Writers Association - What is Horror Fiction?
That's a difficult question. In recent years the very term has become misleading. If you tell people you write horror fiction, the image that immediately pops into their minds is one of Freddy Krueger or maybe Michael Myers, while you were hoping for Shelley's Frankenstein or Stevenson's Dr. But let's give it a try, shall we? Webster's Collegiate Dictionary gives the primary definition of horror as "a painful and intense fear, dread, or dismay." If we accept this definition, then horror can deal with the mundane or the supernatural, with the fantastic or the normal. In his 1982 anthology Prime Evil, author Douglas Winter stated, "Horror is not a genre, like the mystery or science fiction or the western. What makes horror literature so pervasive is that its need to evoke the necessary atmosphere and sense of emotional dread is utterly dependent on who we are as readers -- as people. The answer to that question lies in the nature of the publishing industry. Precisely as it should.
General Fiction
Getting Around... Career Essentials Getting Started Queries & Manuscripts Market Research Classes & Conferences Critiquing Crafting Your Work Grammar Guides Research/Interviewing Writing Contests The Writing Business Income & Expenses Selling Reprints Collaboration Pseudonyms Negotiating Contracts Setting Fees/Getting Paid Rights & Copyright Tech Tools The Writing Life The Writing Life Rejection/Writer's Block Health & Safety Time ManagementColumn: Ramblings on the Writing Life Fiction Writing - General General Techniques Characters & Viewpoint Dialogue Setting & DescriptionColumn: Crafting Fabulous Fiction Fiction Writing - Genres Children's Writing Mystery Writing Romance Writing SF, Fantasy & Horror Flash Fiction & More Nonfiction Writing General Freelancing Columns & Syndication Newspapers/Journalism Topical Markets Travel Writing Photography Creative Nonfiction Memoirs/Biography International Freelancing Business/Tech Writing Other Topics Poetry & Greeting Cards Screenwriting
Writing
Writing Even the best writers sometime need a little stimulation, if only for practice. Otherwise, writers may face the dismal monstrosity of writer's block. These generators are here to help when you need plot ideas, genre-bending concepts, and more. Story Inspiration Envisioner Combines legends, tales, and stories with new or unexpected elements. Humor and For Amusement Action Film Trailers We've all seen those action movie trailers that begin with "In a world of . . ." and then quickly describe what goes on. Music Song Challenges Creates a style and subject matter for a song - for a challenge to when you need a quick idea for a story or game. More Resources!
Creative Writing Ideas, Courses Online, Free Classes for Writers
LitReactor
WritingFix: prompts, lessons, and resources for writing classrooms
The Online Community for Writers - Writing.Com
The Writing Process
These OWL resources will help you with the writing process: pre-writing (invention), developing research questions and outlines, composing thesis statements, and proofreading. While the writing process may be different for each person and for each particular assignment, the resources contained in this section follow the general work flow of pre-writing, organizing, and revising. For resources and examples on specific types of writing assignments, please go to our Common Writing Assignments area. Writing Task Resource List This resource will help you find OWL material for the many different kinds of writing tasks you may face in school and in the workplace. Starting the Writing Process Tips for how to start a writing assignment. Prewriting (Invention) This section explains the prewriting (invention) stage of the composing process. Writer's Block Help in overcoming writer's block and a short series of exercises to get you writing. Stasis Theory Creating a Thesis Statement Developing an Outline
50 of the Best Websites for Writers
There are tons of reference sites on the web that can help you find a job or write a poem, essay or story. Here is a list of the best 50 websites for writers. Reference Websites Merriam-Webster Online - Merriam Webster is the perfect place to look up words and find information. The site offers a dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, podcasts, word games and a lot of other things that may be of interest to writers and word-lovers. Bartleby - This site is good if you need a quote or if you want free access to encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, and other reference books. General Writing Websites Writer's Digest - Probably one of the best all-around websites for writers, Writer's Digest offers information on writing better and getting published. Fiction Writing Websites About.com - About.com publishes a Guide to Fiction Writing with general information about fiction writing and a number of community forums for both current and aspiring writers. Nonfiction Writing Websites
