The Write Practice: The Online Writing Workbook

Foreshadowing Definition and 10 Techniques for Effective Plot Twists

Do you love a good murder mystery or thriller? Do you dream of creating a captivating and suspenseful book that will pull readers to the end and leave them tingling? Then you need to master foreshadowing.

If you answered yes, you probably realize that such a thing is no easy task. More than most any other genre, mystery novels, thrillers, and suspense stories invite the reader to actively participate in plot developments, using certain cues to predict outcomes.

That can be tough to accomplish.

The path to a finished product is full of pitfalls, but you can learn techniques to help carry you safely over them and complete a thrilling story you can be proud of.

How to Write a Book Review: The Complete Guide

by Sue Weems | 23 Comments

You finally reach the last page of a book that kept you up all night and close it with the afterglow of satisfaction and a tinge of regret that it’s over. If you enjoyed the book enough to stay up reading it way past your bedtime, consider writing a review. It is one of the best gifts you can give an author.

But as you face the five shaded stars and empty box, a blank mind strikes. What do I say? I mean, is this a book really deserving of five stars? How did it compare to Dostoevsky or Dickens?

Maybe there’s an easier way to write a book review.

Writing Prompt: Send Your Characters Back to School

by David Safford | 0 Comments

It’s back to school season, and students everywhere are returning to classrooms after weeks away. But the return to school each autumn isn’t just a rite of passage. It’s a major change.

The best stories, inspired by strong prompts, center around change. That’s why you should use the return to school as the Inciting Incident for your new story.

Purple Prose: How to Know If Your Prose Is Purple

by Joe Bunting | 79 Comments

You might have heard the writing advice, “Don’t write purple prose.” Or perhaps you’ve even been told your prose is purple, but you’re not quite sure what that means and if it’s really a bad thing.

What is purple prose? Is it really bad? And how can you fix it in your writing?

What Does – Mean In Writing: Top 100 Words with Hyphens

by Liz Bureman and Joe Bunting | 7 Comments

You've seen it, that little line in between two words, like "low-key" or "step-mother." Maybe you've spotted it at the end of a line in a book, splitting up another word. What does - mean in writing anyway? Well, first of all, you should know that it's called a...

How to Persuade: 4 Techniques That Change Minds

by Jeff Elkins | 9 Comments

Ever have a point you desperately need to make, or a rant you have to pen or you might explode, or an issue you feel is so important you must enter the battlefield of ideas and fight for your side? Whether we write fiction, poetry, or narrative essays, this is true of every writer.

At some point, a topic will come along that you cannot remain silent about. But when that time comes, will you be ready to speak out? Do you know the tools of persuasion?

Show, Don’t Tell: The Secret to Great Writing with Show and Tell Examples

by Joe Bunting | 156 Comments

You’ve heard the classic writing rule, “Show. Don’t Tell.” Every writing blog ever has talked about it, and for good reason.

Showing, for some reason, is really difficult. Yet, it’s also one of the most important writing techniques you need to master if you want your own writing stand out.

Telling is one of the hardest habits to eradicate from your style. I still struggle with it regularly. However, writing that shows is so much more interesting than writing that tells. Most of the time.

In this article, you’ll find the definition of “show, don’t tell,” see several show don’t tell examples, and learn the one simple trick to strengthen your writing style.

16 Story Ideas to Change The World

by Kellie McGann | 20 Comments

I first decided to become a writer because I believe that stories have the power to change the world. So today, I want to give you sixteen story ideas for world changing writers.

How to Write a Book Using Microsoft Word

by Sarah Gribble | 0 Comments

If you want to write a book, you'll need book writing software that's up to the task. Yes, you can invest in dedicated book writing programs. But you don't have to: a great writing tool is likely already at your fingertips, if you know how to write a book using...

6 Surprising Ways to Write Better Interview Questions

by Joe Bunting | 23 Comments

Interviews are far more than a tool for a hiring process. For writers, interviews produce ideas, voice, and more. But in an interview, you want to have a conversation, not an interrogation. A good interviewer makes their interviewee comfortable.

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