Top 5 Most Helpful Websites for Writers That Aren’t Really Writing Websites
By Theresa Gauthier
There is no shortage of websites tailored for writers that can help a writer write. Some claim to help you get organized, track your progress, keep you on task. Some claim to help you get published. Some tell all about contests and how to get freelance clients. These are all useful, but there are so many other options for writers.
Sometimes we need practical information. Most writing requires some form of research, and writers are always scouring the internet for some information be it historical, pop-cultural, or esoteric in nature. Aside from the specific information unique to your story (Is your story about a baker? There are plenty of websites and blogs about baking. Is your story set in medieval times? Websites about weapons, jewelry, and clothing from any age in history are out there.) there are more generic sites—jumping off points that you can use to get a different kind of information.
The most important tip for internet research is to make sure you double, triple, and even quadruple check any facts you decide to use. Some websites are wrong. Some might be outdated, and others are even misleading by choice. That said, there are myriad fabulous options for getting started.
Here are my go to research sites.
1. Google Maps: Not just for directions, I use this to check the distance between locations. This way I can determine if my character can get from Point A to Point B in the time frame I’ve designated. From time to time, I’ve found interesting destinations between Points A and B that have developed into plot points or even biographical data—a penchant for something I uncovered on the map.
I also use it to find out the name of geographical features—whether that’s so I can be sure I haven’t put a river from Ohio into Indiana or if I’m making up a name for a fictional river and would like to have some names for comparison. There are a lot of uses for this kind of geographical information. Yes, I do double check for accuracy with other sites, but Google Maps is always a great place to start.
Looking to inject a little local color into your story? Even if it’s set in your hometown, and you think you know it forwards and backwards, it’s always worth a quick look on a city’s tourist site. There’s bound to be some festival or annual event that you didn’t know about or some tidbit that will spark your imagination. There are tourist sites for most locations all across the world. If you have a particular iconic landmark in your story, try the official site for that landmark. You’ll get information and even an email address or a phone number so you can get more details if you need them.
3. Behind the Name I love this site! It’s a great starting point when you’re not sure what name to give your characters. It’s far more than a standard baby names website. It gives you the etymology and history of first names. If you only have a vague idea of what you want to call your character, you can browse by first letter or by nationality. You can search by gender or you can check out the Name of the Day. There’s also a link to Surnames so you can find those as well.
There’s even a random button, which give you the option to generate any combination of first name, middle name(s), surname and a life story if you choose. The life story will give you general information: a location where the character was born, nationality, age, date of birth, physical description including blood type as well as date and cause of death. You can choose names by nationality, from literature, fairy, witch, or fantasy among others. If you’re really stuck, this site might just get you going.
4. Independent Bookstores One thing I do like to do is find the website for a local indie bookstore that my characters may have frequented. This Independent Bookstores site helps you locate such stores across the country. You can map them and even visit the stores’ websites. I think deciding what sort of bookstore, even which section of the store, or which staff picks your characters would like most will help you imagine a full and realistic background for each of them.
Browse through the topics or search for something more specific, Listverse is a great beginning. Not the best of websites for serious research, it it can get you thinking and might even inspire. Just like it says on the tin (as my British friends might say) this is a website full of lists. Top Ten this and Best of that—you’ll find myriad tidbits that you can then research on other sites.
Give these a try. You might just find what you need.
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