Writer's Web Handbook

Using the Handbook

The handbook's structure enables readers to explore aspects of the writing process by stages, as well of areas of interest. Just follow the left-hand menu for each major area of inqurity and heed the drop-downs to individual topics.


Enter Writer's Web

About Writer's Web

This project began in the 1990s at the University of Richmond, with a humble set of WordPerfect macro key-commands that pulled up worksheets about commas, sentence fragments, and other sentence-level essentials.  We then set up a stand-alone piece of software using a creation tool called Toolbook.  You get extra points if you can remember each of them.

As soon as Web browsers came to campus, we  began to experiment with HTML coding and moved our content there. Gradually we added video interviews with faculty and a few interactive exercises. 

By 2023, Writer's Web had grown but also "grown long in the tooth." The image-map and table architecture of the site meant it was not accessible to screen-readers used by visually impaired readers. I decided to move content here to my own personal account to test new content and test various accessiblilty features. The Google Sites version works well with the Chrome Vox plug-in for the Chrome Browser. We'll be testing more.

Remarks about the site

Selected as an online resource in The Bedford Guide for Writing Tutors. 4th Ed. by Leigh Ryan and Lisa Zimmerelli.

"Most schools have writing centers which post articles and helpful information about writing. Here are three of my favorites: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; The University of Richmond; and Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab)."         

"Writing Anxiety & The Job Search," Psychology Today, Katherine Brooks, Ed.D.

"A first-class stop for students who want to know more about writing."

-  From Web to Workplace. Washington, D.C.: McKenzie Group, 2003.

"a hidden gem."          

-  Bruce Pegg, "UnfURLed: 20 Writing Center Sites to Visit on the Information Highway." Wiring the Writing Center. ed. Eric H. Hobson. Logan: Utah State UP, 1998.