13 websites that will make you a better writer

Aspiring writers often look to Hemingway for inspiration. He gave plenty of good advice. His notions are beautiful but not always practical. Most writers need extra help with creativity and focus.

Creative writers find endless advice on the internet. Read more, write more, drink more. It is familiar territory. Resources exist to help both amateur and professional writers. You might need a random generator for characters, an app for focus or creative exercises. These tools help overcome writer’s block and hone skills. Here are 13 online tools and websites to make you a better writer.

For more inspiration before starting a masterpiece, look at these words of wisdom about writing from American authors.

1. National Novel Writing Month

Check out NaNoWriMo if you dream of writing a novel. It helps you focus on finishing a book in a single month. The program begins every November 1st. Participants aim to finish a 50,000 word novel by the end of the month. It uses community interaction and gamification to keep you on task.

2. Protagonize

Protagonize is a place for collaborative fiction. The online community welcomes amateur writers. Users take part in various creative writing collaborations. The site originally focused on addventures, which are online fiction pieces with elements of Round Robin or Choose Your Own Adventure.

3. FreeMind

FreeMind is a free tool for mind mapping. It helps organize thoughts. Some writers prefer pen and paper. A digital mind mapping tool suits technically inclined people. Mind maps keep thoughts readable and store large amounts of information.

4. Seventh Sanctum

Seventh Sanctum offers random generators to start the creative process. It provides names for protagonists, monsters or taverns. The generators lean towards fantasy but work for other genres too.

5. I Need a Prompt

Practice makes perfect. Prompts provide inspiration. I Need a Prompt generates a quick prompt for you to write about. One click might task you with writing about an outgoing opera singer and a mailman.

6. Pinterest

Pinterest is not just for wedding planning. It helps writers visualize people, places and emotions. You can create albums for specific characters or chapters to help figure out the aim of a novel.

7. The Story Starter

The Story Starter helps those who do not know where to begin. This tool generates the first line of a creative writing project. A version for children also exists.

8. Character Questionnaire from Gotham Writers

Get to know your characters before writing. Gotham Writers provides questions to ponder from a character’s perspective. The page offers the Gotham Character Questionnaire and the Marcel Proust Character Questionnaire. They include questions about greatest fears to help explore a character’s mind.

9. Take Three Nouns

Take Three Nouns generates three unrelated nouns. You must weave them together in a piece of freewriting. Use six nouns for a bigger challenge.

10. Creative Writing Exercises from Language is a Virus

Language is a Virus has a collection of exercises. Options include using Google Translate, Twitter prompts or creating pastiche poems from found materials.

11. Creative Writing Exercises from Be a Better Writer

Be a Better Writer offers exercises to give the creative mind direction. These are intended for workshops but work for individuals too.

12. Write or Die

Some writers need a hard shove to stay focused. Write or Die provides that. The app uses negative reinforcement. Normal Mode plays an unpleasant sound when you stop writing. Kamikaze Mode deletes your work if you stop. It is effective for those who need pressure.

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13. TED Talks about Writing

TED Talks provide inspiration on many topics. The writing section features video presentations from well-known authors and creatives. You will likely find a video that sparks interest.

Decide which of these websites you will use. Share your favorite online tools for creative writing in the comments.