Links
The internet is a great resource for writers; the right websites can provide information, inspiration, and connect us in a kind of grand global conversation.
Whether one is searching for ideas to assist in getting started on a project, hunting for images to enhance a work in progress, or seeking publication for a finished work, these links to various "literary" websites are a great place to start!
Links to free images and graphics programs
Links to sites for submitting work for publication
There are all kinds of sites for writers out there; some are legitimate and some seem questionable. Here is a small selection of reputable and helpful websites for writers:
Overall, a very good general resource. Be sure to check out their top 101 sites for writers!
A good site for reference material and research. Bartleby has dictionaries, books of quotations, a thesaurus and much, much more.
Critique circle is a kind of on-line writers' workshop where you can submit your work and critique the work of others.
www.creativewritingprompts.com
I love this simple, yet very useful site! A great source for inspiration when struggling with writers' block.
This e-zine publishes flash fiction, poetry, articles and book reviews.
Links to free images and graphics programs:
Images
Finding free digital images, and the graphics software to enhance them, can be a challenge for budding web designers and hypertext writers. Many so-called "free" graphics sites only offer subscriptions to their archives with a bonus "free" download--say once a month. Some sites, however, do offer free images, without requiring you to register or pay a subscription fee. Many only ask that you credit the source of the images and link back to their site--a pretty good deal, if you ask me! Here are some of my favorites:
This site offers a nice selection of free digital photographs for public use. There is no fee, and no need to register with the site unless you want to submit your own images to share.
This site also provides free digital images. If you use their pictures, don't forget to link back to the website!
I found a decent number of black and white line drawings on this site.
Easy to navigate, with simple, useful clipart for things like e-mail graphics, computers, etc...
Image Manipulation Software
In order to make the most of these images, you will need image manipulation software. Adobe Photoshop is considered the standard, but it tends to be pretty expensive. Photoshop Elements is a scaled-down version available at a much more reasonable price. A thirty-day trial version of Elements is available on Abobe's website. If you are looking for a good free graphics program, I highly recommend Gimp, which I use for all the images on this site. Gimp also has some really great-looking fonts and software for generating some simple buttons for your sites, as well. Click on the links below to:
Download a trial version of Elements for Windows
Download a trial version of Elements for Macintosh
Links to hypertext literature:
Experiencing hypertext literature is probably one of my favorite things to do on the web. Check out these sites for an eye-opening experience that will change the way you look at the emerging relationship between literature, visual art, and technology.
"Mother Does Not Know" by Jenn Guitart
"My Body: A Wunderkammer" by Shelley Jackson
"Twelve Blue" by Michael Joyce
Links to sites for submitting work for publication:
These sites include lists of writing competitions, articles, and information on getting one's work published.
Firstwriter.com also has a nifty search engine for identifying magazines that fit different niche markets, etc...
More links will be added soon!