Fiction is such a huge topic, encompassing everything from literary novels to what my mother-
in-law (who works in a bookstore) calls "lovey-doveys."
No matter what type of fiction you write, or want to write, you can find excellent resources
online. The trick is discovering which web sites and newsgroups have the most to offer you.
Rather than concentrate on any particular genre, I'll cover some sites that can be of use to
almost any fiction writer. Some of these sites are also excellent for journalists. Of course
each writer's list will be unique, but here are some ideas to get you started.
If you write only fiction (and few of us do), you may think you don't need the Internet for
your writing. And it's true that you may not need it for research, but one thing I believe all
writers need is a community.
One way to join a virtual writing community is to sign up for a mailing list.
The Misc.Writing web page has a nice indes of
writing-related mailing lists. When you subscribe to a list, you are usually expected to critique
two or more pieces before you can expect critiques to your own work. The cycles on these
lists are different, so you might want to try out a couple before you find one that fits your
tastes and your time schedule.
If what you really need is help in getting started on a new piece, or a jump start for your
brain, try some of the exercises in
Scrivenry , an online
newsletter that also features fiction,
contests and articles.
Even when you don't need inspriration or hard facts, the Web has much to offer. If you're
just looking for informative articles, conferences, you can't go wrong with
Poets and Writers .
And I don't know about you, but my local bookstore always seems to run out before I get
there. The online mag isn't as detailed as the print version, but it's worth a bookmark.
You might also want to check out
the Purdue
University Online Writing Lab.
You'll find a great list of handouts on writing resources, links
to search engines, and an live online peek into the writing lab.
And while you're writing, if you want to keep on top of the publishing world,
Publishers'
Weekly is the place to start.
In my next few articles, I'll be looking at nonfiction, business writing, and general research.
Then, if there's any interest, I'll cover sites specific to different fiction genres.
