Poetry Prompts for Lovers
Poetry is one of the most magical forms of self-expression. You can express thoughts, ideas, and feelings in a poem that are otherwise difficult, or even impossible, to say in any other form of communication. And poetry has long been the language of lovers. Millions of writers have used poetry to declare their affections, obsessions,…Read More
The Amazing, Incredible Writing Community
Today I’d like to share an excerpt from my book 10 Core Practices for Better Writing. This excerpt is from “Chapter Ten: Community, Industry, and Audience,” which explains the benefits and importance of networking with the writing community as well as studying the industry and developing a reading audience. The chapter includes tips, too! “All…Read More
New Book – Story Drills: Fiction Writing Exercises
I’m excited to announce that the second book in The Storyteller’s Toolbox series is now available. Story Drills: Fiction Writing Exercises is packed with exercises that impart the tools and techniques of storytelling and then prompt you to study stories, practice writing stories, and further contemplate the craft of storytelling. About the Book The greatest storytellers…Read More
A Generation of Writers
“Only a generation of readers will spawn a generation of writers.” — Steven Spielberg Steven Spielberg is one of my favorite storytellers. He and I have something in common: we were both English majors! He knows what he’s talking about when he emphasizes the importance of reading. The simplicity and elegance of Spielberg’s remark makes…Read More
How to Use Pinterest for Writing Ideas and Inspiration
Over the years, I’ve used various systems for organizing and storing my writing ideas. Of course, I use notebooks and journals, which are great for keeping track of my own ideas and not so great for storing ideas I collect out in the world — materials culled from blogs, magazines, websites, and other mediums. I’ve…Read More
Learning to Write
We tend to look at successful people and believe they made it overnight, and that’s not limited to how we see authors. We see wildly successful people enjoying the fruits of their labor, but what we don’t see is the labor itself — the struggles and failures they endured to get to where they are…Read More
How to Write Good Books
We’re all influenced by the world around us. Natalie Goldberg’s quote on reading good books is a reminder that whatever we take in will affect whatever we put out: “If you read good books, when you write, good books will come out of you.” I believe this is a truth that goes beyond writing. When…Read More
12 Gifts and Goodies for Writers (2016)
This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions from qualifying purchases. All around the world, we have officially entered the holiday season. It’s a time for giving thanks, enjoying the company of loved ones, and gorging on scrumptious feasts. It’s also a time of giving. While I have mixed feelings about the unbridled consumption that…Read More
You Can’t Edit a Blank Page
They say it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. We can say the same thing about writing: it’s better to write badly than to write nothing at all. Jodi Picoult offers some insight that summarizes this idea in a clear, concise manner: “You can always edit a bad…Read More
It’s Writing Forward’s Ninth Anniversary. Let’s Celebrate with a Book Giveaway!
I can’t believe it’s been nine years since I launched Writing Forward. It’s been a fun and challenging adventure, and I’m looking forward to many more years of providing creative writing tips and ideas that motivate and inspire legions of fiction and nonfiction writers as well as poets. Lately, I’ve been hard at work creating…Read More
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