This article comes courtesy of wordclay's help resources. Wordclay provides free self-publishing services but I prefer the help desk and this handy article on writer's block. If you find yourself stuck, give it a read. Recommended by Potnpayday.

The link takes you right to everything a newbie needs to know about the forum. With a wide variety of topics and volumes of information, this is a good place to kick back with other people interested in writing. Sign-up is free. Recommended by Fulk.

This is a pretty cool tool. It allows you to create your documents online and share them with others - others who can read, review, or be co-authors and make edits. A group of people in the #nanowrimo chat room helped me play with this and we had a fun time with it. Sign-up is required for all parties but it's free. Suggested by dream_weaver.

Crawford Kilian has created an outline breaking down the steps of writing various different projects and advice on how to handle each step. Everything is covered here, from developing the habits to make you a better writer to reading and understanding your publishing contract. Suggested by the wonderful dream_weaver.

Yet another fabulous NaNoWriMo-ish writing event brought to you by the crazy fans of the original deal. If you're looking for a NaNoWarmUp and July was just too crazy, try this!

This site explains using bubbles to compose flash fiction - great for character and plot building.

Several lists of words and their definitions, great if you're looking to upgrade the IQ of your book and yourself. Recommended by Potnpayday.

Offers a wide variety of free services including thesaurus, encyclopedia, etc. Free to use though there is 'premium content' for those who register.

This site has issues of hundreds of newspapers online. It has references for theme songs from your favorite shows. Maps, games, this is a great resource for just about anything.

GoodSearch is a search engine that donates a penny to the charity of your choice every time you use it. Do your research and help your favorite cause (like the Office of Letters and Light!) at the same time.

This site covers everything from articles of speech to how to construct paragraphs to spelling. Excellent resource provided by the University of Ottawa.

This is a good read if you're looking for insight on how and why some names work but others don't. I'm enjoying reading through the posts and think you will too. Suggested by the sweet Shona.

A message board for writers, with a little something for everyone. Submitted by awritersfantasy, thank you!

Want to NaNo more than once a year? Feel like writing a novel during summer vacation? Here's your shot. Check out the message boards and writing prompts. JulNoWriMo is a fan-created event based on the official NaNoWriMo.

Dictionaries, scans of historical documents, access to several different libraries - talk about one stop shopping. Free to use.

Offers several references; dictionary, medical dictionary, thesaurus, spanish-english translator, etc. Excellent resource. Free to use.

The official NaNoWriMo web site. Learn more, join the madness, talk it up on the forums, and more.

Offers dictionary, translations, reverse dictionary look up, etc. Free to use.

A one-word based sixty second writing exercise. How far can you get before time runs out? Recommended by Potnpayday.

This free 'productivity suite' comes with lots of fun things to get you in gear but probably most important for NaNoers both avid and casual - is a great word processor, similar to Word/Works/Word Perfect.

Fellow Wrimo gngr has created a PHP progress bar that's free to use and easy as well. Perfect for showing off those growing wordcounts! Thanks gngr!

Need a word processor that takes all your attention? Go with Q10. This is a free word processor that blacks out the rest of the screen while you use it. If this doesn't help you complete that pesky first draft, few other things will. Remember to hit F1 to access your menu options. Recommended by Xmolder.

This generator gives you a plot and a word goal to reach, handy for NaNo warm-ups or just stretching your skills. Recommended by Fulk.

A rhyming dictionary and thesaurus as well as quotes and other features. Free to use.

This name gen has a great variety of options as well as an advanced interface that allows you to outline exactly the sort of names you need. Give it a whirl and finally put a name to that character lurking in the back of your mind. Recommended by Fulk.

This site has generators for pretty much anything you need - names, plots, etc. Whether you're a writer or a gamer, this is a good site to check out. They also have several links to other generator sites.

These guidelines can help draft a novel in simple steps, a good way to get started. Works for refining rough ideas and making cohesive stories.

Confused by punctuation marks? Does the proper use of italics boggle your mind? This site is for you.

Every September 1st - 3rd, people crazier than WriMos gather for the 3-Day Novel contest. It requires a $50 entry fee that must be received before the contest date and more chutzpah than you can shake a stick at. But if they can do it in three days - you can do it in thirty.

Provided by Fearless Books, this publishing guide is full of information and suggestions on how to get your work published. Recommended by Potnpayday.

Hilarious and helpful, this site is great for giving you an unlike set of superheros for that up-and-coming tale of daring do. Suggested by Shona.

Tired of only coming up with huge, forever long words to describe something simple? Plug in your stupendous-length alternatives and get a list of shorter options. Free to use. Recommended by that adorable kennethlove.

A reference for all the terms of today, as they're brought into common use.

An online organizing tool to keep track of all your writing and break your projects down into simple, trackable pieces. Just sign up and start writing - great for having all your writing in one place.

Not just wiki or even wikipedia - wikihow gives you steps and suggestions for accomplishing tasks. Want to lucid dream? Does your character want to lucid dream? Are the details of how to make a bow and arrows crucial to your plot? Well then aren't you glad you came here?

A copy/paste word counter that tallies words, syllables, characters and offers a few options for analyzing your writing.

This word counter displays which words are being used the most - a good editing tool if you're worried you're being repetitive. Simply copy/paste a body of text in and pick your settings. This is a free service.

The official site of the World Breaker game. Excellent for creating compelling settings and whole worlds for your novels. Take a look at previously made worlds. Happy WorldBreaking!

Useful for poetry and song-writing, this dictioanry offers a variety of ways to rhyme words - by first syllable, last syllable, double rhyme, etc. Free to use.

A helpful article written by C. J. Cherryh, courtesy of the SFWA. If you were wondering about who vs. whom or looking for quick ways to spice up your writing - check this out. Recommended by Potnpayday.

A links directory put together and maintained by fellow Wrimo, Awritersfantasy. This is a great resource for those who need a little help putting their characters and worlds together. Thanks, Awritersfantasy!

Novel writing software that several NaNoers have endorsed. This software comes with a bucket load of features specifically geared for writers. Better than your average word processor, this lets you work on your story scene by scene and much more. Recommended by that marvelous Fulk fellow.