Writing Resources
"...You must never, ever, under any circumstances, change your work just because someone tells you to--unless, of course, they’re right."
-Catherine Ryan Hyde, "The Writer" vol. 114, No. 11 (Nov. 2001)
Names, Naming, etc.
One of the most common problems I see today in fan fiction communties is the problem authors have in naming their characters. Hopefully, these links will help get rid of that particular hurdle.
Baby Names - 525,000 names arranged by nationality and also gives a different meaning than one normally encounters on baby naming sites. Downside: The names are grouped in paragraph form which I find hard to read, that's why I made a (smaller) similar list (divided by nationality) which you can see in the next link.
Names of the World - **Temporarily Down** Ever gotten frustrated when looking for that perfect name? Look no further, this is a series of lists for names from all over the world for both male and female characters. So far, includes French, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Russian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Swedish.
Fantasy Name Generator - Perfect for any sci-fi or fantasy fic that you might be writing.
Random Name Generator - Excellent device for getting "normal" American names. (In case the link doesn’t work, try cutting and pasting this into your address bar: http://www.kleimo.com/random/name.cfm )
Meanings of Names - Find out the traditional meaning to a name.
Surname Orgin List - Lots of surnames (last names), mostly British but still a good place to check into.
Hobbit Name Generator - I suppose if you don't write "Lord of the Rings" fan fiction, this could be used for any fantasy fic but I merely included it as a matter of course.
Star Wars Name Maker - Little doohicky that gives you a name that out of this world, literally, for all your SW fic writing needs.
Names - Several different name generators mostly fantasy-ish.
Dwarven Name Creation - Dwarf style names for, uh... dwarves.
Eponym - If you can't find it here, it doesn't exist. A HUGE index of names from every country and lists upon lists of other names. A MUST see!!
Medieval Names - Just what it says.
Dictionary of Names - A large collection of names from around the world, some surnames too.
Everchanging Book of Names - Downloadable random name generator that comes with hundreds of names for mostly fantasy type works. A MUST HAVE!! I've downloaded this ultility and it's awesome!!
Another Fantasy Name Generator - What the title says.
Yet another fantasy name generator. - You get the picture.
Name Generator - This site claims to be of use for Fantasy naming as well as just slightly unusual names for naming babies.
Articles/Essays
How to Write Marginally Readable Fan Fiction - Covers dialogue, character thoughts, puncuation, vocabulary and other things.
Dr. Merlin's Guide to Fan Fiction - Covers Mary Sues, style, "what is fan ficition and why do we write" and more.
The Advantages of Fan Fiction As an Art Form: A Shameless Essay - The title says it all.
Fan Fiction: Threat to Copyright? - An essay I wrote for my writing class.
Eight Great Ways to Jump-Start Your Writing - Got Writer's Block? Try this handy-dandy list.
Plot - Get help on your plot.
Reference/Research
Online English Grammar - Don't know a preposition from past imperfect? Want to know the proper use for elipses and semi-colons? You're in luck. This place will help.
The Rhyming Dictionary - Just what it says; type in a word and find other words that rhyme with it.
Fantasy Writer's Resources - A good sized index of useful links for fantasy writers. Includes links for: "medieval history, mythology, world building, weapons and armour, other worlds, clothing and more.
Copyright101: A Brief Introduction To Copyright for Fan Fiction Writers - A brief overview of copyright issues that fan fiction writers in the US may find useful.
Merriam-Webster - An online thesaurus and dictionary.
Homework Helper - Very nice page of tons of links to whatever you might need to research.
The Hero's Journey - "The classic mythical structure popularized by the works of writer Joseph Campbell. Not only do many common myths and legends follow this structure, but many of your favorite stories and popular movies follow a similar path" (Star Wars, Xena: Warrior Princess, and more). Learn how to write your own hero's journey.
A Way With Worlds - A series of columns dealing with worldbuilding and all that entails (language, technology, religion, etc).
Find Tutorials.com - Find out how to do just about everything.
Dictionary of Victorian London - A very useful index that shows how Victorians lived in regard to almost every social aspect you can think of.
Victorian Web Sites - Hundreds of sites pertaining to the Victorian Era.
Monstrous - Useful site for fantasy writers, gives info about fantastical creatures.
The Encyclopedia Mythica - Find lots of info on folklore, mythology, and legend.
Bulfinch's Mythology - Another good resource for fantasy authors.
Quote Pages
I love quotes. Picking the right ones for your fic can add a layer of depth to your writing. Here are a few sites that caught my eye. Each of them except for my personal page is searchable by author and subject.
Quoteland
Bartlett's Familar Quotations
Quotations and Sayings Database
The Quotation Database
A to Z Quotes
Quotes - My own personal collection.
Books
There are a huge number of books written about writing. Check out your local library or bookstore. Under the Dewy Decimal system, writing books are in the beginning of the 800s.
"The Howdunit Series" - A must-have resource for mystery writers. This series of books will tell you everything from how criminals think, to how much belladonna will kill an average sized man, to police procedure, to what happens to the body after death, and much, much more.
Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Writer's Guide to Investigators and Investigation Techniques
Missing Persons: " " " " Finding the Lost, the Abducted, and the Escaped
Private Eyes: " " " " Private Investigating
Scene of the Crime: " " " " Crime-Scene Investigations
Cause of Death: " " " " Death, Murder, and Forensic Medicine.
Body Trauma: " " " " Wounds and Injuries
Armed an Dangerous: " " " " Weapons
Deadly Doses: " " " " Poisons
Amateur Detectives: " " " " How Private Citizens Solve Criminal Cases
Rip-Off: " " " " Crimes of Deception
"The Writer's Guide To Everyday Life Series" - Another must have for historical writing authors. Especially since nothing bugs me more than an anachronism. Gives period relevent items such as clothing, transportation, currency, courtship/dating/marriage, household items and more.
The Wild West
Regency and Victorian England : From 1811-1901
Colonial America : From 1607-1783
Renaissance England : From 1485-1649
Middle Ages
Prohibition Through World War II
The 1800s
"The Behind the Scenes Series" - Information is broken down into easy-to-reference chapters, featuring background info with charts, etc, terminology, facts, and history.
Order in the Court : A Writer's Guide to the Legal System
Inside Hollywood: A Writer's Guide to Researching the World of Movies and TV
Code Blue: A Writer's Guide to Hospitals, Inluding the ER, OR and ICU
"The Daily Life Through History Series" - Another series for the historical writer. Explores daily life in the people of the period and gives tons of useful information. (The list is quite extensive so I've merely provided a link to a page listing the books in the series available.)
Textual Poachers - By Henry Jenkins. One of the few, if not the only, book on fan culture and fan fiction
Search Engines
Google Image Search - Instead of links, gives you pictures. Very useful.
Vivisimo - Unique (in my experience) search engine that gives you seperate "packets" to search through. A lot easier to get what you orginally wanted.
All the Sites - Extremely fast search engine.
Google - My personal favorite.
Misc. Links
British Titles of Nobility - Very useful site explaining the basics of Peerage and also tells you who is "higher" in the Realm of the Peers: A Viscount or a Baronet?
Random Log-line Generator - Got the dreaded Writer's Block? Worry no more, just click and a random plot is given to you. Most are kind of outrageous but it helps get the creative juices flowing.
They Fight Crime! - Produce a crime fighting duo! Similar to the Random Log-Line Generator.
Page of Generators - There are so many generators on this site, it's unbelieveable. Includes generators for: Characters, Equipment, Harry Potter, Anime/Manga, Magic, Superheroes, Setting, Technology, and more.
Aria Database - Over 1000 searchable operatic arias. Includes translations, liberetti, and MIDI files.
How Much Is That? - "Have you ever wondered what the valuee of a dollar was in 1895? Or what it cost to borrow money in 1929? Here is a place where you can ask questions of comparative value covering purchasing power, interest rates, and other variables between the past and today."
Cops ‘n Writers - Cops 'nn Writers is a consulting service for writers who wish to incorporate law enforcement elements into their writings.
Hero Machine - A site for the artistically challenged or those who can’t find a decent artist who will draw for free. Creates your character for you and it’s free!
C.Y.B.O.R.G - Creates an acronym out of 2 or more letters. (i.e. M.O.I.R.A. = Mechanical Obedient Infiltration and Repair Android) I suppose this might be useful for sci-fi fics...
The Phobia List - Need a weird, or not so weird phobia for a neurotic character? Go here, lists many phobias: e.g. Graphophobia is the fear of writing...
Online Conversions - Convert just about anything to anything else. (e.g meters to feet, liters to gallons and a lot more)
Other Victorian Resources - More sites on the Victorian Age.
More Victorian Websites - A huge listing.
Fanfiction Workshop - Tools and resources for people who want to be fanfic writers, for current fanfic writers who want to improve their skills, who want to provide constructive criticism for others, who want to offer help as a beta, advisor, or specilist in certain skills or knowledge, etc.
The Language Construction Kit - This is a website intended for anyone who wants to create artificial languages, for a fantasy or an alien world as an example.
Fan Fiction Host Sites
There are many, many sites that will publish your fan fiction online for you for free. Here are just a few.
Fanfiction.net - Arguably one of the best host-sites I've ever had the privledge to be registered to. This site hosts a huge amount of different fandoms and all are welcome. On this site you can load your stories in a few easy steps, review stories by simply filling out a small box, have a list of your fave authors and stories, get email notification when your favorite author adds a new story or chapter and more. (Note: extra features cost money but the basics are free.)
Stories.com - Another free for all site, has mostly original stories but fan fic is welcomed. Very friendly atmosphere and easy ratings system. To look at an example of a Author's Profile from Stories.com, try mine.
The Labyrinth Library - Very nice host site for Phantom of the Opera phiction.
CATS Fan Fiction - Nice layout, good ratings system.
In Her Wake - Archive for The Scarlet Pimpernel fiction.
Jedi Journals - Star Wars archive, somewhat small.
Project Newman - Fan fiction archive for CBS's Now and Again. Does anyone else miss that show??
The Hive - Devoted to the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King.
The Crimson Wayside Flower - Accepts a variety of fiction including: The Scarlet Pimpernel, Sherlock Holmes, Mary Russell, Phantom of the Opera, Highlander, and a few others.
The Desk of William Monk - The only fan fic page I’ve seen for thhe William Monk series by Anne Perry.
Left Behind Fan Fiction - Dedicated to the best-selling series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.
The Sugar Quill - Harry Potter fan fiction.
The Republic of Pemberley - Fanfic for any of Jane Austen's works.
Well, that's it for now. Suggestions? Comments? More links? E-Mail me at rose_in_shadow@yahoo.com
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