writing help

How to Get the Right Kind of Writing Help

I often receive requests from people who are seeking writing help. Some are seeking professional services; they want someone to edit a book they’ve written or coach them through the process of writing a novel. Other times, I get questions about writing that range from simple to complicated. One person might send me a sentence…Read More

using metaphors

Using Metaphors to Enhance Your Writing

A while back, I wrote a piece that had nothing to do with food, but food became a running metaphor while I was revising. The food metaphor was so delicious (or maybe I was so hungry) that I rewrote the entire post with food on the brain. The blog posts I write with metaphors get…Read More

writing resources

Writing Resources: Grammar Girl

This post contains affiliate links. As a writer, it’s only natural that I pay attention to the mechanics of my craft, which is why I’m always on the lookout for useful writing resources. When I discovered the Grammar Girl podcast, my interest in grammar piqued, and I started writing more consciously than ever before. Sure,…Read More

poetry prompts

Nature-Inspired Poetry Prompts

Throughout the centuries, poets have composed meditations on seasons, landscapes, and constellations. Vegetation and animals have been the subjects of countless poems, and even when poetry is not centered around nature, it often makes references to it. In poetry, nature can function as a backdrop, or it can hold center stage. Why are so many poets…Read More

symbolism in fiction

From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Symbols and Symbolism

Today’s post comes from my book 101 Creative Writing Exercises (aff link). This is from “Chapter 5: Fiction.” Let’s take a look at symbolism in fiction. Symbols and Symbolism In Alice and Wonderland, a white rabbit appears, and Alice follows him down the rabbit hole that leads to Wonderland. The white rabbit is a herald —…Read More

Archetypal Characters in Storytelling

The hero, the mentor, the sidekick. We’re all familiar with archetypal characters in storytelling. We’ve seen them before. We know the roles they play. Archetypal characters shouldn’t be confused with stock characters or stereotypical characters. Although we’ve seen all these characters before and will surely see them again, stock and stereotypical characters are based on…Read More

good poem

What Makes a Good Poem?

In the world of art and entertainment, everything is subjective. Millions of fans loved that blockbuster film that dominated theaters a couple of years ago, but maybe you found it lacking in substance. Maybe some of the great works of literature you were forced to read in school left you wondering why they were considered…Read More

homophones

Homophones: Two, Too, and To

One of our readers wrote in to ask about the homophones too and to: “I was trying to find something on how and when to use ‘to and too’ I am having trouble in that area. I have trouble with that a lot and I tend to mess up with that. Can you help and…Read More

creativity tools for writers

Creativity Tools for Writers

Today’s post is an excerpt from my book Ready, Set, Write: A Guide to Creative Writing, which takes you on a tour through the world of creative writing, from the various types of writing that you can explore to practical tips for producing the best writing possible. This is from a chapter titled “Tools for…Read More

practice writing

How to Practice Writing to Build Your Skills and Become a Pro

If you want to play sports on an athletic team, you must attend practice. If you want to perform in a theater production, you must attend rehearsals. If you want to become an artist, you produce many paintings before you hang one in a gallery. We broadly accept that to do anything at a professional…Read More

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