Poetry Prompts for Fall
It seems like summer always passes too quickly and winter lasts too long. Maybe that’s why fall is a favorite season for so many people. It seems to hang around just long enough. It’s not too hot, not too cold — a mild, colorful, and comfortable season. Every fall, my creativity goes into overdrive, and…Read More
Sneak Peek at Story Drills: Character Arcs
Today’s post offers a sneak peek at my book, Story Drills: Fiction Writing Exercises. This exercise examines character arcs. Enjoy! Character Arcs In storytelling, an arc is a path of transformation. A character arc is the journey that a character experiences throughout the course of a story, which leads to a significant change. Changes can…Read More
Storytelling: What is a Plot?
Today’s post includes excerpts from What’s the Story? Building Blocks for Fiction Writing, chapter two: “Plot.” It’s a book that lays out the fundamentals of creating fictional stories, equipping you with the basic skills necessary for writing stories that engage. Enjoy! What is a Plot? A plot is a sequence of related events in a…Read More
Poetry: Rhythm and Meter
Rhythm is everywhere: we hear it in the hum of vehicles and appliances. We feel it when we walk or run. We see it in the very rising and setting of the sun. Even our hearts beat to a rhythm. Rhythm is built into the way we experience and perceive the world. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary offers several…Read More
Where Do Successful Authors Get Their Most Brilliant Writing Ideas?
Do writing ideas just fall out of the sky? Is it reasonable to sit around waiting for a great idea to land on your lap, so you can write the next big bestseller? I don’t think so. When it comes to developing worthwhile writing ideas, it’s either feast or famine for most of us. Some…Read More
Punctuation Marks: The Exclamation Mark
It’s a relatively simple punctuation mark — a bold one without a lot of confusing rules — yet it’s still grossly overused. It gives our sentences pizzazz. It emphasizes dialogue when one character shouts or snaps at another. And it gives copy editors headaches. The exclamation mark sure packs a punch. The Exclamation Mark! This…Read More
Critiques Make Your Writing Better, So Grin and Bear Them
Today I’d like to share an excerpt from my book 10 Core Practices for Better Writing. This excerpt is from “Chapter Seven: Feedback,” which offers tips for giving and receiving critiques as well as coping with public criticism. The excerpt I’ve chosen to share today explains how to use critiques to make your writing better,…Read More
15 Quick and Dirty Writing Tips
The first time someone told me, “show, don’t tell,” I had no idea what they were talking about. Show what? Isn’t writing, by its very nature, telling? I was a young writer and didn’t yet understand the many elements of good writing. But I kept hearing that advice over and over: show, don’t tell. Then,…Read More
Check Out These Reviews of 101 Creative Writing Exercises
This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions from qualifying purchases. When I set out to write 101 Creative Writing Exercises, the goal was simple: give writers the tools they need to succeed. Many of the writing exercises I had done over the years were fun or interesting, but few of them imparted practical writing…Read More
Journal Prompts for Aspiring Writers
Journal prompts are a great way to kick off a writing session when you’re feeling uninspired. We all have days when writing ideas are nowhere to be found, but that doesn’t mean you have to go a day without writing. In fact, on those days when my muse is being elusive, I like to either…Read More
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