I have been struggling with this Merry-Go-Round topic because I don’t really have a list of go to resources. With the exception of etymologyonline.com, where I verify shades of meaning and historical period for words, and sites I receive blog posts or newsletter alerts from, I don’t keep a list of sites. I have books I use at home, but on the Internet, I use search to discover a variety of sources to explore different aspects of the questions I have.

So, what I did was go to my “tab saving” application on Chrome called OneTab. As a resource, it’s only as good as what you put into it, but it’s wonderful for preserving research results without using system resources by keeping them open. And what did OneTab tell me? Though I use search, I often end up in the same places. Here is a list of the sites that show up in my saved tabs (and in my interesting links posts) frequently, along with the reasons I go there. I hope you’ll find something useful. Feel free to add your favorite resources in the comments. I’m always happy to learn of a new place to go.

Support
I belong to a number of writing sites, including both Facebook groups and Yahoo groups. It’s amazing how helpful and supportive writers can be. Whether you find a local group or online groups, having someone who “speaks the language” means whether you’re up or down, you’ll have people around you who understand what you’re going through. https://www.facebook.com/
Ideas
Often posts summary articles of scientific discoveries and the like so good for triggering stories. http://io9.gizmodo.com/
Another good source of plot bunnies. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/
Another news site with interesting articles that can provide story seeds. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Articles about interesting facts and events that can prompt story writing. http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/
Science articles for worldbuilding details or story ideas. http://www.livescience.com/
Research
Offers good information on historical England for my Regency series. http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/
More historical information can be found here. http://main.thebeaumonde.com/
A round-up of articles on various historical topics as well as clothing descriptions and notes about new releases. This newsletter includes all levels of romance, so some caution is advised for young readers/work situations. http://paper.li/f-1350000229
History articles about the Regency Era. http://www.regencyhistory.net/
Writing
David Farland offers tips for making your stories shine. http://us11.campaign-archive1.com/home/?u=21ed5c76fc1ed2cda61d1dc4e&id=56f2731004
Ensuring I write at least one book every year. http://nanowrimo.org/
Useful for verifying the meaning and the etymology of words, especially when confirming their usage in historical fiction. http://www.etymonline.com/
Cover Art
A wonderful site full of tutorials to help with cover art and teaser images using GIMP. The title text on The Steamship Chronicles Books 1-3 uses a script by one of the members. http://gimpchat.com/
A round-up of articles about using GIMP that often have applications regarding cover art. http://paper.li/hlehnerer/1300763824
3D software program with both free and paid elements for making cover art. http://www.daz3d.com/
Publishing
Offers insights into the more complicated aspects of publishing, both traditional and indie. http://kriswrites.com/
Articles on a variety of self-publishing/indie topics. http://selfpublishingadvice.org/
Articles about marketing and promotion to help indie authors succeed. http://www.selfpublishedauthor.com/
Promoting
Tim Grahl offers marketing and promotion tips. http://timgrahl.com/articles/

Today’s post was inspired by the topic “School’s starting so share your “go to” research resources.” — September’s topic in Forward Motion’s Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour.