Free Resources from Author Alton Gansky

I'm all about free resources. And when I stumble upon an author who shares what they've learned, I like to share those tips with you guys. 

You may not have heard of Alton Gansky. He's published dozens of novels and non-fiction books. He has co-written more. He runs his own writer's conference each year. 

One of the things Gansky offers is 'Writer's Talk' interviews. He chats with other authors, agents, and publishers, giving writers great information they might only get at writing conferences. Check out his YouTube channel for the complete list.

But that's not all Gansky provides. He offers a series of screencast videos where he explains how he uses certain software, and gives other tips for writers. I love his voice, and his calm, teaching manner. Here are a few I found interesting:

Google for Writers: several different Google applications that make a writer's life (and research) much easier. Do you use them?

Pitching Agents & Editors: how to pitch your project in a conference setting--great principles if you're gearing up for a pitch session!

Organize your novel: Gansky explains how to use a free online application called Trello to keep track of your novel's details and structure.

What are page proofs? What writers can expect when they receive page proofs (also called galleys) and what to do with them.

Manuscript formatting: How to format your manuscript in standard form before sending it off to an agent or editor.

Tight Writing: helping writers to look for what clutters manuscripts and invites rejection. Have you ever heard of 'pleonasm'? You'll want to watch for it in your writing.

Kindle Singles: for writers with shorter works, great information on the hows & whys of loading them onto Amazon, and he also demonstrates another platform called Atavist, where readers can choose to read or listen to the book.

What authors do you rely on for writing information?

How to Describe Your Characters Well

After talking about dialogue last week, here's a reminder about character's looks.

Writing a novel is hard enough without having to invent your character's features. Some things are hard to make up. Take the guy to your left. His name is Torbar. He's a Croatian peddler in the middle ages ('Torbar' is the Croatian word for peddler, by the way--creative naming on my part, right?).

I found this guy on a photo-sharing site, doing a search for 'Croatia' and 'old man'. I love how one of his eyebrows curves normally, while the other is shaped like the letter 's'. If you cover one side of his face, he looks sleepy, but if you cover the other side, he appears stern. These are details I would never have come up with on my own.

Of course, I had to describe the rest of him, too. The wonderful internet came into play again when I spent a relaxing hour perusing the image files at the New York Public Library. I was thrilled to discover a series of drawings detailing the costumes of fifteenth century Croatians, from peasants to soldiers. And in the middle of it all was a Croatian merchant.

The internet is a fantastic place to inspire character descriptions. Some writers peruse the head shots of modeling agencies. I might do that if I was writing a romance, but I don't want my characters to look perfect. I want my characters to have some character.

So here are a few resources to help you get inspired. You may want to bookmark the page, since I'll be adding resources as I find them.

There's a huge amount of stock photography sites out there. While it's not the biggest, I'm partial to Stock.xchng, because the photos are free. I usually find just what I need.

Photo-sharing sites are another place to check. Websites like Flikr and Photobucket are just two spots to start with. And don't forget about Google Images. Do a Google search like usual, and then click the 'images' button on the side. You'll be amazed at what you come up with.

I've done searches for 'eyes' and 'hairstyles'. There's even a blog by a guy who is growing (and documenting) every conceivable beard type! If you need it, it's probably out there.

How do you come up with character descriptions? Any resources we should know about?

WordHippo

It's nice to start the year with the resources you need for the writing you want to do. Word Hippo is one of the resources writers can turn to for all kinds of information.

A quick visit to Word Hippo will answer the following questions:

What's another word for ____?
A thesaurus is a huge help for writers. How many times have you edited a passage and found you've used the same word over and over? Though we operate in a world of words, sometimes our brain only generates the generic ones.

What's the opposite of ____?
Yes, you can say what you mean. But sometimes (oops, used that above!) occasionally it's interesting to come at an idea from the other end of the spectrum. Instead of letting your character go on about what she loves, why not have her list the things she hates?

What's the translation for ____?
I've found this to be really helpful, since my novel takes place in Croatia. I translate all kinds of words so my characters have names that have a connection to who they are or what they do.

What words start with ____?
Alliteration can be a powerful writing tool (in moderation, of course). The tool on Word Hippo is searchable in several ways. You can find words that begin with, end with, or contain a certain letter or letters. The results are customizable so users can specify how many letters long they want their results. I imagine poets (and those who write rhyming picture books) could make use of this feature.

Find sentences with the word ____?
Sometimes you think of the perfect word, but you might not feel comfortable using it in context. Use this aspect of Word Hippo to see how others have used the word around the web. It might inspire you, especially for words you're not familiar with.

Find words that rhyme with ____?
Like the alliteration feature above, this one might appeal to poets and writers of rhyme. The results are grouped by syllables.

Find the tense of ____?
This aspect takes the guesswork out of finding the plural or singular of a word. It also identifies the past or present tense. If I ever have to take my present tense novel and rewrite it in past tense, I'm sure this would be helpful.

Pronounce the word ____?
Most writers grew up as huge readers, and as a result, have quite a big vocabulary. However, one of the drawbacks is that we sometimes imagine a pronunciation that's not quite right. I've had more than a few embarrassing moments as a result! This feature will say the word out loud for you as many times as you need.

What's the meaning of the word ____?
Most of us have a dictionary function in our word processing program, but Word Hippo has a great definition feature, along with all the rest.

Do you have any reference websites you've bookmarked? Let us know in the comments.

Researching Your Novel With Maps

Some of us write historical fiction, while others, like myself, write fantasy set in historical places. Still others write contemporary fiction, or stories set in the near future. No matter where your story is set (unless it's in a completely fabricated place, current or historical maps can mean a great deal in how well you describe the storyworld for your reader.

By strange circumstances, I decided to set my current novel in medieval Croatia--an unbelievably beautiful place that I must visit before I die. In order to learn more about the area in which I'm setting my story, I've used a few different tools.

Google Earth was my first stop. If you've never tried it, this software visually flies you around the world to the place you've selected. You can then zoom in fairly closely, depending on the satellite photos available for the area. Try your own address for a bird's-eye view of your neighborhood.

Google Maps will give you a map of the area you're researching. Click on the little man icon on the zoom bar, and you can place him on any street. If photos have been taken on street-level, you'll be able to "walk" along the street, looking around like any other pedestrian. This is a great tool to use if you have a novel set in say, San Francisco, but you don't have the money to actually visit.

For historical maps, I've discovered an excellent site, The David Rumsey Map Collection . Here, you can view over 21,000 historical maps from around the world. Due to the sophisticated scanning technology used, you can blow them up and drag them around to view them in great detail. The maps of your choice can be purchased, as well, but there is no charge for viewing these incredible documents.

Many universities and other organizations have online map collections. Here are a few I've found:

• MyTopo : a collection of historic USGS topographic maps, organized by state.
• University of Texas Libraries : historical maps of the world.
• Humboldt State University Library : links to many map collections.
• About.com : links to map collections, including rare panoramic maps of historic US cities, railroad maps, even concetration camp maps.
• University of Georgia : more than 1,000 maps from the sixteenth through the early twentieth century.
• University of Alabama : US and world maps, including coastal navigation charts, railroad maps and maps relatinto to national forests and Native Americans.
• Map History/History of Cartography : images of early maps online.

Though I'd love to travel to a hundred of these places, I'm content for now, to let my fingers do the clicking. Where do you want to travel for your novel's research?

How to Write Fight Scenes

Let's face it. Conflict abounds in the world. Whether your world is a faraway planet's moon, a medieval dungeon, or the coffee shop around the corner. And many conflicts escalate into fists and weapons. 

But you, the writer, might be the most peace-loving, conflict-avoiding, petal-tossing person around. You've never hefted a sword, pulled a trigger, or gripped a grenade. It's hard to write what you know, when you don't know much.

Last year at a writing conference I took a workshop where the instructor demonstrated a variety of fighting techniques. You might want to join some classes, if hands-on and visual learning is more helpful to you.

For the rest of us, in the interest of writing our fight scenes more realistically, here are some links I've gathered to help your conflict sound more convincing.

Award-winning fantasy author Jill Williamson has written several posts on this.

Editing the action scene: 7 ways to make it stronger

Writing the action/fight scene: 3 questions to ask yourself

And specific for fantasy writers: The Wizard's Duel: considerations for magical figthing

Writing.com points out the need to watch your sentence length during fight scenes.

Marilynn Byerly posted a comprehensive guide to fight scenes and how to map them out before writing.

To avoid repetition in fight scenes, FictionPress lays out a list of synonyms to use in fight scenes.

You might also want a copy of Randy Ingermanson's 24-page PDF guide to writing fight scenes.

And Marg McAllister helps writers answer the question: Do your fight scenes pack a punch?

If you need more visuals, check out this YouTube video from Alan Baxter, a speculative fiction and thriller writer with 25 years experience as a martial arts instructor. A quick search on YouTube will bring up many more videos for all genres of writing.

How do you write fight scenes? Do you act them out yourself? Watch videos? Read written scenes?

How Picture Book Writers Can Read and Give

All of us have favorite picture books from our childhood. Two of mine are Ferdinand the Bull and Flat Stanley. Oh, and Tikki Tikki Tembo. I could go on. Really.

Though I'm not a picture book author, I know many of you are. It's not easy to keep up with the market trends unless you have a great local library, or lots of money. 

One way to be aware of new books on the market is to sign up for Any New Books, a service that lets you know new titles being released. But to be able to read the books themselves, We Give Books is the place to go.

We Give Books is a site dedicated to giving books to children in need. They offer books that can be read online, and for each book read, they donate to one of the many organizations of the reader's choice. You'll find current books, and classic books. Remember Courduroy?

While browsing, I discovered a new favorite. Make sure you check out the SkippyJon Jones series, featuring an intrepid Siamese cat. I laughed out loud. It's a fun way to research your genre, and feel generous at the same time. 

How do you keep up with picture books?

How Pinteresting! Pinterest for Writers.

Writers write. But in this day and age, writers sometimes feel they're sucked into a black hole of social media. It seems every time you turn around there's another site that promises to be the solution to all your marketing dilemmas.

I've toyed around with the idea of Pinterest, but I haven't yet taken the plunge. I'm worried that I'll be sucked into another time waster. So when agent Rachelle Gardner wrote a couple posts about the benefits of Pinterest for writers, I paid attention. 

I did a little searching around the web, and I'm coming around to the idea that Pinterest could be a useful addition to my social media arsenal. I figured I'd share what I found, since I may not be the only one pondering "pinning".

Rachelle Gardner wrote two posts about Pinterest:

13 Things Writers Should Know: this includes some compelling reasons for considering Pinterest

Ten Tips for Authors Using Pinterest: a list of ways to use the site, and a link to frequently-asked questions about Pinterest

If you're looking for a nitty-gritty explanation of how to use Pinterest, consider downloading the free ebook How to Use Pinterest for Business from Hubspot. Though it's not just for writers, it has a lot of information on how to grow followers and why Pinterest makes sense for business.

And a few more posts to help you think it through:

Allena Tapia lists ten creative ways to use Pinterest (and describes the site really well, too)

Susan Johnston highlights four authors and how they use Pinterest to its best advantage.

Christina Farley has collected a list of Pinterest boards that relate to publishing (like agents and the books they represent).

I really like the idea of using Pinterest to research inspirational photos for my novels. Since I already collect images for characters, costumes, and setting, I imagine one day my readers might like to see the photos that brought the novel to life.

What about you? How do you use (or envision using) bulletin boards like Pinterest?

Six Free Tools to Help You Write Your Best Novel Ever

We're slowly getting better at my house. Thanks to all of you for your sweet words. Here's a reminder about a fantastic resource many of you may have missed. Happy writing!

I've found the coolest resource over at The Bookshelf Muse. Every Thursday Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman add an entry to either the Emotion Thesaurus, the Setting Thesaurus, the Symbolism Thesaurus, the Color, Shape, & Texture Thesaurus, the Weather Thesaurus, and the Character Trait Thesaurus.

This collection, which is constantly expanding, is the place to turn when you need a fresh way to describe your characters or setting. The introduction gives you some great reasons to bookmark the page.

The Emotion Thesaurus. In my novel, one of my characters is a spoiled princess (hey, if you've had a curse hanging over you all you life, I'm sure everyone would treat you with kid gloves). Sometimes I run out of ways to describe her condescension. Enter the Emotion Thesaurus. I clicked on the link for Haughty/Smug/Superior, and found thirty-four different ways to show this specific character emotion. So far, there are fifty-six different emotions on the list.

The Setting Thesaurus. No matter whether your setting is a space ship or a subway station, a  pirate ship or a pool hall, the authors have you covered with the Setting Thesaurus. There are ninety-one settings to choose from. Planning a scene in a medieval castle armory? Don't worry. Clicking the link will take you to the page where an armory is described with all the five senses. Exactly what you need.

The Symbolism Thesaurus. Symbolism is a way authors can infuse their novels with meaning, keeping readers thinking about the story long after they've turned the last page. The Symbolism Thesaurus lists forty-four different examples, like coming of age or sacrifice. Each entry lists ways to show the symbolism through nature or society.

The Colors, Shape, & Texture Thesaurus. At first, I didn't think I'd need the Color, Shape, & Texture Thesaurus, but once I checked out some of the several dozen entries, I changed my mind. The texture and shape entries give both natural and man-made examples of words like crumbly or spiral, and include synonyms and examples. Color words, like blue, give lists of blue things in light, medium, and dark, and also share shades of the color.

The Weather & Earthly Phenomena Thesaurus. Weather can be such a huge part of a novel's setting, and these bloggers remind us that weather can also play into, or reflect a character's mood or the level of tension. There are over three dozen weather descriptions, like drought, sandstorm, vortex, mirage, and even air pollution. Just browsing the list may give you some ideas.

The Character Trait Thesaurus. This is the newest list on the site, though it already has over thirty entries. Whether you want your character to be manipulative or modest, a worry wart or wounded, the character traits will help you describe your character realistically. I like how each entry lists cliches to avoid with that character trait. You'll also find hints on ways to twist the character trait, and conflicting characteristics to make this particular trait more interesting.

This site is already on my bookmark list for research tools, along with the visual thesaurus. Have you found any sites that are particularly helpful to you?

Undressing Your Character: Historical Fiction Resources

Short of hopping in the police box with Doctor Who, it's not always easy to dress your characters. Especially when they dressed in layers. You might find drawings of period costumes, but understanding what lies beneath can be difficult to determine.

Fortunately, there are historians and authors who generously share the research they've already done.

First up is author Deanne Gist, who ordered up a complete Victorian outfit. She conducts workshops at writing conferences where she starts out in her underwear and demonstrates the lengths women went through to look their best. The video and slideshow reveal why a ladies maid was a necessity, and drive home the fact that bodice-ripping love scenes are not accurate.

Keep up with the posts on the blog History Undressed to find details about historical attire from many different eras.

History Hoydens is a group blog that covers lots of details from historical periods.

Costumes and the requisite props, like parasols, fans, and gloves, played a big part in flirtation and communication. Check out some of the inventive dating rituals of Victorian times.

Author Kalen Hughes goes into great detail about undergarments from a variety of periods, and includes a helpful handout with lists of movies to view that give readers a better idea of authentic costumes.

Want more? Check out these links:

The Fashion History of Undergarments, Facts about European Underwear (including surprising details on how women dealt with--or didn't deal with--their menstrual cycles)

200 years of underwear history

An overview of underwear

The Ladies Emporium--where you can buy your own historical undergarments

Hopefully, some of these resources will help to make your historical fiction more accurate and realistic to read. Will your characters be dealing with undergarments?

Too Many Books/Not Enough Books?

Writers are readers. It's no surprise to writers' homes and offices packed with shelves loaded with books. Stacked on the floor, squeezed into every nook and cranny. But the owners of these libraries would invariably admit their collection is not complete. 

New books are published all the time. That favorite novel just came out in paperback. There's always 'a few more' needed. The trouble is, books cost money. And they take up room.

Enter a new solution: swap the ones you don't need for the ones you do. There are at least two services that allow book lovers to do this. BookMooch and PaperBackSwap. Both sites let users post the books they have. When another user wants that book, you send it to them via Media Mail, which is quite inexpensive. Each book you send out garners points that can be used to request books from others. You only pay postage for the books you send, not the ones you receive.

If you need an inexpensive way to fill your shelves and weed them at the same time, these sites may be your solution.

What makes you decide to get rid of a book on your shelves? Is it whether you liked it or not? Whether you actually read it?

Judge a Book by Its Cover

One of the best things about browsing in a bookstore is letting my eyes roam the different covers. Some make me want to read the back cover, while others leave me cold. For those of us who hope to see our books in print, book covers are something to start thinking about, even if publication seems a long way off. And if self-publishing is in your future, you definitely want to make sure your cover looks as professional as possible.

Besides strolling the aisles of your local bookstore (which I hope you do, but it's becoming harder as more stores close), I found a site that will let your fingers walk you through thousands of book covers--without having to pull them off the shelf. It's called The Book Cover Archive.

This site allows readers to peruse book covers randomly, or by designers, titles, authors, art directors, photographers, illustrators, genres, publication date, publishers, and even typefaces. It's an easy way to get ideas, or to narrow down the type of covers that appeal to you or turn you off. If you end up traditionally published, you may not have a lot of control of your cover decisions, but the publisher might ask for your ideas. Here's how to collect some:

1. Use the 'screen capture' feature on your computer. When you see book covers online that strike you, take a shot of them and keep them in a folder on your hard drive. If you saw a cover in a bookstore, note the title (or buy the book!) and search for it once you get home.
2. Collect photos of people and places and objects that relate to your story. This is something writers should do anyway, as visuals help in the writing process, but they can also jumpstart cover ideas. Remember, you won't be able to use these actual photos on your cover unless you purchased them, or took them yourself. But when it's time for your cover, you can show them to a photographer or cover artist to give them an idea of what you want.
3. Likewise, collect examples of fonts that seem like a good fit for your genre. You can snag them with a screen capture, or cut words from magazines.
4. Play with color schemes that match your manuscript's mood. If you're computer-savvy, you can try a graphic design software. For the less technical, try scrapbooking websites, or the good old-fashioned cut and paste method.

Any more ideas on building your own book cover? 

Note: C. Hope Clark has an excellent post about When a Cover Misrepresents. She includes some excellent ideas for authors seeking cover artists. 

Useful Tool for Contemporary & Urban Fiction Writers: The Urban Dictionary.

 Stand still long enough, and you'll be a witness to the constant change in the English language. Like water in a rushing river, it constantly swerves around rocks and fallen trees, creating new currents and eddies. If you're a writer of contemporary fiction, or urban fantasy, it's important to keep up with current slang and terminology.

So one of the tools to keep handy is the Urban Dictionary. Created and maintained by users of urban terminology, it's a fluid dictionary that is constantly expanded and redefined.

Contributors supply a word, its definition, and use it in a sentence. Readers rate the content by clicking on "thumbs up" or "thumbs down", depending on whether they agree with the use of the word.

Readers can sign up for a new word each day sent to their email. The archives are searchable alphabetically at the top of the web page. You can also search by images or, interestingly, by sounds.  Use the search box to look up any topic, or even look up a particular city, to find out what people are saying about it. Note: Be prepared to see quite a few misspellings on the site.

Here are a couple of definitions from the site you might enjoy:

Googleheimer's The condition where you think of something you want to Google, but by the time you get to your computer, you have forgotten what it was.

Writer's crap Derived from 'writer's cramp', writer's crap refers to a stage when one is only capable of writing utter crap.

Textually Frustrated When texting with someone over IM or SMS that takes too long to reply, leaving you waiting and frustrated.

Retard in aluminum foil  What a lady's knight in shining armor becomes when she really gets to know him.

Maybe we need a site like this just for writers? Have you got a good definition for something?

Need Help Researching Your Book? It's Time to Bring in the Experts

Wouldn't it be nice to have an expert on speed-dial? Someone to call when the realization hits that you don't know everything?

With the magic of the internet, an expert is just a click away. Say you're writing a novel where the characters head out on an African safari, and you're stuck in New Jersey. An expert can help with that.

If it's a science fiction novel, you may be fuzzy on string theory or interplanetary travel. There are scientists who'd like to help.

Even freelance writers can benefit. Maybe that article on separation anxiety needs a sound byte from a professional. All you have to do is ask.

I've collected some links to sites that will help answer all those questions and more. 

Help A Reporter Out (HARO) 

This site was started by a journalist who was blessed with lots of contacts. The downside was that so many people contacted him to ask for referrals to experts, it became too time consuming. He started the site to connect writers with experts. You can ask for expert advice, or even become one of the more than 100,000 experts. Top media outlets use this free service.

ProfNet 

This website is a collection of professional communicators, from researchers to analysts to government officials. Users can search over 30,000 professional profiles to find the expert they want to contact.

All Experts

Another site, boasting thousands of experts on a wide range of topics. Need someone well-versed in geography, decorating, or cartooning? They're here.

Library Spot

Here, you'll find as series of links to other sites with professionals of all varieties. Did you know you could ask your word questions directly to the Oxford dictionary folks?

Ref Desk

This site is similar to Library Spot, but with different links. Check out connections to attorneys, musicians, even specialists in etiquette.

These sites are just a start--the internet is a huge place. Do you have any go-to resources for research?

Free Resources from the New York Public Library: Get Them No Matter Where You Are

During this week's spring break, I'm writing furiously. This post is an earlier one--and probably the most popular--that many new readers may have missed.

 We all know that libraries are undervalued. But did you ever consider that you might be missing out on what's available on your library's website? Turns out, similar to the dusty research section few of us frequent, there are huge amounts of undiscovered, free information just waiting for writers looking for inspiration.

And it's free.

The best part, is that you can browse a library website located thousands of miles away, taking advantage of the information they offer. Occasionally, you'll find some access restricted to local library members (meaning you'd have to type in your library card number), but if you really need that information, some libraries don't mind giving library cards to non-locals. Or your local library might be able to obtain access for you. Just ask.

I grew up in New York City. But it wasn't until last year that I actually set foot in the New York Public Library. Back in January 2010, I had a wonderful time wandering the halls of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. You know, the building where they filmed Ghostbusters. The soaring painted ceilings, carved woodwork, and sheer size of the place were breathtaking.

So I figured their website had to be amazing.

It was. This blog post almost didn't get written. I got so absorbed in the wonderful collections at the NYPL, that time got away from me. Happily, I ended up with a few dozen historical images that will be instrumental in finishing my manuscript.

The home page of the NYPL is deceptive, with only a few links to click on. I'll give you the highlights to save you some time.

If you click Find Books, Dvds & More, you'll get to choose from Articles and Databases, ebooks, digital Images & More, Collections, and Recommendations.

I spent a little time in Articles & Databases. I did a search for English and American Literature. One of the great sites that came up is a database called the Jane Austen Info Page. On it you can find links to all her novels, plus her minor works. Another intriguing site that I found is the Victorian Women Writers Project. This is a site where Victorian women authors' work is transcribed onto the internet.

You can also search journal articles, browse the special collections and archival materials, check on their ebooks, audio books and digital images, and fill out an interlibrary loan form if there's something you must see in person.

Not sure where to begin? Try clicking on Places to Start Your Research. 

The Digital Gallery alone has three-quarters of a million images, from illuminated maps to vintage posters. I could spend a few days in that collection alone. Historical research, anyone?

I didn't have much time left to explore Blogs, Videos and Publications. The library hosts its own blog, prints numerous publications, and has a surprising number of audio, video and digital projects. 

If you have a specific question, or need help with research, there are specialized librarians waiting to assist you. Go to Ask NYPL.

I'm sure I barely scratched the surface of what's available. But I'm glad I took some time to virtually browse on a rainy afternoon. I'm curious. What's did you uncover?

Researching Your Novel With Maps

During this week's spring break, I'm writing furiously. This post is an earlier--and popular--one that many new readers may have missed.

Some of us write historical fiction, while others, like myself, write fantasy set in historical places. Still others write contemporary fiction, or stories set in the near future. No matter where your story is set (unless it's in a completely fabricated place, current or historical maps can mean a great deal in how well you describe the storyworld for your reader.

By strange circumstances, I decided to set my current novel in medieval Croatia--an unbelievably beautiful place that I must visit before I die. In order to learn more about the area in which I'm setting my story, I've used a few different tools.

Google Earth was my first stop. If you've never tried it, this software visually flies you around the world to the place you've selected. You can then zoom in fairly closely, depending on the satellite photos available for the area. Try your own address for a bird's-eye view of your neighborhood. Check here for my post on the cool tools in the latest version of Google Earth.

Google Maps will give you a layout of the area you're researching. Click on the little man icon on the zoom bar, and you can place him on any street. If photos have been taken on street-level, you'll be able to "walk" along the street, looking around like any other pedestrian. This is a great tool to use if you have a novel set in say, San Francisco, but you don't have the money to actually visit.

For historical maps, I've discovered an excellent site, The David Rumsey Map Collection . Here, you can view over 21,000 historical maps from around the world. Due to the sophisticated scanning technology used, you can blow them up and drag them around to view them in great detail. The maps of your choice can be purchased, as well, but there is no charge for viewing these incredible documents.

Many universities and other organizations have online map collections. Here are a few I've found:

• MyTopo : a collection of historic USGS topographic maps, organized by state.
• University of Texas Libraries : historical maps of the world.
• Humboldt State University Library : links to many map collections.
• About.com : links to map collections, including rare panoramic maps of historic US cities, railroad maps, even concentration camp maps.
• University of Georgia : more than 1,000 maps from the sixteenth through the early twentieth century.
• University of Alabama : US and world maps, including coastal navigation charts, railroad maps and maps relating to national forests and Native Americans.
• Map History/History of Cartography : images of early maps online.

Though I'd love to travel to a hundred of these places, I'm content for now, to let my fingers do the clicking. Where is your story set?

Take a Walk With Your Character: New Features on Google Earth

Church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio

I've just spent the last week walking the streets of Palermo, Sicily. I've been window shopping along the avenues, taking in the fabulous architecture of the churches and cathedrals, and checked out the view of the Mediterranean from the shore.

And I haven't spent a penny.

For that matter, I haven't left my chair. I've been researching my next novel, a historical fantasy set in this ancient Sicilian city. My time and budget won't allow me to jet off to the Mediterranean just now, so Google Earth is my best friend. And the latest version (Google Earth 6) has bells and whistles I never expected.

You may dismiss this post as irrelevant, since you write science fiction, or historical fiction, or perhaps a tale set at the bottom of the ocean. Perhaps your story has fantastical buildings you'd never find on this planet. Don't click away yet. Google Earth has something for you, too.

First of all, Google Earth is a free download, so it's worthwhile to play around with until you decide if it's helpful to you. When it opens, a box will pop up with "start up tips". Don't close this box. It's your personal tour of the amazing tools just waiting to inspire you. Here's what I've had fun playing with so far.

Time Slider. Let's say your novel is set on the slopes of Mount Everest. You'll have Google Earth "fly" you to your location, but maybe your character is trapped on the mountain, watching the sun getting lower, and pondering his chances of survival. Never having been to Mount Everest, you may be at a loss as to how the sun sets (or rises) in relation to the mountain. Just use the time slider to watch dusk, dawn, shadows on the slopes--whatever you need.

Explore the Moon. Believe it or not, you, too, can land on the moon! Tour the landing sites of astronauts, zoom in on 3D models of space craft, and even watch video of moon landings.

Build your own city. Google Earth allows users to design their own buildings with Building Maker. You can place your creations anywhere on the planet. Maybe you're writing a dystopian novel set in a desert, and you can't find the buildings you've imagined. Create them yourself, set them in the Sahara, and you can "fly through" your imaginary city.

Don't forget the trees. The latest version of Google Earth has mapped out the location of specific trees in certain areas of the planet. You can even fly to the Amazon and "walk" through the rainforest, noting the particular trees all around you.

Time Travel. Let's say your novel is set in 1900s San Francisco. Once you "fly" to the location, if there are historical maps available for the area you choose, they'll be indicated by a historical imagery button. You can slide from the present all the way back through images of various time periods, even "walking the streets" of a particular era. This is amazingly helpful for historical fiction.

Are oceans your thing? Google Earth lets you fly over any ocean, or if you prefer, you can fly beneath the oceans surface, exploring the terrain at the bottom of the sea. A fantastic resource if you write about submarine travel, or imagine a civilization on the ocean floor.

Google Earth has much more that I haven't played with yet, but it's a great (and cheap!) resource for writers working to make their settings come alive.

Would Google Earth help you with your storyworld?

Four Tools to Help You Write Your Novel

I've found the coolest resource over at The Bookshelf Muse. Every Thursday they add an entry to either the Emotion Thesaurus, the Setting Thesaurus, the Symbolism Thesaurus, or the Color, Shape, & Texture Thesaurus.

This collection, which is constantly expanding, is the place to turn when you need a fresh way to describe your characters or setting. The introduction gives you some great reasons to bookmark the page.

The Emotion Thesaurus. In my novel, one of my characters is a spoiled princess (hey, if you've had a curse hanging over you all you life, I'm sure everyone would treat you with kid gloves). Sometimes I run out of ways to describe her condescension. Enter the Emotion Thesaurus. I clicked on the link for Haughty/Smug/Superior, and found thirty-four different ways to show this specific character emotion. So far, there are fifty-six different emotions on the list.

The Setting Thesaurus. No matter whether your setting is a space ship or a subway station, a  pirate ship or a pool hall, the authors have you covered with the Setting Thesaurus. There are ninety-one settings to choose from. Planning a scene in a medieval castle armory? Don't worry. Clicking the link will take you to the page where an armory is described with all the five senses. Exactly what you need.

The Symbolism Thesaurus. Symbolism is a way authors can infuse their novels with meaning, keeping readers thinking about the story long after they've turned the last page. The Symbolism Thesaurus lists twenty-five different examples, like coming of age or sacrifice. Each entry lists ways to show the symbolism through nature or society.

The Colors, Shape, & Texture Thesaurus. At first, I didn't think I'd need the Color, Shape, & Texture Thesaurus, but once I checked out some of the forty-four entries, I changed my mind. The texture and shape entries give both natural and man-made examples of words like crumbly or spiral, and include synonyms and examples. Color words, like blue, give lists of blue things in light, medium, and dark, and also share shades of the color.

This site is already on my bookmark list for research tools, along with the visual thesaurus. Have you found any sites that are particularly helpful to you?

Research Links for Writers

You're starting a new novel, perhaps for NaNoWriMo, and it's time for a little research. Whether you're writing a historical, a fantasy, or a crime novel, there's a good chance some research will be involved. You'll find some sites by doing a search, but wouldn't it be nice if someone else had collected the links you need ahead of time? Let's face it. A few million search results takes time to comb through.

I've done a little strolling around the virtual world to find who has done exactly that. I hope you've got more sites to add to the list. If so, leave a link in the comments.

Research Links for Writers. This site is an amazing collection of resources for writers of many genres. There are links for writers of the old West and the new West, the Middle Ages, the Civil War, and the Regency era. You'll find a list of websites describing medicine, old and new. For the paranormal writers, there are resources about vampires, witches and werewolves. Do you need to know about historical modes of transportation, or ancient contraceptives? This site has the sources, and much more.

Happily Ever After. This site contains links similar to the one above, but also has lists for writers of crime fiction, and colonial and Revolutionary War history. There are also sites that deal with science and technology for the sci-fi writer.

Internet-Resources.com. This site will mainly be of interest to those writing historical fiction, but writers of other genres will find links to some fascinating calendars and almanacs. Another page on the site contains links for sci-fi and fantasy, horror, crime/mystery, and romance.

Writer2Writer. Heavy on links for mystery writers of historical periods, this site links to a name generator, and has fascinating timelines for different countries, including a military history timeline. You'll also find a website where you can connect with a professor in a particular field, and a spot to discover how anything works.

The Romance Author's Page. Despite its name, since romance writers pen stories in every genre, writers will find a goldmine on this site. Astrology, weather, mythology, diseases. It's all here. You'll find some more excellent sources on the Virginia Romance Writers page.

WritersWrite. For the history buffs, this site not only gives links, but helpful suggestions for writing a historical. Also, check out Writer's World, for further explanation, and links to libraries in other countries.

Where the Map Ends. Tons of resources for writers of fantasy and sci-fi from writer and teacher Jeff Gerke.

Any sites you'd like to add to the list? Go ahead and leave a comment.

How Many Books Do You Need?

If your answer is "just a few more", then listen up. For the next several weeks, you can download 3.5 million ebooks--for free.

The World eBook Fair has been going on for several years, and this, their fifth is the biggest year yet. The open access to the books began on July 4th, 2010, and runs until Agust 4, 2010.

So it's time to start browsing.

The books offered by the fair have been contributed by more than one hundred eLibraries worldwide. The largest collections include:
2,324,842 from The Internet Archive
750,000 from the World Public Library
250,000 from Wattpad
112,000 from  Project Gutenberg
62,000 from the International Music Score Library Project

Your first stop should be the collections page. There, you'll find an alphabetical list of specific collections offered, from childrens to chinese, military to medical, and poetry to prose. Fiction, Victorian literature, sheet music, and books from all kinds of cultures can be found.

If all that overwhelms you, simply go to the search page, and look for the kinds of books that make you smile.

Don't forget. The World eBook Fair ends on August 4th, so bookmark the page and do some browsing.

And if you need something to help you keep track of all your free books, check out Calibre. It's a free software download that helps you organize your ebooks. You can search for them in several ways, convert your own files into ebooks, and comes with a built-in book viewer so you can read different versions of ebooks.

Have fun!

Library Links: The New York Public Library

We all know that libraries are undervalued. But did you ever consider that you might be missing out on what's available on your library's website? Turns out, similar to the dusty research section few of us frequent, there are huge amounts of undiscovered, free information just waiting for writers looking for inspiration.

And it's free.

The best part, is that you can browse a library website located 1,000 miles away, taking advantage of the information they offer. Occasionally, you'll find some access restricted to local library members (meaning you'd have to type in your library card number), but if you really need that information, some libraries don't mind giving library cards to non-locals. Or your local library might be able to obtain access for you. Just ask.

I'm beginning a series where I'll highlight a different library website every two weeks. For this first time, being a native New Yorker, I chose the New York Public Library. Back in January I had a wonderful time wandering the halls of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. You know, the building where they filmed Ghostbusters. The soaring painted ceilings, carved woodwork, and sheer size of the place were breathtaking.

So I figured their website had to be amazing.

It was. This blog post almost didn't get written. I got so absorbed in the wonderful collections at the NYPL, that time got away from me. Happily, I ended up with a few dozen historical images that will be instrumental in finishing my manuscript.

The home page of the NYPL is deceptive, with only a few links to click on. I'll give you the highlights to save you some time.

If you click Find Books, Dvds & More, you'll get to choose from Articles and Databases, ebooks, digital Images & More, Collections, and Recommendations.

I spent a little time in Articles & Databases. I did a search for English and American Literature. One of the great sites that came up is a database called the Jane Austen Info Page. On it you can find links to all her novels, plus her minor works. Another intriguing site that I found is the Victorian Women Writers Project. This is a site where Victorian women authors' work is transcribed onto the internet.

You can also search journal articles, browse the special collections and archival materials, check on their ebooks, audio books and digital images, and fill out an interlibrary loan form if there's something you must see in person.


Not sure where to begin? Try clicking on Places to Start Your Research. 


The Digital Gallery alone has three-quarters of a million images, from illuminated maps to vintage posters. I could spend a few days in that collection alone. Historical research, anyone?


I didn't have much time left to explore Blogs, Videos and Publications. The library hosts its own blog, prints numerous publications, and has a surprising number of audio, video and digital projects. 


If you have a specific question, or need help with research, there are specialized librarians waiting to assist you. Go to Ask NYPL.


I'm sure I barely scratched the surface of what's available. But I'm glad I took some time to virtually browse on a rainy afternoon. What's waiting at your library?