Creative Writing Blog | Writing Tips and Ideas

25 Creative Writing Prompts

Don’t you just hate writer’s block? Some say it’s a disease that only creative workers succumb to. Some say it’s a curse. Others argue that it doesn’t exist at all. But just about everyone has been there–sitting in front of a blank screen, fingers itching to create a masterpiece. And nothing happens. For me, the…Read More

From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Chekhov’s Gun

Today’s post is from my book, 101 Creative Writing Exercises, which is available from your favorite online bookseller in paperback or as an ebook. This is from chapter six: “Storytelling,” and it’s called “Chekhov’s Gun.” Enjoy! Chekhov’s Gun Chekhov’s Gun is a literary device in which an element is mentioned in a story and its…Read More

Creating Characters That Resonate

Today’s post is an excerpt from my book, What’s the Story? Building Blocks for Fiction Writing. This is from chapter one, “Characters.” Enjoy! Creating Characters We see ourselves in a story’s characters. We see people we know—people we love, people we hate, people we fear, people we admire, and people we want to emulate. We…Read More

Using Imagery in Poetry Writing

When we talk about imagery, we’re usually referring to visuals — whatever we can see with our eyes. In literary (and more specifically, poetry) terms, imagery is anything that represents a sensory experience, regardless of whether it’s experienced through the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or hands. There are various types of imagery that we can…Read More

Grammar Rules: Split Infinitives

It’s important that we, as writers, know the tools of our trade. Part of our job is to understand the mechanics of language, which includes grammar rules. Yet many writers find themselves asking… What are split infinitives? It’s a term that grammarians and linguists throw around a lot, yet few people, including writers, seem to…Read More

Tips for Developing Your Voice in Writing

Each and every writer has a distinct way of writing. We repeat certain words, phrases, and expressions; there are patterns in how we arrange words in sentences and paragraphs, and our writing often carries a recognizable tone and rhythm. The term for this is voice. Wikipedia defines one’s voice in writing as “a combination of…Read More

Improve Your Writing with Poetry

In the world of writing, one form stands out as different from all the rest: poetry. Poetry is not bound by the constraints of sentence and paragraph structure, 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…Read More

The Benefits of Keeping a Gratitude Journal

A journal is a log, usually with dated entries. Some journals are topical (dream journals, travel journals, freewriting journals), while others are left open to explore just about anything. Many topical journals are meant to improve the quality of life. For example, people who are working to lose weight might keep a diet and exercise…Read More

Writing Resources: The Pocket Muse

This post contains affiliate links. We writers can’t be inspired every day. Sometimes we get burned out. Our ideas seem unappealing. We find ourselves grappling with an idea that’s incomplete or we might be seeking lots of small ideas for a big project. But inspiration isn’t on call; we can’t expect it to be there…Read More

Philosophy-Inspired Writing Prompts

Writing provides a way to express one’s thoughts, feelings, or ideas. It’s a communication tool. But writing can also be a tool for self-discovery and critical thinking. Many authors have stated that they write stories so they can find out what happens to the characters they’ve created. Essayists explain that writing helps them organize their…Read More