Just time for a quick recap of the week…
Oh, wait, I’m not John Oliver. Oops! But it’s Friday, and once again there’s no Writing Prompt Roundup…I’m on the fence about continuing those, because now my tumblr has plenty of content without a daily prompt response, and there’s tons of other things I could be doing with my Friday blog posts.
Today I’m sharing the online resources I find myself using over and over.
My favorite name site (first names): Magic Baby Names — You search for a name you like, or choose one from the list they start you with, and the site spits out similar names. Yesterday I was browsing for characters for the new project and wanted something like Rose, but not Rose…after a few tries I ended up naming my former head librarian Roxanne.
My favorite name site (last names): Behind the Name — An exhaustive surname site which can be browsed either by letter of the alphabet or by country/region of origin. Clicking on a name will bring up its history and notable figures who bore it (example: Abney).
My favorite concentration aid: Rainy Cafe — there are a lot of “sounds” sites similar to this, so there’s lots to choose from, but after trying several I like this the best. I usually just have the rain sounds on, which includes thunderstorms and mild traffic, but it’s balanced so beautifully even the thunder doesn’t pull me out of my writing trance. (Obviously not the best if you’re spooked by thunderstorms. I love them!)
And a few word lists: 100 Words for Facial Expressions, Alternatives for 30 Overused Words, and 500 Great Words for Writing Love Scenes.
What are your go-to online writing resources?
elena johansen 