AMY TAN ON CREATIVITY: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/amy_tan_on_creativity.html
ELIZABETH GILBERT ON CREATIVITY: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
WHAT MAKES A GOOD STORY:
Begin with the end in mind. PREWRITE / BRAINSTORM and plan your story out. CONSIDER:
-Plot (sequence of events)
- Characters: names and personalitites. What conflicts with they encounter / suffer / endure? Make them 3 dimensional and believable.
-Setting: where will your story take place? What time period? Is the weather, day or night important? Will this take place over a few days or over many years?
- Point of view. Who will be your narrator? How old will they be and how will this affect your story?
- 1st person – a character in the story.
- 3rd person – a character not in the story or a character looking back in time.
WHAT CAN HELP YOU WRITE:
-You can use non-fiction (real-life experiences to help you create a story):
- People, places, things, events, vacations, emotions, etc.
- You could use real-life people as a basis to set up your characters. Use your real life and what you know to help you. Alter the names and personalities if you wish. You can even make yourself a character.
- Experiment with dialogue. Each time a new person speaks, they get get their own line on the page.
- USE VIVID DETAILS, adjectives, and a thesaurus. Try to create a mental image in the reader’s mind. Experiment with sensory detail (appeal to the senses).
WEDNESDAY 9/9
Think of a person that bugs or annoys you. Think of a place you’d like to send this person. Country…a specific location… Weather conditions. Then mentally send them there. Imagine they send you a postcard. Write out that post card.
Monday 10/12 – CLASS QUENEAU
Highway Troubles - It was a hot Summer day and Joe was driving an eighteen wheeler on the HIghway. There wasn’t much traffic but a Toyota Camry was coming up alongside him. The car cut in front of him, causing him to slam on h is brakes as he yelled “Get a clue lady!” The lady stuck her head of the car and said “Shut up you truck-driving bum!”
Joe looked closely at her and realized it was his mother!
CREATIVE WRITING WEBSITES:
General Writing
- Writer’s Digest – Writer’s Digest is a one-stop shop for creative writers. The site hosts everything from writing advice and prompts to community forums and blogs.
- NoviceWriters.net – If you are looking for a critique, writing tips or someone to chat with, NoviceWriters.net is the place to be. The site accepts fan fiction submissions, original stories and artwork.
- Writing Fix – This site offers interactive lessons and quality resources for creative writers. Specific resources include creative writing prompts, plot generators and character trait generators.
- Writer’s FM – Writer’s FM is a radio station that was created by writers, for writers. The station broadcasts music and author interviews all day every day.
- U.S. Copyright Office – This government website offers up important copyright information for creative writers, as well as a step-by-step guide to registering your work.
Writing Prompts
- The Story Starter – This website offers nearly 350 million randomly generated story starters for creative writers.
- CreativeWritingPrompts.com – With more than 300 clever prompts to help you start a story, this site is one of a number of places on the web to find creative writing prompts.
- Fifteen Minutes of Fiction – This site offers daily writing prompts and challenges writers to craft a story or poem in fifteen minutes. Users can publish their work and chat about it in the site’s forums.
- Imagination Prompt Generator – The Imagination Prompt Generator generates one prompt after another to get your creative juices flowing.
- Bonnie’s Online Story Spinner – Bonnie Neubauer’s Online Story Spinner offers millions of computer generated story prompts for creative writers. The Story Spinner provides setting, starting phrases and four words that must be included in your story.
Writing Mechanics
- Grammar Girl – Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips (delivered via podcast) will help you keep your creative writing error free.
- SparkNotes Searchable Database – If you need a quick answer to a grammar problem, SparkNotes’ online guide to grammar is the place to look. You can browse by topic or type your question into a searchable database.
- The Owl – Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab plays host to all sorts of writing resources and instructional material. It is a great place to learn about grammar and mechanics.
- Web English Teacher – This site provides an excellent section on grammar that any writer could benefit from. Covered topics include grammar, parts of speech, sentence structure and mechanics.
- AutoCrit Editing Wizard – If the idea of memorizing a whole bunch of grammar rules bores you to death, you can skip it all and send your story through the AutoCrit Editing Wizard. This free program will point out all of the errors in your manuscript.
Writing Forums
- WritingForums.org – This growing writing community has nearly 7,000 members. Forums are organized and encourage friendly community interaction.
- Writing.com – Writing.com is an online writing community with nearly 700,000 members. Users can post stories, store work and take part in other community activities. Membership is free and available to writers of all skill levels.
- The Water Cooler – The Absolute Write Water Cooler is a great place to chat with other writers and to learn about the creative writing craft. Membership is at 25,000 and growing daily.
- About Fiction Writing Forum – The About.com Fiction Writing forum provides a place to share work, get writing tips and chat with other writers.
- The Writer’s Beat – This site hosts a small, but tight-knit writing community that welcomes all sorts of authors.
Getting Published
- First Writer – First Writer is the ideal website for any writer who is interested in searching for magazine publishers, book publishers, agents and writing contests. The site also provides writing tips, book reviews and copyright information.
- Agent Query – With the largest searchable database of literary agents on the web, Agent Query is the place to go when you’re looking for agent representation.
- Literary Marketplace – Literary Marketplace is a 50-year-old organization that serves as a directory of book publishers in the U.S. and Canada. Their website offers a database of large publishers and small presses.
- Duotrope’s Digest – Duotrope offers a database with over 2275 markets for creative writers. Markets include opportunities for short fiction, poetry and novels.
- Funds for Writers – This site specializes in grants for writers, but also offers market listings and contest listings. Users can also sign up for three free newsletters.
General Websites
- Young Writer’s Society – Dedicated to scribes between the ages of 13 and 25, Young Writer’s Society is the world’s largest website for young writers. The members-only community encourages submissions and offers tips that will help anyone become a better writer.
- NaNoWriMo’s Young Writer’s Program – NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month. Every November, the site challenges people who are 12 and under to write a 50,000 word novel. If you are over the age 12 and want to participate, join the adult version of the NaNoWriMo Program.
- Writing.com – Boasting resources for everyone from a novie writer to scribes with a masters degree in writing, this online writing community is a great place to store and display your work online. Free memberships are available to all.
- MIT OCW – The Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a number of free college-level writing courses through their OpenCourseWare program. You can see the full listing of courses at this website.
- Writer’s Digest – Although this website isn’t specifically designed for young writers, it is a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to learn how to write better. Site features include blogs, community forums, writing tips, creative writing prompts and guidelines to getting published.
- Wordtrip Junior – An offshoot of the original Wordtrip, Wordtrip Junior is a forum designed specifically for young writers. The community is small–about 500 writers–making it a friendly site for shy individuals who are just getting started.
- Eighteen Questions – Novice writers can learn a great deal from more experienced writers, which is why this site was started. It asks published writers to share their views though 18 commonly asked questions. More than 100 published writers have been surveyed so far.
- Writing Contests – This is a list of writing contests from Freelancewriting.com. The list is updated constantly and includes links to pertinent information.
- Merriam-Webster – Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary and thesaurus is easy to use and guaranteed accurate. Other site features include a Word of the Day, podcasts, word games and free downloads.
- U.S. Copyright Office – This site is a must-see for writers of all ages. It will teach you everything you need to know about copyright and includes a section where you can register your work.
Grammar Websites
- The Purdue Online Writing Lab – Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab is a wonderful place to learn all of the various rules of grammar and usage. Click here to go directly to the grammar page.
- Chomp Chomp – This website provides ‘grammar instruction with attitude.’ Grammar bytes include grammar rules, handouts, interactive exercises and definitions to common grammar terms.
- The Writer’s Workshop – The Writers’ Workshop (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) offers a free grammar handbook that explains basic grammatical rules. The handbook is easy to read, complete and accurate.
- SparkNotes Ultimate Style – SparkNotes provides excellent grammar instruction though their Ultimate Style guide. Users can find the answer to nearly every question imaginable via the searchable database.
- Grammar Girl – Mignon Fogarty, a.k.a. Grammar Girl, offers up quick and dirty grammar tips for better writing. All of the tips are delivered via free, downloadable podcasts.
- Daily Grammar – Nearly 500 grammar lessons can be accessed for free on the Daily Grammar site. Other resources include workbooks and a glossary.
- Guide to Grammar and Style – Jack Lynch’s Guide to Grammar and Style is an indispensable resource for young writers. The guide explains grammar rules in detail and provides valuable usage suggestions.
- Bartleby – This Internet publisher has a number of free books online that will help users master the rules of grammar. One book in particular worth checking out is The American Heritage Book of English Usage
- Syntaxis – Syntaxis allows you to test your knowledge of grammar with this ten-question quiz. The questions change every time you take the quiz so users are sure to be challenged each time around.
- AutoCrit – The AutoCrit Editing Wizard can check writing for grammar errors, clichés and other no-no’s. AutoCrit also provides a number of other writing resources as well.
Creativity Boosters
- The Story Starter – Creativity abounds at Story Starter! Their automatic generator plays host to an amazing 345,935,040 creative ideas for writers.
- Creative Writing Prompts – When you need inspiration, this site is the place to be. It features more than 300 creative writing prompts, as well as journal ideas.
- Ink Provoking – This site provides creative writing prompts of all kinds. New prompts are added Monday through Friday.
- Story Spinner Online – The Online Story Spinner offers millions of ideas to get people writing. When users click on the Story Spinner, they get a starting phrase, a setting and four words that must be included in the story.
- The Story Kitchen – This site starts a story for you using the elements you choose and then asks you to finish it. Bruce Van Patter’s Story Kitchen is excellent practice for young writers.
- Language Is a Virus – The automatic prompt generator on this site can provide writers with an endless number of creative writing prompts. Other resources include writing exercises and information on dozens of different authors.
- The Dabbling Mum – The Dabbling Mum is an interesting site that offers 30 days of prompts for fiction writers, nonfiction writers and pro writers. Writers are encouraged to pen a 500 to 1,000 word piece with each prompt.
- Scholastic – If you are looking for a site that inspires and covers the basics of writing, Scholastic is the place to be. The site is kid-friendly but could be of use to any young writer.
- About Fiction Writing – The About.com Guide to Fiction Writing provides all sorts of creativity boosters for young writers. She also offers advice for those who are new to fiction.
- Book-In-A-Week – The Book-In-A-Week website is for serious young writers who want a challenge. The writing community encourages creativity by asking members to write as much as possible the first week of every month.
Getting Published
- Reach Every Child – Designed for extraordinarily young writers (think 12 and under), Reach Every Child offers a list of publishers that accept stories, poems and works of art. More than 40 markets are listed.
- Teen Ink – This national teen website (and magazine) counts on submissions from young writers to fill their pages. Writers must be between the ages of 13 and 19 to be considered.
- Teen Voices – Like Teen Ink, Teen Voices accepts submissions from young writers between the ages of 13 and 19.
- About Freelance Writing – If you are over 18, this site is a great place to find paying freelance writing gigs. New jobs are posted every week.
- Media Bistro – Considered by many to be the ultimate freelance marketplace, Media Bistro is a good spot to find writing gigs and journalism jobs. The site also offers blogs, community forums, event listings and much more.
- Writers Market – Writers Market is the ultimate guide for young writers who want to learn where to sell what they write. It costs $29.99 for a one-year subscription, but it is money well spent.
- Literary Marketplace – This worldwide resource is for writers who are interested in the book industry. The site provides contact information for international publishers, U.S. publishers, Canadian publishers and a variety of small presses.
- First Writer – Undeniably an indispensable resource, First Writer is a great place for professional writers to find agents, publishers and writing contests. There is a catch though–you have to pay a small membership fee to access all of the features. A free trial is available.
- Newbie-Writers – This site is a gold mine for new writers in any genre. Newbie-Writers will help not only help you learn the craft, the site will also help you get published. Users who sign up for the free newsletter also receive an 85-page ebook.
Research Resources
- Brainy Quote – If you need a good quote to compliment your writing, Brainy Quote is definitely the place to find it. The site lists quotes by topic, author and type.
- Carmun – Carmun connects students who need advice and also helps students organize their research. Other site features include help with sources and a killer bib tool.
- ChaCha – ChaCha is like having a personal assistant who looks up information for you. The site allows users to call or text in questions that will be answered by real people.
- Encyclopedia.com – Writers can use the free High Beam Encyclopedia to access articles and information in the Columbia Encyclopedia, Britannica and other reference books.
- IPL – No matter what you’re looking for, the Internet Public Library is a fantastic source of information.
- Ref Desk – The Ref Desk bills itself as a fact checker for the Internet, and it definitely measures up to the description. The site offers numerous search engines, as well as virtual newspapers, encyclopedias, periodicals and other reference materials.
- Scholarpedia – Scholarpedia looks a lot like Wikipedia, but it is much more reliable. Content is written and reviewed by scholars all over the world.
- The New York Times – You can search news stories that go all the way back to 1851 with this leading news site.
- The Open Directory Project – The Open Directory Project provides a directory of links. The site employs live editors, which increases your chance of finding reputable sites in each category.
- Wayback Machine – The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine is perfect for student researchers that need to find information on old web pages (as far back as 1996.)
General Writing Instruction
- Academhack – Academhack teaches students how to write more effectively using tech tools available on the web.
- Dartmouth Writing Program – The Dartmouth Writing Program offers a fantastic (and free) introduction to academic writing. A must read for every student writer.
- Essay Forum – The essay forum is a great place to get help with essays and other types of academic papers.
- Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips – The crux of Grammar Girl’s site involves memory tricks that can be used to remember grammar rules. Site visitors can read tips or listen to them in podcast form.
- Grammar Handbook – The Grammar Handbook from Writer’s Workshop covers all of the basic rules of grammar. It’s well organized and makes a handy reference.
- MIT Writing Courses – The Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers over 50 free writing courses through their revolutionary OpenCourseWare program.
- SparkNotes Ultimate Style – SparkNotes online style guide is for students who want quick and easy answers to grammar and usage questions.
- The OWL – Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab gives students free access to all sorts of valuable writing instruction.
- University of Wisconsin Writing Center – UW’s Writing Center is a wonderful resource for students wanting to improve their style and learn more about academic writing.
- Writing.com – This friendly online writing community offers writing tools, a place to store your writing and writing instruction for people of all skill levels.
Essay Writing
- Advanced Essay Writing Workshop – Students can improve their essay writing skills with the free essay workshop offered online through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
- BestEssayTips.com – Designed specifically for college students, BestEssayTips.com provides a comprehensive guide to the essay writing process through short tips and articles.
- College Board – The essay skills section of CollegeBoard.com focuses on application essays, but the information can be applied to almost any type of essay writing.
- Editors for Students – This essay editing service provides 21 can’t miss essay writing tips for student writers and a directory of writing resources.
- Essay Edge – Essay Edge is primarily an essay editing service, but you can find valuable resources and essay writing tips throughout the site.
- Essay Punch – This interactive online essay writing tutorial is guaranteed to improve your essay writing skills.
- EssayInfo.com – EssayInfo.com is a good source for any student who wants to improve writing skills. The site offers information about essay types, writing and essay scholarships.
- How to Write an Essay – This website presents itself as a guide for beginners–perfect if you’ve never written an essay before.
- Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary – Every essay writer needs a good dictionary and this online version of Merriam-Webster definitely fits the bill.
- Paradigm Online Writing Assistant – This interactive writing community offers award-winning content that will help any student write a better essay.
Free Web Apps
- Auto Crit – Student writers can use this web app to fix their writing. AutoCrit is designed for manuscripts, but it works just as well on essays, research papers and other academic writing.
- Bib Me – This automatic bibliography maker allows you to build a works cited page quickly and easily. It supports APA, MLA, Chicago and Turabian formats.
- College Ruled – This web app is great for student writers who want to keep their work and their writing schedule organized.
- Delicious – Delicious lets users keep bookmarks–perfect for student writers who work on multiple computers.
- Google Docs – This beta tool from Google lets users upload, store and edit work on the Internet.
- Jott – If your ideas are coming faster than you can write them, Jott can record your voice and turn your words into text.
- The Awesome Highlighter – Student writers will love The Awesome Highlighter, because it lets you highlight web page text and convert it into a handy, compact link.
- ThinkFold – This web app is a great outlining tool for students who are writing research papers and essays. It is especially nice for group projects.
- Zoho – Zoho’s suite of online web applications can increase your writing productivity and make it easier to collaborate with other people online. Specific applications to try include Zoho Writer, Zoho Planner and Zoho Sheet.
- Zotero – You can collect, manage and cite sources using this free Firefox extension.
Free Books
- 50 Places to Find Free Books – This article, located right here on Education Portal, offers a list of 50 places that you can find free textbooks, free audio books and free fiction and nonfiction books.
- Bartleby Reference – You can find several free writing reference books here that describe English usage, style and composition in detail.
- ManyBooks – You can get free books on nearly every topic imaginable from ManyBooks. The majority of the books are formatted for iPods, PDAs and ebook readers.
- Questia – There are nearly 20 free writing books available from Questia. Book topics include writing across the curriculum, academic writing and technical writing.
- Roget’s Thesaurus – Visit Bibliomania for a free online copy of Roget’s Thesaurus.
