Melissa Donovan | Writing Forward

From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: The Great Debate

Today’s post is from 101 Creative Writing Exercises. This exercise is from “Chapter 9: Philosophy, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving.” It’s called “The Great Debate.” Enjoy! Logic, order, and organization are essential in clear and coherent writing, whether you’re telling a story or writing a poem. Critical thinking is a fundamental writing skill. If a…Read More

Where to Find Ideas for Writing a Story

It always seem like there are too many writing ideas or not enough. When you don’t have time to write, ideas come hurtling out of nowhere. Sometimes they come so fast, you can’t even write them all down. But when you sit down, stretch your fingers, and lean over your keyboard to start typing, nothing…Read More

Grammar Rules: Who vs. Whom

It sounds old-fashioned: To whom have you sent those letters? Modern colloquial speakers expect something more along the lines of Who did you send those letters to? While whom may sound outdated, it is still the technically correct word in certain situations. Let’s examine the rules and practices surrounding who vs. whom. One of our…Read More

Constraints and Creativity for Writers

Lots of writers feel restricted by rules and constraints. I’ve seen writers rail against constraints ranging from the submission guidelines on an agent’s website to the specifications of a creative writing exercise. I once witnessed a rant by an author whose story didn’t fit into any genre that could be found on Amazon (or in…Read More

100 Common-Sense Ways to Write Better

Nobody’s born knowing how to read and write. Sure, the lucky ones have talent, but we all start out learning our ABCs. We memorize the sounds that letters make, and we learn how they come together to form words. Pretty soon, we’re reading. Someone puts pencils in our hands and then we’re scribbling letters on…Read More

Writing Tips: Avoid Clichés

There are many writing tips that tell us what to avoid in our work: We should keep adverbs to a minimum. Don’t use verbiage, which is excessive and unnecessary language. Watch out for info dumps. And avoid clichés. But why should we avoid clichés? What’s a cliché, anyway, and how do we identify them in…Read More

A Messy, Liberating Guide to Journal Writing

This post contains affiliate links. You should see my journal. It’s a cacophony of words and images, scribbles, doodles, and scraps of ideas tucked between the pages. It’s sort of a mess, and I like it that way. I know some writers are diligent about keeping their journals pristine. The pages are crisp, the lines…Read More

Fiction Writing Prompts for the Young Adult (YA) Genre

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions for this website from qualifying purchases. Young adult literature is one of the most exciting genres in fiction. Young people are bright, bold, and open-minded. More importantly, they’re going to shape the future. What they read matters. Classic young adult books like To Kill a Mockingbird, The…Read More

From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Rock and Rhyme (Poetry)

Today’s post features an exercise from my book, 101 Creative Writing Exercises (aff link), which is filled with exercises for various forms of writing, including fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. It will inspire you while imparting useful writing techniques that are fun and practical. This exercise comes from “Chapter 8: Free Verse.” The creative writing exercises in this…Read More

23 Fiction Writing Ideas That Will Revitalize Your Story

Sometimes our fiction writing projects dry up. The characters turn out flat, the plot feels formulaic, and the story suddenly seems lackluster. This is when a lot of writers give up and file their half-finished manuscripts into a bottom drawer never to be seen again. Before giving up on a project, why not try to…Read More