Tips and Resources



BETA Readers - what are they and how to use them

Influencers - how to help out other authors without being a writer


Word Tips: https://word.tips/grammar/ - good site for all kinds of info on grammar

Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/


Here's a great article I recommend you read about editing and editing services 




This is a collections of articles on punctuation, grammar, how to work with editors, how to find permissions, copyright information, and how to find your genre.  Writer's Resource Articles

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Helpful Organizations with resources:
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators: http://www.scbwi.org
Association of Independent Authors: http://www.independent-authors.com
Preditors and Editors: http://pred-ed.com/
Publishing Central: http://www.publishingcentral.com/
Writing World: http://www.writing-world.com
Bookslide.org, After school Book Club with resources for young readers: http://bookslide.org

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Simple Tips for Self-Editing: This is one of the best checklists I've seen for writers!


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On Line Resources

Language/Words
http://www.dictionary.net - a little less formal dictionary than Meriam-Webster, Thanks to alert reader Serge Matson, who sent in the tip
AlphaDictionary -http://www.alphadictionary.com/index.shtml provides access to a variety of different dictionaries and articles on words and word usage.
To see a word expand, a visual thesaurus: http://www.wordhippo.com
Online Etymology Dictionary - provides historical meaning and sounds of words. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php
http://www.bartleby.com/ for poetry and classic literature
English word learning resource from Raandoh Sallihall: https://www.unscramblerer.com
"It has high quality word lists and many useful word search tools." Page contains Google adsense ads.

Grammar/Punctuation
Grammar Check: Thanks to Elvira Avdylaj for recommending the free site Grammica: https://www.grammica.com/grammar-check . Site provides a box for you to check grammar, as well as other useful text tools such as plagarism, spelling, and proofreading.
Thanks to Sheryl Witte for suggesting this site: http://www.wiseoldsayings.com/ultimate-grammar-resource-guide.php
Guide to Grammar and Writing  http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ Page contains requests for donation
From Scrabble lover Devin O'Brien: WordRater is a word finder website and a grammar resource guide. "The Definitive Guide to Grammar" and is a collection of resources that we personally chose for new English speakers, as well as those looking to spruce up their grammar. Topics range from teacher resources, grammar practice, and beyond. https://wordrater.com/grammar-guide

Physical Attributes
Using Body Language -http://changingminds.org/techniques/body/body_language.htm -A great resource on how emotions and mental states reveal themselves in body language.
http://www.faceturn.com/ - to view facial expressions on a digitally-generated face

Research
To explore European art, artifacts, books, and sounds:  http://www.europeana.eu/portal/en
Quick and easy access to dozens of European library collections: http://www.theeuropeanlibrary.org/tel4/
CIA World Factbook for maps and interesting info: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
US historical database:  http://bit.ly/1he1Xpn
http://Timeanddate.com - provides historical printable calendars and other great information
Writer's Dream Tools -http://www.writersdreamtools.com/view/decades/default.asp?Decade=1650 great reference site for historical research
www.CostumeGallery.com - provides information on clothing from the 18th Century to the 20th Century.
http://www.costumes.org/ - a broader resource on historical clothing.
www.costumesocietyamerica.com
www.OldandSold.com Antiques Auction and Marketplace - A great resource for finding historical artifacts.

Diplomatic Resources: http://www.embassy.org - index of foreign embassies in Washington DC, links to countries, virtual tour of Embassy Row, famous Diplomatic Quotations, and news

The Time Now is a site with a world clock, weather information and astronomy data.

General to Specific Knowledge and Resource for verified source material
http://names.mongabay.com/ For character names in any era - learn the most popular names of historical periods, cultures, or develop a unique name of your own
For writing credible medical scenarioshttp://medicalscenewriter.blogspot.com 
For writing about law enforcement scenarioshttp://blog.janicehardy.com/2014/03/10-tips-for-writing-about-law.html
http://keepmeinsuspense.blogspot.com/2008/03/fbi-knowing-facts-for-better-fiction.html

CITATION Mostly for Academic papers, but useful in other works, Online College Plan's Student's Guide to citing Internet Resources, along with other good helping sources, has useful information. Thank you to Anna Jones of Bookslide.org, an organization promoting literacy to young readers.

And, THANK YOU to my friends from the TEEN ZONE WRITING CLUB in Colorado for this link to determine legitimate resources: http://www.whoishostingthis.com/resources/credible-sources
To check for sites that are easily accessible to all internet users, use this link: WAVE Web Accessibility

General Publishing Info
United States Copyright office online: http://www.copyright.gov/ 
Library of Congress Control Numbers: http://www.loc.gov/publish/pcn/
Legitimate source for ISBN: http://www.bowker.com
For more resources on checking for and using information, data, quotes, that are copyrighted, and a Fair Use policy, use this Fair Use Evaluator tool on Library Copyright.net

For information on Plagiarism and a plagiarism checker, use Plagiarsma.net
and Onlinemastersdgrees.net article


Website Creation and setup
From time to time I am approached by third party sources to list resources and links on this page. While well-intentioned and often helpful, most of the time I refuse due to advertising popups or the fact that there is some fee associated with the resource. When Hailey Dawn Stratton asked me to consider adding a link about creating a website as a resource, I checked the link and associations as I was able, and decided to post this resource.

PLEASE BE AWARE this link and guide is for setting up a WORDPRESS site, one of several free webhosting resources available, including BLOGGER, WIX, and other similar sites. While it is NOT NECESSARY to purchase a domain name through Wordpress or the included domain host resource in this link, which is Blue Host (more expensive than other sites like GoDaddy), I agree with the advice in the article to purchase a domain name for a more professional site. I do not profit from passing on any of this information, nor necessarily agree with nor promote the products. This link is simply for your information: SiteBeginner.com