Although Online Writing Labs or OWLs are developed by various universities throughout the world, they provide valuable resources for all types of writers.

OWLs offer information similar to the tips I wrote about in my last feature Working With Words: The Basics...

From handouts readable on the web to online tutorials, these labs offer a wide range of helpful hints about grammar, punctuation, writing style and more related topics.

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I chose the first ten based upon the quality and quantity of information accessible by anyone (not just students at their college) online.

Lynchburg College in Virginia offers an online guide, which covers topics like: Drafting a Document; Choosing a Subject; Creative Writing in Non-Fiction; Freewriting; Proofreading Your Paper; Using Outlines to Organize; and Successful Business Writing. Lynchburg's Writing Center also provides online quizzes to test your ability to accurately use modifiers, verbs, commas and similar subjects related to grammar and punctuation.

The Writing Center at the University of Toledo in Ohio offers information like: a Checklist To Improve And Evaluate Your Writing; Commonly Confused Words; Literary Terms; Technical Terms; Useful Transitions; Writing A Book Or Film Review; and Writing Coherent Paragraphs.

Numerous handouts featuring tips on grammar, mechanics, writing topics, revision, business writing, and research can be accessed at Eastern Illinois University's Writing Center Web.

Although the University of Toronto's webpage is titled "Advice on Academic Writing," some of the information provided can be helpful to almost any writer. It's worth checking out topics like: Developing Coherent Paragraphs; Reading and Using Sources; How to Get the Most out of Reading; Research using the Internet; A System for Dealing with New Words while Reading; How Not to Plagiarize; Standard Documentation Formats; The Book Review and Article Critique; Style and Editing; Using the Computer to Improve your Writing; and Unbiased Language.

The University of Wisconsin developed a handbook that any online writer can view at their website. This handbook provides helpful hints on subjects from Academic Writing to Grammar and Style.

"The Information Stop" at George Mason University's Writing Center presents an itemized list of links to writing guides about topics like: grammar and punctuation; the writing process; specialized writing; specific writing forms; and specific writing situations. GMU's OWL is one of several centers that runs a "Grammar Hotline," which allows people to call writing experts, who can answer almost any question related to grammar rules.

The Writing Center at Tidewater Community College in Virginia, which offers many "self-help" handouts online, also publishes a print directory and web page with a great list of the names, phone numbers and URLs of Grammar Hotlines across the country. You can locate this list on the college's website. "The Write Place Catalogue," which is produced by St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, is perhaps one of the most comprehensive OWL guides on the web. This useful aid covers a vast array of more than 100 specific aspects within many topics including: Business Writing; Development; Grammar; Online Sources; Organization and Cohesion; The Process of Writing; Punctuation; Resumes and Cover Letters; Sentence Structure; Style; and Types of Writing. Another popular OWL created by Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute provides many handouts on a variety of subjects like: Citation Styles; APA & MLA Styles; Revising Prose; Thesis Writing; Definitional Techniques; Gender-Fair Language; Styles of Writing; Critiques; Memos; and Presentations.

RPI's website also features a lengthy list of links to other online resources for writers. And last but certainly not least, the OWL at Purdue University is a must-see for writers seeking help online. The Purdue Writing Lab is easy to navigate and seems to supply more handouts on the web than any other OWL. I counted more than 300 links to page(s) with information on topics within main categories like: General Writing Concerns; Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation; Research and Documenting Sources; Business Writing; Writing On and With The Internet; and Searching The World Wide Web. Purdue's extensive website offers much more than writing advice with features like a list of "Search Engines and Directories," a collection of "Online (Writing) Resources" and links to other OWLs.