Hi there!
It’s no secret that writers do a LOT of research, and I have a fair amount of books and websites that I use for everything from giving my characters good names, to learning more about writing, to describing fashion in my books. So I thought I would share the top five websites that I would be hard-pressed to live without as a writer. I will limit my list to general story-building and research because otherwise, I would never be able to weed down to five!
I absolutely hate naming my characters, to the point where most characters are designated as X, Y, Z, etc… until the second draft. But did you know that the SSA has a public list of the top 200 most popular names leading all the way back to the 1880s? Jackpot.
You know another annoying thing I need to do as a writer of historical fiction? Make sure the words I choose to use are period-accurate. Etymology is the study of words, and this website can help you place words in their first usages, as well as trace their origins. Telling me when, and where my words come from? Amazing.
This one is a little slightly bigger stretch… but Pinterest is actually a great source for all those odd little facts you can’t find in a simple internet search. From dialog prompts, to grammar tips, and breakdowns on how far you can travel in a day by different modes of transportation, not to mention funny memes… which all writers need, right? (This link specifically leads to my writing boards, but if you can’t find anything you like, there is a wealth of other information out there.) A place to find tons of helpful information, and relatable writer memes? Yes, please.
A free online library, filled with tons of books that can help you out in the information-grab of research. I use Internet Archive when I need to find historically accurate cookbooks, but there is so much more there as well! A library that you can access in 2020, sign me up.
Remember that thing I said about naming characters? Sometimes, I need a character name that is not strictly from the US and want it to mean something. Enter Behind the Name, an amazing source name for Etymology, need I say more?
So there you go, my top five websites for general research. I hope that this list was helpful to some other writer out there!
What are your favorite websites for research? Would you like to see a part 2?
Thanks for the read!
