What Not to Do When NaNoWriMo Ends

What Not to Do When NaNoWriMo Ends

Writers across the globe spent a frenzied month neglecting their laundry, sneaking writing time at lunch, and compulsively checking their word counts. Whether you won, lost, or didn’t participate at all, here’s what NOT to do the day after NaNoWriMo ends.

30 November Writing Prompts

30 November Writing Prompts

November is here! It’s a perfect time to dust off your writing journal (the one you got for the holidays last year?) and start exploring some creative writing ideas before the end of the year. Today we have 30 November writing prompts to get you started. Let’s go!

Anaphora and Epistrophe: Two Rhetorical Devices

Anaphora and Epistrophe: Two Rhetorical Devices

Last Wednesday through Sunday, I went to Reykjavik with some friends thanks to Groupon. Fortunately, the jet lag hasn’t hit much since coming home, but it was a great weekend. We saw the Northern Lights, we saw waterfalls, we saw geysers, and we saw a place where two tectonic plates meet.

By the way, that last text pattern, with the repetition of “we saw”, is what’s called anaphora.

The Secret to Writing the Middle of a Story

The Secret to Writing the Middle of a Story

If you’ve ever had the middle of a manuscript sag and feel flabby, congrats. You’re a writer! One of the questions I ask when get stuck in the middle of a manuscript is this: “How can I make this worse for this character?” One of the key elements you might use is the very thing we try so hard to avoid on a daily basis: abrasive people.

How can an abrasive character push your character’s arc, keep the plot moving, and deepen the theme? Read on to find out.

Writing Prompt: The Secrets We Bury

Writing Prompt: The Secrets We Bury

I recently finished a novel where a character hiding in a secret panel in an old house had lost consciousness and died. The only person who had an inkling of the hiding space was a child who grew up harboring the terrible secret. Secrets are a great way to add depth to a character, especially if the secret is on theme. Try this writing prompt and see what you uncover!