Where does a new writer go to learn?

So you don’t have the money for an MFA, and you probably don’t want one anyway, nor can you afford to go to cons and workshops, but you just don’t understand what all these people are talking about in your crits. But I thought I was writing in active voice!

It’s okay. There’s help for that. We’ve discussed a bit about podcasts, but now I want to tell you about some of the great blogs. Over the years, blogs have helped me not only understand better, but also explain better.

Here are some of the blogs that have been invaluable to me:

Author! Author!
Anne Mini, author, editor and crazy-detailed, in-depth, there’s-no-way-you-won’t-get-this, blogger of mechanics. She does entire series on subjects you really should get to know. You could spend months in her archives. Months, I tell you.

Write It Sideways
One of the first sites that I found that talked about filter words. You know, those words that you know you could do better with, but you aren’t really sure why or how or what it’s called…

Evil Editor
Because getting reamed has never been this fun.

Miss Snark
Closed up shop in 2007 but left for all to absorb. Probably one of the first websites I ever read on writing. Still one of the best. And snarky, too.

Grammar Girl
As I’ve said before, we all know why we need her.