The Write Practice: The Online Writing Workbook

How to Find the Writing Coach You Need

Do you have a great idea for a book but you’re not sure what to do with it? Have you ever started writing a book and never finished, or finished it but didn’t know what to do next?

If yes, you might feel frustrated. You also might greatly benefit from hiring a writing coach.

But what is a writing—or book—coach? Do you need to hire someone to finish a book, or can you do it on your own for free?

Whether or not you’re interested in self-publishing a book or pursuing the traditional publishing path, a writing coach will make you a better writer in every step of your writing process.

Learn why a writing coach might benefit your first book, or hundredth, and how to find the writing coach you need.

How to Write Horror: 8 Crucial Components to Terrify and Delight

by Sarah Gribble | 0 Comments

Horror is a genre of literature or film that wants to evoke fear, shock, and suspense. Characters battle for their life versus a fate worse than death.
What makes a good horror story is the ability to tap into our deepest fears and deliver them in a captivating way. Even if you don’t consider yourself a horror writer, practicing a few short stories in this genre can help you understand human fear and the way it motivates action.

20 Spine-tingling Horror Story Prompts

by Sue Weems | 2 Comments

Horror wants to scare, to shock, to terrify, and sometimes even to repulse readers or audiences. It delves deep into the human psyche to look at what scares us and why, as well as to examine the limits of human depravity (Hannibal Lector, anyone?).
Try one of these prompts designed to terrify.

Elements of Suspense: How Mystery and Thriller Writers Grip Readers

by Joslyn Chase | 0 Comments

Do you remember how you felt while reading The Da Vince Code or Gone Girl? The sweaty palms, the pleasant shiver, the jaw-clenching tension? Remember how those well-drawn elements of suspense held you in thrall, feathering along your skin, raising goosebumps?

Suspense fiction comes in a variety of flavors, all delicious, and if you have a yen for building suspense in your writing and learning how to create the same kind of reading experience for your own audience, this is the place for you.

In a special series of articles, I’ll be your guide as we dig deep into the elements of suspense that grab readers and don’t let go. These elements apply, regardless of the publishing route you choose for getting your stories out to your suspense readers.

Here, we will learn how you can craft suspense in your own books, starting now.

40 Spring Writing Prompts For A New Season of Creativity

by Sue Weems | 0 Comments

What images come to mind when you think of the first day of spring? Tulips unfurling? Easter egg hunts? Baseball season? Spring cleaning?

Whatever spring activities grace your calendar this month, I hope you’ll take some time to keep your writing habits going. In only 15 minutes a day, you can capture your creative writing ideas, practice new skills, or make progress on that book you’ve been dreaming of writing. Here are 40 new spring writing prompts to get you started!

How to Write a Thriller Novel

by Joslyn Chase | 0 Comments

A thriller is not just a rollercoaster ride, but like a whole day at a theme park with head-of-the-line privileges. Ride after wild ride with maybe just enough down time to eat a corndog and take a bathroom break. The necessary ingredients for a thriller include conflict, tension, and suspense, all tied up in a nice, twisty package.

20 Thriller Story Ideas for Heart-Racing Fiction

by Ruthanne Reid | 65 Comments

The thriller genre is wildly popular. Thrillers are like mysteries, but with a super dose of suspense, action, and anticipation for the reader. Here are some thriller story ideas to help you start crafting your own fast-paced thriller today!

Proust Questionnaire: 35 Questions To Ask Your Characters From Marcel Proust

by Joe Bunting | 26 Comments

We’re on a characterization kick this week on The Write Practice. Today, we’re going to continue to delve into the lives of our characters by going through a list of thirty-five questions to ask your characters made famous by the canonical French author, Marcel Proust.

Motif vs Symbol: What’s the Difference?

by Liz Bureman | 10 Comments

Using the novel Divergent by Veronica Roth as an example, we look at the difference between a symbol vs. motif, and how they affect the story.

How to Write a Character Portrait: 4 Steps to Better Understand Characters

by Monica M. Clark and Joe Bunting | 25 Comments

Whether you’re writing a novel, a memoir, or even painting a portrait, it’s important to understand who you’re writing about.

Creating a character portrait is a characterization technique used by writers like Cheryl Strayed, Marcel Proust, and others to better understand your characters.

In this post, you’ll learn exactly what character portraits, how to create one of your own, and how to get the most out of them in your writing.

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