10 Best Websites for Writers

For the past 23 years, Writer’s Digest has published a list of 101 best websites for writers. The majority are for professional writers, but there are some great sites that benefit students and everyday writers. In addition, there are a few for readers. Following are my favorites from this list, many of which I use daily. I’ve arranged the list in alphabetical order because it’s too difficult to choose my absolute favorites.

1. Atlas Obscura
   Maps galore. Writers can find photos and descriptions of famous landmarks and hidden wonders in more than 2,000 cities around the world. A one-stop-shop for destination information—perfect for writers building settings.
2. Author Media
   Each week, I listen to Thomas Ulmstattd Jr.’s podcast on how to market books. I’ve discovered that writers don’t just write books, they also have to sell them. He delivers terrific advice through interviews with successful authors. If you’d rather read than listen, his blog is the same as his podcast.
3. Canva
   A user-friendly design platform with many free templates. You can create memes, book and report covers, posters, logos, presentations, flyers, and much more. If you purchase a subscription, the content is pretty much unlimited.
4. Diversity Style Guide
   This resource helps writers cover our complex, multicultural world with accuracy, authority, and sensitivity. The guide includes terms and phrases related to race/ethnicity; religion; sexual orientation; gender identity; age and generation; drugs and alcohol; and physical, mental, and cognitive disabilities.
5. Fight Write
   Carla Hoch, a martial arts expert, teaches writers how to craft believable fight scenes. Not only has she published a reference book, Fight Right, but she also posts regular blogs. I’ve heard her speak several times, and she’s offered me spot-on advice about how to best describe the injuries one of my characters sustained.
6. Getty Images
   Not only does Getty offer royalty-free stock images, but it hosts a library of historical photography and news reels that the curious can access at no cost. Writers can benefit by researching clothing from specific decades for character descriptions.
7. Helping Writers Become Authors
   K.M. Weiland’s website has been an annual staple on this list since 2007 for good reason. She’s posted more than 1,200 blogs on the craft of writing, and publishes a regular vlog, newsletter, and podcast. I highly recommend you take the time to also read her books. Creating Character Arcs is my favorite.
8. On This Day
   Type in a date and a robust list of historical events will pop up on your screen. This is useful to writers establishing timelines and rounding out settings. In addition, the website lists birthdays of famous people—great when referencing a public figure in a storyline.
9. Wattpad
   Here’s one for both readers and writers. It’s a storytelling platform where more than 90 million people spend 23 billion minutes a month engaged in reading or writing original stories. Writers can upload their manuscripts, chapter by chapter, and bookworms can read them for free. Great exposure for unpublished writers. What a win-win!
10. The Write Conversation
    The website is awesome, but the daily blog is a perfect five-minute way to boost your knowledge of the writing craft. A Christian author and editor, Edie Melson shares a wealth of experience in a practical, friendly manner. I subscribed several years ago after soaking in the take-homes from a presentation she delivered at a conference. 

A few of my go-to sites didn’t make the list. Check them out. You might like them as much as I do: Goodreads (connect with other readers and authors), the Storyteller Squad (join an online book club), Pixabay (download free images).

What websites do you find helpful as a writer or a reader?

Images by expresswriters and Peter Olexa from Pixabay.