Some online resources.

I'm sure everyone is getting busier as classes start to pick up, but one of the goals of the Writer's Bloc is to get you to turn out some new writing even though things may be busy.

The thing is that oftentimes it's not just writing that's difficult--it's getting an idea in the first place. Even with a prompt, an idea may not immediately present itself to you. One of the solutions the Internet has given us is: the generator.

There are lots of generators to be found out there, and some are better than others. You can have plot, character, name, and setting generators, as well as those that serve even more specialized needs. Seventh Sanctum is an extensive collection of generators focusing on a number of different genres and media. Their writing generators are probably where you'll want to start if you're looking for inspiration, but the entire site is fun to play around with. Don't forget to check out the list of "other generators" on the right hand side, since they are links to other useful generators that are listed off-site.

Another generator I'm fond of is the Random Name Generator, which is a handy tool for when you need a name for a character.

A bit of a different resource you might want to peruse is the list of Common Errors in English. Even English majors who think they know it all will find something they do on this list, and it's alphabetized for easy searching.

Finally, for people who like to write about crime, there's The Writer's Medical and Forensic Lab. I have yet to actually give this site more than a cursory browse, so I'd be interested to see what other people thought of it. It certainly looks helpful, at least.

So as always, happy writing and hope to see you at the meeting tomorrow!