Let’s play would you rather! The writing life is all about choices. Ponder a couple questions today that might enlighten you about what you’d do — if you could choose.
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.
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The Love Triangle
Sunday was one of those rare days in Denver where it rained all day long, which completely justified my decision to lay on the couch, order takeout, and watch Netflix all day. My roommate and I finished the evening with a viewing of I Love You, Man, which I had never seen and am so glad I watched. Paul Rudd and Jason Segel are America’s boyfriends.
The main three relationships of the movie are a twist on a classic rom-com trope called the love triangle, with Paul Rudd trying to become friends with Jason Segel while planning his wedding to Rashida Jones. It’s highly entertaining, but it made me think about other plays on the classic three-character relationship models.
Maleficent, Elphaba, and You: The Secret to Writing Villains
Maleficent. Elphaba. Regina. There’s a reason these new spins on classic stories are so popular. These stories make for an intriguing new look at something old and familiar—one that forces us to reconsider the villain. We can all take a lesson from this villain-as-hero trend.
How do you create rich, compelling villainous character? The answer is easy: Empathy.
Why Your Writing Sounds Weird (And What You Can Do About It)
Sentence structure matters, no matter who you are.
You might be a student trying to get a passing grade on an essay, a guy trying to write a text to a smart girl without humiliating yourself, an employee writing a company-wide memo, or a writer working on your next book. When sentence structure gets out of whack, there can be consequences (no passing grade, no first date, no raise, no publishing contract).
These Writing Myths Will Keep You From Getting Published
A little over a year ago my writing changed. Before then I maintained a personal blog where I would occasionally rant about some wild idea or share a story about my kids. I didn’t think of myself as a “writer.” My blog was simply where I shared thoughts too long for Facebook.
Write a Sizzling Modern Adaptation of a Classic Story
Adaptations of classic stories are everywhere. Beyond the usual adaptations of Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth, some versions give more modern adaptations of the text. For example, everyone’s favorite teen movie of 1999, 10 Things I Hate About You, is based on William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.
Why write a modern adaptation of a classic story?
Let Maya Angelou Be Your Inspiration
Last week the writing community lost one of its greatest gifts: Maya Angelou.
She was prolific. Lyrical. Compassionate. But above all, she was inspiring.
3 Times You Should STOP Writing
Write every day. Set a word count and don’t get up until you reach it. Butt in chair, hands on keyboard.
Writers get a lot of advice about the importance of pushing ourselves to get the words on the page. It’s a principle I try to live by, and I know I’m not alone. But there are times when the best thing you can do for your writing is just step away.
Write Like It’s Your Last Day On Earth
Remember when you were a kid and wishing away the days was considered normal? I remember wishing an hour would pass so I could get out of class, or wishing the minutes would hurry so my cross-country race was over, or wishing the years would fly by so I could buy a beer.
Guess what? Most of us aren’t kids anymore. We have a finite amount of time left on earth.
7 Reasons NOT to Name a Character
The other day I was reading online reviews of a novel and one caught my attention. It complained that the book had too many “named characters.” It made me wonder, does it really matter whether you decide to name a person in a manuscript?
It does.
