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Communications

Six Resources for Online Writers

By Jessica Harris

The new Newsroom in McKinley building

Between the deadlines, breaking headlines and pitching story ideas, time is everything in the digital world. Here are a few sites I use to help.

Purdue Owl
Been a while since you've checked your style? Brush up and double check AP format at a glance.

Wordhippo
When I am vexed by the usage of a particular word or find myself being redundant, this site provides antonyms synonyms and words of the same category.

The Tongue Untied
I like to hand my editor as close to a clean copy as possible that way I can move to the next project. Grammar. Punctuation. Style. Period.

Evernote 
I'm old school when it comes to jotting things down, however, I like to be organized. Especially in-between an interview and actual copy. This nifty app allows you to keep all your thoughts and ideas together.

Pew Global
The last thing I want is a PR nightmare or to compromise my integrity as a writer. This is one place to get the facts, the numbers and the stats.

Break Away
Occasionally I get in a rut or feel my productivity meter at a stall. This is a cue to step away. Refreshing your eyes can aid in your approach to a project, idea or story. Something as simple as listening to music, Pinterest or calling your grandmother helps to redirect. 

Jessica Harris is a candidate for the MFA program in Creative Writing at American University.