How to Engage Readers with Emotional Writing
One of the greatest skills that a writer can possess is the ability to make readers feel something. If you can engage readers on an emotional level, you’ll have them hooked. This effect is called emotional resonance. Think about it: Most of the books, poems, movies, and TV shows that you love best are the…Read More
How to Play and Pretend Your Way to Breakthrough Writing Ideas
My little niece used to love to sit with a grown-up book spread across her lap, reading a story out loud — except she couldn’t read yet. She was making it all up — pretending. During play, she invented new words. One time we were playing with some toys, and I asked one of their…Read More
How to Harvest Creative Writing Ideas from the News
Creative people are always looking for inspiration, and writers are no exception. We look to the people in our lives, to nature, and to the books, music, and films that we love. We call on our muses, we doodle, and we daydream. We record our dreams, meditate, and contemplate. And we do all these things…Read More
Is Writing Always Fun?
People have different reasons for writing. For some, it’s a hobby. For others, it’s a livelihood. For most, it’s a hobby they dream of turning into a livelihood. It’s a worthwhile dream, and a lofty one too. But what does it take to get there? How much fun will you have, and just how much…Read More
How to Find Writing Inspiration When Your Muse is on Vacation
Have you ever sat down to start a new writing project only to find yourself sitting there, hours later, staring idly at the blank page? Writing inspiration doesn’t always come easily. In an ideal world, we always look forward to the blank page, a fresh canvas we can color with ideas and texture with language….Read More
Creative Writing, Art, and Commerce
What is art? People have been trying to answer that question for centuries, but we still don’t have a definitive answer. We know art is borne of creativity. It’s meant to impact whoever is experiencing it. And it comes from a place within the artist that we don’t truly understand. Art remains a mystery, both…Read More
Journal Ideas for Daily Writing and Creativity
Every expert in the world thinks you should keep a journal. Physical trainers suggest keeping an exercise journal, and nutritionists recommend keeping track of your meals. Oprah insists on a gratitude journal, and business consultants promote journaling one’s career. How much journal writing can one person do? Journals are, first and foremost, the forté of…Read More
How to Transform Words Into Writing Inspiration
I recently flipped through my copy of Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge’s Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words (aff link), and after just a couple of chapters, my imagination was on fire. I’m always looking for new ways to inspire writing ideas, and lately I’ve been thinking that we should talk more about a writer’s most basic…Read More
How to Harvest a Dream Journal for Writing Inspiration
There’s something mysterious and magical about dreams. In the dreamworld, anything is possible. Our deepest desires and greatest fears come to life. Whether they haunt or beguile, our dreams represent the far reaches of our imaginations. Journals can have similar qualities of mystery and intrigue. If your journal is full of freewrites, doodles, cryptic notes,…Read More
Creative Writing: Reflective Journaling
A journal is a chronological log, and you can use a journal to log anything you want. Many professionals keep journals, including scientists and ship captains. Their journals are strictly for tracking their professional progress. Fitness enthusiasts keep diet and exercise journals. Artists use journals to chronicle their artistic expressions. A writer’s journal can hold…Read More
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