60 Web Tools for Writers

Here is a collection of 60 web tools every writer should try. These tools will help you find an idea, take better notes, develop your characters, network with other authors, and promote your writings. Click on the name and find out for yourself how easy it is to improve your writing and yourself.

• Get an idea:
  1. wridea - Idea management and brainstorming utility.
  2. Imagination prompt - Get ideas to write about.
  3. Inspirational quotes
  4. Plot generator
  5. Theme generator
  6. Automatic Story Generator - Get a simple idea of what to write about.
  7. The Story Starter - Generates the first line to begin a story.
• Take notes:
  8. Web notes - post it notes.
  9. ubernote - Online web notes. place links, pictures, etc.
  10. Ever note - Highlight text and images from web page and send it to a note.
• Character development:
  11. Character map (.pdf)
  12. Character Questionaire - Questions to help develop your characters.
  13. Character name generator
• Writing resources:
  14. Grammar guides - The University of Chicago Writing Program links for better grammar.
  15. Poetry Soup - Writing guides, resources, blogs, contests, publishing news.
  16. Today’s Woman - For women writers there is a writing forum, writing resources, and a place to submit stories and poems.
  17. Protolize - Tons of tools to help writers.
  18. Rhyme generator
• Dictionaries:
  19. Dictionary.com
  20. Thesaurus.com
  21. Alternative Dictionaries - Slang, profanities, insults, and vulgarisms from all over the world.
  22. Word Source - Just type word.sc/[insert word here] into your browser and get the definition of a word. WordSource also has a thesaurus and shows Flickr images of the word. Also social voting on words.
  23. World Wide Words - History and true meanings of phrases and words.
• Publish online:
  24. Hubpages - Publish articles, brainstorming, keep busy.
  25. Squidoo - Publish articles and keep yourself writing.
  26. Booksie - Share your poems, short stories, and other writings with other writers and visitors. Browse other stories and help promote other authors.
  27. WordPress - Create a blog and share your work.
• Network with authors:
  28. WriteWords - Writer’s community, job listings, interviews with writers, inspirational tips, writer’s forum.
  29. Poets&Writers - Advertises jobs, online community, helps fund writer’s events.
  30. Writers’ Dock - Forum for writers, comedy and poetry.
  31. 1000Keyboards - Short story readers and writers networking site.
  32. Facebook - Connect with authors through writing communities and post about your new stories.
  33. Book marketing network - A network of book authors and publishers.
  34. Library Thing - The world’s largest book club. Find what book readers like and meet writers with similar interests.
  35. LinkedIn - Find the people & knowledge you need to achieve your goal and control your professional identity online.
• Promote your work:
  36. The Web-Savvy Writer - Learn how to promote your book.
  37. Professional on the Web - Post your portfolio online.
  38. Business Paper - Order business cards and hand them out to friends.
• Get a job:
  39. PoeWar Job listings
  40. iFreelance
  41. Freelance Writing jobs
  42. Guru freelance
  43. [places for writers] - Contests and job opportunities for writers.
  44. Elance - Freelance job listings
• Account keeping & billing:
  45. yaTimer - Time tracking tool that displays a small window on your desktop.
  46. EchoSign - Get your contracts and bills signed through EchoSign.
  47. Time:59 - Track your hours and bill your customers.
  48. simplybill - Save invoices as PDFs, email invoices, subscribe to invoices RSS, send reminders, and thank you messages.
  49. FreshBooks - Helps you bill hours, send and receive payments online. Works with PayPal.
  50. LessAccounting - Keep track of your finances. You can use Google and Basecamp tools with it.
• Collaborative writing:
  51. writewith - Collaborative writing.
  52. Write Board - Collaborative writing that works with Backpack.
  53. Story Mash - Collaborative fiction group.
  54. Backpack - Easily share to-dos, files, photos, and notes with your co-workers.
• General tools:
  55. Google Docs - A free web-based word processor and spreadsheet. Save and view your content using any computer.
  56. Twitter - To help keep fans anticipating.
  57. PDF Online - Create a PDF file easily for employers.
  58. eFax - Fax from online
  59. Ask Charity - Access to contact information for charities (including writers) all over the world.
  60. Learn how to back up your writings - PC World article on how to back up your files.