Writing Lessons & Resources

Free Writing Contests

• Short story, poetry, and flash fiction writing contests sponsored by Review Fuse.

Review Fuse Writing Tips

• Blog articles on writing
• Blog articles on critiquing
• The Essential Elements of Great Poetry

Software for Writers

• Comprehensive software tutorials for writers.
• The Fundamentals of Fiction: How to Write with Style, Edit with Grace, and Publish with Pride
• Storybase Software for Writers

Recommended Books

Novels & Short Stories

• How to Write It: Complete Guide to Everything You'll Ever Write by Sandra E. Lamb
• How to Write a Damn Good Novel
• On Writing by Stephen King
• Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell
• The Magic of Writing: How to Write and Publish the Book that is Inside You by Linda Falkner
• The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.

Poetry

• Creating Poetry by John Drury
• The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises From Poets Who Teach by Robin Behn
• A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver
• The New Book of Forms by Lewis Turco
• Measures: Contemporary American Poetry in Traditional Forms by Dacey & Jauss

Improve Your Writing With Free Online Writing Help

General A Guide to Writing Well Ultimate Style: The Rules Of Writing Tips for Writing a Short Story Infoplease: General Writing Skills The Elements of Style learning lab / writing skills Copywriting 101: An Introduction to Copywriting AskOxford: Better Writing Common Errors in English Wikipedia - Short Story Wikipedia - Book The Ultimate Writing Productivity Resource 100 Useful Web Tools for Writers		Grammar Grammar Basics A few grammar tips Use English Punctuation Correctly HyperGrammar - A free online grammar course Mignon Fogarty's quick and dirty tips for better writing 40+ Tips to Improve your Grammar and Punctuation English Style Guide Jack Lynch's Guide to Grammar and Style Better Writing Skills Dr. Grammar.s Frequently Asked Questions English Grammar FAQ
Character Development How Dialogue Reveals Character How to develop a Character Tips on Developing Character and Plot Steps for creating a compelling character Developing Memorable Characters		Plot Develop a Killer Plot Develop Fiction Character & Plot What is a Plot? Creating a Compelling Plot Tips on Developing Character and Plot Writing a Plot Summary
Dictionary & Thesaurus OneLook Dictionary Search Suggest-as-you-type dictionary Visuwords - Find the meaning and associations with other words and concepts Cambridge Dictionaries Online Verbix - Determine how to use verbs in the proper tense Write rhymes - Find words the rhyme Dictionary.com Word Reference Thesaurus		Dialogue How To Write Good Dialogue How to write dialogue Robert J. Sawyer: On Writing Dialogue Writing Compelling Dialogue in Fiction Top 10 Tips for Writing Dialogue Six principles of good narrative Keeping it simple Dialogue Writing Tips
Poetry How to Write a Love Poem How To Write A Great Poem in 15 Simple Steps Tips for Writing Great Poetry How to Write Good Poetry Poetry Writing Tips		Essays How To Write An Essay Wikipedia - Essay The Elements and Structure of a Formal Essay Learn2 Write a Formal Essay

Resources for Educators

• Allow your students to perform their peer critique assignments of each other's work online.
• Sitesforteachers.com - Top educator sites ranked by popularity
• 30 Ideas for Teaching Writing for the National Writing Project
• The Art of Teaching Writing by Lucy Calkins
• Teaching Guides on Writing from Colorado State University