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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.

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How to Write a Good Villain: 6 Scenes Your Story Needs

How to Write a Good Villain: 6 Scenes Your Story Needs

Without the White Witch, Aslan is just a recluse lion. Without Moriarty, Sherlock is just a know-it-all in a weird hat. Without the Joker, Batman is just a rich dude with anger issues and too much time on his hands.

Our villains make our heroes. Without them, our heroes can’t shine. That’s why it’s important to give our villains scenes where they can wow us with their quirks and scare us with their ferocity.

Should You Write a Book? Why Write a Book NOW

Should You Write a Book? Why Write a Book NOW

While 2016 was completely crazy, it was also extremely productive for me as I writer. Last year, I was able to finish writing THREE books. THREE. In one year. Sounds kind of crazy in hindsight.

Through writing those three books, I learned a ton. And today I’ve compiled a list of all the reasons you should write a book too.

How to Write a Backstory Using One Surprising Story Element

How to Write a Backstory Using One Surprising Story Element

Often, backstory is simply told to the reader in the opening or a prologue; this slows down the pace and comes across as a massive info dump. In those instances, the reader might decide to put the book down.

And that’s not what you want. But before you throw out backstory altogether, let’s look at one way to reveal well-developed backstory in a more organic way: through the setting.

Why You Should Try Writing in Second Person

Why You Should Try Writing in Second Person

First person and third person—you’ve been there, done that. But what about writing in second person? It may seem strange, unconventional, or confining, but playing with point of view is one way to transform a story.

Point of view affects a story in that it allows readers to gain a very specific perspective. The second person is no different. Here are three reasons why you should try writing in second person:

How to Overcome Writer’s Block: 5 Simple Steps to Get Back to Your Book

How to Overcome Writer’s Block: 5 Simple Steps to Get Back to Your Book

It’s practically inevitable. You’re rockin’ and rollin’ through your writing, feeling invincible, and then you reach a sudden halt: You’re blocked. The words won’t come. It seems like there’s nothing more, and yet you’ve got things to do! Deadlines to meet! Dreams to fulfill!

It can seem impossible. But never fear: it can be done.

Here’s how to write a book when you’ve got writer’s block.

How to Edit Your Story Like a New York Publisher

How to Edit Your Story Like a New York Publisher

You have finished writing the first draft of your story, a version of your whole story from beginning to end. Now it is time to edit, to revise your words to make your story clear and compelling, so the reader will continue reading after the first sentence.

Editing your story might feel like an impossible task, but when you have a strategy to use, you can be confident you can edit your own story and improve your writing.

Whatever you do, do not skip the important step of editing your first draft. According to David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, “Revision is all there is.”

Ensure Versus Insure: Definitions and Examples

Ensure Versus Insure: Definitions and Examples

Both “insure” and “ensure” are verbs. They both derive from the same word meaning “to make sure.” So are they just a spelling variant of the same word?

No. The context can help clarify the difference between insure and ensure and the more distinct meanings for each.

Enjambment: Definition and Examples for Writers

Enjambment: Definition and Examples for Writers

I love new words. I always get really excited whenever I learn a new word, and I try to use it as often as is applicable in my daily life. Sometimes this is harder to do than I’d like. However, this is a writing blog, and the word I learned today is a writing word. Congratulations, you get to learn about enjambments.

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