UW-Madison Writer's Handbook: Generic writing tools to help you become a better writer.
Wyzant English Lessons and Help: Provides different options to improve writing... broken up into multiple categories, including: ESL (English as a Second Language), Etymology (the study of where words come from), Grammar, Punctuation, and just basic Writing Skills.
Dictionary.com: Use a dictionary or thesaurus, translate words, or look up quotes and other information on this multi-purpose site.
Symbols: Want to use symbolism in your writing or analyze it in a famous work? Symbols.com can help, with more than 1,600 articles about thousands of signs from Western cultural history.
Plagiarism, Bibliographies, and Citing Sources
Plagiarism 101: Gives advice on how to avoid plagiarism while writing.
Citing Sources: Learn how and why to cite your sources in this helpful guide from Duke University Library.
Cornell University Library: Gives tips on how to prepare/ write an annotated bibliography.
Common Errors: Confused about whether to use lie or lay? Use this site as a guide to help you avoid some of the most common mistakes in English usage.
Using ARMS and CUPS in Writing: Revising and Editing
Common Errors: Confused about whether to use lie or lay? Use this site as a guide to help you avoid some of the most common mistakes in English usage.
The Elements of Style: This classic book is offered up in its entirety on Bartleby.com so you can improve your writing without spending a dime.
Editor World: Get help turning a rough draft into a finished product from this professional proofreading and editing service.
Academic Edit: This site specializes in editing scholarly documents such as theses, dissertations, and Ph.D. statements, but they also branch out into resumes and technical reports.
Creative Writing Tools
The Writer's Alley: Lacking in inspiration? Pay this site a visit for a little lift, helping you stay on track with whatever you’re working on.
Mystery Writers of America: MWA is a great organization for crime writers, fans of the genre, and aspiring writers alike.
Fantasy-Writers.org: With news, a directory, writing challenges, and more, this site is a great resource for those who love to craft works of fantasy.
Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators: If you write, illustrate, or have an interest in children’s literature, this is the place to turn for help and services related to your work.
Rhyme Zone: Whether you’re writing poetry, songs, or something else entirely, you can get help rhyming words with this site.
Romance Writers of America: Those with a passion for romance writing should seriously consider looking to this group for resources, advocacy, and professional networking.
Short Stories: 10 Tips for Creative Writers: Need some basic tips on keeping your stories short but sweet? This guide from Jerz’s Literacy Weblog can be a big help with step-by-step instructions on the process.
Creativity Portal Prompts: Can’t think of anything to write about? This site provides useful prompts that can help get your creative juices flowing.
Writing Storage Tools
Google has created a tool that makes it easy to keep your documents, PowerPoints, spreadsheets, and other materials stored and organized online.
ZohoDocs: Zoho is another free word processing suite, and like Google Drive, it allows you to write and access your work from any computer with an Internet connection.