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ROUNDUP (part 2): More General Resources on the Web

© Roxianne Moore

So, where do we start with the second installment of General Resources? I searched through all my links, and quite a few reference sites, and was overwhelmed by the sheer number of writers' resources. I finally had to narrow it down to two somewhat arbitrary areas: Children's Writing and Fun Stuff.

First the children's writing resources. I didn't find many, but the ones I found were excellent. If you write for children, or would like to get started, the best place to begin your search is Children's Writing Resource Center. Here, you'll find a number of resources and links specific to writing for children, and some general resources as well.

Another good resource for children's writers is Inkspot, a newsletter with emphasis on writing for children.

One thing I've noticed in reading to my four-year old is that many children's books rhyme. When I make up a story spontaneously, I don't even bother trying to rhyme, but if I'm writing a story for him (something I try to do at least occasionally), I do make an effort to find rhymes. A printed rhyming dictionary is a good starting place, but and even better resource is Rhyming Dictionary. Not only can you find a number of multilingual rhymes, but you can find rhymes with a specific meaning. Just type in the word you'd like a rhyme or near-rhyme for, and you'll get a list with several options. I found this gem on Doug's Homepage.

Now for the Fun Stuff. Other choice items on Doug's Homepage include:

• Language Identifier (Guess the language of a given text)
• Natural Language Typechecker Demo (Find semantic inconsistencies in English sentences)
• The Natural Language Playground (A growing list of interactive natural language demonstrations on the web )
• Writer's Block, where you can post your prose or poetry online.

Of course, at some point, you'll want to contact other writers. The first option that comes to mind is the ever-popular writing conference. For those who have the time and money, conferences are an excellent way to brush up on skills and meet writers, agents and sometimes publishers.

Writing Conferences gives list of upcoming conferences, mostly in the U.S. I haven't found any lists for international conferences, so if you know of any, let me know. The IRC Undernet Writer's Page offers another kind of opportunity for conversing with writers. Here you can find writers in a variety of fields, exchange messages, visit websites and browse through the newsletter collection.

The copyright of the article ROUNDUP (part 2): More General Resources on the Web in Resources for Writers is owned by Roxianne Moore. Permission to republish ROUNDUP (part 2): More General Resources on the Web in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.