December is an opportunity to finish the year strong, to celebrate the year past, and set a new course for the coming year. Try a prompt each day this month and see what you discover!
Here to learn? You’re in the WRITE place!
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.
And make sure to subscribe to get a weekly digest of our latest posts, along with our free guide, 10 Steps to Become a Writer.
The Best Book Writing Software for New Writers: Microsoft Word
It’s easy as a writer to fall into the trap of shiny new toys. There’s an endless number of book writing software programs claiming to be the best at one thing or another, from Microsoft Word to Scrivener to Vellum—and the list goes on and on.
They flash their sexy features at you and promise to be the very thing you need to become the writer you want to be. But sadly, these programs will not make you into the writer you want to be. They offer the world, but often only take your time.
That’s why I would like to offer a defense for using the industry book writing software standard, Microsoft Word.
February Writing Prompts
The shortest month of the year is here, and with it we have some creative writing prompts to keep you warm and writing all month long. Check out our February writing prompts today.Â
14 Valentine’s Day Writing Prompts
Valentine’s Day has a complicated history depending on who you ask. It’s been called a celebration of a martyr, a festival heralding a coming spring, and a holiday for lovers.Â
But you don’t have to frame it as a romantic holiday to have fun with one of these fun writing prompts today.
How to Maximize the Power of Cause and Effect in Your Stories
One reason some stories feel flat is because they are missing the cause and effect story elements that push life (and narratives!) forward. How can you maximize cause and effect in your stories?Â
How Joining a Writing Community Helped These 11 Authors Get Published
Getting published is an amazing, exciting process. It can also feel a little mysterious, especially if you’ve never done it before. What does it take to publish? More than that, what does it take to publish successfully—to publish a beautiful piece of writing and share it with crowds of readers?
I recently reached out to several writers in our Write to Publish community to ask whether joining a writing community has helped them get published, grow their audience, and make progress on their journey to becoming bestselling authors.
The Healing Power of Writing
Conflict is a necessary ingredient for creating an intriguing story. And conflict is an inevitable part of life. Disappointment, sadness, sickness, and death plague us at different points in time and in different ways.
We all have methods of coping with what we don’t understand, of dealing with painful situations in our lives. One therapeutic technique that helps us heal in times of confusion, broken hearts, and deepest loss is simple but so very powerful—writing.
100 Best Gifts for Writers: Best Writing Books, Courses, Apparel, and More!
Finding the right gifts for writers in your life can be challenging. After all, what do you get people who spend so much time living in their own heads and imaginations.
It’s even worse if you’re the writer! What do you tell people to get you for Christmas gifts, birthday presents, and other holidays?
But don’t worry friends. We’ve got you covered with over 100 of the best gifts for writers ever. We’ve got writing software gifts, writing apparel gifts, writing book gifts, and even the best book writing planner money can buy.
Let’s get gifting, shall we?
Why We Stop Writing: 3 Lies Writers Need to Stop Believing
How many articles, blogs, or books have you failed to write? Or have you ever started one of these projects and then hit a hard halt? Are you stumped at why you stopped writing?
Eighty percent of the time writers stop writing is because of three lies they tell themselves.
Knowing what these lies are will help you notice them creeping into your writing process, which is the first step to preventing them from convincing you to quit writing.
Four Ways To Fail as a Writer (And One Way to Succeed)
This is where I admit I am a fool and I tell you that I wrote my story at midnight the night before my column on The Write Practice was due.
If you want to set up your writing for failure, I know how.
