Don’t you just love looking things up? I do. For me the habit started when I was a kid in New Zealand. One day a travelling salesman knocked on our door. Dad answered and before the man could finish his spiel, Dad held up a hand to stop him: “We’ll take it.”
The poor salesman nearly fell out of his scuffed shoes because “it” was the 14th edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 23 leather-bound volumes of text and illustrations, and one volume containing the index and an atlas with a gazetteer. I never knew how Dad paid for this wondrous “survey of universal knowledge” (probably on the never-never) but from then on, there was always an extra place laid at the table for the current volume we were exploring at mealtimes.

Of all the illustrations, my favorites were (and still are) the mesmerizing, anatomically accurate cutaways of the human body. This photo is of my own edition, bought in 1992 on impulse from another door-to-door salesman to replace Dad’s edition, which I’d had to leave behind when I left New Zealand
But my favorite volume had to be the atlas. I loved pouring over the maps and dreaming of journeys I’d make when I grew up. By the way, did you know that pre-LOTR New Zealand was virtually unknown in the rest of the world? It was often depicted as a squiggle on world weather maps yet Aotearoa/New Zealand is big, with a surface area greater than the whole United Kingdom or the same as the American state of Colorado.
Weirdo Writers
I don’t need to tell you what has replaced printed knowledge sources, no matter how beautifully bound. Everything is online nowadays and it’s so easy to look things up. Often justifying our curiosity (read: reasons to procrastinate) by calling it “research”, we writers look up anything from correct spelling or meaning (I checked “gazetteer” just now: it’s a geographical index or directory) down to the gory details of dead bodies.
When I asked Google what writers search for, the results threw up (pardon) this reassuring exchange on Reddit (r/writers):
NomesDaGnome: I’m nervous to research topics I need information about. Does anyone know if typing in things about “dead bodies” into Google will cause police to show up at my door? Thanks, writers!
puckOmancer: First, if you’re nervous about googling, either go to the library or get yourself a VPN. Second, dead bodies? If your googling is around that level of intensity, I doubt it’s even a blip on the radar. See Ralphy over there in the corner, rocking in fetal position? He googled 2 ladies and 1 cup. The police sent chocolate and a condolences card. Seriously though, you’ll be fine. But let’s say they are spying on you, they’ll also see that you’re hanging around other weirdo writers who google up weird shit. my2cents
DoubleDuke101: As someone who writes a lot of crime and murder mysteries I’ve had to google a lot of ‘interesting’ topics over the years and while I’m undoubtedly on a special list somewhere, no one has ever knocked on my door to ask questions. Side note: I recall seeing a crime author a few years back, she said that once she’s finished her research for the day she goes back onto Google and searches for “I promise I’m just writing a novel please don’t arrest me”.
So no need to worry, then.
Putting research aside (I know, it’s hard), without any evidence to back me up I would assert that writers mainly use the internet to look for help. And what a wealth of help is available! There are so many, many sites offering good, bad and indifferent resources, wading through them all to find the jewels can be overwhelming. You know how easy it is to get dragged down the black holes of b*llsh*t blogs that often simply reword what others have already said (not that *this* blog is doing that, but of course).
Top 10 Really Useful Resources
Yet there is plenty of good stuff out there, if you can get past the fake and the junk. I’m sure that all writers have their favorite resource sites. I’d love to know what yours are too. Do feel free to share the links in a comment (see below). Here are my current favorites, listed in no particular order. Check ’em out!
Writer Beware® “To complement the general advice and warnings on the Writer Beware® website, the Writer Beware® blog provides up-to-the-minute information and warnings about a wide variety of scams and schemes–along with advice for writers, publishing industry news and commentary, and a special focus on the weird and wacky things that happen at the fringes of the publishing world.”
Jane Friedman is using her 25 years of experience in book publishing to help authors understand the business. “Amidst rapid change in the industry, writers need honest and unbiased guidance to make the best decisions for their careers. I hope to offer you a signal amidst the noise.”
The Literary Consultancy “…prides itself in being a champion of writers wherever they are on their journey. [Here] you’ll find a wealth of resources to help you on your way, whether you are just starting to learn your craft, or are a well published author.”
Louise Harnby is an editor who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers. Her library offers a most comprehensive collection of resources. There are “zillions” (sorry, but I lost count) of useful articles for writers (many free), training courses, podcasts and books on writing by Louise. This site is a gem.
Writers Write “…is a comprehensive writing resource for creative writers, business writers, and bloggers. We have more than 1400 articles filled with writing tips on creative writing and blogging for you. We have a social media following of more than one million people. Our motto is ‘Write to communicate’. We believe in the power of words.”
Jae is an incredibly popular, award-winning author of innumerable sapphic romances (sorry, I lost count again), senior editor at Ylva Publishing, the home of quality books about women loving women, and a committed queer activist. Jae’s site is a trove for queer readers. Her newsletter and blog are must-reads, e.g., How to support authors of LGBTQ+ books during challenging times
Writers Digest bills itself as “the one-stop shop for information, resources and writing community. Writers can connect with other writers on our forum, visit our blogs and sign up for our free weekly newsletter. They’ll also find weekly writing prompts, contests and competitions, conference listings, and online exclusive articles.”
Britannica-Online contains all the knowledge held in the 17 print editions. It was the first encyclopedia in the world to go digital, back in 1994 when most of us weren’t even online, and the editors keep its articles right up to date; e.g., 13 LGBTQ Writers You Should Read.
Wikipedia The English Wiki is the primary edition of this online encyclopedia. Launched by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger on 15 January 2001, it boasts 848 administrators (as of 12 January 2025) and 48,538,519 (more than 48-and-a-half million) users, including me because I’d be lying if I said I didn’t consult it nearly daily. But (ahem) I have been known to fact-check a Wiki post on Britannica-Online. Old habits die hard.

Source: Jesse Highsmith, poet & flash fiction writer @ jadedbythesound.com. Chances are you’ve already seen this somewhere on social media. Jesse created it in 2020 when it promptly went viral.
Uitsmijter (Dutch slang for bouncer, eggs fried sunny side up and… Grande Finale). Yes, I know I said resource sites, implication serious, but I couldn’t finish without listing a couple of entertaining writer-meme sites. After all, writing is supposed to be fun. Gatekeeper Press and Shiny Words are commercial sites but both have big meme collections. When you look at these memes you can tell yourself you’re doing valid “research” cos you’re just getting ready to write. Yes really.▼
Um… Bashful Blagger, haven’t you forgotten something important? What about all the writer’s peer groups on social media? They offer tremendous support too!
Nope, BB (talking to yourself again), I haven’t forgotten these worthy resources. It’s just that there are so many of them, I’m saving a roundup for another post. Meanwhile… how about YOU, dear Writer/Reader, adding your own favorite resource sites in the next comment. TIA