The 5 Best
Web Sites for Romance Writers
By Beth Morrow
Central Ohio Fiction Writers'Write
from the Heart
April 2005 Vol. XVII, Issue 4 RWA Chapter
48
Despite the vast (and growing) number of writing Web sites existing
on the Web, as a romance writer I find myself drawn to a handful
of exceptional sites on a repeat basis. Whether I need to understand
characters, explore setting and history, research a writing-related
tax issue or get motivated after a rejection, these sites have help
and information free for the asking.
Alicia Rasley's Writers' Corner
http://www.sff.net/people/alicia/
Alicia Rasley's writing articles, booklets and tapes bring to mind
an old potato chip advertising slogan:
no one can eat (or, in this case, read) just one. I dare you to
try. Rasley, a RITA-award-winning author and writing teacher, says
on her site that she loves to explore writing issues and never really
understands them until she writes about them. Lucky for us, her
writing conveys the nuances of character behavior, goal/motivation/conflict,
dialogue, synopsis, plot and many other components of writing fiction
well enough for even the novice novelist to understand.
Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine Web site
www.romantictimes.com
I used to think the Romantic Times Bookclub (RT) web site was just
a collection of their book reviews
and other miscellaneous works from their magazine. Imagine my surprise
when discovered, by clicking on the 'writers' tab, a secret room
containing a vast selection of advice from leading authors, research
information and how-to advice.
Jaclyn Reding's “Useful Links for Romance Readers and Writers”
http://www.jaclynreding.com/links/
Romance author Jaclyn Reding has pulled together a huge variety
of links to help readers and writers
alike. From the main page, you'll use the pull-down menu to navigate
through her site. Not to miss are the “Research and Reference”
and “Historical” sections.
Charlotte Dillon's “Resources for Romance Writers”
www.charlottedillon.com
If there were ever a place you could get lost on the Web and never
come out, it's Charlotte's site. From the main page, clicking on
“Resources for Romance Writers” takes you to an innocent-looking
page with red banners. Beware. After you choose the area that interests
you most you'll be greeted with more useful, relevant links than
you can cover in one sitting. “Articles on Writing”
and “Research
Links” are two of the best.
How Stuff Works website
www.howstuffworks.com
Whether you're ready to goof off on the internet or you need to
know how a stun gun works, howstuffworks is a great place where
learning and playing go hand-in-hand.Encompassing thousands
of topics from food to military to e-mail and everything you can
possibly imagine between, articles on the site are easy to read
and fascinating. Where else can you find how exploding manholes
work? (Or that they even existed…).
If you're looking for information, inspiration or just an interesting
place to waste time, the Web is the place to find it. Try these
sites for yourself and discover your favorite places. You never
know what you might find.
(Beth Morrow is a published author and romance writer who enjoys
waiting for her muse while surfing the ’net.)
*Would you like to use this article in your writing newsletter or
on your site? Email me
for reprint info.
The 5 Best Sites for Romance Writers
Originally published in Central Ohio Fiction Writers' Write
From the Heart, April 2005
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