Resource Post
Every writer (and cowriter!) needs a good stockpile of resources to function. Here are a few you may find useful. If you have any tools you'd like to share with the community, just comment on this post with a link and a little info about it!
Fanfiction Header Builder
Don't know HTML or are getting sick of hand coding all of your fic headers? Well, here you go! All fields are optional, and this generator's creator has thought of everything you could need.
Edit Minion
This site is a quick-and-dirty automated tool to find: oft-mispelled words, unneeded adverbs, weak words, Passive voice, excessive 'said' substitutions, sentences ending with prepositions, and cliches. Contains color-coding, counts and ratings. If you have a super-rough draft and you want to spot the weak spots (and fix them) before subjecting your beta to it, it's useful. It also generates a list of frequently-used words.
Garbl's Writing Resources
Online since Nov. 1, 1997, Garbl's Writing Resources Online features websites focusing on English grammar, concise writing, word play, the writing process, style and usage, words, plain language, action writing, creativity, and reference sources. You'll also find lists of websites on punctuation, overcoming writer's block, avoiding bias, spelling and vocabulary, and writing for the Web.
When to Use a Thesaurus
Moreso, this short artical warns against overusing the thesaurus, which is something that can easily be done.
Google Docs
This is, hands down, the best thing to happen to us collaborate-y types in a good long while. If you've never tried GDocs, here's a rundown: Two or more people can write in and edit the same document in realtime. There's an IM tab so you can converse while writing if you don't have an alternative, you do not need a Gmail to use it (just an email), and you can add comments that don't disrupt the flow of the actual document; you can also add people to the doc as readers, commenters only, or with full editing allowances.
The Evil Overlord Devises a Plot
Great lists on stupid plotting tricks, character cliches, and general cliches in writing and movies.
Character Questionnaires
One of the best ways to get to know your characters is to ask questions about them. Many writers do this as a kind of homework before they actually start writing a story. The more you know your characters, the fuller they will be. This might also make your story easier to write.
7 Rules for Writing Historical Fiction
Exactly what it sounds like! Long enough without being too long, with tons of good information.
Scifi & Fantasy Writing
Tons of in-depth info about-you guessed it!. Writing in the scifi and fantasy genres.
Writing Sex
In which the author, Steve Almond, offers 10 guiding principles to the would-be pornographers among you. This focuses on male/female sex scenes, but there's good advice in here for writers of any pairing. For male/male-specific tips, see the next entry on this list. For more explicitly detailed information, see the Alt.Sex FAQ and, if you're better with things shown to you rather than explained, there's always SexInfo101's sex positions guide (NSFW); its wording may be crude, but the animated 3D models take the guesswork out of where all those pesky limbs should go and how certain positions are actually possible.
Minotaur's Sex Tips for Slash Writers
Gay sex guide for fic writers written by someone who knows their shit-a gay man who read and wrote fic. This has pretty much everything, as well as an extensively large FAQ section built mostly around questions asked by writers. NSFW; explicit photos. This site is no longer updated as, sadly, Minotaur passed away a few years back.