Useful Links

I’m a really new writer. (Seriously, started less than a year ago.) And all along, I’ve been posting these blogs assuming that my readers are in relatively the same place I am. It occurred to me the other day that there are writers out there even newer than I am. So today, I’m just going to post some links that I’ve found useful and maybe you will too.

Merriam-Webster: Hopefully, you’re already using this or some other dictionary/thesaurus.

babynames.com and the Social Security Administration where you can find popular names for certain periods.

The Language Construction Kit: Gives detailed instructions on how to make a realistic language.

The Phrontister: Has lists of many things including phobias, color meanings, and many obscure things that someone may find useful. I know I have.

Predators & Editors and Writer Beware: No wants wants to fall victim to a scam. Never give an agent money.

Association of Author’s Representatives: You’ll want to see if the agent you’re considering is a member because the AAR requires agents to meet professional standards and follow a Canon of Ethics.

I’m also a big fan of writers’ groups. It may take some looking to find the right one for you, but it’s worth it. I’m a member of The Next Big Writer and have found the people there to be beyond helpful.

If you want to be a published writer, I also seriously recommend following some agent and publisher blogs. See the links on the right. But of those some of the one I find most helpful are Nathan Bransford, Rachelle Gardner, Michael Hyatt, How Publishing Really Works, and Query Shark.

I also use QueryTracker which has a huge, free database of agents. There’s another site called AgentQuery that seems to serve the same purpose.

My last link to take you to more useful links is Writer’s Digest 101 Best Sites for Writers.

Happy Writing!