diff -r 4419e2941205 Lib/pydoc.py
--- a/Lib/pydoc.py	Sun Sep 22 11:46:51 2013 +0200
+++ b/Lib/pydoc.py	Sun Oct 20 20:50:33 2013 +0530
@@ -968,6 +968,116 @@
         """Produce html documentation for a data descriptor."""
         return self._docdescriptor(name, object, mod)
 
+    def dockeywordlist(self, server = False):
+        """Produce HTML documentation for list of keywords.
+           Returns tuple of the form (title, contents)
+        """
+        heading = html.heading(
+            '<big><big><strong>INDEX</strong></big></big>',
+            '#ffffff', '#7799ee')
+        names = sorted(Helper.keywords.keys())
+
+        def bltinlink(name):
+            if server:
+                href = '"topic?key=%s"' % (name)
+            else:
+                href = '"%s.html"' % (name)
+            return '<a href=%s>%s</a>' % (href, name)
+
+        contents = html.multicolumn(names, bltinlink)
+        contents = heading + html.bigsection(
+            'Keywords', '#ffffff', '#ee77aa', contents)
+        return 'Keywords', contents
+
+    def doctopiclist(self, server = False):
+        """Produce HTML documentation for list of topics.
+           Returns tuple of the form (title, contents)
+        """
+        def bltinlink(name):
+            if server:
+                href = '"topic?key=%s"' % (name)
+            else:
+                href = '"%s.html"' % (name)
+            return '<a href=%s>%s</a>' % (href, name)
+
+        heading = html.heading(
+            '<big><big><strong>INDEX</strong></big></big>',
+            '#ffffff', '#7799ee')
+        names = sorted(Helper.topics.keys())
+
+        contents = html.multicolumn(names, bltinlink)
+        contents = heading + html.bigsection(
+            'Topics', '#ffffff', '#ee77aa', contents)
+        return 'Topics', contents
+
+    def docsymbollist(self, server = False):
+        """Produce HTML documentation for list of topics.
+           Returns tuple of the form (title, contents)
+        """
+        def bltinlink(name):
+            if server:
+                href = '"topic?key=%s"' % (name)
+            else:
+                href = '"%s.html"' % (name)
+            return '<a href=%s>%s</a>' % (href, name)
+
+        heading = html.heading(
+            '<big><big><strong>INDEX</strong></big></big>',
+            '#ffffff', '#7799ee')
+        names = sorted(Helper.symbols.keys())
+
+        contents = html.multicolumn(names, bltinlink)
+        contents = heading + html.bigsection(
+            'Symbols', '#ffffff', '#ee77aa', contents)
+        return 'Symbols', contents
+
+    def doctopic(self, topic, server = False):
+        """Produce HTML documentation for topics, keyword or symbol.
+           Returns tuple of the form (title, contents)
+        """
+        buf = io.StringIO()
+        htmlhelp = Helper(buf, buf)
+        topic = htmlhelp.symbols.get(topic, topic)
+        topic, _, xrefs = topic.partition(' ')
+        contents, xrefs = htmlhelp._gettopic(topic, xrefs)
+        if topic in htmlhelp.keywords:
+            title = 'KEYWORD'
+        else:
+            title = 'TOPIC'
+        heading = html.heading(
+            '<big><big><strong>%s</strong></big></big>' % title,
+            '#ffffff', '#7799ee')
+        contents = '<pre>%s</pre>' % html.markup(contents)
+        contents = html.bigsection(topic , '#ffffff','#ee77aa', contents)
+        if xrefs:
+            xrefs = sorted(xrefs.split())
+
+            def bltinlink(name):
+                if server:
+                    href = '"topic?key=%s"' % (name)
+                else:
+                    href = '"%s.html"' % (name)
+                return '<a href=%s>%s</a>' % (href, name)
+
+            xrefs = html.multicolumn(xrefs, bltinlink)
+            xrefs = html.section('Related help topics: ',
+                                 '#ffffff', '#ee77aa', xrefs)
+        return ('%s %s' % (title, topic),
+                ''.join((heading, contents, xrefs)))
+
+    def docspecial(self, topic):
+        """Produce HTML documentation for an individual topic/keyword/symbol
+           or list of topics/keywords/symbols.
+           Returns tuple of the form (title, contents)
+        """
+        if topic == 'keywords':
+            return self.dockeywordlist()
+        if topic == 'topics':
+            return self.doctopiclist()
+        if topic == 'symbols':
+            return self.docsymbollist()
+        return self.doctopic(topic)
+
     def index(self, dir, shadowed=None):
         """Generate an HTML index for a directory of modules."""
         modpkgs = []
@@ -1581,12 +1691,17 @@
     try:
         object, name = resolve(thing, forceload)
         page = html.page(describe(object), html.document(object, name))
-        file = open(name + '.html', 'w', encoding='utf-8')
-        file.write(page)
-        file.close()
-        print('wrote', name + '.html')
     except (ImportError, ErrorDuringImport) as value:
-        print(value)
+        try:
+            page = html.page(*html.docspecial(thing))
+            name = thing
+        except ValueError:
+            print(value)
+            return None
+    file = open(name + '.html', 'w', encoding='utf-8')
+    file.write(page)
+    file.close()
+    print('wrote', name + '.html')
 
 def writedocs(dir, pkgpath='', done=None):
     """Write out HTML documentation for all modules in a directory tree."""
@@ -2329,60 +2444,15 @@
 
     def html_topics():
         """Index of topic texts available."""
-
-        def bltinlink(name):
-            return '<a href="topic?key=%s">%s</a>' % (name, name)
-
-        heading = html.heading(
-            '<big><big><strong>INDEX</strong></big></big>',
-            '#ffffff', '#7799ee')
-        names = sorted(Helper.topics.keys())
-
-        contents = html.multicolumn(names, bltinlink)
-        contents = heading + html.bigsection(
-            'Topics', '#ffffff', '#ee77aa', contents)
-        return 'Topics', contents
+        return html.doctopiclist(server = True)
 
     def html_keywords():
         """Index of keywords."""
-        heading = html.heading(
-            '<big><big><strong>INDEX</strong></big></big>',
-            '#ffffff', '#7799ee')
-        names = sorted(Helper.keywords.keys())
-
-        def bltinlink(name):
-            return '<a href="topic?key=%s">%s</a>' % (name, name)
-
-        contents = html.multicolumn(names, bltinlink)
-        contents = heading + html.bigsection(
-            'Keywords', '#ffffff', '#ee77aa', contents)
-        return 'Keywords', contents
+        return html.dockeywordlist(server = True)
 
     def html_topicpage(topic):
         """Topic or keyword help page."""
-        buf = io.StringIO()
-        htmlhelp = Helper(buf, buf)
-        contents, xrefs = htmlhelp._gettopic(topic)
-        if topic in htmlhelp.keywords:
-            title = 'KEYWORD'
-        else:
-            title = 'TOPIC'
-        heading = html.heading(
-            '<big><big><strong>%s</strong></big></big>' % title,
-            '#ffffff', '#7799ee')
-        contents = '<pre>%s</pre>' % html.markup(contents)
-        contents = html.bigsection(topic , '#ffffff','#ee77aa', contents)
-        if xrefs:
-            xrefs = sorted(xrefs.split())
-
-            def bltinlink(name):
-                return '<a href="topic?key=%s">%s</a>' % (name, name)
-
-            xrefs = html.multicolumn(xrefs, bltinlink)
-            xrefs = html.section('Related help topics: ',
-                                 '#ffffff', '#ee77aa', xrefs)
-        return ('%s %s' % (title, topic),
-                ''.join((heading, contents, xrefs)))
+        return html.doctopic(topic, server = True)
 
     def html_getobj(url):
         obj = locate(url, forceload=1)
diff -r 4419e2941205 Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py	Sun Sep 22 11:46:51 2013 +0200
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py	Sun Oct 20 20:50:33 2013 +0530
@@ -466,6 +466,16 @@
         methods = pydoc.allmethods(TestClass)
         self.assertDictEqual(methods, expected)
 
+    def test_writedoc(self):
+        # Issue 14680: pydoc with -w option does not work for a
+        # lot of help topics
+        test_words = ['EXPRESSIONS', 'keywords', '_']
+        for word in test_words:
+            with captured_stdout() as out:
+                filename = word + '.html'
+                pydoc.writedoc(word)
+                self.assertEqual(out.getvalue(), 'wrote %s\n' % (filename))
+                unlink(filename)
 
 class PydocImportTest(PydocBaseTest):