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.
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We’re inching closer to the end of the school year for students (or maybe you’re already done, like my college students!). Major testing winds down, days are full of assemblies, field days, educational games, and the countdown to summer is on. These final weeks of school are the perfect time though to sneak in some fun writing. Here are some end of school year writing prompts to try!
Many people confuse the spelling of ya’ll vs. y’all. It’s a common contraction and colloquialism that’s in wide use even outside the South in the U.S. If you’re going to use it in your writing though, you’ll need to know the spelling.
What does it take to write a book? What obstacles will you face along the way? And if you’re already writing a book, are the challenges you’re facing normal?
Writing a book can be a fulfilling and personally rewarding process, but I think it’s also important to be honest about the challenges you will face. That way, you can prepare ways to overcome those obstacles rather than allowing them to overcome you.
Some writers balk at the idea of a book plan, and I get it. I tried to write books for years without a plan. Guess how many I finished? Zero. Since I learned how to write and use a book plan, I’ve finished over a dozen books and helped thousands of writers finish their books. You can do it too!
It’s a new month and time for a fresh set of May writing prompts to keep you practicing all month long.
An integral part of the writing process and building your writing skills in general is consistent practice. You can use prompts in a variety of ways to make your daily writing habits stick. Try this set of daily writing prompts to keep growing!
Have you wondered how to write a children’s book? A lot of people do! The idea of crafting a sweet or silly tale that delights young minds and hearts is a compelling invitation.
Maybe you already have an idea about subject matter or a memorable character in mind.
Perhaps you are inspired by favorite books from long ago (Judy Blume, anyone?). Frequent guidelines suggest just 500-1000 words in the average picture book—and many people who are not children’s book writers wonder how difficult this could be.
Harder than you think.
Children’s author Margaret Meacham sums it up well. “Well-written picture books are works of art that demand an intuitive sense of child appeal, and like poetry, a firm command of language.”
In this article, you’ll learn all about how to write a children’s book with writing tips that will help you craft your writing for the littlest reader.
Stuck on the distinction between “in to” and “into”? You’re not alone! Don’t worry, though, I’ve got you covered. Here’s the quick version:
Use “into” to describe where something is: going inside something else.
Use “in to” based on the verb that comes before it. It can have many meanings, but here’s a quick tip that covers some of them: if you can replace it with “in order to,” use “in to.”
Read on for the longer explanation, plus examples of into vs. in to.
Whenever I’m planting a clue in a mystery novel I’m writing, I feel so exposed—like I’m waving a red flag and announcing a clue has been served. Experience has helped lay those fears (mostly) to rest. With skillful weaving into the story, clues and foreshadowing blend in or are seen but soon forgotten by readers.
Without spoonfeeding your audience, you must place all the pieces on the table, allowing readers to actively participate in solving the puzzle. When making your first attempts at writing mystery, it can be difficult to find that balance between too much and too little.
Take a look at our best guide to clues and red herrings here.
If you want to get published, you need to be aware that major New York publishers are looking for a specific word count, depending on your genre. Your fantasy novel word count needs to be different than your YA Fiction book, which has a different word count from other books.
How many words are in a novel? Or at least one in which publishers might be interested? In this post, we’re going to explain word count and how it affects your chances of publishing success.
Ready to write your novel? Check out our definitive guide, How To Write Write a Novel: The Complete Guide, here.
How long is the average book? And how long should your book be? Here’s a quick summary:
Fantasy as a genre includes a wide range of characters, quests, mythical creatures, and fantasy worlds. I love to escape everyday life in fantasy stories where there’s powerful magic coupled with compelling storytelling.
Here are twenty fantasy short story ideas to help you create your own!
