So you need to get a word count for the latest chapter of your novel or an essay assignment for school? Don’t worry, here are three easy-to-use tools to count your words.
Here to learn? You’re in the WRITE place!
At The Write Practice, we publish a new article each day designed to help writers tackle one part of their writing journey, from generating ideas to grammar to writing and publishing your first book. Each article has a short practice exercise at the end to help you immediately put your learning to use.
Check out the latest articles below or find ones that match your interest in the sidebar.
And make sure to subscribe to get a weekly digest of our latest posts, along with our free guide, 10 Steps to Become a Writer.
Watch Movies To Improve Your Writing
I think movies get a bad rap. I’m a little tired of hearing readers moan about how awful the movie adaptation was for so-and-so book.
I get it. Nothing’s as good as the book…but come on. Imagine having to cram a 700-page novel into a 90-minute movie. Yowza!
Instead of whining about it, let’s talk about how movies can inspire you and improve your writing.
Isocolon: Definition and Examples for Writers
I remember one of my teachers at one point in my schooling mentioning that there is a balance between the good days and the bad days you’ll get. The exact phrasing used to express this idea was “Some days you get the elevator, some days you get the shaft.” Morbid, perhaps, but it’s a saying that has stuck with me since then. I really like similarly structured euphemisms and turns of phrase, and I just learned the name for them: isocolon.
Read Memoirs to Understand Character Motivation
Memoirs and autobiographies or even television interviews are great ways to understand why people do the things they do, and why people are the way they are.
You Need to Ask this Question Every Time You Sit Down to Write
How can what you’re writing be more you?
Because in this world it’s so easy to be not you.
Mondegreen: Definition and Examples for Writers
I’m sure you’re familiar with the game Telephone? A group of people get in a circle, and one person comes with a silly phrase like, “The Orange Monkey Eats Green Bananas.” Then, the phrase is whispered from one person to the other around the circle. Each person can only say the phrase once and the listener can’t ask clarifying questions, like, “Did you mean Orange Monkey or Oral Moon Sea?” When the last person has to repeat the phrase, it’s inevitably ridiculous, usually something like, “The Horrible Pokemon Seats Green Cabanas.”
People mishear things all the time, and the game telephone proves it. When something is misheard, the resulting word or phrase is called a mondegreen.
That Feeling You Get When You Finish a Writing Project
I just finished a very important writing project, a proposal for a new book project I’m ghostwriting. It was a tough project, one that took a month longer than expected, and included a journey around the world, dozens of hours of research, a few exhausting back-and-forths with my client, and over 10,000 words of writing.
Yesterday, I read through my finished proposal and then sent it off to my agent.
Man, it feels so good.
Want to Write Better Dialogue? Break the Rules
Want to write good dialogue? Then you’ve got to break the rules.
When you and I talk, we sometimes break the rules of grammar. (I know, it’s a shock, but it’s true.) To write good dialogue, it’s not so much that we are breaking the rules, per se, it’s just that there are rules for dialogue that trump grammatical dogma.
Writing Prompt: Ocean View
The beach has always made a compelling backdrop for stories of mystery and romance. Envision yourself with ocean views for the weekend and craft your practice from the inspiration found in a seaside town such as this!
Finagle’s Law: A Writer’s Guide
Sometimes you have a bad day. Sometimes that bad day stretches into a bad week, or a bad month, if you’re really struggling. Usually, that’s not fun for any parties involved. However, if you’re an external observer, and the action is taking place in a book or movie, disaster can be the whole reason you’re paying any attention. If disaster is inevitable, it’s because of a concept called Finagle’s Law.
