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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How do good stories start? In the middle of the action? With a slow buildup to the action?
Exposition is a literary term that deals with how to start a story.
In this article, I’ll define exposition, talk about how it fits into the dramatic structure, give examples of expositions from popular novels, plays, and films, and then give a few tips on how to use the exposition best in your writing.
People are complicated. I know, that’s like saying, “Hey, fire is hot!” but when it comes to characterization, this needs to be said. Our tendency as authors is to stick imaginary people into tiny two-dimensional categories, forgetting that no human being fits into tiny two-dimensional categories.
One of the things that makes humans so confounded complicated is we are not logical.
Do you dread planning a novel, or love it? Plotters and pantsers often have different perspectives—but which one are you?
Declaring yourself as a plotter or pantser is like being asked to pick a house in Hogwarts: are you House Planner or House Pantser? Which one?
In your writing career, I can guarantee you’ll connect with writers from both “houses,” and I’m not sure there will ever be a definitive answer to one team being better than the other.
However, I do think there are extreme benefits to planning a novel. If nothing else, there are four key reasons why planning a novel will speed up your writing process when writing your first draft—and next drafts.
Do you get nervous starting a book? Does it take you forever to write that book, and because of this, you eventually end up giving up? Learning how to write faster will not only boost your writing productivity, but teach you ways to be a better writer that finishes projects in the process.
Writing the first draft for any book is hard work, but it is also manageable.
In fact, it’s even possible to learn how to write faster and complete your book in six weeks!
That’s my goal for my upcoming blog series, to teach you what I’ve learned about writing faster, and not only that, but show you why writer faster will make you a better writer as well.
Write from the point of view of an inanimate object.
Are you considering taking Neil Gaiman’s Masterclass? Neil Gaiman is a brilliant author, and expert-led Masterclasses are known for being informative and inspiring. If you’re wondering whether Neil Gaiman’s class is right for you, read on for my Neil Gaiman Masterclass review.
If you’re more comfortable talking through your ideas than typing them out, you may want to try one of these speech to text apps for writers. Dictation and transcription provide quick solutions for everything from working through interviews to recording story ideas and chapters. Check out our guide by guest writer Jamie Biggs and see which one is the best fit for you!
It’s fall! Students are back at school, football is on, and if you’re a Northeasterner like me, the weather is perfectly cool and sunny.
I don’t know about you, but I love this season. It feels like a writer’s season. It’s time bring a blanket and computer to your balcony, porch, or favorite coffee shop and just write. Recharge. Begin a new and productive period.
As always, at The Write Practice, we love to give you opportunities to jump into writing again. Use the fall-inspired writing prompts to get you going.
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.
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.
