Week of March, 23, 2014 - Websites for Writing Style and Writing Basics

By Joan Whetzel

During my writing career - and college -  I have run across several websites that have been helpful with learning the various aspects of good writing. These sites cover everything from writing style (APA, MLA, Chicago Manual of Style, and Associated Press) to grammar, spelling, bibliography creation, legal and ethical aspects of writing, and the particulars of writing essays. Below are listed the site any writer can use to write well.

1. Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Contains a collection of instructional materials for writing and the writing process. The site, while primarily set up for Purdue University students and faculty, can be used by anyone writing in the English language.

2.  Merriam Webster Online

http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/

The Merriam Webster online dictionary reads like the print version. Instead of having to wade through a whole page's entries, however, it provides only the definition for the word or phrase typed into the search box.

 

3.Roget's Thesaurus Alphabetical Index at Thesaurus.com

http://thesaurus.com/Roget-Alpha-Index.html

While not being as comprehensive as the print version, this web copy of Roget's  Thesaurus is helpful in finding synonyms and antonyms for commonly used words and phrases.

4. Bartleby

http://www.bartleby.com/

Site includes free access to encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and several reference books. It is also a good site for locating quotes from famous people.

 

5. Publishing Law Center

http://www.publaw.com/

Supplies legal information for writing  and publishing, as well as the business end of writing and publishing. Information on licenses, trademark law, copyright law, contracts, and intellectual property are all covered.

6. George Mason University's Nonfiction Universe

http://gunston.gmu.edu/nonfiction/main.html

Nonfiction Universe provides links to a host of resources and online publications in academic writing and all genres of nonfiction writing. 

7. US Copyright Office

http://www.copyright.gov/

Covers all aspects of copyrights, copyright law, copyright records, licensing, registration, filing for copyrights, patents and trades, royalties and anything else related to copyrights and protecting your intellectual property.

8. The Chicago Manual of Style

http://chicagomanualofstyle.org/CMS_FAQ/new/new_questions01.html

The online version of this manual is by paid yearly subscription only. The downside is the cost, the upside is that the information is always up to date and accurate, and you don't have to lug the book around with you.

9. American Psychological Association (APA) Style Manual

http://apastyle.org/

Supplies the basics of APA format. If you need more detailed information, you'll have to look it up elsewhere or buy the print version.

=

10. Modern Language Association (MLA) Style Book

http://www.mla.org/

The online handbook is available by registering online. The registration form asks either for an activation code (I haven't been able to figure out where to get this) or by becoming a member of the MLA, which gives you access to all the other benefits given to members.

 

11. Guide to Grammar and Writing

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

This website offers help with word choice, sentence structure, grammatical errors and correction, paragraph structure, researching and writing of essays and other papers, among other things. Great resource for the writing process.

12. Associated Press (AP)

http://www.ap.org/

Provides information for journalists and up-to-date news articles written by AP writers worldwide. These articles are frequently picked up by newspapers and broadcasters and can be used as background information for informative articles and essays. This is a great research site for writers interested in timely topics and recent events

13.  Bib Me

http://www.bibme.org/

Helps writers and researchers create a bibliography in any format either by looking up the information for some books, articles, websites and films, or by filling in the information and letting the site set up the entries in correct format.

14. The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

http://www.grammarbook.com/

Provides help and instruction for the rules of proper English usage in the following area: grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, vocabulary, words that are commonly confused (to, too, two, there, their, they're), and writing out numbers.

15. Essay Writing Center

http://essayinfo.com/

Offers rules, ideas, and instruction for writing the types of essays often assigned by teachers, from 5-paragarph essays to scholarly essays, and everything in between.

 

16. Society for Professional Journalism (SPJ)

http://spj.org/

Covers resources, training, and legal issues for journalists - much of which can apply to writers in just about any market or genre.

17.  SPJ Code of Ethics

http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

These are a good set of ethics for any writer to apply to their writing career.