After being online for a couple of years, every day, fifteen hours a day, and after searching, researching, finding, and collecting writers’ resources that cover all the bases for a freelance writer, you might have little time left to actually WRITE. As a writer my whole life and a college instructor for about a fourth of that life, I always wanted, always felt compelled to write for a living. But I taught at night, helped students in a learning center during the day, and usually had students over every weekend. So I was way to devoted to the human-end, way too invested in helping them write—and therefore had no time for my own efforts.
With 911 and my own self-reassessment, as well as an offer to “retire” so others at the college district could keep their jobs, I made a major move. I quit classified work AND teaching, taking a risk that the unemployment would not run out before my writing business kicked in. In that first year of freedom from the outside world, I researched manically: I collected and studied and re-read every one of the writers’ resources I found most valuable then. Now, I refer these writers’ resources to you, that you might benefit from my hundreds of hours online without having to go the same route yourself:
WRITERS’ NEWSLETTERS/WRITING SITES
http://www.writersweekly.com/
http://www.writergazette.com/submit.shtml
WRITERS’ RESOURCES for KIDS/TEENS/HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Intro to Creative Writing and 50 Exercises for Story Writers- http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/assign/e50xs1.htm
Writing- http://www.42explore.com/writing.htm
West Hills Writing Terms and Definitions- http://whhs.guhsd.net/english/htmldocs/writingterms.html
http://teenwriting.about.com/library/glossary/blglossary.htm
11 Rules of Writing- http://www.junketstudies.com/rulesofw/
http://www.dillfrog.com/games/rejoinder/
Pre-writing: Keeping a Journal- http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/prejourn.html
Writing about Literature- http://www.sheboyganfalls.k12.wi.us/staff/dehogue/AP/writing/writing.htm
Write Source Writing Topics- http://www.thewritesource.com/topics.htm#GRADES%209-12
WRITERS’ RESOURCES for CHRISTIAN WRITERS
http://www.christianwritersinfo.net/
WRITERS’ RESOURCES for WOMEN
Writing Exercises - http://www.ivillage.com/community/0,,8h6xjsqb,00.html
WRITERS RESOURCES for WRITING with DISABILITIES
PSPZ Links for Artists with Disabilities (http://www.pspiz.net/pspplus /index.php?action=displaycat&catid=91) - Just what its header says it is: links. Many links.
National Arts & Disability Center (NADC) (http://nadc.ucla.edu/CaliforniaOrganizations.htm) – A directory of programs, organizations, and centers for the disabled artist…organized by discipline.
WRITERS’ RESOURCES for FREELANCE WRITERS
Online Technical Writing- http://www.io.com/~hcexres/textbook/
Robert Niles’ Journalism Help- http://nilesonline.com/stats/
Freelance Factor Freelance Writing Tips for Freelance Writers- http://www.freelancefactor.com/
A Short Story Template- http://zenvirus.com/write/a-short-story-template.html
Inspiration for Writers- http://users.wirefire.com/tritt/
LEGAL HELP/PROTECTION
National Writers’ Union (NWU)- http://www.nwu.org/
Another Realm (formerly Predators and Editors)- www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/
PUBLISHING
A Glossary of Publishing Terms-http://romancedivas.com/writers%20resources/GlossaryofPublishingTerms.pdf
Article Writing Publicity- http://www.publicityadvisor.com/articlefaqs.html
JOB BOARDS/MARKETS/NETWORK SOLUTIONS
Elance- http://www.elance.com/c/rfp/main/rfpmkt.pl?rid=QOAL&catId=10205
Creative Writing Jobs- http://www.creative-writing-secrets.com/creative-writing-jobs.htm
NewsJobs.net- http://www.newsjobs.net/world/default.asp
Contracted Work- http://www.contractedwork.com/rt.cfm?CatID=17
Writers Only Free Classifieds- http://users.wirefire.com/tritt/
Calls for Submission
http://www.connectforkids.org/node/2642
General Writers Resources/Portals
Indispensable Writing Resources- http://www.quintcareers.com/writing/
How to Write a Short Story- http://shortstoryclassics.50megs.com/
Writers on the Net- http://www.writers.com/sagan_classes.html#notebook
Writing.Com- http://www.writing.com/main/writing/online/freelance_writing#writers
Writers’ Break- http://www.publicityadvisor.com/articlefaqs.html
Author Mania Writing Tips- http://www.authormania.com/
Tips for Writers from Erica Jong- http://www.ericajong.com/index.htm
Writers’ Collective- http://writerscollective.org/
The Quality Writing Center- http://users.wirefire.com/tritt/
Whether you are working a “real” (ahem) job and aching to go solo or writing full time and wishing for some compiled writers’ resources so you can keep writing more than researching professional development details, I hope this compilation helps. Best of the best to you.