Our Favorite Tools and Resources for Writing (subject to continuous remixing)
Post a link to your go-to resources for staying in tune in your writing life. Explore the resources shared by your peers.
"A distinction can always be made between weapons and tools on the basis of their usage (destroying people or producing goods). But although this extrinsic distinction explains certain secondary adaptations of a technological object, it does not preclude a general convertibility between the two groups, to the extent that it seems very difficult to propose an intrinsic difference between weapons and tools...some have spoken of an "ecosystem"...in which work tools and weapons of war exchange their determinations" (Deleuze and Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus, p. 395)
"Browsing" the web is certainly different from reading a book, and so browsing the web would seem to be a long way from actually composing. However, tabbed browsing can accelerate or decelerate everyday browsing habits into a writing practice of your own, if you let wiki into your plan. Because, once you get rrrrrrollllllin' with tabbed browsing, you're ready to roll on into the wiki, where you can click the "edit" button or "new page" button. Go ahead, open up a wiki window to the infinite! Then, slow down, and write it down. Dissolve all this tabbed energy. Just place your cursor on the wiki and type a little bit about all you've seen and heard and felt on your journey. Sustainable composition practice depends on tabbed browsing, folks, so before you experiment with the online tools and resources listed on this page, and before you go any further in your wiki itinerary, be certain to install Firefox and/or Chrome and familiarize yourself with tabbed browsing. Grab yer cheatsheet, add your addons! Please, update this page by deleting obsolete resources and sharing new resources with your peers.
mechanics and style
Grammar Girl - "quick and dirty tips for better writing." Lay or lie? Ask Grammar Girl
Grammar Slammer
Craig Waddell's free prose mechanics this free grammar guide and style manual covers the basic
The King's English - H.W. Fowler's classic reference is now online
Open Office and Neo Office - free open source software that replaces Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc.
speed up open office tips from lifehacker.com
Elements of Style, a classic
3 modules on clear writing style at Rice's Connexions, a creative commons of learning modules, online texts, and courses.
Burroughs/Gysin nonlinear adding machine got writer's block? Chisel it up, find your "un-voice"
html color codes
45 Ways to avoid using the word very
Tips And Tricks For Writing Fast (And Professionally!) Great tips for quickly getting the words on paper and completing a first draft.
rhetoric
Aristotle's Rhetoric
Silva Rhetoricae the forest of rhetoric
TV Tropes Wiki amazing tool for twisting, turning, tweaking, and otherwise patterning language. Learn about different genres across all media.
Weston. A Rule Book for Arguments
Bibliographic instruments
Zotero
the C.R.A.A.P. test - acronymic mnemonic for evaluating sources
zotero vs. refworks - analysis and review
EasyBib
Presentation and reMEDIAtion instruments
prezi everybody can create stunning presentations
Jing - record web browsing/editing/writing activity. Press play to display! A list of other screencasting tools
another list of screencasting tools
YOUTUBE TO MP4 CONVERTER:
http://keepvid.com/
Zamzar - online file conversion
YOUTUBE TO MP3 CONVERTER:
http://www.vidtomp3.com/
free expertise the official pbwiki community forum
wiki formatting
zoho free online (no downloading necessary) word processing, spreadsheets, and more
compose with sound
Reaper - Advanced digital audio workstation with midi editing and full scripting support. Use the full version as long as you want for free, purchase the affordable license if you plan to make money with it.
Audacity - free and open source multi-platform audio editing and recording software. Great for making compressed (i.e. podcast-able) .ogg and .mp3 files.
KVR - A compendium of virtual instruments, synthesizers, and audio-centric software and other, specifically useful for finding free plugins (VST, AU and AAX formats) for use with Audacity, Reaper, Pro Tools and other audio workstations
pandora the "music genome project"
Freesound- just what it says...and so much more. Tab out a sound, play, play, play
musipedia by mouse or by mic: "draw notes," perform "rhythm searches," match melodies, and more
soundtransit collaborative online field recording and phonography
CCMixter a place to share and remix sonic productions.
legaltorrents creative Commons-licensed, legally downloadable, freely distributable creator-approved music, movies, and books. Explore the issues on a tight budget.
podomatic - it's so easy to host podcasts
phlow magazine freeculture! a hub for netlabels, netaudio artists, mp3s galore
jahtari streaming mixtapes
compose with images
The GIMP - free and open source graphics editing software.
Grokking the GIMP - free online GIMP user's manual.
iPiccy - online, easy version of Photoshop
easeLly - create infographics at will
The Noun Project - icons for anything. Just search, find, and add to your writing.
composing in common...
padlet
click anywhere on your screen to add text, images, or a connection to your computer's camera.
Pirate Pad
real-time collaborative text-editing
The Creative Commons - Learn about how to share and protect your compositions. Shareable images, books, sounds, software, and more
filedropper store files, link them to the wiki
tiddlywiki free wiki composing tool
How to... instruction and revelation
Instructables how to collaborate...
the Public Library of Science
Nelson Poynter Memorial Library USFSP Library
slashdot
-->Open Source screen capture tool<--
-->Scribus Desktop Publishing<--
more instruments for multimedia composition
Even more instruments for multimedia composition
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