Four Great Online Resources for Writers

If you want to improve your writing, then here’s a list of four great online resources that you should give a go. They cover topics ranging from basic stylistics to capturing creativity, and I think are important to anyone who wants to be a writer.

“What is Good Writing?” – The Open University

A brilliant introduction to essay writing, the OU suggests that it may take around twelve hours to go through the information on this site. It explains the importance of good writing, gives writers the basics of what makes good writing good and learn some basic technical and stylistic points that make good writing. The course is clearly written and easy to navigate, a must for anyone interested in improving their essay writing.

“The BBC News Guideline” – BBC

Written as a guide for BBC journalists, this is also appropriate for those who just want to improve their writing. The BBC suggests it should take around an hour to go through. This clear guide is an excellent resource covering everything you need to know to write, from basic sentence structure to using jargon. It’s clearly written, not too preachy and easy to navigate so it’s easy to go back to chapters if you want to check as you go along.

“English Grammar in Context” – The Open University

This course is brilliant if your grammar needs improving. It will take a bit longer to go through everything on the site than the first OU course, but it is a great resource nonetheless. It will help you understand the main differences between the rules of spoken and written English and what influences grammar and vocabulary. It’s clearly written and easy to navigate.

“Elizabeth Gilbert on Nurturing Creativity” – TED

In this video, author Elizabeth Gilbert discusses ideas that are expected of writers and suggests an alternative idea that we all have an element of genius within us. This inspirational video is brilliant if you’re feeling a bit low about your writing.