The Write Practice: The Online Writing Workbook

Why Do We Write? 4 Key Reasons Why Telling and Sharing Stories Matters

by Joe Bunting | 216 Comments

Why do we write? Non-fiction and fiction writing has been an instrumental way for people to connect to one another in the real world.

Stories are about change, and by reading and watching them we, ourselves, can change for the better.

But do people write for different reasons, and are some of those reasons more meaningful than others?

Are you sitting at your computer right now, possibly plunging through your first draft (or much later draft), and debating whether or not a writing career is the one for you?

Do you wonder if the written word is how you’ll make your mark on the world—and if it is, is a writing career what you want in life?

Writing Goals: How to Set Meaningful Goals for 2024 That You Can Manage and Achieve

by Joe Bunting | 24 Comments

If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you already have some goals: fitness goals, goals for your family, maybe even a goal of writing a book or to become a better writer.

But how do you write goals that actually work, that actually help you accomplish the things that you set out to do?

In this guide, I’ll share the step-by-step goal writing process that I’ve used to finish fifteen books, publish over 2,000 blog posts, hit the Wall Street Journal bestseller’s list, and reach over twenty million people with my writing over the last ten years.

No matter what your goals are, I believe this process will help you get clear on what you want to accomplish this year.

Playful Holiday Writing Prompts to Challenge and Inspire You

by Jeff Elkins | 20 Comments

‘Tis the season of holiday parties, children’s winter concerts, filling our schedules to the brim, visiting with family, eating too much, and drinking more than we should. With all of that going on, it can be difficult to stick to our writing regimen.

When we are tired, inspiration feels like a mirage. We feel as though it is just a little bit ahead of us, but with each step we take, it takes a step away. Writing during the holidays can be tough.

Sometimes, the thing we need to get our juices going is a writing challenge.

How to Publish Short Stories: 5 Important Steps When You’re Ready to Publish

by Sarah Gribble | 6 Comments

So you’ve written a short story. Now what? This step-by-step guide will walk you through the complete process for how to publish a short story.

When to Use Italics: The Complete Guide

by Liz Bureman and Sue Weems | 0 Comments

Italics are used to distinguish certain text from the rest for emphasis or sometimes contrast. As with all grammar and formatting conventions, italics should be used to make a message clearer to the audience. Let’s look at a complete guide of when to use italics.

Genre Conventions: How to Satisfy Suspense Readers by Meeting Expectations

by Joslyn Chase | 0 Comments

When you sit down with a book, are you hoping for a particular type of story experience? This is a common desire, since readers—know it or not—are drawn towards specific genres and genre conventions.

From a writer’s perspective, knowing these genre “flavors” and how to create them to satisfy reader expectations is key to writing stories that will keep readers coming back.

In addition, understanding the genre conventions and obligatory scenes helps you push yourself farther and reach higher to innovate and twist what’s been done before, astonishing readers…and even yourself!

How to Write a Scene: The Definitive Guide to Scene Structure

by Joe Bunting | 0 Comments

Once you have a great story idea, the next step is to write it. But do you want to take your brilliant idea and then write a book that bores readers and causes them to quit reading your book?

Of course not. That’s why you need to learn how to write great scenes.

Scenes are the basic building block of all storytelling. How do you actually write them, though? And even more, how do you write the kind of scenes that both can keep readers hooked while also building to the powerful climax you have planned for later in the story?

In this post, you’ll learn what a scene actually is. You’ll explore the six elements every scene needs for it to move the story forward. Then, you’ll learn how to do the work of actually putting a scene together, step-by-step. We’ll look at some of the main scene types you need for the various types of stories, and we’ll also look at some scene examples so you can better understand how scenes work. Finally, we’ll put it all together with a practice exercise.

Info Dumping: What It Is and How to Avoid It

by Abigail Perry | 12 Comments

Have you ever been given feedback that there was too much info dumping in your story? Did you not really understand what that meant?

Info dumping is a common piece of feedback for authors who include too much information in their stories. If you info dump, you will slow the pace—and worse, you’ll likely bore readers. You never want to bore your readers.

So how do you know when to include a “chunk of info” and when it is better to strip your scenes to the bone? (Almost always, by the way.)

In this article, you can learn what info dumping is, along with some common ways writers accidentally do it. You’ll also learn some editing questions that can help you condense your writing, leaving your reader with only necessary information that develops characters or advances the plot.

Dan Brown MasterClass Review: Will This Teach You to Write a Page-Turning Thriller?

by Joslyn Chase | 0 Comments

Are you wondering what Dan Brown’s MasterClass is like and if signing up would be a good move for you? Do you want to learn how to craft a thriller that works or add suspense to your writing? I recently had the opportunity to take a MasterClass from the man who wrote one of the world’s best-selling novels, The Da Vinci Code, and I’m here to share my thoughts about the experience and give you a peek into what I learned.

31 December Writing Prompts

by Sue Weems | 0 Comments

December is an opportunity to finish the year strong, to celebrate the year past, and set a new course for the coming year. Try a prompt each day this month and see what you discover!

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