Your Writing Dept Blog Creating quality user documentation and putting the “M” in RTFM.

18 Web Sites and Blogs That Will Improve Your Writing Skills

Writers grow as writers if they have good resources. The following sites (in no particular order or ranking) are good writing resources that we keep going back to frequently:

1. I’d Rather Be Writing
An excellent and timely collection of articles written by Tom Johnson relating to the current trends in technical communication.

2. EServer TC Library Resources>Writing>Technical Writing>Blogs
The EServer TC Library is a free, open-access, human-edited directory of online resources for people who produce, manage, archive, and distribute technical information. The community we serve includes technical communicators (such as technical writers), editors and publishers, researchers, illustrators, animators/multimedia developers, instructional designers/educators, web designers, instructional designers, user experience designers, and others who concern themselves with how to improve human communications.

3. Tech Writer Blog Directory
A Wiki-style listing of technical writing blogs.

4. All the top Technical Writing news
Guy Kawasaki’s nice listing of all the top Technical Writing news. Be sure to explore the other categories.

5. Copyblogger
Good discussion relating to writing copy and content for blogs by Brian Clark. Sure, it’s not about technical writing, but he has some very good information to strengthen your writing skills.

6. Men With Pens
As their tagline says, “Bad-ass renegades. And a rogue.”

7. Seth Godin
All about writing, blogging, social media and getting yourself out there.

8. Write To Done
Tips from blogger Leo Babauta on how to become a better writer while not really thinking about it. He uses the Zen approach.

9. Daily Blog Tips
As the name implies, daily tips for getting you blog noticed and improved.

10. The Word Blog
It’s all about the words that sell, that work, or that are just plain interesting.

11. CyberText Newsletter
Nice collection of articles about technical communications.

12. Grammar Girl
Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing. Covering the grammar rules and word choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers, Grammar Girl makes complex grammar questions simple with memory tricks to help you recall and apply those troublesome grammar rules. Whether English is your first language or second language, Grammar Girl’s punctuation, style, and business tips will make you a better and more successful writer. Mignon Fogarty is the creator and host of Grammar Girl. Grammar Girl is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast.

13. ffeathers — a technical writer’s blog
Nice collection of articles about technical communications.

14. Grammar Blog
A fun site that explores what happens when the language is used incorrectly.

15. Blue Pencil Editing
Hey, sometimes it’s just a matter of good editing.

16. The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar
A nice collection of things gone wrong while trying to write.

17. Passive Aggressive Notes
Collection of edgy reader-submitted notes to co-workers, neighbors, roommates and strangers that get the point across that something has gone terribly wrong in a relationship.

18. Bad Language
Writing about writing.

Your Writing Dept is a Sacramento-based writing firm that specializes in developing technical manuals and user guides. We’re the leaders in technical communications in Northern California. Email us for more information about our services at info@yourwritingdept.com.

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