tools for writers

[encephalon]

I'm interested in building a collection of links and tools for writers of fiction, non-fiction, poetry.. pretty much any form of writing in any genre. I've started building a utility for writers lately (character profiling, generated names and addresses, etc) called Little LitTools (http://www.redapollo.org/cgi-bin/littool.plx), but I'd like to see more utilities, writing sites, etc. that others may have laying around.

I think a lot of people here might "aspire" to write, whether for fun, political work or a meager living, and a thread along these lines might prove useful to a lot of people on this forum.

Anyone have anything else?

[loveme4whoiam]

:o You wonderful wonderful person! :D I've wanted to create something like this for ages but never got started, thank you so much! I have real trouble coming up with names (don't ask me why, just some wierd brain thing I guess), and that character profiler is genius! I offer you all the thanks a writer can give :D Unfortunately I know of few similar utilities to add to the list, apologies.


Hmm, did that sound too kiss-assy?

[drain.you]

Yay for comrade encephalon!
I'm slowly working on a story at the min and that character profiler is just what I needed! :D

[encephalon]

no problem, all.. that's what it's there for. I'm just glad it helps people other than myself. Hopefully, I'll be adding a lot more to it within the next few months--plot builders, conflict generators, whole character generators, perhaps even entire story generators just for fun. I'll also be improving the character profiler a lot in time (that was the original intent of the program). If anyone has any ideas, let me know.

Still looking for links and other tools too, though :-D

[Monty Cantsin]

Thanks alot Encephaion...do you write fiction? i know you do alot of non-fiction stuff and have literary intersts.

[encephalon]

Thanks alot Encephaion...do you write fiction? i know you do alot of non-fiction stuff and have literary intersts.

Yeah, I write a bit, but not nearly as much as I would like. When I was younger, my "dream" was to be a writer, mainly of fiction (the non-fiction I write is mainly for political purposes, whereas the fiction I write is political but deals more with the human condition).. a dream that was, for all intents and purposes, rightly shattered in the midst of capitalism.

I'm still trying to work towards something of that nature; but if I were ever to make a living off of it, I'm well aware now that I'd likely make no more than 12,000 USD a year. Most anything I write wouldn't be published by a large publisher, but there are a few independent ones I've been looking into. I'm currently working on a novel right now, which was why I made the program in the first place. It's a very long process, though, and much harder than anyone ever imagines, myself included.

My "literary" interest, actually, is long fiction, but I write short stories and poetry once every so often as well. Mainly, though, I simply like to create, no matter what the form--writing, programming, whatever. I usually try to "propagandize" with most anything I create, and I think "art for art's sake" is a complete myth aimed at depoliticizing the arts (since they've played such a vital role in social movements of the past, it makes sense that a ruling class would attempt to downplay its role). I don't really think anyone creates anything without a certain amount of propaganda.

In any case.. I'm suddenly uncomfortable discussing myself :lol: Hopefully others will add more utilities, or just useful sites for writers. I'll likely be adding some useful links here as well.

[Sir Aunty Christ]

Well this is going in my bookmarks folder.

:D

[Monty Cantsin]

I'm currently working on a novel right now,

Me too :o .

it's interesting to hear.

I often wonder about how many people find their dreams, such as becoming a writer. Even more so when I meet people with the same desire because statistically we can’t all make it… then again maybe I shouldn’t think about it in negative terms because a lot of writers do gravitate towards each other and form lose groups we latter tag. The beat generation, the lost generation and so forth.

[encephalon]

Originally posted by Monty [email protected] 26 2006, 11:37 AM

Me too :o .

it's interesting to hear.

I often wonder about how many people find their dreams, such as becoming a writer. Even more so when I meet people with the same desire because statistically we can’t all make it… then again maybe I shouldn’t think about it in negative terms because a lot of writers do gravitate towards each other and form lose groups we latter tag. The beat generation, the lost generation and so forth.
Honestly, some of the trash I've read that somehow managed to get published leads me to believe that you only have to do two things to get published, and nothing else: first, don't challenge the ruling class (especially the literati.. the "literary elite"); and second: finish a manuscript.

The first one, of course, is not going to happen with me, and I doubt many others here will do so, either. However, there are smaller publishers that do publish less mainstream stuff (which usually gets exalted in the next few generations, at least compared to those on big publishing houses), and I think if someone truly wants to write, they can get published somehwhere as long as they're able to write a coherent manuscript.

Making a living at it, however, is an entirely different matter; and I'm guessing none of us will. I can't remember where I read the stats, but it said that the average writer makes 12 grand a year.. but if you take the really successful writers out of the equation (stephen king, for instance), the figure is more like 5 grand a year. Most writers can never fully dedicate themselves to writing alone, and have to have day jobs like most other people.

In any case, more useful tools and links for writers:

Urbis -- applied collective wisdom (http://www.urbis.com)

This is a writer submission and review system; to get reviews, you have to review other people's works. It's not a bad site, really, and some of the reviews you get are actually decent reviews. There's a lot less of the "you blow" or "you rock" stuff that you might find in other workshops. I'd run the place a bit differently, but it's the best place I've found thus far for getting meaningful input on your work.

Small Press Center (http://www.smallpress.org)

A listing of a lot of different small publishers for a lot of different subjects and genres. Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for publishers and have sincere doubts over whether a big press would refuse to print your stuff on the basis that it might offend someone.

Fiction Factor (http://www.fictionfactor.com)

A place with some decent articles on the "craft of writing." Also has some useful info regarding manuscript lengths, standards, etc.

Newsforge: Creating a book with OpenOffice Writer (http://software.newsforge.com/software/06/01/19/1649229.shtml?tid=93)

If you use openoffice (and if you don't, you should), this details pretty well how to go about setting up a novel in the word processor.

Advice on Novel Writing by Crawford Kilian (http://www.steampunk.com/sfch/writing/ckilian/)

A rather large article on the main aspects of writing a novel. It's actually a pretty informative piece.

The book of cliches (http://utopia.knoware.nl/users/sybev/cliche/oncliche.shtml)

Avoid cliches. And if you have trouble knowing what is or isn't a cliche, check here.

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I'll try to add more soon. Anyone else have anything interesting to add?

[Monty Cantsin]

i think this thread should be a sticky...no?