Is it "toward" or "towards?" "Flounder" or "founder?" "Taken back" or "taken aback?" Book mark this site for that moment of doubt! The site doesn't offer grammatical advice, but addresses many of the word-usage problems we come across in our writing. Don't take a chance on making a bad impression when you can dispel your confusion by checking this site.

Features tips on writing better fiction, articles on improving your writing, promoting and marketing your work, and much more! Also offers a free monthly e-newsletter for fiction writers.

Used properly, technology can be a great help to the writer. When it comes to using computers and other devices, there's no need to be a rocket scientist-and there's no need to feel like an idiot, either. This site offers good advice explained in nontechnical and nonpatronising language. Also offers free e-newsletter, "Writer's Know-How," with pointers on how writers can best make use of computers and information technology.

Both professional and beginning writers may join this email critique and fellowship group - free. Members may list their published works. Visitors may link to members and publishers’ web pages; to punctuation and grammar; reference and research; and Christian resources and other writing resource sites. - MB

The Barna Group, a Christian research group, offers an annual survey of religious beliefs and behavioral trends. You may do a custom search, glance through the archives or sign up for a free online subscription to The Barna Update. -Betsy Dill

If you are looking for a Christian writers’ group or conference in your area, scroll through this site for the location nearest you. Learn about The Christian Communicator and the Advance Christian Writer, two magazines that offer insight for writers and speakers, along with market updates by Sally Stuart. Discover the many services available through the American Christian Writer: enjoy a tax-deductible cruise, be mentored by professional writers, get your manuscript critiqued or publish your own book. Membership information and benefits explained. - MB

The novice writer, who is suffering from procrastination or writer’s block may receive encouragement from this site and the author’s conversational comments and words of instruction or encouragement. -MB

Free articles off the web? Sounds good, but not if they're stolen property! On this web page, the National Writers Union advises freelance authors to visit FindArticles.com, an on-line content provider run by LookSmart and the Gale Group. LookSmart is apparently selling articles created and owned by freelance writers without getting the writers' permission, and without paying them. If you find your work listed, NWU advises what steps to take. - Juanita Thouin

CrossSearch is a searchable directory of Christian Web sites. It aims to provide quick, easy access to all manner of Christian resources and information on the web. See the Christian Jobs Mall and the Business & Finance section for information about writing jobs and Christian publishers. -Trish Perry

ACRW is a group whose mission is to encourage the writers of Christian Romance and Woman's Fiction, loosely termed as Inspirational Fiction by many booksellers. - Trish Perry

Using the Internet to Answer Your Tax Questions

It’s income tax time again! You can either make a list of your questions and call the IRS at 1-800-829-4477, respond to several menus and wait about 10 minutes on hold or you can surf the web.

I would recommend surfing the web first and calling the toll-free number only if your questions have not been answered by the IRS web site. One advantage to surfing the net is that you can either bookmark the sites for future reference or copy and file them.

The IRS site is free and dependable. While the IRS links to other sites may be credible, read them carefully. Be aware of any financial obligations that you may be making by soliciting answers to questions - and always make certain the site is secure before transmitting personal information. H & R Block charges about $20 per answered question. I had 2 questions answered free by the IRS - saved myself $40!

Avoid sites that may be unreliable at best and scams at worst. One site, lures readers with a free first call, wants personal information to set up an account before allowing the free call to go through and subsequent calls are $3.00 per minute. This particular site not only offers “Your personal tax adviser”, but also allows you to access your own astrologer and psychic using the same phone number - sounds real credible, eh? I hung up without giving any personal data.

Here’s a few ways that the IRS site can help you as a writer:

If you’re professional in the sense that you do, indeed, get paid for our writing, but not in the sense that you can quit our day job. You may have several tax related questions, such as:

• Does the IRS consider me self-employed or a hobbyist? Do I have to file a Schedule C? Find the answers at this site.
• If I have to file a Schedule C, what can I deduct? Find out which expenses are allowable and which are not at this site.
• Other questions? A good place to start is the Home Business and Self-employment page, which has links to electronic filing, tax library, non-IRS sites and other resources.

This is a premier site that provides exceptional service and quality sources - free. Simply register your professional information and submit. Then, submit a broad search globally, narrow it to North America or Europe or narrow it by academic, corporate or public service sources. When querying, provide your name, news organization, nature of the expertise you seek, deadline and preferred manner of response- phone, fax or e-mail.

Profnet recommends that queries do not reveal the focus of a project, but only the nature of the expertise, but if that's not possible, they will cloak your name and news organization, if you request it in the comments box.

You may sign up for leads on breaking news in business, health or technology at no cost.

I was working on an article on roadkill - dogs, specifically. Neither local animal control authorities nor the Virginia State Department of transportation had the statistics I needed. I submitted a query to Profnet, but mistyped my e-mail address. Profnet administrators actually called me to get the correct address. Within minutes I had the information I needed from sources across the country.

When searching for experts, Profnet is a goldmine.

No need to suffer from writer's block, log onto NewsWise for current leads. NewsWise provides a database of scientific, medical, liberal arts and business research news releases from which the journalist may search, browse or download any article or abstract. Sources may be derived from these releases and from the Newswise Contact Directory.

While it does forward queries to experts similar to Profnet, this feature is not promoted as the prime service.

NewsWise is much more exclusive than Profnet. Each application is personally reviewed and a user name and password is provided to full-time professional journalists. Those who do not have name recognition will be required to send clips. Thereafter, the user may access embargoed material if agreeing to honor the embargo and may query experts.

While I am still awaiting the verdict on my application, I was allowed to sign-up for an electronic lead service. I selected LifeNews from the following options: SciNews, MedNews, BizNews or LifeNews. I promptly received a recent edition of LifeWire, which gave me leads such as Anti-monster Spray Before Bedtime, Black Farm Workers Suffer More Injuries, Rare Copy of Lewis and Clark Journals Comes to Light, Grant to "Reinvent" Teacher Education and many more in social services, humanities and pop culture. Since I write a monthly children's column for one publication, I think I'll go with the Anti-monster Spray. Surely, there's a lead to jump start your next article.

Search for experts, authorities and spokespersons by topic, organization, geography or client number or submit a question. Internet problems? No problem! Call 1-800-YEARBOOK and meet that deadline! If you are a bonafide journalist, sign up for a free copy of the print edition of the Yearbook. All others may order the book online for $39.95 with free UPS shipping (subject to change).

I'm involved in a historical fiction project, so I looked up H, which gave me dozens of options including Historian, Historical Organizations, Historical Parks and Historical Research. As I wandered in and out of sites, I stumbled across Pelican Press, a Historical Fiction Publisher, which provided extensive guidelines and tips on its site http://www.pelicanpub.com/guidelin.htm. While I didn't have any profound questions to forward to a historian, I did find a potential publisher for my work.