Why You Should Study Writing
Stephen King said, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” He’s right. These are the only two things you absolutely must do in order to be a writer. But they aren’t the only things you can or should do. Plenty…Read More
How to Defeat Writer’s Block
Wikipedia defines writer’s block as “a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work.” However, I have come to believe that in most cases, writer’s block is a symptom, not a condition. Before we can alleviate writer’s block, we have to diagnose it. Writer’s block is…Read More
Writing Resources: Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones
This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions from qualifying purchases. “I used to think freedom meant doing whatever you want. It means knowing who you are, what you are supposed to be doing on this earth, and then simply doing it.” — Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones Ah, words of wisdom. I was…Read More
Creative Writing Prompts: Politics and Religion
Today’s post includes a selection of prompts from my book 1200 Creative Writing Prompts. Enjoy! My mom always says, “Don’t ever discuss politics and religion in mixed company.” She has a point: these are taboo subjects that can destroy friendships, rip families apart, and even divide an entire nation. But politics and religion are important…Read More
What is a Story Concept?
Today’s post includes excerpts from What’s the Story? Building Blocks for Fiction Writing, chapter eleven: “Concept, Premise, and Loglines.” Enjoy! Most audiences are first introduced to stories as concepts, premises, or loglines. These are hooks used for pitching and marketing; they draw people’s attention, get them interested in a story, and compel them to buy it….Read More
Punctuation Marks: Quotation Marks (in Fiction Writing)
The placement of quotation marks perplexes a lot of people. Do they go inside or outside of other punctuation marks, like periods and commas? Should they be used to set off titles or to emphasize certain words? Are they used for both spoken dialogue and thought dialogue? What about text messages or notes in a novel…Read More
Ten Myths About Creativity
Today I’d like to share an excerpt from my book 10 Core Practices for Better Writing. This excerpt is from “Chapter Nine: Creativity,” which offers insights and tips to help you stay inspired and creative as a writer. The excerpt I’ve chosen presents ten myths about creativity. These are notions about creativity that people assume,…Read More
10 Ways to Learn Writing Skills
For writers, the learning process never ends. There’s always some new skill to acquire, a new writing technique to develop, a new tool we can use. We strive to master basic writing skills (grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.), and learn our form (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry) and genre (romance, suspense, fantasy, etc.). Storytellers, for example, must learn…Read More
Good Grammar and Bad Manners: How to Handle Writing Mistakes in Public
I’m a writer, but before I’m a writer, I’m a human being. And as a human being, sometimes I make mistakes. Let’s face it, we all make mistakes — some big, some small. Today I want to talk about what happens when we, as writers, make a mistake in our work: a typo, an incorrectly…Read More
Writing Resources for Naming Your Characters
This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions from qualifying purchases. Have you ever read one of those epic fantasy novels in which the magical characters can gain total control over any living being simply by discovering their real and true name? I’ve read about ten of those novels. What do you think is more…Read More
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