No matter which branch of writing interests you, you’ll be able to find helpful tips at Absolute Write. Just signing up for its e-newsletter will net you a free list of agents.

Members of this site can form private groups to workshop their writing. There’s also a section dedicated to publishing news, agents and signings.

Take a batch of young magazine editors who want to learn more about the industry, share that info and meet other young editors and you get Ed(2010). Some of the site is still under construction, but what’s finished is can’t-miss material.

Head over to Edit Red for peer critiques, publishing tips and opportunities to promote your writing and connect with publishers. The site offers a free personal webpage, and promotion and marketing tools.

Founded in 2000, this site presents free contests and peer-to-peer reviews. One fairly unique feature offered by the site is the ability to create your own contest and challenge other writers.

The goal of this e-zine is to take the intimidation out of the querying process by replying personally to every author and by offering suggestions on how to improve your work. This site publishes stories in many different genres, including flash fiction, humor, poetry and even book chapters.

Can’t find a local writing group? At Mike’s Writing Workshop, you’ll find a community of nearly 9,000 writers willing to share information and critique your work.

This forum boasts nearly 6,000 members and an active critique section. There’s also a job board, a resource center and a section of writing games.

Starting your writing career can be nerve-racking, but feel at ease on this site, which has fellow newbies. Subscribe to its free e-newsletter and receive an 85-page e-book resource guide.

If you’ve yet to be published or are a newly published author, this site has a lot of goodies for you. From original book reviews and book giveaway contests to writing prompts, this is a good destination for beginners.

Rob Parnell’s Easy Way to Write is filled with lots of freebies for writers in several markets, including poetry, flash fiction and e-zine fiction (that actually pays). The forum is relatively small, but the blog is an entertaining read.

This site showcases some of the best tips for romance writers. And while this group doesn’t critique, it offers plenty of links to groups that do.

If you’re not into message boards, The Internet Writing Workshop offers discussions and critiques delivered right to your e-mail inbox. There’s no fee for this service, but there’s a minimum participation time of 30 minutes a week.

Hard to beat a free online writing conference, and that’s exactly what The MuseItUp Club offers. The group acknowledges that writers often have insufficient funds to travel across the country, so they bring a weekend of professional advice to your office (or wherever your computer is set up).

Critique groups are limited to five people so your work can get more personal attention. They’ve added a workshop forum for members to discuss monthly workshop topics.

If too many people overwhelm you, here’s a small forum that may suit your needs. It’s focused heavily on fiction, but there’s some poetry and nonfiction as well.

This private writing workshop is always seeking new members, but you have to be serious about the craft. If you make it through the approval process, you’ll have access to critique forums and creative writing prompts.

With 4,500 registered users, this site offers a forum to discuss all forms of writing. The extra good news is it’s kid-friendly—there are ratings to let you know if something has explicit content.

Through interviews and discussion of craft, Writer Unboxed dissects genre-fiction writing. Its daily updates are a nice way to start your day (if you’re a genre-fiction writer).

This site welcomes writers of all levels. Sign up and get a free online portfolio, numerous user tools, e-mail services and a chance to network with other writers.