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We had feared most TV fans would shout, "Get back to work, hacks!" in response to the Writers' Guild of America strike. Yet members of Fans4writers.com—whose motto is "Don't write until it's right"—are proud of their support for the TV, film, and animation writers' work stoppage. They believe in the core issues of the strike and are seeking creative opportunities to act on behalf of Hollywood's scribes.

If you're not sure where you stand, the site helps break down the the reasons for the strike in easily understandable terms. If you come to the conclusion that you want writers to get paid for their work regardless of whether it's on the boob tube or YouTube, participating doesn't mean you have to hike in the picket line; how about sending a box of #2 pencils to Sumner Redstone and Rupert Murdoch? And if you hop on the writers' bandwagon, find out how to spread the word. When the sun sets on this scene, it may be the fans (i.e., the consumers) who help put the WGA and the studios back at the negotation table. Then we can all get back to watching "Heroes."

The Writers Guild of America strike that began on Monday is already causing a lot of pain on both sides of the TV screen. Whether you're a "Grey's Anatomy" fan leery of Dr. McReruns or a "Colbert Report" devotee already suffering from an extra half-hour of sleep, it behooves you to be in the know.

The United Hollywood blog provides a smart, subdued, and sometimes hilarious view of the writers' side of the strike. While Jamie Lee Curtis and other supporters expressed early disdain for the writers' (the writers!) slogans, the wordsmiths have redeemed themselves here and better explained their cause. The site serves as a one-stop WGA shop, with frequent news updates and extensive video links, featuring the stars/scribes of "The Office," the show runners of "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives," and a short, easy-to-digest explanation of the issues, Capra-esquely called Why We Fight.

Clicking around unitedhollywood.com won't get Letterman back on the air in time to guess which pies his mom's made for Thanksgiving. But it can keep you up-to-date about strike developments and informed about the heroic "other" careers undertaken by some of your favorite out-of-work screenwriters.

For the amount of time she’s been blogging about books, words, and the particular perils of growing up in Florida and living in Brooklyn, we’re a little scandalized by how few interviews of Maud Newton there are on the Web. We aim to rectify that situation.

Since starting her site in 2002, Maud’s credits have bloomed. Her journey from blog to being featured in The New Yorker or writing book reviews in the New York Times, among other outlets, has been a inspirational testament to the power of personal publishing.

According to the MaudNewton.com legacy, this is how you make a lit-blog: build credibility by posting frequently and sanely about books you love, writers you respect, issues you are passionate about; prove that what ultimately makes the reading experience, and dare we say a literary community, is revealing the human being behind the blog. Maud does that in a way we have yet to see anywhere else, with modesty and honesty. Sincerity may be her trademark, and it loops us back to pay attention to the books she loves.

Sure, we love the interviews with writers, and the scoop on the latest fires burning in the land of literary fiction. But what keeps us coming back are the Ruminations on Writing (oh, that 10-year-novel), the Weekend Ancestry, her obsession with Mark Twain, and whatever future fascinations lie ahead.

As further testimony on Maud’s appeal: Maud was once asked by another interviewer, “Where do you summer?” In response, she was heard to say:

I can tell you’re not paying off student loans. “Summering” to me means a cold beer, sunglasses, a grill, and a hot breeze blowing over the factory and into my Brooklyn backyard.

This is why we love Maud. Read the full profile...