New Daily Writing Guides from The Write Practice

How to Accomplish Twice the Writing in Half the Time

Many writers struggle with time management, but I’ve taken this dilemma to a whole, new level. In this post I want to talk about how I’ve learned to accomplish twice the writing in half the time.

Some writers have a set schedule. They work the same time every day.

Lucky them.

Others, do not. They sneak in their pages through tiny chunks of time — five minutes here, another 15 minutes there.

Nothing wrong with that, either. Just try to be consistent.

Here’s an interesting fact I’ve recently discovered about myself. In talking to others, they’ve admitted they do this, too…

3 Tricks for Getting Unstuck During the Holidays

by Jeff Elkins | 11 Comments

If you want to succeed as a writer, you need a stress-free time to work and think. Writing sessions during the holidays can be hard for us. With all the added parties and present buying and family events, it can be easy to feel stuck and unable to work on your latest writing project.

But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find time for writing.

In this article, you can learn three tricks to keeping your holiday spirit, and also working on your writing skills.

Let this holiday season be one you enjoy, while also working in those meaningful writing sessions.

TED Talks for Writers: 6 TED Talks That Will Revive Your Storytelling Spirit

by Joslyn Chase | 0 Comments

Looking for a boost in your creative writing? We all need something to rekindle our love of story. These TED Talks for writers might be just the inspiration you need.

In your work as a writer, have you ever succumbed to the pity party? Why am I laboring away at something only a handful of people will ever read? Why am I spending all my time on something no one else cares about?

If you’ve been doing it long enough, you’ll have had those moments of doubt. My intention with this article is to provide help and inspiration to push through those barriers and restoke the fires of determined storytelling.

What I found in my forays for fuel to ignite that flame met—and exceeded—my expectations, reaffirming one of the fundamental truths I hold most dear: there is extraordinary power in story.

Writing Success: 3 Easy Steps to Develop Your Writing System

by J. D. Edwin | 6 Comments

Have you tried writing a book but failed to finish it? Do you wish you could have some writing success, but each time you set out on an idea, something stops you?

Do you have a writing system?

If you want to be a successful writer, it helps to establish a solid, reliable writing system that evaluates your writing process. To do this, you need to experiment with three key steps to designing the best system for you.

6 Thoughtful Ways to Gift Your Writing

by David Safford | 11 Comments

I love the Christmas season. I love decorating the tree and baking cookies with my daughter. I love wrapping presents and hiding them from prying eyes.

But with every passing holiday season, I find myself loving something less and less each year: Rampant consumerism, and the impossible expectations that come with it.

What if this year, you give something different? What if you gift writing instead of things?

How to Handle Criticism: 3 Strategies to Make Criticism Work for You

by Joslyn Chase | 0 Comments

You invest a lot of yourself in your writing, and putting your creative work in front of others is scary. Your mind floods with questions like, What if they don’t like it? What if they think I’m dumb? What if I’m no good at this? And what if someone doesn’t like it? Do you know how to handle negative criticism?

Plotter vs. Pantser: When to Plot, When to Pants, and When to Combine Them

by J. D. Edwin | 3 Comments

How do you plan a story? If you’re a writer, you’ve probably heard about different creative writing methods to finish a first draft. Is there a right or wrong to these? Have you tried different method, but still don’t feel like it’s a perfect fit?

At some point in your process, it’s likely that you will with primarily pants or plot a novel. Maybe you even do both at different times in your writing process.

In this article, you’ll learn when the best times are for planning your novel. You’ll also learn different stages of that planning process when you might prefer to pants, plot, or some hybrid method of the two.

Euphonics: This Writing Technique Will Make Your Readers Fall in Love With Your Sentences

by Joslyn Chase | 0 Comments

Two of the most vital skills you should focus on as a writer are how to tell a story that satisfies readers and how to develop compelling characters. But once you’ve got that figured out, aren’t there other writing techniques, more subtle perhaps, that draw readers in and make stories shine?

There are. And one of those writing techniques is called euphonics.

Rayne Hall, author of the Writer’s Craft series, defines euphonics as “the use of sound devices for prose writing.” The dictionary definition of euphonic expands on that to include “a harmonious succession of words having a pleasing sound.”

Understanding this writing technique and applying it to your sentences will make your readers fall in love with your writing!

The Ordinary World: The First Step in the Hero’s Journey

by David Safford | 1 Comment

Have you heard the story of the orphan boy living in the cupboard under the stairs?

Or perhaps the story of the girl in District 12 (the crappiest District) who would not only survive an unwinnable deathmatch, but become a symbol of liberty?

Maybe you’ve heard of the baby boy who was going to die in a mass genocide, but whose mother put him in a basket and sent him down the Nile River . . .

If you didn’t catch those, here they are in order: Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games), and . . . Moses.

And all these stories follow the same classic story structure.

The Write Structure Reviews: Will The Write Structure Help You Write a Great Book?

by Joe Bunting | 0 Comments

I published my new book, The Write Structure, last week, and it’s been amazing to see the response.

People are getting so much out of the book. It’s always an honor to get the chance to help people with their writing, but it’s even more rewarding when the help is making a huge difference.

But does it work? And will it actually help you with your writing?