Creative Writing Blog | Writing Tips and Ideas

Storytelling Exercise: Time Lapse

Today’s post is an excerpt from my book, Story Drills: Fiction Writing Exercises. This is from a chapter called “Time Lapse,” which looks at how a story moves through time in a way that isn’t jarring to the reader. Enjoy! Stories don’t take readers through every minute of the characters’ lives. Scenes jump around in…Read More

Fiction Writing: The Setting of a Story

Today’s post includes excerpts from What’s the Story? Building Blocks for Fiction Writing, chapter three: “Setting.” Enjoy! Setting may not seem as critical to a story as character or plot, yet it is a core element of storytelling and for good reason. The setting of a story helps us understand where and when it takes…Read More

Finding Meaning in Poetry

We humans are programmed to find meaning in everything. We find patterns where none exist. We look for hidden messages in works of art. We yearn for meaning, especially when something doesn’t immediately make sense. Of course, art is open to interpretation, and some of the best works of art have produced a fountain of…Read More

Homophones: Affect vs. Effect

Homophones can be confusing. Luckily, there’s an easy way to remember affect vs. effect. I see it all the time: affect and effect mixed up as if they were completely interchangeable. But they’re not. These two homophones may sound exactly alike, but they don’t even belong to the same parts of speech! If you’ve ever…Read More

How to Transform Words Into Writing Inspiration

I recently flipped through my copy of Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge’s Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words (aff link), and after just a couple of chapters, my imagination was on fire. I’m always looking for new ways to inspire writing ideas, and lately I’ve been thinking that we should talk more about a writer’s most basic…Read More

What Are Beta Readers, and Should You Use Them?

By the time you’ve finished your manuscript and are ready to show it to agents and editors — or self-publish and put it in front of readers — you have almost certainly lost the ability to view your own work with a critical eye. While there are some tactics you can use to self-edit, you…Read More

Writing Resources: Wonderbook

This post contains affiliate links. Jeff VanderMeer’s Wonderbook is not your average tome on the craft of writing. It’s more like a portal, and once you enter, writing becomes a strange and awesome adventure. Subtitled The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction, the book addresses fiction in general but occasionally emphasizes speculative fiction; any writer will benefit from it, but there are…Read More

From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Moral Dilemmas

Today’s creative writing exercise comes from 101 Creative Writing Exercises, a book I wrote on the craft of writing. This book takes you on an adventure through creative writing. You’ll explore different forms and genres of writing, including freewriting, journaling, memoir, fiction, storytelling, poetry, and article or blog writing. 101 Creative Writing Exercises imparts proven…Read More

What is the Theme of a Story?

Today’s post includes excerpts from What’s the Story? Building Blocks for Fiction Writing, which is packed with fun lessons and engaging activities for anyone who wants to learn the basics of storytelling. This is from chapter four: “Theme.” Enjoy! What is the Theme of a Story? Theme is one of the most difficult story elements…Read More

Using Allusion in Poetry Writing

As we read poetry and other forms of literature, we’ll inevitably come across allusions. An allusion is a reference to something else; it can be indirect or explicit. In poetry, most allusions refer to other works of art and literature or to historical persons or events. Cultural references are also common. Although allusion is a…Read More