New Daily Writing Guides from The Write Practice

Situational Irony: 3 Steps to Surprise Your Readers With Ironic Twists

So, you’ve figured out how to write a story that works. You know you need a character, in a setting, with a problem. You know you need a series of try/fail cycles, followed by a climactic scene and the resolution. The structure is simple, but it’s not always easy.

In particular, it can be challenging to sustain and escalate the story’s momentum through those try/fail cycles. And it would be nice to have something that could give your story a delicious ribbon of flavor, instilling brilliance and meaning.

Here’s the good news—there is such a technique. It’s called situational irony, and in this article, we’re going to take a look at what it’s made of and how to construct it in your own work.

AI Story Generators: Top Tools and Ethics for AI Assisted Fiction

by Guest Blogger | 3 Comments

The use of AI has prompted a discussion about how we develop writing from story ideas to various types of content—even research papers.

But can AI help writers craft compelling stories?

Character Description: 6 Tips from Stephen King’s Memoir

by David Safford | 11 Comments

When we read books, books with characters we love, we can learn how to write our own characters by studying what details the writers included. There are so many details about your characters you could include in a character description, but which ones do you need?

Let’s look at the advice Stephen King gives in his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft about good description and see if applies to Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games and Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Writing a Book Outline: 5 Essential Sections That Build a Solid Story

by J. D. Edwin | 1 Comment

It's hard work to write an entire book. However, you can make your writing process a lot easier if you commit to writing a book outline before you tackle the actual writing. But what if you're resistant to writing a book outline? Maybe you're afraid that you'll dread...

How to Make Money Writing a Book: First Steps to Successful Income Streams

by Marianne Richmond | 0 Comments

Many aspiring writers believe that once they finish and publish the book, the money will just roll in without any further action or plan! In fact, every time I visit a school to share my books, I can count on one bright-eyed first grader raising their hand to ask, “Are you rich?” This question make makes me smile in an “if you only knew” kind of way, because this is the truth: Most financially best-selling and successful authors have multiple income streams across their author platform.

You are in a business—the book business. Let’s look at some of these income streams and how you might make money writing books as a full-time author.

Character Names: 5 Tips That Help Writers Pick Great Character Names

by Sarah Gribble | 0 Comments

Names — character names or the names of people in real life — are a big deal. Parents-to-be pore over baby name books for months looking for that “perfect” name. Even naming a pet can take time. You want the name to be perfect, to mean something, to be unique but not too “weird.”

Naming a character, especially in a longer piece of writing, can be just as agonizing and is definitely just as important.

How Are You? Good vs. Well

by Liz Bureman | 57 Comments

When someone asks you, “How are you?” how should you respond? Should you say, “I’m good,” or, “I’m well?” Which is correct grammatically: good or well.

Since “how are you?” became a standard greeting, the use of good vs. well has been hotly disputed. Let’s straighten this confusion out.

Grammarly Vs. Hemingway: A Professional Writer’s Review

by Sue Weems | 32 Comments

Can book writing software replace an editor? Nope. But it can help you improve your grammar and readability.

You were born to tell stories and share your message with the world. But you sit down to type and something terrible happens. Your fingers misspell things. Verbs switch tenses as you type. Nothing works quite like it did when it was still just a compelling idea in your head.

You reread and catch a few errors, but what if you’ve reached the end of your grammar prowess? Need some book writing software to help improve your writing?

Author Branding: How I Built an Author Brand That Sold 6+ Million Books

by Marianne Richmond | 0 Comments

Think of one of your favorite authors, maybe a children’s book author, since that’s what I write. For little ones, it might be Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. And for for older kids, perhaps you like Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

When you purchase one of these books, you know what to expect. Eric Carle offers soothing rhymes and stories with bright and cheery collage artwork. Jeff Kinney, on the other hand, gives readers funny, endearing stories featuring his signature cartoon protagonist, Greg.

An author brand is what makes your work unique or distinctly you. It’s the collection of impressions you make across your interactions with readers, including your books, social media, and face-to-face meetings. Your brand tells readers what to expect from you as an author as well as what to expect from your books.

Writing Anxiety: Why Does Writing Sometimes Make You Anxious (And How to Overcome It)

by J. D. Edwin | 2 Comments

Have you ever felt a rush of writing anxiety when trying to finish your story?

Whether you view this as resistance or low self-esteem, writing anxiety can prevent you from finishing that beautiful, unique story that only you can tell. Here are four common problems that feed writing anxiety and tips on how to overcome them.

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