Useful Sites for Beginners to Creative Writing

Writing Prompts

Find yourself staring at a blank page? Get your juices flowing with a little help from these sites:

• Creative Writing Prompts - Over 300 quick story ideas and inspirations.
• The Story Starter - This site automatically generates silly and strange sentences to get you started.
• Imagination Prompt Generator - Creativity Portal offers this idea generator that offers questions and topics that can either start a long project or just get you writing a little bit at a time.
• Fifteen Minutes of Fiction - Make sure you spend at least 15 minutes writing every day with the short writing prompts on Fifteen Minutes of Fiction. The site also offers a community forum for sharing projects and ideas.
• Story Spinner - Writing instructor Bonnie Neubauer offers a story spinner that generates millions of combinations of settings, starting phrases and words to include throughout your stories.

Mechanics & Style

Good grammar, tight mechanics and a strong personal voice are essential elements to good creative writing. These sites offer practical advice on style and mechanics:

• OWL - Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) covers just about everything writing-related. Get tips on grammar, structure, organization and style, as well as guidance through the writing process and specific tips on certain forms of writing - all free to the public.
• Grammar Girl - Everyone's favorite grammar podcast also has a searchable blog. Look for tips on common errors like who vs. whom or less vs. fewer, or submit your own burning grammar questions.
• AutoCrit Editing Wizard - If there's no one around and you need some help editing your work, check out the AutoCrit Editing Wizard. It doesn't substitute for a human editor, but it can find hundreds of different structural errors.
• Grammar Book - This interactive instructional website offers grammar quizzes and instant feedback on your errors.
• Web English Teacher - Revisit the basics with the Web English Teacher site, which covers mechanics, punctuation and common writing conventions.

Writing Forums

Not ready to join a 'real life' writer's group? Online forums can offer a great place to find advice, solicit critiques of your writing and get exposed to new ideas.

• Writing.com - This forum for writers of all skill levels has been operating for over a decade.
• Writing Forums - The site's name says it all - writing forums with over 28,000 members covering such topics as publishing, plot creation, character development and even role playing.
• Writer's Beat - If you're looking for a more intimate community, check out the Writer's Beat. Although there are fewer members, its forums are frequently updated and offer everything from critiques to writing prompts and reference tools.
• The Water Cooler - Gather around this virtual cooler to discuss your writing joys and fears and get feedback from your peers.
• About.com Fiction Writing Forum - This popular informational site also offers community forums on hundreds of topics, including fiction writing.

Other Resources

• Writer's Digest - The website for the Writer's Digest magazine offers a huge range of resources in one place: forums, style tips, creativity prompts and much more.
• NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a nation-wide coordinated effort each November to write an entire novel in a month. The site offers support for NaNoWriMo projects as well as writing forums and other help for aspiring writers.
• Teen Ink - Are you a teenage writer? This site includes a writing publication, Web forums and writing workshops designed especially for young authors.
• Writers FM - If you need a break from the written word, check out Writers FM. This online radio station and podcast offers anecdotes, advice and entertainment by writers, for writers.
• Funds for Writers - Considering a career in freelance writing? This site can help you find legitimate contests, contract jobs and other paid gigs, all screened for scams by the Funds for Writers editors.