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Links for Writers:
to aid and abet all aspiring bards

| Story Forums || Fantasy research || Historical research || Songs and Lyrics || Calendars || Worldbuilding || Language || SF research || General research || Markets and workshop stuff || Books |

 

Links open in a separate window, so that you won't get lost and can work through the entire list, if you wish. All links current as of January 17, 2002.

Story Forums

Unicorn Pen fiction workshop and forum
Other writing forums, lists & newsgroups

Fantasy research

Introduction to Fantasy
Myths & Legends
Brewer's DICTIONARY OF PHRASE AND FABLE (1893)
From librarian Dennis K. Lien: "Chockful of all of those literary and other references that a reasonably educated 1890s bloke would want to have at his/her mental fingertips." Which, it often seems, most of modern fantasy is based on.
Legends
Folklore and Mythology E-texts
Archives of FOLKLORE@LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU
Norse mythology
Encyclopedia of the Celts
Arthurian Legend
Robin Hood Links
The Tam Lin Pages
Mystical WWW
The Lucky W Amulet Archive
A folkloric resource that contains hundreds of interlinked pages describing and illustrating amulets, talismans, and lucky charms from around the world and all eras.
Many, many Dragon links in the webring on my page Thalia Muses on Dragons.
The Literary Gothic
Resources and links for classic supernatural fiction
Jabberwocky in translations
Expand your folklore library at the Folklore Bookstore.
Wander through literary and mythological allusions in The Commonwealth of Letters by John Myers Myers.

Historical research

ORB Online Reference Book For Medieval Studies
HNSource: The History Link
H-NET Information
Labyrinth: Medieval Studies
History and Historiography
American and British History Resources
NetSERF (Medieval stuff)
Medieval and Renaissance Fact and Fiction
Full Text of 375 Greek and Roman classics
The Ancient World Web - The Ultimate Index
Maritime History on the Internet

Songs & Lyrics

Sea Chanteys & Links to Sea Folklore
Ballad Index
Digital Traditions
The Flying Pig Campfire Song Book: Frames || No-frames
Links to Lyrics
songs in public domain in the US.
(May not be elsewhere).
Niki's Links Library: Music by Style or Cultural Origin
Folk Music home page

Calendars

Calendar Information Page
International Festivals, Celebrations, and Holydays

Worldbuilding

Patricia Wrede's World-Building Questions for fantasy writers
Alternate versions, including text, made available by Mike Barker
World Building
World Builders
Planet Creation Kit
The 'Net Alternate History List

Language

Onelook dictionaries lookup
Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE)
American Dialects
English Dialects and Creoles Around the World
American Name Society
Canadian Society for the Study of Names
Placename Survey of the United States
Scottish Placename Society

Science-Fiction Research

Nuclear war stories in SF
Supplement to previously-published book bibliography.
The Moon in Science Fiction
 
Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia
AstroNet
The Astrobiology Web
EurekAlert! Scientific press releases

General Research

Archaeological Guide for Europe
Stumpers-List and archives
The Stumpers list is mostly for reference librarians (and others performing such duties) asking for help with questions. It can be a fascinating place to browse.
Electronic Zoo
Plant Tracker
World Species List
Beverages
THOR+: The Virtual Reference Desk

Science-Fiction Research

Nuclear war stories in SF
Supplement to previously-published book bibliography.
The Moon in Science Fiction
Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia
AstroNet
The Astrobiology Web
EurekAlert! Scientific press releases

General Research

Archaeological Guide for Europe
Stumpers-List and archives
The Stumpers list is mostly for reference librarians (and others performing such duties) asking for help with questions. It can be a fascinating place to browse.
Electronic Zoo
World Species List
Beverages
THOR+: The Virtual Reference Desk

Markets & Workshops

Writer's market listings
and links to guidelines on magazines' and publishers' sites.
Locus: the trade magazine for the SF field.
Virtual Sample Copy
Home pages of magazines and book publishers. Many have guidelines. Some have samples of the fiction they buy. It is most highly recommended to read a magazine, to really know what they publish, before you send in your stories.
Speculations magazine
Ask for a free sample; it will be market information. Follow links to other sources of market info (on paper and electronic); and to various other useful stuff.
John Labovitz's e-zine-list
Searchable database of 2700 E-zines. Including Fantasy.
Stef Jones' Market Page
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Among other things: A new section with warnings about dubious agents and publishers. Articles on writing and selling.
sff.net
Forums on, among other things, various aspects of writing. (Dan Goodman recommends the one on writer's block.) Forums run by various sff.net members -- who may include some of your favorite writers. Links to writers' home pages.
www.sff.net newsgroups (guest)
Northwest Science Fiction Resources
Information about conventions; resources for writers; links to fandom, to bookstores and to etc.
Lothlorien
Creative Writing Tips for Aspiring Authors of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.
Recommended links from the Mining Company
The Dragon Hawthorne
Some Quotes from fantasy and science fiction authors, about writing.
Bartlett's Quotations
Rutgers SF-Lovers archive
Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase
The Locus Index: Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Horror: 1984-1998
Writers and Their Copyright Holders
Background Briefing
Wonderfully informative site by Neil Weiner, and independent researcher and writer, sumarizing historic background on everything from the Balkans to the White House Staff. If everybody on TV is talking about Forensic Evidence and you don't know what that is, check Neil Weiner.
Ecola Newsstand
List compiled with the help of Dan Goodman and the members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy email workshop, sf-and-f@speakeasy.org.
To subscribe, send mail saying subscribe sf-and-f to majordomo@speakeasy.org.

Dan has lots more interesting stuff at his site. Check it out.

Other useful email lists:
Fantasy
To subscribe send the message subscribe Fantasy Your Name to listserv@chaosmanor.com
World-Building
Info and how to join
The Critters Writers Workshop
Newsgroups
rec.arts.sf.composition
In this context, "sf" means "speculative fiction" -- science fiction, fantasy, supernatural horror, etc.
rec.arts.sf.science
For discussion of science in speculative fiction -- already published (or shown), or yet to be written.
can.arts.sf
Canadian sf discussion.
aus.sf
Australian sf discussion.
fr.rec.arts.sf
French-language sf discussion.
The general writing newsgroups:
misc.writing
Largest, and worth reading for the FAQS (posted weekly) alone.
alt.writing
alt.skunks
soc.history.what-if
Discussion of alternate history.

If you have trouble accessing any of these newsgroups, try Google Groups.


Recommended Books

Conceiving the Heavens: creating the science fiction novel
(review at the publisher's site)
by Melissa Scott
ISBN 0-435-07008-8
1997, Heinemann
How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction
(short review at amazon.com)
edited by J.N. Williamson
ISBN 0-89879-270-3
1987, Writer's Digest Books
How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy
by Orson Scott Card
ISBN: 0898794161
1990, Writer's Digest Books (part of their "Genre Writing Series")
Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference
ISBN: 0898798663
1998, Writer's Digest Books
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer's Sourcebook
Where to Sell Your Manuscripts (2nd Ed)
(review at amazon.com)
edited by David H. Borcherding
ISBN: 0898797624
1996, Writer's Digest Books
Writing fantasy fiction
by Sarah Lefanu
ISBN: 0713642602
1996, A. & C. Black (London)
Tough Guide to Fantasyland
by Diana Wynne Jones
"a thorough and witty survey of the cliches"
How to Write Horror Fiction
by William F. Nolan
(Review at amazon.com)
ISBN 0-89879-442-0
1990, Writer's Digest Books (part of their "Genre Writing Series")
Writing Horror
edited by Mort Castle and Stanley Wiater
(Review at Writers Write, also an excellent resource site)
(More reviews at Amazon.com)
ISBN: 0898797985
1997, Writer's Digest Books
Writing horror fiction
Smith, Guy N. (Guy Newman)
ISBN: 0713643390
1996, A. & C. Black (London)
How to write and sell genre fiction : (romance, mystery, adventure, horror)
Frazier-DeLoach, Nora L.
ISBN: 0964050706
1994, Rotuma Pub. Co.
Dark thoughts, on writing : advice and commentary from fifty masters of fear and suspense
Includes bibliographical references
ISBN: 188742430X
1997, Underwood Books : Distributed by Publishers Group West
Check out more book references at
Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy
Writing Science Fiction -- the titles are a little hard to read against the background -- try with images off.
Recommended Reading for Writers
Vanessa Grant Writers Bookstore
The Writer's SpaceStation
Books and Articles on Writing Fantasy
misc.writing Recommended Reading List

and for anything else I missed

Dave's Somewhat Complete SF/F Writer's Internet Resources



Thalia's Fantasy Index

 

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