Resources for Writers Are Only a Click Away

When I became a teacher years and years and years ago, I found that teachers were prodigious sharers and supporters.  Anytime I needed help with a lesson plan or advice about how to handle a difficult student, my colleagues were right there with solutions.  At first I went to those colleagues who had taught for many years.  Later I became one of those advice-givers.  So imagine my surprise in discovering that the same sense of support and collegiality occurs in the writing profession.  And the internet has changed the game rules so sharing is so much easier today.

When I first started using the internet back in the late 90’s, it resembled the wild, wild West. Nothing seemed connected and I found literally thousands of pages on disparate subjects. The internet wasn’t a resource that came to mind first when I was trying to find solutions.   After my browsing this morning, I believe the baby has grown up.

I clicked on one of my favorite blogs about writing:  “MysteryWriting Is Murder,” written by Elizabeth S. Craig.  Besides her new blog, Craig mentioned that she was a guest writer on Rachel Abbott’s blog,  "Rachel Abbott Writer." So I dutifully followed the link to Abbott’s blog and was rewarded with a wonderful gift:   “A Free Tool for Writers—the Writer’s Knowledge Base.”

If you are a published author, an aspiring writer, or a reader who wonders, “How did they do that?”—this search engine can help.  Ms. Craig, in partnership with another writer, Mike Fleming, has invented a wonderful search engine that helps writers find advice on thousands of topics.  I put in, “How do I write a better blog?” and 885 possible answers were available using the Writer’s Knowledge Base (A Search Engine for Writers.)

Unfortunately, if I read all 885 articles I won’t have time to blog.  But I bet some of them will help me.

How did this whole project begin?  Elizabeth Craig was looking for a way to bring together some of the best advice to help other authors.  Her search led to Mike Fleming, a writer and software developer, who has created Hiveword. Ms. Craig captures the content from the vast internet and Fleming hosts and organizes the nuts and bolts that allow authors to find the content via a word search on the Writer’sKnowledge Base.  This website also sends out a monthly newsletter with still more help for their fellow writers. 

Sharing and support:  not just for teachers anymore.

Have you found exceptionally helpful solutions to your questions on the internet?  If so, please share!