Sta.sh
08.02.2012 Oh look, shiny massive update of new writing blogs! Now including poetry and some other interesting bits and bobs, so scroll down and enjoy. I would have added more, but I would never have gotten any sleep at the rate I was going. Ahem. So I've been feeling the itch to post news articles on these writing blogs again, but I'm not sure whether there's enough interest for me to start doing them again. For anyone who's new to this list and what I used to do in the past, here's an example right here: http://julietcaesar.deviantart.com/journal/Useful-Writing-Blogs-1-The-Creative-Penn-214242246 When I used to do them, I actually caught the attention of some of these bloggers on Twitter who thanked me personally for featuring them on deviantART, which was equally surprising and humbling for me. But it's you guys I'm more concerned about. Would you be interested if
About
Before You Begin:
the news article!
Literature Contests and Contests That Accept Literature!
Just to be clear I had absolutely nothing to do with this; all thanks must go to Aditi. Unfortunately you can't leave a message on a deactivated page. However, if you use this resource, I'm sure an appreciative tweet in the direction of @blottingpaper wouldn't go astray.
I will do my best to maintain this list, so if anyone finds any high quality resources that they feel should be added here, send me a note and I'll do so.
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EDIT 16/04/10 It's pretty soon after my previous update, but I was reorganising my bookmarks and found a couple of interesting reads. My poetry section is getting quite long. If you have any good (emphasis on quality) essays/articles on writing prose, do get in touch.
EDIT 05/04/10 I've added a few more links. In the poetry section you will find a long article by Annie Finch on the evolution of the sonnet. The article takes for granted that you understand some basic terminology, which you can always find on Wikipedia if you find yourself stumbling, but what I love about this essay is that it not only details the structural elements of the various kinds of sonnet, but also explains the powers and efficiencies of these elements. It is also full of examples. The fiction section has two links to advice given by various writers about writing fiction, which can vary from the serious to the silly to the downright stupid. It's a question of finding something that resonates. The article on the science fiction 'infodump' is very useful, since it emphasises learning through example, and also indirectly offers an excellent reading list for those who want to familiarise themselves with the genre. END OF EDIT 
The news article, if you want to fave it, is here.
Some points to note: 
These links have been culled from my previous resource central and from my bookmarks. I have edited out a large number of links for reasons I explain below. When I created my previous list of resources, I was full of that misplaced optimism which is characteristic of all gallery directors. It's true that some people found it useful, and I'm glad my efforts weren't entirely wasted, but since that time two significant things have happened: I've lost a lot of optimism, patience and faith in people (people in general and specifically people who want to be writers but want to be spoon-fed); and I've become increasingly suspicious of how-to guides, both online and in print. That said, there is a general need to be filled here. A certain amount of writing-related vocabulary, certain concepts and forms need to be familiar to a person before she can reasonably assume she is on the journey towards becoming a writer. Most of these links aim to satisfy this need. There are also some articles under the headings of 'Process' and 'Essays', which may not concern themselves with explaining terminology or concepts. There are also some advice articles by famous writers. I tend to find these interesting if not helpful in any measurable way. Sometimes they are more helpful than any writing course you could ever take. I continue to maintain that a large number of these articles are high-school-level, including those written by me. I also do not endorse many of these opinions, including things said by me in the past. I also admire and respect many of the writers here and am always grateful to them, but let's not name names. On deviantART, there is always the issue of the lowest common denominator. One my major gripes with the previous list was its target audience. Now, this list isn't for the super experienced. The standards are fairly low, but I have assumed that you have a basic respect for conventional grammar, spelling and punctuation and also know most of the necessary rules. If English is your second language or you otherwise need extra help in these areas, this space still has a fair number of helpful articles. Besides helping those who are starting out, this might help writers who are already familiar with these concepts, but need examples, details, or revision. I know I come back to these articles often. I have linked to some of my own articles with few qualms. This is because barring one essay I'm mostly summarising or quoting from other people's work. I don't intend to update this space often, but if you have any suggestions or links that may be useful, do let me know in a comment or note. None of this will get you anywhere if you don't read. If you read less than twenty books (or what equals twenty books in online reading material) a year, you'd better re-examine your plans to become a writer worth reading. In fact, you should be reading closer to fifty or sixty.
GENERAL
Mechanics
Active and passive voice by ~onewordatatime Showing by ~onewordatatime Cliché by ~onewordatatime Process
Writing in the age of distraction (via `apocathary)POETRY
Thirty-two statements about writing poetry by Marvin Bell Becoming a poet: one step at a time by John Haines Advice I wish I'd been told by Walt McDonald 
Craft of poetry, Vince Gotera's poetry course online Mechanics
Tips for the novice by ~suture Tips for editing poetry by ~suture Linebreaks by ~PoetryLibrary A primer on the poetic line by David Wright Abstraction by ~PoetryLibrary Imagery and figures of speech by !lovetodeviate Aural devices 1 and 2 by !conorschild Metre learning guide by `darkcrescendo Basics of metre and more by ~Professor-Flare Forms and concepts
Western forms of poetry by !lovetodeviate Chaos in fourteen lines: reformations and deformations of the sonnet by Annie Finch Found poetry: definition, approaches, treatments and copyrights by `Laurence55 Sevenlings by Roddy Lumsden A word about haiku by ~Wudang-mountain Haiku: juxtaposition, brevity and tontoism by ~TimeFlies Haiku: kigo by `Iscariot-Priest Haiku: form and observation by `Laurence55 Tanka by `MSJames Tanka: introduction, aesthetics and pivot points by :devlaurence55 Senryu by `jade-pandora Haikai no renga by ~SOLARTS Haibun: introduction, structure and linkage by `Laurence55 Renga: introduction, structure and linkage, Bashō linkage and modern renga by `Laurence55 Haiga: introduction, principles, modern haiga and Yosa Buson by `Laurence55 Jisei: introduction, perspectives and images by `Laurence55 Kyoka: introduction, concepts and examples by `Laurence55 Katauta and mondo by !Keraness Essays
On Angst 1 and 2 by `poeticks Moves in comtemporary poetry by Mike Young (via `apocathary) Conventions of ekphrasis by Calamity Jane Workshops/exercises
Scansion Haiku exercise for beginners by ~Wudang-mountain Ekphrasis by `PoeticWar Lipogram by ~TheHungerArtist Guardian poetry workshopFICTION
Rehab for Roleplayers Introduction and Parts One, Two, Three, Four, and Five by `salshep Advice on the art of writing short stories by Roberto Bolaño Eight rules for writing fiction by Kurt Vonnegut Ten rules for writing fiction (part one) by Elmore Leonard, Diana Athill, Margaret Atwood, Roddy Doyle, Helen Dunmore, Geoff Dyer, Anne Enright, Richard Ford, Jonathan Franzen, Esther Freud, Neil Gaiman, David Hare, PD James and AL Kennedy Ten rules for writing fiction (part two) by Hilary Mantel, Michael Moorcock, Michael Morpurgo, Andrew Motion, Joyce Carol Oates, Annie Proulx, Philip Pullman, Ian Rankin, Will Self, Helen Simpson, Zadie Smith, Colm Tóibín, Rose Tremain, Sarah Waters and Jeanette Winterson Writing advice, basic elements in fiction as explained by Caro Clarke Mechanics
Plot and narrative: the twin rails of the novel by Caro Clarke Flat and round characters by !lovetodeviate Murdering Mary Sue by *Cei-Ellem Writing paranormal characters by *ThornyEnglishRose Point of view by ~DarcKnyt Avoiding exposition pitfalls by Elsa Neal The use of adverbs in fiction writing by ~DarcKnyt Genres
20 great infodumps from science fiction novels by Charlie Jane Anders Crime fiction: types by !poprocksandcharlotte Children's fiction: voice by *ThornyEnglishRose Erotica by Lisa Lane (via `apocathary) How to write about vampires by ~MooglePirate9 How to write about werewolves by ~MooglePirate9 Forms
Flash fiction by Steve Smith and Kathy Kachelries Vignettes by `Amberlouie Folk narrative by !wordworks Process
How to write by `danielzklein Essays
How to read science fiction by `HaveTales-WillTellNON-FICTION
Editorials by `GeneratingHype Reviews by `GeneratingHype News stories by `GeneratingHype Features by `GeneratingHype How to paraphrase by ~LaMonacaSCRIPTS AND SCREENPLAYS
Writing a short film script by #deviantartfilm Scriptwriting: characters, audience and from page to stage by ^BeccaliciousCRITIQUE
How to revise or critique by `SparrowSong A useful glossary by !Mavyrk The good critique by !lovetodeviatePUBLISHING
Information on poetry and photography scams by `salshep How to get a literary agent by *mree Cover letters: the why and how by !lovetodeviate The do's and don't's of cover letters by Eleanor M Hamilton Tips on self-publishing by ~suture Careers in writing by ~WordCount
Tired 
(Just a note: the link to John Haines's essay, "Becoming a poet: one step at a time," isn't working. I found a copy of it posted at a forum called Poetry Pages here [link])
It's been twittered. [link]