Writer's Resources

Here are some useful guides, tools, and databases for writers.

On the Internet

Locution Forums

Most writers have some sort of contact with the literary world, where a place where they discuss their theories and thoughts on writing with their fellow writers. For example, Sylvia Plath was married to Ted Hughs, who was a good friend of Heaney—three greats in a go. Even the enigmatic Emily Dickinson had a regular correspondence with Thomas Wentworth Higginson. This is all just a round about way of saying that you should log onto our Locution forums, to discuss poetics, ask for advice, receive critiques, or just to share. Writers can often learn a lot from the world around them—including from other writers.

The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr.

This is an electronic version of the Elements of Style—a bible which had shaped American writing in the past few decades (and that caused Microsoft Word to tell me that I should have a comma before "which"). Writing evolves all the time, but that is no excuse to not understand it, and the Elements of Style is a good place to start. Now that it is available online (although the paperback is tiny enough to start with), there should be no excuse.

Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com

Being a writer is much more than knowing the meaning of every word, and needing a dictionary now and then is forgivable. More than that, however, dictionary.com also has a thesaurus—while it is a bad idea to use exotic words for the sake of it, it can be quite handy for forgetful writers who wish to refresh their memories. Finally, the explanations on etymology are also very important, as are the connotations, which can sometimes be overlooked otherwise.

Wikipedia and Wiktionary

The wiktionary has an advantage of having more recent additions to spoken English, including slangs or internet memes. Though in general less reliable, it is very useful nonetheless as long as you think before you accept the dictionary. A read on the "talk" pages could also help. The Wikipedia, too, is very useful, especially when writing on subjects that you are not sure about. Be warned, however, that some specific dates and sources may need double-checking, and, again, reading the talk page is helpful. In general, the Wikipedia is much more reliable and critical in its articles on wide-spread phenomena and fetishes such as Chuck Norris and Male Thongs ("Makes the wearer feel sexy [citation needed]", while some more academic articles may have want for depth, accuracy, and reliability. Still, this is one of the most accessible sources of information, and a good place to look for basic information.

Wikipedia also has good general guides on grammar, articles on different forms or styles, and biographies of writers and historic figures/sites that might help in your writing.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

For anything more specific, you might want a particular encyclopedia. For Philosophy, the Stanford Encyclopedia is very useful, and is often used as a resource for Philosophy students around the world.

Poets.org

For an encyclopedia of poetry, Poets.org is a decent start. Truly, Wikipedia and Google are usually enough for finding poems and authors, but Poets.org has a nice number of articles and sometimes analysis too, if necessary.

Books

The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

As mentioned above: a bible which had shaped American writing in the past few decades. An important and concise read.

The Handbook of Good English, by Edward D.Johnson

While the Elements of Style is a kind of a bible, it is quite thin. This, however, is quite useful for finding specific details on grammatical conventions, and, understandably, it is much thicker.

The Poet's Handbook, by Judson Jerome

It’s easy for writers to scoff at theorists and the academia, but Judson Jerome’s book is a good example of the vocabulary and intricacies of writing being explored in practical application. From the examination of diction, rhythm, and flow to structure, The Poet’s Handbook provides very good analysis on English, and may help expand your awareness of the possibilities.

In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop, by Steve Kowit

A more workshop orientated book, and aimed mainly for beginners, In the Palm of Your Hand is nonetheless very useful. It includes exercises and ideas for new poets, explanations on the various techniques, and perspectives to take when writing and editing poems. Kowit also explores a good number of brilliantly written poems to demonstrate his points, and his analysis and selection of poems alone makes the book worth reading.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Brown and Dave King

An intermediate guide for prose writers. Well-organized and paced, this is less of a manual, and more a guide to asking the right questions about one's own writing and style. From characterization and point of view, to voice and sophistication, everyone can glean some insight from the examples and exercises within.

On Writing, by Stephen King

A different kind of book, an autobiography, partly about his early life, and partly about his thoughts on writing and getting published. The personal nature of the book, however, makes it unique from many others, and there is much to be learned from his experiences, especially if you want to try become a popular fiction writer.

The Writer's Market

If getting published is what you want to do, this is what you need.

The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry, by Jahan Ramazani, Richard Ellmann, and Robert O'Clair

A good compilation of poems from important poets in the last century- an important part of being good at writing is being good at reading, and these anthologies are good places to start. Poets include the greats—Cummings, Frost, Pound—but also some of the less famous, but no less worth reading ones. (A personal favorite, for example, is Denise Levertov.)

Another great thing about these anthologies is the “poetics” section. While poems are easy to search for online (with varying accuracy in terms of layout), the essays are sometimes much more difficult to find. From Dylan Thomas’s “Poetic Manifesto” to the letters between Dickinson and Higginson, there are many ideas within these pages that poets should be acquainted with.

An Introduction to Fiction, by X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia

If the Norton Anthology is a good source for poems, then An Introduction to Fiction is the same for prose. Though used mainly as a textbook, it includes a good number of famous and effective short stories, as well asuseful analyses and questions to consider.