New Daily Writing Guides from The Write Practice

Paris [writing prompt]

by Joe Bunting | 54 Comments

PRACTICE

Paris is the City of Light, the city where the great modernists writers lived and met each other, like James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald and more. It’s the city where Ben Franklin did diplomacy and wrote for more than a decade. It’s the city of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables and Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities.

Write about Paris. Write for fifteen minutes. When you’re finished, post your practice in the comments section. And if you do post, be sure to give feedback to your fellow writers.

Happy writing!

How to Develop Your Plot With Three-Dimensional Conflict

by Emily Wenstrom | 24 Comments

Conflict is critical to plot development. Conflict is where your characters gain traction on the plot so things can move forward. But … well, sometimes a plot just doesn’t seem to want to move. If you find your plot is stuck in a rut, it may be that your plot doesn’t have enough dimensions in it.

If You’re Treating Writers As Competition, You’re Missing The Boat

by Carlos Cooper | 29 Comments

Have you ever worried about other writers stealing your readers? What about sneaky snatchers stealing your ideas?

What if I told you not to worry? Would you believe me?

What Is Invective and How Can It Help Your Storytelling?

by Liz Bureman | 25 Comments

I have a soft spot for British humor. I believe this stems from my first viewing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail in high school. One of the first scenes after the knights receive their commission from God involves King Arthur and his knights trying to get into a French-controlled castle where they believe the Grail is being held. They attempt to talk their way in, but are met with strong verbal rebuffs from the sentry. Insults are hurled from the top of the gate, and the Knights of the Round Table make a hasty retreat after their egos have been sufficiently bruised.

The Frenchman’s barrage of creative insults is an example of what is known as invective.

How to Improve Your Metaphors and Similes

by Monica M. Clark | 33 Comments

Improve your metaphors and similes with this simple tip.

5 Easy Steps to Write the Perfect Travel Article

by Joe Bunting | 17 Comments

I used to volunteer for an organization that sent thousands of people around the world a year, most of whom kept blogs about their travel experiences. Working with these fledgling writers, I found out most people had no clue how to write about travel.

The Hardest Part of Writing Really Well

by Joe Bunting | 52 Comments

We’re here in Paris, and in honor of our trip, I’ve been reading A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway’s memoir about living and writing in the city. In the book, he reveals what I think is one of the hardest parts about being a serious writer, a writer who cares deeply about the quality of his or her prose.

Determine your Character’s Destiny

by Marianne Richmond | 25 Comments

Sidney Poitier said, “So much of life, it seems to me, is determined by pure randomness.” I am intrigued by how one person’s decision can impact the destiny of another human being. Today’s exercise will explore how one decision made on behalf of our central character, sets the course of his or her life.

Are You a Prescriptivist or a Descriptivist When It Comes to Grammar?

by Liz Bureman | 36 Comments

Grammar is a funny thing. In the English language, there has been a great deal of evolution, both in words and in structure. Any Google search for “words we don’t use anymore” will come up with lists of vocabulary that no one has spoken since Matthew Crawley’s car wreck (spoiler alert).

As much as I may rage about using “proper” grammar, I also have to admit grammar itself undergoes major transformations, and there are two schools of thought about how to react to these changes: prescriptivism and descriptivism.

What If Literary Agents Don’t Want Your Novel?

by Emily Wenstrom | 56 Comments

I am finally on the verge of submitting my first manuscript to agents after three years of drafting and editing, it’s satisfying to finally reach this milestone.

It’s also terrifying. Because a question is starting to haunt me: What if I don’t get picked?

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