But there are a few guidelines that you must follow.

Good fiction writing recognizes the five elements of fiction. These elements are the core materials that you use to create a captivating story:

• Character – who the story is about
• Plot – what happens to the characters
• Setting – where and when the story is set
• Theme – why?
• Style – how it’s presented

Each of these elements are present in successful fiction writing. If any element is missing, there’s a good chance the story will feel incomplete. There may be some cases when a story works without one particular element, such as a setting, but that is the exception rather than the rule.

Here are a few reasons to master the elements of fiction writing:

• If you know these terms, you will be able to talk intelligently about fiction writing, especially with an agent or editor.
• You will be able to identify problem areas more easily.
• If you plot stories in advance, understanding these elements is essential.
• Understanding these elements gives you a new perspective as a fiction reader.
• You can use these elements to build your story when you’re not sure which direction to take.

Elements of Fiction

Let’s look at each fiction writing element in greater detail.

Character

Most people feel that characterization is the most important element of fiction writing because readers connect directly with characters. It is this emotional connection that keeps a reader interested enough to turn page after page.

Plot

For there to be a story, there must be action. Things have to happen. How they happen, when they happen, who they happen to, and in what order they happen is plot, and while readers emotionally connect with characters, it’s the plot that stirs their curiosity.

Setting

Setting may very well be the least significant element, though some stories place heavy emphasis on setting, occasionally to the point where the setting is actually more a character than a backdrop.

Theme

What will readers think when they finish reading your story? This will be determined by the theme or message of the story, which raises questions and presents ideas or lessons.

Style

In fiction writing, there are many things going on that affect the story but have nothing to do with it. These are the choices a writer makes about how to tell their story. Components of style include point of view, narration, grammar, spelling, punctuation, language, rhythm, structure, tone, imagery, and more. Style is also referred to as voice.

Fiction Writing

Why is it so important for a fiction writer to understand the elements of fiction? Isn’t it best to just sit down and write, and let your creativity do its thing?

Well, yes and no.

When these elements are woven together seamlessly, a story feels layered, rich, and real. It resonates with readers. Sure, there are times when creativity will do the job for you. But at some point, you’ll have to check your work and ask whether the story works as a whole. If it doesn’t, if it feels like something essential is missing, then it’s likely one of these elements is either absent or not adequately addressed.

Sure, you can sit down and write a story from raw creativity, and there’s a small chance that it will be good. But the more you study and understand the craft, the more equipped you will be to write truly good fiction.

Do you have any fiction writing tips, experiences, or questions to share? Leave a comment!

Fiction writing is one of the most popular forms of creative writing. Everyone is trying to write some fiction, — novels, short stories, novelettes, novellas, micro-fiction, and even Twitter fiction. Events like NaNoWriMo are becoming wildly popular. More and more novels are written every month.

But out of all the average work, how do you make your novel stand out?

You know the answer, of course. By making it your own and as perfect as possible. A novel can be made as perfect as possible by learning the art of fiction writing and then editing like mad.

Editing is tough work. Any writer can edit a 500-word blog post, but some freak out at the thought of editing an entire novel. It’s tough. Many writers even think it’s impossible to edit something like that, especially those who enjoy the writing but don’t like revisions.

But editing and proofreading are essential and will come more easily if you know good grammar, spelling, and punctuation. If you understand concepts like structure and plot holes, editing will be even smoother.  And if you have knowledge of various fiction writing elements, that’s just awesome.

But there’s one more little trick that will help writers edit novels more easily: create scenes and chapters. If you create effective scenes and chapters in your first draft, you’ll be well on your way to better editing.

First off, what are scenes and chapters?

What are Scenes?

I’ll just let Wikipedia give you the definition here:

“In fiction, a scene is a unit of drama. A sequel is what follows; an aftermath. Together, scene and sequel provide the building blocks of plot for short stories, novels, and other forms of fiction.”

Scenes are indispensable when writing a novel. A novel is lengthy, about 80,000-130,000 words. Scenes are usually only 400-500 words long. You can easily edit a scene rather than editing the whole manuscript at once, which makes editing more manageable. During the editing process, you can check for structure, flow, characters, and plot holes. You can also break up one scene into two or more scenes if you want the editing process even more simplified. Don’t worry about making your scenes too short because you can always make them one again when the work is done. Easy.

Scenes in plays are similar to scenes in novels. If you write a short section in which something significant happens in a single setting, then it is a scene. The scene directly affects what happens later. “What happens later” is the sequel. Here is a good article on how to write perfect scenes.

What are Chapters?

From Wikipedia:

“A chapter is one of the main divisions of a piece of writing of relative length, such as a book. Chapters can be numbered in the case of such writings as law code (like Chapter 7 or Chapter 11) or they can be titled.”

A chapter is usually made up of two or more scenes, although sometimes there is just one scene in a chapter. Chapters that have one scene are usually short, although that won’t be the case if the scene itself is long or elaborate.

Chapters can be short, although if you make them too short and have too many of them, they may become less effective. Extremely long chapters, on the other hand, can be cumbersome. Experiment with caution.

The length of the chapter may depend on the audience for whom the novel is written. Children’s books have short chapters whereas adult books have (mostly) long chapters.

How do you effectively create chapters in a novel? It depends. In adventure and mystery novels, some people like to end chapters on cliff-hangers: this is a popular technique. However, the bottom line is that you should end chapters whenever you feel a major shift in the story, whether it be a change in point of view, a new scene, or a sequel.

Short chapters are easy to write. As mentioned, they often consist of a single scene and therefore rarely become boring or complicated. Long chapters can be dull if not executed properly. As you write your novel, try to strike a balance so that each chapter is interesting to the reader.

Chapters make ideal blocks of text for editing and proofreading for the same reason that scenes are indispensable. You can create separate document files for each chapter (or scene) to help you focus on smaller chunks of text. I’ve done this a few times, and it worked well for me. But then, in creative writing, there is no such thing such as one size fits all. Experiment with various techniques and test your results.

Effective Fiction Writing

Remember that while writing the first draft of a novel, planning effective scenes and chapters will make editing much easier. By including scenes, chapters, and other shorter blocks of text in your fiction writing, you’ll be off to a great start with your novel or other long-term fiction writing project.

Have Your Say

What do you think? Did I miss anything? Do you agree that chapters and scenes are great for editing if you create them effectively? Disagree? Got something to say? Any fiction writing tips to add? Then it’s over to you to leave a comment below.

Writing a biography is an enormous undertaking and with it comes enormous responsibility. From Wikipedia:

A biography is a description or account of someone’s life and the times, which is usually published in the form of a book or an essay, or in some other form, such as a film.

When you write a memoir or autobiography, you are only responsible for telling your own story. Taking on a biography means speaking for someone else. That’s a pretty big burden to bear. As a biographer, your job is to portray your subject’s life — and to portray it truthfully. Plus, like all creative nonfiction, a biography should be moving, entertaining, and informative.

Authorized vs. Unauthorized Biography

There are two types of biographies: authorized and unauthorized. If you write an authorized biography, your job is going to be a lot easier because you’ll have cooperation from the subject, who can provide you with choice research materials — letters, journals, and a firsthand account. Interviews with the subject and those closest to the subject are probably the most important sources of information in an authorized biography and can be important selling points because you’re essentially gathering facts from the source.

If you write an unauthorized biography, you won’t have the advantage of exclusive access to the subject’s personal information. Without the subject’s blessing, your project might be viewed as an intrusion on the subject’s privacy. You’ll have to conduct peripheral research and interviews. In essence, you’re snooping around in someone else’s business then making your findings public. On the other hand, your objectivity will remain intact. You won’t feel any sense of obligation in keeping secrets or writing the biography strictly in a  positive light in order to ensure access to the subject.

I tend to believe that if people want to keep the details of their lives private, then they should be left alone. I am not a fan of paparazzi and journalists who go after the big bucks exposing the personal lives of celebrities. When Madonna’s brother wrote his account of his sister the pop star, I saw it as somewhat traitorous and invasive.

On the other hand, when dealing with politicians and people in positions of power and leadership, their actions can have a huge impact on the public at large. I tend to favor unauthorized biographies in the realms of politics, government, history, business, and current events. However, I also think it’s important to check the biographer’s credentials to assess whether the biography is objective and to determine whether there’s an ulterior motive, which is all too often the case.

Historical Biographies

There is a third type of biography, which involves writing about historical figures. Since the subject is deceased, it’s impossible to obtain authorization, though in some cases, the subject’s estate may be involved in deciding whether or not to authorize the project and work jointly with a biographer.

With historical biographies, research is crucial. Sometimes, there will be living persons who knew the subject and they can be interviewed. But the farther back you go in time, the more likely it becomes that you will have to rely on surviving documents.

If you’re writing a biography about someone who’s already been written about extensively, there will be plenty of published material to get you started. Writing a biography about Joan of Arc, Thomas Jefferson, or Beethoven will be relatively straightforward because much of the research has been done and there are bibliographies aplenty that will provide the basis for your research. In cases like these, the trick is to take a new angle and bring to light aspects of these historical figures that haven’t been heavily featured in previous biographies.

Exploring the Unknown

Or, you can find a subject who hasn’t been sufficiently researched or written about. There are plenty of interesting people throughout history (and in modern times) whose stories haven’t been shared publicly. These are often the sidekicks of prominent historical figures or individuals whose contributions were significant, but didn’t attract much public attention. Using recent U.S. history as an example, there are hundreds of civil rights and feminist activists alive who made great contributions to their respective movements. In the arts, sciences, and political realms, there are literally thousands of people who have made a difference but who remain relatively unknown.

Books vs. Films

I’m a fan of the biography genre, although I usually take mine in film format. When I curl up with a book, I tend to prefer fiction. When I want the scoop on real people, I prefer to watch a documentary or biopic because I think that the visual elements of the person’s story are important. Who wants to read a book about the Beatles when you can watch a film that includes live-action footage of the fab four as well as an infectious audio track packed with their biggest hits.

But not all biographies work on the screen. I watched one about Emily Dickinson and discovered that I better enjoyed reading about her life story than watching filmmakers desperately try to represent her with film when there is no video footage of her.

As an alternative to writing a biographic book, you could author a screenplay for a documentary or biopic about your subject. Be sure to brush up on screenplay formatting!

Benefits of Creative Nonfiction and Biography

Generally, creative nonfiction provides insight into the real lives and events that have affected and shaped history. A budding musician can learn a lot by watching biopics about Elvis or Michael Jackson. A future president can better plan his or her future by reading about world leaders throughout history. No matter your career path, you can gain immense insights by studying the biographies of those who have achieved success (or found failure) in your field. And then there are the heroes — maybe you have no interest in becoming a professional baseball player, but you love the sport and enjoy reading about great athletes, such as Babe Ruth or Jackie Robinson.

I do think some biographies are unethical. Tell-alls are fine when they come from the subject’s own pen but gossipy exposes that aim to slander the innocent can destroy lives and careers. Basically, I don’t care what celebrities are doing behind closed doors. I’m not interested in their personal affairs. I just want to know more about their art and passion. But you know me — there are always exceptions. If a politician campaigns on family values and is leading a double life, hiding a secret second family, then I think we have a right to know about it.

My hope is that writers who tackle biography, whether in film of book form, will approach their work with careful consideration and will practice responsibility, respect, and good creative nonfiction writing practices.

Have you ever thought about writing a biography or some other form of creative nonfiction? Do you enjoy reading or watching biographies to learn more about the world? What are some of your favorite biographies?

the habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economic level, etc., that together constitute the mode of living of an individual or group.

A lifestyle is something you build for yourself from all the elements that make up your daily life: your thoughts, dreams, actions, routine, work, family, friends, food, hobbies, habits, and interests.

So, is poetry writing a lifestyle?

Examining the Writer’s Life

The writer’s life is unique. We spend a lot of time alone, with only our words and ideas to keep us company. We are immersed in word counts and submissions, manuscripts and notebooks. We work under tight deadlines and live in fear of typos. When other people are enjoying their favorite television shows or a day at the beach, we’re busy at our keyboards, doing our writerly work.

We are idea seekers — always looking for the next topic, poem, or plot. Every moment is an experience that could lead to a masterpiece, so every moment is a masterpiece. We live as observers, taking in the world around us so that we can share the best parts of it with our readers.

We are communicators, using words to forge connections. It’s not enough to tell a story. We want to show readers what it was like to be there, to live it.

And the most ambitious writers, those who are driven to make writing not just a way of life but a career, must also look at themselves in a way few other people do. We must see ourselves as authors and learn how to brand and market ourselves. We have to be self-promoters, and we have to be brave enough to put our work, which can be highly personal, out there for all the world to see.

Poetic Living

Writers are, in many ways, a subculture. That means poets are a subculture within a subculture. Poetry is not the most popular pastime (for readers or writers), so it’s a micro-niche. The downside of poetry’s lack of popularity is that poets don’t get a lot of accolades and it’s nearly impossible to be a career poet. The upside is that the poetry community is a tight one. Outside of literary circles, when two people who both read or write poetry bump into each other, they’re sure to forge an instant bond because such a person is a rare treasure.

Poets breathe language. It’s the most essential component to poetry writing. Language is the poet’s musical instrument, paintbrush, camera, and voice. Poets must find ways to make language achieve acrobatic feats. When a poet learns a new word, discover a new way to use an old word, or figures out how to string words together in unexpected ways that still make sense, it’s like she’s just sprouted wings and flown.

Poets get excited over things that put regular people to sleep — an unusual rhyme, a passionate reading, a book of poetry. We go through life the way other writers do — living each moment as an experience that could become a masterpiece. But the poet’s masterpiece is somewhere between a short story and a song. It’s not enough to simply tell a tale. A poet has to make a story sing and dance. And while all creative writers strive to make their readers feel and engage on an emotional level, poets must accomplish this in a very short space, usually less than one page.

Poetry Writing as a Lifestyle

It’s National Poetry Month, and for my part, I’m working on two projects. The first one is watching and listening to performance poetry. I have a big archive of performances to get through, and I’ve been chipping away at it for about an hour a day since the end of March.

The other big project is going through my own poetry archives and organizing my work. I have folders for drafts and discards, work in progress, and completed poems. Once I get those folders straightened out, I’ll dig into about a decade worth of journals and freewrites that have been piling up.

I don’t think this is the way the average human being spends her free time, so I’ve come to view poetry writing as a lifestyle. The more you engage with poetry by reading or listening to it and the more you write poetry, the more it becomes ingrained in your daily thoughts, actions, and reactions. A moment that would otherwise become a lost memory is instead shaped into a work of art — a poem. When people speak, I listen to what they’re saying, but I find myself paying closer attention to their words and cadence. The same is true with my reading.

In short, poetry writing becomes an adventure in word craft, and it’s an adventure that is threaded throughout every minute of a poet’s day. That’s my experience, anyway. How does poetry writing affect your daily life? Do you consider it a lifestyle? A hobby? A habit?

I know some writers are diligent about keeping their journals pristine. The pages are crisp, the lines straight and legible, and every word is thoughtfully selected. The theme is consistent — a dream journal, an idea journal, a diary. It’s an orderly affair done up in a tidy fashion. And that works for some people.

But it doesn’t work for me.

If I’m going to be creative — if I’m going to let my creativity flow — then I need to let things get messy. I need to dig my toes in the mud, bury my fingers in the clay, and splash paint across the walls. I can’t be confined by order or logic. I need to write sideways and upside down. I need to doodle. Jot down song lyrics. Make smudges. I need to be free.

And I’m not the only one.

Keri Smith created Wreck This Journal with the same understanding that when we allow ourselves freedom to make a mess, we also free ourselves to be as creative as possible, unchaining hidden ideas that refuse to come out for fear that they’ll be destroyed by our linear and conventional thinking:

By forcing ourselves to wreck it on purpose, the “journal as an object” loses it’s preciousness, and allows us the feeling of completion.

Wreck This Journal is a great way to get your creativity out of the box. As you work your way through the journal, you actually wreck it. You’ll cut, tear, and generally thrash this book (you’ll even be asked to tie it to a string and drag it around). You start letting go of constraints, allowing yourself to make mistakes, create poorly crafted prose, or senseless art (because you’re going to wreck it), and this gives your creativity the courage it needs to take risks.

Getting Creative with Journal Writing

I haven’t wrecked my own journal (yet), but I don’t play by a set of rules either. I started journaling many years ago and I’ve tried every which way: keeping separate journals and notebooks for different purposes, tracking my life’s events, daily journal writing. I had a dream journal and an art journal. A gratitude journal. None of these stand-alone methods worked for me.

But I didn’t give up. In time, my journal writing became a mish-mash of ideas and themes that lived together on the pages of a single journal. My writing and creativity bloomed. Encouraged by my creative writing instructors, I wrote in circles, used large cursive and teeny tiny print. I sketched in the margins, sometimes on full pages. Anarchy evolved as I became increasingly experimental and let go of my overly tidy journal writing habits.

My journal has become a sacred space for disorder. I know that when I open it, anything goes. I can create with total abandon. And I do.

25 Ways to Journal

I’m not going to ask you to wreck your journal, but if you think it might open your creative floodgates, I say go for it. When we want to be more creative, we have to be willing to try anything. What I am going to do is give you a list of ways that you can use your journal. You’ll find that if you open your journal to more possibilities for material, media, and subject matter, you’ll start to build interesting connections. And that is one sure path to better writing!

Since Writing Forward’s inception, many readers have left comments sharing brilliant ways that they use their journals. Here are some of the ideas they’ve shared mixed in with some of my own:

1. Forget about lines. Turn your journal sideways or upside down. Write in the margins or on the spine. Write in a spiral. Draw a shape and fill it with words. This was one of the first creativity techniques I ever used and it really got the ball rolling.
2. Reader zz, who blogs at Eek.Eke knows a thing or two about wrecking journals: “When I’m feeling particularly uninspired I like to journal melodramatically – it makes me laugh and keeps me going. Otherwise I like to make paper mache bowls out of pages of my worst writing – something about ripping the pages into tiny little pieces is very freeing…”
3. Ever come across mind-blowing imagery in a magazine or online? Print it out, cut it out, and paste in in your journal for inspiration.
4. Reader Gaya commented to share how she uses an art journal. She includes pictures with funny captions and keeps  record of the galleries she attends. You too can write crazy captions for the images you paste (or draw) in your journal.
5. Write with colored pens, crayons, or Sharpies.
6. Paulo Campos commented about how he uses his journal: “A habit I learned while reading about Virginia Woolf: she regularly copied passages she liked from books she was reading into notebooks.” Brad Vertrees also keeps a reading journal where he write his thoughts about the current book he’s reading. And Deb keeps a log of books she’s read in her journal.
7. Write down words. Not sentences — just words — words you like, words that evoke intense emotions or strong imagery or words that simply resonate. Randomly fill the blank spaces in your journal with these words. Write them big, write them small, and write them in all different colors!
8. Make lists. List names and places (make up some place names!). List foods, song titles, and sensations. List nouns or list adjectives. Or simply list random, short thoughts that pop into your head.
9. When Wendi Kelly wakes up with a song stuck in her head, she asks the song, “What do you want?” If you get a song stuck in your head, jot down some of the lyrics and then keep writing to find out what message the song is sending you.
10. Doodle, doodle, doodle, and draw. Or try writing and sketching in your journal with chalk or charcoal. See what happens when you smudge and smear your words. Maybe you’ll make some pictures or abstract art!
11. Use stream of consciousness, also known as freewriting. Rebecca Reid shared her experience: “I kept a journal for about 10 years: it was combination train of thought and ‘diary’ of my day. I think a train of thought journal would be nice now too.”
12. Dreams are a popular source of inspiration, and ideal for journal writing. You can get story ideas, imagery, and bizarre notions from your night visions. Write down your most interesting dreams in your journals. When I mentioned dream journals in another post, Trisha from Marketing Journeys responded, “Journaling my dreams has been on my list for quite a while – you’ve given me a jumpstart and the inspiration to get going!”
13. Use journal writing to engage in dialogues with people who are inaccessible. Write letters or short notes to people you’ve lost touch with, people you’ve broken up with, and people who have passed away. Chat with your characters. Converse with your heroes (dead or alive).
14. Deep Friar told us that his mom (who is very wise) suggested a “Happy Compartment” journal: “When something nice happens, you put it in your ‘Happy Compartment.’ Then, whenever you feel bad, you just open up your Happy Compartment, and relive the happy time and make yourself feel better.”
15. Monika Mundell mentioned in a comment that she keeps gratitude and travel journals. She added, “Come to think about it though, I do have a lovely creative journal from years ago. I used to draw, stick pictures in there and sketch. Loved that thing.”

All-Purpose Journal Writers

As I searched through the comments across this site to find out what readers had shared about their journal writing habits, I discovered that lots of writers already use all-purpose journals creatively and freely:

Cheryl Wright keeps “an all inclusive journal where I record idle and focused thoughts, ramblings about my life issues and life in general and everything else for that matter.”

And Karen Swim has journals “for life, writing, dreams, ideas, notes, and prayers.” She mentioned all of these journals more than once while visiting Writing Forward!

T. Sterling Watson kept a journal that “contained funny quotes I overheard, random ideas for future poems or scripts, doodles, and general thoughts.”

Michele Tune, who writes the cyber highway, commented, “I draw, write poetry, document the day’s events, or whatever I feel like putting on paper. I’ve written in pretty journals, on scratches of paper that I’ve tucked into journals…”

Milena uses her journal to “paste images, cartoons, photos, write stuff, even jot down grocery lists (these can be interesting to come back to sometimes), impressions of any sort or anything that comes to mind and which I fear forgetting.”

That’s what I’m talking about!

Of journal writing, Amy Derby once commented, “Those paper journals of mine are priceless.”

Treasure your journals! Let them them get wrecked up and messed up.

And keep on writing.

Do you have any fun, unusual, messy, or liberating journal writing tips to share? Interested in trying any of the ones listed here? Share your thoughts and ideas by leaving a comment.

Journal Writing Resources:

Wreck This Journal
What Should I Write in My Journal?
Seven Different Types of Journal Writing

What, exactly, is an autobiography?

The Autobiography

The terms for autobiography and memoir are often used interchangeably and with good reason. They are similar in concept. However, an autobiography is generally an account of the writer’s life whereas a memoir has a narrower focus. Memoirs often cover a specific time period or experience, and often emphasize the writer’s inner life (thoughts, ideas, and emotions) whereas an autobiography emphasizes the exterior (experiences).

What’s a Biography?

It’s worthwhile to note that biography (as opposed to an autobiography) is written by someone other than the subject of the book. In short, if you write the story of your own life, it’s an autobiography. If you write the story of someone else’s life, it’s a biography.

How to remember this? Have you seen the Biography Channel? They do biographies – not on themselves, but on others (on famous people, actually).

History of Autobiographies

According to Wikipedia, “The word autobiography was first used by the poet Robert Southey in 1809 in the English periodical Quarterly Review.”

It would take several volumes to cover the entire history of autobiographies, but there are some that stand out as worth noting.

During the Renaissance, a sculptor and goldsmith named Benvenuty Cellini (1500-1571) wrote one of the earliest known autobiographies. It was called Vita (Life).

Vita is particularly notable because it set forth a standard for autobiographies with its opening lines: “No matter what sort he is, everyone who has to his credit what are or really seem great achievements, if he cares for truth and goodness, ought to write the story of his own life in his own hand; but no one should venture on such a splendid undertaking before he is over forty.”

In recent times, that standard has changed drastically. Today, we often see autobiographies that are written by people under forty. We also often see autobiographies the are written by ghostwriters.

The Book of Margery Kempe is the oldest known autobiography written in the English language. It covers Margery’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land and her trip to Rome. Though written in the 15th century, it was not published until 1936.

Creative Nonfiction Becomes a Claim to Fame

As printing became cheaper, autobiographies became more accessible. The cultural phenomenon of fame and celebrity evolved, and eventually it became expected of celebrities to produce autobiographies. This was the rule for all who were in the public eye – writers, performers, politicians.

Eventually, everyone who was anyone was busily pattering away at a typewriter, deeply immersed in the creative nonfiction of self. It was a good way to cash in on one’s fame (an autobiography might render a fortune) and set in motion the vehicle to grow one’s celebrity by bringing it to a wider audience.

Today, autobiographies serve much the same purpose (as do memoirs). They are often used to help build celebrity branding, to generate income, and even to win elections (an autobiography or memoir is almost essential in many political arenas). While some are truly authored by the celebrity in question, many (if not most) are actually written by ghostwriters, who are hired to craft the manuscript.

Versions and Sub-classes

Autobiographies, like many forms, can be further divided into a number of sub-classes. These include the following:

• Diaries (personal, chronological accounts)
• Political Critiques (especially in totalitarian societies)
• Sensationalist (often scandalous, for public consumption) [Note: These are usually written by ghostwriters.]
• Fictional (this is basically a novel written in first person)
• Memoirs may be considered by some to be a sub-class of autobiographies. Though they are both creative nonfiction and have many similarities, they are actually different forms.

Have you read any interesting autobiographies? Do you dabble in creative nonfiction? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

You can do just about anything in a poem. That’s why poetry is so wild; there are no rules. Poets have complete liberty to build something out of nothing simply by stringing words together.

All of this makes poetry writing alluring to writers who are burning with creativity. A poet’s process is magical and mesmerizing. But all that freedom and creativity can be a little overwhelming. If you can travel in any direction, which way should you go? Where are the guideposts?

The truth is that there are no real guideposts, but there are ideas that a poet can follow, and they might lead to poetry writing breakthroughs. Below, you’ll find thirty-six tips for traveling through the realms of word craft. See which ones appeal to you, give them a whirl, and they will lead you on a fantastic journey.

36 Poetry Writing Tips

1. Read lots of poetry. In fact, read a lot of anything if you want to produce better writing.
2. Write poetry as often as you can.
3. Designate a special notebook (or space in your notebook) for poetry writing.
4. Try writing in form (sonnets, haiku, etc.).
5. Use imagery.
6. Embrace metaphors but stay away from cliches.
7. Sign up for a poetry writing workshop.
8. Expand your vocabulary.
9. Read poems over and over (and aloud). Consider them, analyze them.
10. Join a poetry forum online.
11. Study musicality in writing (rhythm and meter).
12. Use poetry prompts when you’re stuck.
13. Be funny. Make a funny poem.
14. Notice what makes others’ poetry memorable. Capture it, mix it up, and make it your own.
15. Try poetry writing exercises when you’ve got writer’s block.
16. Study biographies of famous (or not-so-famous) poets.
17. Memorize a poem (or two, or three, or more).
18. Revise and rewrite your poems to make them stronger and more compelling.
19. Have fun with puns.
20. Don’t be afraid to write a bad poem. You can write a better one later.
21. Find unusual subject matter — a teapot, a shelf, a wall.
22. Use language that people can understand.
23. Meditate before writing poetry to clear your mind and gain focus.
24. Keep a notebook with you at all times so you can write whenever (and wherever) inspiration strikes.
25. Submit your poetry to literary magazines and journals.
26. When you submit work, accept rejection and try again and again. You can do it and you will.
27. Get a website or blog and publish your own poetry.
28. Connect with other poets to share and discuss the craft that is poetry writing.
29. Attend a poetry reading or slam poetry event.
30. Subscribe to a poetry podcast and listen to poetry.
31. Support poets and poetry by buying books and magazines that feature poetry.
32. Write with honesty. Don’t back away from your thoughts or feelings. Express them!
33. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Mix art and music with your poetry. Publish it.
34. Eliminate all unnecessary words, phrases, and lines. Make every word count.
35. Write a poem every single day.
36. Read a poem every single day.

Have you written a poem lately?

I believe that poetry is the most exquisite form of writing. And anyone can write a poem if only they want to. In today’s world of fast, moving images, poetry has lost much of its appeal to the masses. But there are those of us who feed on language and who still appreciate a poem and its power to move us emotionally. It’s our job to keep great poetry writing alive. And it’s our job to keep writing poetry.

Oh what fools young writers can be.

The Truth About Poetry Writing

I remember when I was a young poet, scratching my innermost thoughts and deepest feelings into a cliché-riddled notebook, complete with heart doodles and painfully bad rhymes. I thought poetry writing was fun and easy. I thought it had nothing to do with hard work or skill and everything to do with talent. Raw, natural, unbridled and uninformed talent. Like I said, young writers can be such fools. Part of the magic of poetry writing is that poems do sometimes come completely formed, arriving out of nowhere and landing on your page in full glory. Once in awhile, a cliché belongs in a poem. And sometimes, breaching the rules of good grammar will give a poem more impact. But these are all exceptions to the rules of poetry writing. The only rule without exception? To be a good poet, you must read poetry.

Reading Poetry and Writing

When I first started writing poetry, I didn’t read it, ever. But I was only thirteen years old. Now, I can’t imagine why anyone would write something that they don’t enjoy reading. Can you imagine a jazz singer who doesn’t listen to jazz? An actor who doesn’t watch films? A writer who doesn’t read? It just doesn’t make sense. I know that poets are often filled with fears about reading. What if another poet’s style leaks into our own? What if my head becomes so filled with other poems that I lose my originality, my voice? How can I write when I’m busy reading? There’s only so much time in a day! This is all nonsense, of course. One sure way to make sure you don’t mimic the styles of other poets is to become familiar with them. And if your originality can be lost just by reading a few poems written by someone else, well, maybe you’re not as original as you thought you were. And time? Please. It only takes a few minutes to read a poem.

Why Do You Think They Call it “Work?”

Like all artists, writers refer to their material as “work.” That’s because it is. Poetry writing is a condensed form. If anything, it’s harder than writing prose. You have less space to work with and yet often a poem says more than an entire novel. Every word is precious so you must choose each one carefully. The imagery, the rhythm, the voice, and the style. The language, the emotion, and the way it looks on the page or sounds when read aloud. In poetry writing, everything matters and there is no room for error. Sure, we all get lucky. Every so often, a perfect gem rolls out of our pen and graces the page. That’s pretty random, and it’s rare, too. Usually, a poem arrives in a jumbled heap of words that need to be examined, rearranged, cut, switched around, rearranged again, and then the real revisions begin. Poetry writing is work. It’s hard work, but it’s fun work too. What is it that drives us to poetry if not a love for language, words, and the fantastic things we can construct out of them? The things we love best are rarely easy, and it’s impossible to be a poet if you don’t have love for the craft. So, let it be work. Gritty, exhausting, and hard, real work. After all, what writer doesn’t want to toil in words? How’s your poetry writing going? Do you have any tips to share? Struggles you want to discuss? Leave a comment.

Poetry writing is not bound by the chains of sentence and paragraph structures, context, or even grammar.

In the magical world of poetry, you can throw all the rules out the window and create a piece of art, something that is entirely unique.

That doesn’t mean writing poetry is creatively easy. It can be much more difficult to make a poem than it is to write an essay or piece of fiction. There’s so much creative space, and without any limitations whatsoever, it can be overwhelming.

Yet poetry writing brings a great bounty of writerly skills and tools, and many of these will spill over into other writing forms, sprinkling them with just a little of the magic that is poetry. And while poetry might not be your favorite form of writing, reading poetry, working through some basic poetry writing exercises, and engaging in poetry writing, even just a little bit, will improve your overall writing skills.

What sets poetry apart from other types of writing? What is it about poetry, beyond the fact that it has less constraints, that actually makes someone a better writer in all areas, rather than just a better poet?

Mindful Imagery

While other creative writing forms may use vivid imagery to create pictures in the reader’s mind, no other form comes close to what can be achieved with imagery in poetry writing.

Most writing forms attempt to explain something – a scene, a situation, an idea, a set of instructions, an experience. Poetry doesn’t bother to explain. It shows. It paints a picture, takes a snapshot, and then pulls you into it.

In a poetry workshop, you will hear this chant over and over: show, don’t tell. When you master the art of showing readers a scene through imagery, you can easily pull it into your other writing, creating work that is alive in a reader’s mind.

Emotions and Language

Of course, language is essential to all types of writing, but in poetry, words must be plucked carefully and with great consideration. Poetry writing will launch you into the lexicon, headfirst and spinning.

In fiction, readers connect emotionally with characters. We get to know them, understand them, and come to relate to them or even think of them as our own personal friends (or enemies).

In poetry, there are rarely characters, so instead of using the emotional connection forged between people, a writer must harness emotional language and grip the reader’s heart through scenes, ideas, and images that make readers feel. This is achieved by learning how to select emotionally charged language.

Physical Rhythm

A poet must be constantly aware of meter and rhythm. Poems and song lyrics are often compared, confused, and intermingled, and with good reason. Both poetry and music must pay attention to cadence and melody.

Think about how you feel when you hear a particular piece of music. You tap your feet, shake your hips, bang your head. Our bodies respond physically to music.

Through poetry writing comes a natural ability to marry musicality with language. When this musicality, this rhythm, is infused in other forms of writing, readers feel it in their bones and muscles. They will have a physical reaction.

Poetry Writing

Writing is about connecting with readers. And poetry writing helps you develop skills for connecting with readers mentally (imagery), emotionally (language), and physically (rhythm).

Suddenly, your fiction comes alive with scenes that make people see. Your essays are woven with words that make people feel. And your blog posts make people want to jump out of their seats and start dancing.

It’s this use of imagery, language, and rhythm that keep readers turning pages, anxious to find out what they’ll experience next.

Can you think of any other ways that poetry writing improves all writing? Have you started dabbling in poetry and noticed how it affected your fiction or creative nonfiction? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

photo credit: KatieKrueger

Good writers respect grammar the way an acrobat respects the tightrope. Grammar might be intimidating and complicated, but we need it in order to perform.

Grammar lends structure and clarity to our craft and gives us common ground rules that we can use to communicate clearly and effectively.

Good Grammar in Poetry Writing

Just as the acrobat uses the tightrope to traverse great heights, writers use grammar to traverse language. But is poetry writing the exception?

Many poets demonstrate grammatical expertise, neatly parking periods and commas in their designated spaces and paying homage to proper capitalization.

Consider the following poem and how it follows the rules of grammar. Note that in poetry writing, the traditional rule is that the first letter of each line is capitalized regardless of whether or not it starts a new sentence.

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

Aunt Jennifer’s finger fluttering through her wool
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.

When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.

-Adrienne Rich

Poetry Writing Without the Grammar Safety Net

Poets don’t always follow the rules, which is why poetry is attractive to writers who are extra creative and enjoy coloring outside the lines.

Grammar rules, particularly spelling and punctuation, are nothing more than a creative tool for many poets who choose to dismiss these rules altogether or use the them to decorate and add aesthetic elements to a piece.

Many poets have skirted grammar with great success. Many more have failed. E.E. Cummings is well known for giving grammar the proverbial finger, but he takes his anarchy one step further and actually alters basic sentence structure, and manages to do so quite effectively.

anyone lived in a pretty how town

anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn’t he danced his did.

Women and men (both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain

children guessed (but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone’s any was all to her

someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then)they
said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
with by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men (both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain

-ee cummings

Cummings has dismissed capital letters altogether and he uses punctuation seemingly at random. Yet the poem works. Imagine it with the proper grammar rules applied and you’ll quickly realize that his way is more effective for the piece.

Poetry Writing – Where Good Grammar and Creativity Meet or Collide

As the poetry canon grows beyond measure, poets increasingly reach for creative devices to make their work stand out.

Toying with grammar is one such device, but it is not something that can be approached carelessly. If you choose to forgo grammar because you don’t know it rather than as a creative method, your lack of knowledge will show and the poem will present as amateurish. Of course, that’s true for all types of writing. Learn the rules, and only after you have learned them, go ahead and break them.

I salute anyone who breaks the rules in the interest of art and great poetry writing just as much as I admire poets who craft meter and verse within the confines of good grammar. So for this poetry-loving writer and blogger, either way is the right way. Walk the tight rope or jump from it and see if you can fly.

What are your thoughts on the use of grammar in poetry writing? Are you a stickler for good grammar, even in your creative work, or do you like to bend and break the rules? Share your thoughts in the comments.

There are an unlimited number of opinions about poetry, especially when one’s own approach to the craft is in question. Some people write for the simple pleasure of self expression, others do so with a clear goal in mind: getting published. Many fall in between, writing for the joy of it, but with a desire to continually improve their work in hopes of one day getting published.

Getting Serious About Poetry Writing

Here are five key elements of poetry writing, which, if taken seriously and practiced regularly, will help you improve your own poetry writing:

1. Read poetry. In order to grow as a writer, and especially as a poet, it’s imperative to familiarize yourself with the canon of works that have already proven to resonate with readers. By seeking out established poets whose work you admire, you will build a roster of mentors. Try reading aloud. Keep a notebook or journal in which you can write your thoughts and responses to various works, and jot down your favorite excerpts.
2. Write regularly and let yourself be bad. Writing poetry regularly almost goes without saying. However, many beginning poets have a tendency to take up the pen only when the mood strikes. By engaging your creativity on a daily basis, the very practice of poetry writing will become habitual and ingrained as part of the routine that is your life. Allowing yourself a large margin for writing poorly or below your own standards will give you a freedom in your writing and room to explore.
3. Study. There are many books available that explain poetry and will explore terms and definitions such as alliteration, iambic pentameter, and trochee. Such books will provide detailed analyses and provide means for new ways to read, as well as write poetry. To get started, look for A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver or try The Practice of Poetry by Robin Behn and Chase Twichell.
4. Poetry writing exercises. It’s easy to sit down and just write a poem. Writing exercises present challenges and provide new ways of thinking and being creative. I have done many writing exercises that not only helped produce some of my favorite pieces, but also taught me how to approach writing poetry in an innovative and more imaginative manner.
5. Revise. Revising your work goes hand in hand with allowing yourself to write bad material. You can always go back and make changes. I have actually heard people say that once they write a poem, that’s it. They believe the art is in the original creation and it should never be altered in any way. While this is certainly one way of looking at poetry as art, there is another philosophy that believes revision is necessary for true creative freedom. In knowing that you can go back and make changes later, you will give yourself more liberty in your initial writing, opening creative channels to greater possibilities.

Poetry is an Adventure

Poetry writing will take you on an exciting adventure through language if you let it. Many fiction and nonfiction writers work with poetry to improve their language and imagery skills, even if they don’t write or publish poetry for public consumption.

Poetry teaches us how to access rich language and produce vivid images in our writing. It speaks not to the right or left brain, but to a deeper human consciousness.

When we first start writing poetry, our work is usually amateurish and awkward. We might make poems that are cute or silly, poems that don’t make much sense, or poems that drone on without compelling readers. But with practice and by putting a litle effort into our poetry writing, our poems will start to blossom and become riveting – for us as writers and for our readers.

Do you have any poetry writing tips to share? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

And keep on writing (poetry)!

Introduction to Screenwriting

Tell us a little about your background in screenwriting.

I’ve been writing all my life. I have thousands and thousands of pages. I majored in film and moved to Hollywood with the intention of writing a particular script to change the way the world thinks. So far I’ve written about ten screenplays and I’m shopping some now.

What advice would you give beginners who are interested in screenwriting?

No one will take you seriously if you do not properly format your screenplay. You have to start there.

Making Money as a Screenwriter

How hard is it to sell a script in Hollywood?

Can I say impossible? No. Seriously, it seems to be the luck of the draw. Some people make $3 million for an ok script right out of college when they’re 22 years old. While others, like my favorite screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, didn’t make a sale until his late 30s with Being John Malkovich. It took three years from the time it was bought until it was on screen. I’ve heard from other writers that their scripts didn’t come out as movies for 10 years or more; tons of scripts get shelved, never to see the screen at all. The percentage of screenwriters who make a sale is very small and from that is an even smaller number whose scripts are actually made into movies.

What kind of money would a first time screenwriter expect to get if they did sell a script?

The lowest is around $30,000 and I’ve heard of first time writers getting up to $3 million, but that’s less common and usually when they have a big name actor attached to it or there’s a buzz in the industry about it.

Screenwriting Power (and Lack Thereof)

How does a first time writer get an A-list actor attached?

Either you know the actor personally because he’s your friend or what’s more likely is that when your agent sends out the script, he sends it to producers, and a lot of producers are also A-list actors. Agents also send scripts to the actors’ agents.

How much control does the screenwriter have over the final film?

Not any — unless the writer is the director or producer or actor. Generally, up until recently, it was commonly known in Hollywood that the screenwriter was not welcome on the film set. In the 30s, 40s, and 50s, it was the producer who was the big cheese. In the 60s, 70s, and 80s, it was the director who was the celebrated auteur. In the 90s and 2000s, it has been the actors getting phenomenal pay. For the 2010s through the 30s, hopefully the writers will have their time to shine.

On your site, you offer a service called coverage. What is coverage, exactly?

Producers almost always send scripts out for coverage. It’s a basic breakdown of the screenplay: title, author, genre. It also summarizes the script and includes a rating and an analysis, which tells whether the script is any good. This helps the producers quickly assess the screenplay and decide whether or not they want to read it.

The service I offer is a preliminary coverage to give a writer an idea what the producer will see when the writer sends in their script. This way, the writer has a chance to make important changes before actually sending it out and ruining an opportunity. The form I use is like the ones in Hollywood that the producers see. There’s a detailed description of coverage and a sample form on my web site.

A Screenplay Favorite

What’s your favorite screenplay of all time?

The Shining, which is based on a novel by Stephen King. Stanley Kubrick & Diane Johnson wrote the screenplay. I was nine the first time I saw it. The last time I saw it, I was lying on the grass in the Hollywood cemetery and the film was projected up on the crematorium. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life.