New Daily Writing Guides from The Write Practice

Active vs. Passive Voice: The Complete Guide

by Liz Bureman | 45 Comments

Let’s understand what we mean when we’re talking about “voice” in a passive sentence versus an active voice sentence. In this case, grammatical voice refers to the verb form used in relationship with the subject and receiver of the action.

(This should not be confused with author voice which is more about the personality and style of a writer throughout their work. That’s something entirely different.)

If you’re still confused, let’s look at some examples that will help you see the difference, and then look at how to use each type of sentence to its best effect. Ready?

How to Overcome Writer’s Burnout

by Kellie McGann | 40 Comments

Although I call myself a writer, the last few months I haven’t been writing. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but somewhere between ghostwriting projects and blog posts, I just stopped.

I couldn’t put words on a page, and when I did, the words barely made sense. I stopped writing for a total of three months and no matter what I did, nothing seemed to help. None of the writer’s block tricks were working.

It took me a few weeks to realize that it wasn’t writer’s block I was dealing with. It was writer’s burnout.

The Approach to the Inmost Cave: How to Write This Scene in the Hero’s Journey

by David Safford | 0 Comments

Every great heroic story has that moment. It’s the deep breath before the plunge. The calm before the storm. The quiet before the calamity. In the Hero’s Journey, it’s the Approach before the Ordeal.

It’s an essential moment you need to plan for and build around as you draft your story. And to do it right, you’re going to need to figure out three key elements.

Realistic Dialogue: 16 Observations Writers Should Know About Real Life Talk

by Joe Bunting | 113 Comments

Dialogue can make your story. In fact, as Shakespeare knew, you can tell a whole story just through authentic dialogue.

Good stories are about real people, and people in real life love to talk to each other. We are biologically disposed to receive pleasure from conversation.

If you want to write good stories, learn how to write effective dialogue. In this article, you can learn sixteen dialogue tips that will help you take everyday conversations and turn them into stretches of dialogue that benefit your story.

Writing Tension: 8 Ways to Ramp Up Tension in a Scene

by Guest Blogger | 1 Comment

Writing tension can be tricky. Have you ever received feedback that a scene is boring or should be cut, but you know that it’s crucial to the overall plot? What do you do? You probably need help writing tension, taking the scene from good to great. Let's look at eight...

Famous First Lines of Books to Inspire Your Own First Chapter

by Guest Blogger | 0 Comments

You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. That’s why these famous first lines of books are a terrific opportunity to learn from the masters of fiction. Take a look and see if one of your own favorites is here.

Parallelism: Keep Your Verb Tenses Consistent

by Liz Bureman | 23 Comments

A few weeks ago, our group of friends was planning a potluck. One of the girls said she was planning on making vegetarian chili, cornbread, or baking cookies. I cringed internally because the flow of the sentence was wrong and hurt me on the inside. The issue: mismatched parallelism.

14 Fantasy Writing Prompts for Magical Stories

by Guest Blogger | 0 Comments

With the fantasy genre, the potential for conflict and world ending threats can come from anywhere—magical creatures, an unfamiliar city or world, an evil sorcerer. These prompts will help you write about the fantasy world and before you know it, your protagonist will be well on their way to find the magic item they need to defeat the villain.

Split Infinitive Examples: The Surprising Truth

by Liz Bureman and Alice Sudlow | 56 Comments

Here’s a secret: I’ve never been explicitly taught not to split infinitives (or to not split infinitives?). Surprise!

If that statement’s a shocking pronouncement, or if it makes no sense at all, never fear. Let’s take a step back and look at the long, illustrious history of split infinitives.

Is it Toward or Towards? Upwards or Upward?

by Liz Bureman | 22 Comments

English is full of words that seem the same, but have subtle differences in their spelling and usage. These tricky words seem designed specifically to trip you up. Recently, we tackled ensure vs. insure. Today, let’s take on another vocabulary conundrum: upwards or upward? Toward or towards?

Or does it even matter?

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