Think writing is easy? Not so much! Creative writing is one thing, but writing blogs, proposals and web copy for specific industries and institutions is another. One size does not fit all.
Check out a variety of writing blogs that help navigate highly exacting standards.
As writers and editors, it’s great to have a stash of go-to writing resources that cover the bases. Academic writing? Check! Journalism? Check! Screenwriting? Check! My favorites address the full spectrum of client needs—grammar, literary devices, and best practices in a world of words.
Below I share a few tried-and-true gems. Just click a link, and chances are you’ll find a few nuggets of wisdom too!
My Go-To Writing Blogs and Articles
- Grammar Girl
- The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
- Guide to Grammar and Writing
- Web English Teacher
- LiteraryDevices.net
My Favorite Style Guides and Glossaries
Digital Writing
- The Columbia Guide to Online Style (digital writing)
Find what you need in writing blogs, reference manuals, and more!
- Yoast SEO Copywriting (web copy)
- Content Style Guide (Hubspot)
- URLs vs. DOIs (OWL)
- Voice and Tone (Mailchimp)
- Grammar and Mechanics (Mailchimp)
- Blogging How-To’s (Hubspot)
- Writing for the Web | Usability.Gov
Business Writing
Proposal Writing
- A Guide to Proposal Writing
- Proposal Style Guide
- How to Prepare Government Contract Proposals – Small Business Administration
Legal Writing
- The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (legal)
- United States Courts Glossary of Legal Terms (Legal)
- Drafting Legal Documents
Real Estate
- The Real Estate Marketplace Glossary
- MLS Glossary
- Glossary of Real Estate Terms (Illinois Weslayan University)
Journalism
- The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage (journalism)
- The Wall Street Journal Guide to Business Style and Usage (journalism)
Book Manuscripts
Academic Writing
- MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (Modern Language Association of America)
- MLA Formatting and Style Guide (OWL)
- APA Formatting and Style Guide (OWL)
- Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA)
- APA Style Blog
- A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations
- Harvard Writing guides for disciplines or interdisciplinary programs
- Harvard Writing guides for specific courses
- Harvard Writing guides for specific genres of writing, such as senior theses
- Harvard Writing guides for General Education courses
Medical Writing
- American Medical Association Manual of Style
- Disability Style Guide
- Alzheimer’s Association Style Guide
Scriptwriting
Grant Writing
- Grant Writing | Grants.gov
- Grant Writing for Dummies Cheat Sheet
- Helping Those in Need: An Overview of the Federal Grants Process
- Grant Preparation Proposal Guide Style Guide
Writing Blogs and Online Resources For Federal Agencies
- U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual
Different strokes for different folks!
- Writing Principles | USAGov Platform Style Guide | USAGov
- Susan Doyle on Writing for Government : Public Sector Writing
- How to Get Federal Contracts for Writers and Editors
- Document Drafting Resources
- Document Drafting Handbook
- Incorporation by Reference Handbook
- The Plain Writing Act of 2010
- Federal Plain Language Guidelines
- National Writing Project
- National Archives and Records Administration