my kind of writing: helpful links | Cody Underwood

Since we?re all headed toward the same goal, to be the best writer we can be, I figured we ought to share some of our resources.

I think the writers of my generation are more capable of successful multitasking. We can type in Word while our web browser sits active in the background or minimized on the dock. And having music playing helps with rhythm. I don?t find doing so a distraction. After all, I cannot sit and write for hours nonstop and I cannot leave any red or green squiggly lines under any text in the document. I have to fix those aesthetic mistakes. Therefore, I constantly use certain websites to help fix any issues I have particular trouble with, which normally removes any blocks so my creative energy can return.

Synonyms. One goal in writing is to be less repetitive. If I like using a word, I?ll try to fit it in wherever necessary. Of course, when I read for revisions, those repetitive words become road bumps and I stumble over my own writerly haste. http://www.merriam-webster.com/ is a great online dictionary and thesaurus. I find they show adequate results for the average American reader?s vocabulary but falls short with common foreign words. If you use their iPhone app, you have to spell the word correctly or it will not populate a list of suggested words, also the voice feature requires you to speak properly and clearly. Despite those two issues, I use it often while supplementing with http://dictionary.reference.com/.

Grammar and Usage. I wonder if the pros have awful first drafts like I do. You will never ever read any of my first drafts because they are so full of mistyped words, awful run on sentences, cliches, and enough metaphors and similes to make you feel like that last drop of dew hanging on to a honeysuckle petal as it turns to vapor in the rising, afternoon sun, trapped in a never-ending struggle of science and nature. So whether I?m creating or revising, I refer to a gem I discovered in college:?http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/5 . This lovely site is easy to understand and keeps up with all the MLA and APA changes which will pass or fail a college paper. You can also search ?Style Sheets.? These sheets list the guidelines for formatting in order to submit work to their respective publishing houses, scholarship programs, and even creative writing MFA programs.

Research. Research is where I spend the most time. Usually because I use Wikipedia and you can click on many words and be brought to a whole different world of learning. Because of that, Wikipedia can be a dangerous a rabbit hole like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter (All of which I will not let myself visit unless I am finished writing.) If I really want to finish a chapter or scene, I will make notes on what I need to further research and do that when I hit my threshold of bulk writing.

Tell me what you think. Do you have similar habits? Do you have common websites you refer to?

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Source: http://codyunderwood.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/my-kind-of-writing-helpful-links/

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