DEAD

SF Reader: science fiction books, fantasy books, horror books, book reviews

SF Reviews: the best, the worse, alphabetical; no-name, everyman's reviewer

SFRevu: US/UK books, graphic novels/manga, media, zines, Blu-ray/DVD reviews & news

SF Site: book reviews, related resources links, news (NO NEW CONTENT SINCE 2015, BUT STILL A GOOD ARCHIVE)

Tangent Online: online short story reviews of Classic SF/F, Pulp Magazines, & SFWA qualified maga & ezines only

Weird Fiction Review: weird fiction reviews/news/essays by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (NO NEW CONTENT SINCE 31Jul18, BUT STILL A GOOD ARCHIVE)

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Services: (may not be free)

Altavista BabelFish Online Translator: drop in English; out comes Spanish, or whatever

Authorlink: award-winning publishing industry news, information, & marketing service

Canada's Postal Rates: rates within Canada, to the USA, & international destinations

Google Translate: free web-based language translation service

How Stuff Works: find out here

NJ Creatives Network: freelance communication talent; writers, artists, designers, photographers, film/video producers, more

U.S. Postal Service: order U.S. stamps online

Webopedia Country Domains: different countries use different domain suffixes; here they are!

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Software (free):

Freeware Files: download share- & freeware programs

Freeware Web: download share- & freeware programs

MacUpdate: download share- & freeware programs for Apple/Mac

Nisus Writer: full-feature word processor (Mac only), Pro & Express versions, 15-day free trial

PDFConverter.com: online tool for creating or converting PDF files from or into several types of files

Script Maker: MSWord add-on to format screenplays (Windows/Mac)

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Songs & Songwriting:

AZLyrics: large, legal, growing universe of lyrics in all genres and ages

SongLyrics: know the words; free song lyrics

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Writing for (or by) Youths:

Aaron Shephard's Kidwriter Page: articles on children's book market writing & publishing, young writers section (DATED, BUT A GOOD ARCHIVE)

Children's Book Council: resource for writers & illustrators of children's literature

College Grants.org: A College Student's Guide to Citation Styles (DATED, BUT A GOOD ARCHIVE)

Colossal Directory of Children's Publishers: also articles & related links (CLOSED 2011, STILL A GOOD ARCHIVE JUST IGNORE PUBLISHER'S LIST)

Help Your Child Learn to Write Well: US Dept. of Education tips

Institute of Children's Literature: offers a paid course in children's writing, but also has a wealth of free articles, tips, etc.

NaNoWriMo: Young Writer's Program: supports under 18 writers and K-12 educators to participate in their November event & enter smaller writing challenges year-round

The Purple Crayon: articles, children's literature/writing links & more

Real Life at Home: article: Wrtiing Prompt Ideas to Inspire Young Writers

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards: grade 7-12, public/non-public U.S., territories, sponsored schools, & Canada

This Reading Mom: hands on learning for home and school

UK Children's Books: reviews, books, authors, reluctant readers, publishers

Write for Kids.com: the children's writing supersite; articles, interactive tools & cool freebies

WriteGirl: pairs girls in grades 9-12 with practicing writers

Writing Corner: Young Adult/Children: info & tried and true tips for breaking into the market & expanding

Young Writers Society: an online social network for young people ages 13+ to share their creative works

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