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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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30 November Writing Prompts

30 November Writing Prompts

November is here! It’s a perfect time to dust off your writing journal (the one you got for the holidays last year?) and start exploring some creative writing ideas before the end of the year. Today we have 30 November writing prompts to get you started. Let’s go!

The 25 Most Common Themes in Literature and Why They Matter

The 25 Most Common Themes in Literature and Why They Matter

Literature’s first job is to entertain. But at the same time every novel has a kernel of truth in it, or perhaps several kernels, ideas about how life works or philosophies on the best way to live or some gesture to the broader meaning of life. 

Taken together, these ideas may combine into a “theme.” Let’s look at the most common themes in literature and why they matter.

Foreshadowing Definition and 10 Techniques for Effective Plot Twists

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.

Writing Theme: The Simple Way to Weave a Thematic Message into Your Story

Writing Theme: The Simple Way to Weave a Thematic Message into Your Story

Does the concept of “theme” confuse you? Do you have trouble writing a theme, or weaving a theme into your story? 

If you said yes, you’re not alone. Lots of writers struggle to identify a theme in their book—and many don’t even know what thematic message the are communicating through their story until a second or later draft. 

The good news is, there are writing tips you can use when weaving a thematic message (or two) into your story.

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

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

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.

15 Haunted Halloween Writing Prompts

15 Haunted Halloween Writing Prompts

Writers write to get a reaction out of their readers. No matter the genre, you want your reader to feel something when they read your writing.

For horror writers, that feeling is fear. But it’s also so much more than that.

Great horror stories take the everyday creepy and turn it into something even more creepy (and often become a condemnation of injustices in society). And then, the great thing is, horror stories teach you that those creepy things can be beaten. That’s what keeps bringing the readers back.

And that’s why horror writers keep churning out the fear.

Maybe you love writing scary stories. Maybe you don’t, but this is something you’d like to take a whack at, just for practice (we’re fans about that around here!).

Just like reading outside your genre is valuable to mastering the writing craft, so is writing a scary story.

This story doesn’t have to be long, it could be a short story. Try for something you can write in one sitting, like 1,500 words.

To get you started, use one of the Halloween writing prompts suggested in this article. Then let loose, and have fun!

6 Surprising Ways to Write Better Interview Questions

6 Surprising Ways to Write Better Interview Questions

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.

Can There Be Two Protagonists in Your Story?

Can There Be Two Protagonists in Your Story?

We’ve seen movies and read books. We know the protagonist when we see her. However, as I mentor and edit authors, I’ve had more and more writers ask me the big question: “Can you have multiple main characters in a story?”

Yes, you can. But should you?

Scene Outline: How to Write Faster by Developing a List of Scenes

Scene Outline: How to Write Faster by Developing a List of Scenes

Are you trying to write faster? Writing a scene outline might be exactly what you need. But what is a scene outline, and how you can create one that help direct your story while giving you creative freedom?

A scene outline can give your story plan focus and prevent burnout or confusion when actually writing your story.

In this article, you’ll learn how to create a scene list that gives your big story idea focus, which will help you not only write faster, but give you a higher chance of actually finishing your book—and having fun while you write it!

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