How to Develop a Beneficial Writing Process
Today I’d like to share a few excerpts from my book 10 Core Practices for Better Writing. These excerpts are from “Chapter Six: Process,” which examines methods, strategies, and other approaches to developing and fine-tuning a writing process that works for you. Understanding The Writing Process “I always worked until I had something done…Read More
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
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
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
Storytelling Exercise: Concepts and Premises
Today’s storytelling exercise is an excerpt from my book, Story Drills: Fiction Writing Exercises, which helps beginning to intermediate storytellers develop skills in the craft of fiction writing. This exercise addresses two useful tools for developing and promoting stories: concept and premise. Enjoy! The premise of a story can be summed up in a few…Read More
Homophones: Its and It’s
Homophones confuse some people and annoy others. I often see people online complaining about other people who can’t differentiate between the spellings of homophones like your and you’re; they’re, their, and there, and of course, its and it’s. While I find these mistakes mildly annoying, I don’t know if I’d go so far as to…Read More
Subscribe
Subscribe and get The Writer’s Creed graphic e-booklet, plus a weekly digest with the latest articles on writing, as well as special offers and exclusive content.
