New Daily Writing Guides from The Write Practice

How to Write Dialogue Without Using Adverbs

by Jeff Elkins | 45 Comments

It made a generation fall in love with Gilmore Girls, and almost destroyed Star Wars Episodes 1, 2, and 3. Dialogue can make or break a story. When it is good, we are joyfully entangled in it. When it is bad, the story can be painful to read.

To spice it up, we will often turn to descriptors—adjectives and adverbs the convey the emotion we hope the reader will hear. But these “ly” words can break a reader’s flow, making our story feel disjointed.

Never fear! There is hope! If we start with a good foundation and sprinkle some action, we can write dialogue that sings. Here are three steps to crafting vivid, believable dialogue.

How Writing Habits Make Writing Easier

by Guest Blogger | 65 Comments

As all athletes know, whether you’re getting ready for a basketball game or a short jog, you need to loosen up. But for elite athletes, just like writers, loosening up isn’t just about warming up the physical body; it’s also about preparing yourself mentally for what is to come.

If you’ve ever seen basketball star LeBron James’ pregame “chalk toss” ritual, you’ll know what I’m talking about. You may not toss chalk before you write, but you can develop writing habits that will make your writing easier.

The “Than” Versus “Then” Debacle

by Liz Bureman | 29 Comments

Sometimes you have to get back to basics. All writers are guilty of making mistakes at some point, and they kick themselves for months after an astute reader notices that they added one too many o’s to their “to.” Once that’s in print, you can’t take it back.

So today, I’d like to draw attention to one common mistake so that you will hopefully never have to take it back: the then-vs.-than debacle.

Writing Prompt: What Does Memorial Day Mean to You?

by Monica M. Clark | 25 Comments

Memorial Day serves two roles in American culture: the intended one and the unintended one. Today, let’s take some time to write about what makes Memorial Day significant and special.

How to Study Subtitles to Write Better Dialogue

by Guest Blogger | 42 Comments

A vast majority of writers struggle with dialogue. We wonder how to make it real, make it believable, and make it stand out.

What if I told you that you can become a better writer and watch your favorite shows and movies at the same time—and all you have to do is turn on the subtitles?

How to Use Garbage for Character Development

by Pamela Fernuik | 13 Comments

Today is garbage day in my neighborhood. Naturally, when I went for a walk with my dog Annie this morning, I looked at my neighbors’ garbage. What did people throw away? What did their trash mean? What what can we discover about a person from what they throw away, and how they throw it away?

People leave clues about their character in their trash. Today we will practice character development by writing about someone’s garbage—what they throw away.

3 Reasons All Writers Should Write Flash Fiction

by The Magic Violinist | 59 Comments

Whether you’re a blogger, poet, novelist, or cookbook author, there are certain things all writers are expected to do. Some of them are obvious: all writers should read; otherwise, how will we know what to create? Likewise, all writers need to establish a habit of writing daily in order to pursue their passion.

But writing flash fiction? If you don’t write shorter stories, why should you write flash fiction?

Here are three reasons why.

6 Ways to Create Conflict and Get Your Protagonist in Trouble

by Ruthanne Reid | 54 Comments

“The writer’s job is to get the main character up a tree, and then once they are up there, throw rocks at them.” So how DO you get your protagonist in a sticky situation that keeps your reader reading until you type, “The End?”

3 Writing Tips We Can Learn from Beyoncé

by Monica M. Clark | 22 Comments

I’m going to be straight with you — I am a Beyoncé fan. In 2003, I thought I was her. I’ve been to four or five of her concerts. I tried to be cool and not watch Lemonade live, only to discover HBO pulled it a week later. So I bought it. I BOUGHT a music video.

Regardless of your opinion about Beyoncé or her music, we can all agree she’s a success. And today, I’m leveraging my love for Beyoncé to bring you three writing tips that will help you channel her greatness.

How to Write Spoken Word

by Guest Blogger | 119 Comments

Do you have feelings?

Do you wish you could let them go out, terrorize the neighborhood for a bit, and then come home to you without doing any damage (the kind that costs you money)?

Got a pen?

Get ready to write spoken word.

Here to learn? You’re in the WRITE place!