My favorite free resources

[dollyt8]

Note: Many of these have paid tiers as well, but I haven't spent a dime on any of them. If I'm not supposed to share anything with subscription or paid options at all, let me know and I'll rework. Also, in case anyone is wondering, I have zero affiliation with any of these websites or resources in any capacity.

1. Scribophile.com - Scribophile is a place where you can get critiques for your stories in exchange for critiquing others. There's also a beta reader community and a forum, although the forum doesn't seem super active for the most part except a few specific groups. Scribophile sends out emails regularly with vetted submission calls for short story competitions and novel publishers, so it's really good for finding places to earn by your writing. There is a paid option that offers some benefits, but I don't use it.
2. Koalaquill.com - Koala Quill is one of my favorites right now. You get paid to write daily, and while it's not much (only $10 per month at the highest tier), you can earn extra by essentially betting against yourself to write a certain amount in a certain number of days. There is a paid subscription, but you don't actually have to spend any money to use the site. The site gives you some starter money that you can build into enough to pay out of your balance so you never have to share your payment info unless you're comfortable with it. There's also a subreddit for the community that was just recently created.
3. 4thewords.com - If you're dealing with writer's block, 4theWords can help you get started again. It turns writing into an RPG. Again, there's a paid tier, but you can use many features for free. I've stuck with the free version.
4. Trackbear.app - TrackBear is basically so you can track how much you write each day across dashboards and projects. It's completely free.
5. Storyfolk.ca - This site has some paid resources, but there's also a free beta reader community.
6. Typing.com - To increase your typing speed or learn to touch type if you're just starting out. You can learn for free and play games as well, though you can pay for some added features if you want. I've never felt a need to pay.
7. Shutupwrite.com - Shut Up & Write allows you to meet with other writers, either locally in person or online, to simply sit together and write in silence. Usually you'll have a brief opportunity before a meeting to say what you're working on and a brief opportunity afterwards to say how far you got.
8. pw.org - Poets & Writers has some extremely useful free resources, plus a paid membership if you want added benefits.
9. Storyforge.com - This site is fairly new but growing. Writers can share their work on the site and have a chance to be featured (for free) in an anthology of short stories. There are both free and paid resources available. Not a super active community just yet, but some decent opportunities for beginners.

If you have additional resources similar to these, I'd love to hear about them! I'm always looking for more useful options for writers.

 

[RSFinley]

These all look super useful! Thanks for sharing I'm defiantly going to be checking some of these out!

 

[dollyt8]

These all look super useful! Thanks for sharing I'm defiantly going to be checking some of these out!

Happy to share, and I hope they're helpful!

 

[pmmg]

Thanks for those

 

[pmmg]

I often recommend and speak highly of Scribophile, but in truth, I am not sure I will ever go back. That was the past for me.

 

[minta]

Thanks for sharing these, that’s helpful info!

 

[Sygan m]

Thank you!

 

[CupofJoe]

I find background noise helps me write.
I often use mynoise.net to help me focus.
Okay I can get lost in customising the sound so it is just right. But I've never needed a reason to procrastinate.

 

[xena]

Thanks!

 

[Zombified Spider]

Honestly, don't really recomend scribophile, It's hard to use and annoying.

 

[OneMerryWriter]

Thank you for these.

 

[Josh2Write]

Note: Many of these have paid tiers as well, but I haven't spent a dime on any of them. If I'm not supposed to share anything with subscription or paid options at all, let me know and I'll rework. Also, in case anyone is wondering, I have zero affiliation with any of these websites or resources in any capacity.

1. Scribophile.com - Scribophile is a place where you can get critiques for your stories in exchange for critiquing others. There's also a beta reader community and a forum, although the forum doesn't seem super active for the most part except a few specific groups. Scribophile sends out emails regularly with vetted submission calls for short story competitions and novel publishers, so it's really good for finding places to earn by your writing. There is a paid option that offers some benefits, but I don't use it.
2. Koalaquill.com - Koala Quill is one of my favorites right now. You get paid to write daily, and while it's not much (only $10 per month at the highest tier), you can earn extra by essentially betting against yourself to write a certain amount in a certain number of days. There is a paid subscription, but you don't actually have to spend any money to use the site. The site gives you some starter money that you can build into enough to pay out of your balance so you never have to share your payment info unless you're comfortable with it. There's also a subreddit for the community that was just recently created.
3. 4thewords.com - If you're dealing with writer's block, 4theWords can help you get started again. It turns writing into an RPG. Again, there's a paid tier, but you can use many features for free. I've stuck with the free version.
4. Trackbear.app - TrackBear is basically so you can track how much you write each day across dashboards and projects. It's completely free.
5. Storyfolk.ca - This site has some paid resources, but there's also a free beta reader community.
6. Typing.com - To increase your typing speed or learn to touch type if you're just starting out. You can learn for free and play games as well, though you can pay for some added features if you want. I've never felt a need to pay.
7. Shutupwrite.com - Shut Up & Write allows you to meet with other writers, either locally in person or online, to simply sit together and write in silence. Usually you'll have a brief opportunity before a meeting to say what you're working on and a brief opportunity afterwards to say how far you got.
8. pw.org - Poets & Writers has some extremely useful free resources, plus a paid membership if you want added benefits.
9. Storyforge.com - This site is fairly new but growing. Writers can share their work on the site and have a chance to be featured (for free) in an anthology of short stories. There are both free and paid resources available. Not a super active community just yet, but some decent opportunities for beginners.

If you have additional resources similar to these, I'd love to hear about them! I'm always looking for more useful options for writers.

I tried 4thewords. What even is it? What am I supposed to be doing? Please let me know, thanks

 

[dollyt8]

I tried 4thewords. What even is it? What am I supposed to be doing? Please let me know, thanks

It's an RPG in which you battle monsters and level up by writing words. The interface isn't great, but there are tutorials on the website. This should get you started: 4thewords Wiki

 

[Josh2Write]

It's an RPG in which you battle monsters and level up by writing words. The interface isn't great, but there are tutorials on the website. This should get you started: 4thewords Wiki

Thanks. I already signed up and I'm stuck slowly moving through it. It's a great idea, but yeah seriously it's not easy to navigate and with the timer every file is just a massive run on sentence, no way to stop for commas until you go over it. Any way to talk to the other players?...writers?...playters? Yeah playters, there we go.

 

[Josh2Write]

It's an RPG in which you battle monsters and level up by writing words. The interface isn't great, but there are tutorials on the website. This should get you started: 4thewords Wiki

If I need to later, how do I delete my profile there?

 

[dollyt8]

If I need to later, how do I delete my profile there?

I don't run the site. You should be able to find what you need on the Wiki.

Thanks. I already signed up and I'm stuck slowly moving through it. It's a great idea, but yeah seriously it's not easy to navigate and with the timer every file is just a massive run on sentence, no way to stop for commas until you go over it. Any way to talk to the other players?...writers?...playters? Yeah playters, there we go.

There's a community tab with forum, etc. on the left side of the main screen.

 

[Josh2Write]

I don't run the site. You should be able to find what you need on the Wiki.

There's a community tab with forum, etc. on the left side of the main screen.

K thanks

 

[pmmg]

Should have posted some of these a while ago, but...no time like the present...

Some I use and look for:

Word Hippo <--A thesaurus
The Free Online Dictionary <--It's just better than most
Urban Dictionary <--Cause sometimes you need the slang
Emotion Thesaurus <--is a good resource to escape bland description
Name Generator <--this one is quite exhaustive
Norse and other Titles <--a little hard to read. The one I originally used disappeared, so now I use this one.
Rhyming Zone <--cause sometimes you need a rhyme.

I hate to say, but Google and their AI bot is slowly taking away the need for any of these.

 

[skip.knox]

I just discovered this one: World Wide Words.
World Wide Words: Full index to World Wide Words

This site has been around since 1996 and is another survivor from back when this sort of thing was common. Heck, maybe it is still common, but such sites are so buried by the algorithms, they're impossible to find unless you stumble upon someone who knows someone.