Today's writing prompt challenges you to write about your city, no matter how big or small. Use this prompt to explore the particular flavor of a real city or a fictional city if you prefer. Years ago I had the opportunity to inteview poet Paul Willis when he was the...
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.
8 Proven Strategies to Write More and Boost Your Productivity
People sometimes have an idea that pro writers spring fully formed from the head of Zeus and start pumping out content, but it takes years of practice and commitment to establish a career as a writer. And there are virtually no successful writers who didn’t start out with jobs, families, and an assortment of life challenges demanding their time and attention.
I want to be clear that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with writing as a hobby, just for fun and when you feel like it. It’s a fantastic pastime and very worthwhile. In this post, however, I’ll be addressing those who aim to embrace writing as a career.
It’s not easy, but if writing is your passion and you want to be a long-term professional, you can find a way to make it happen. This article will give you some effective strategies to employ on the journey.
Justin Boote on Becoming a Writer Without a Degree in Writing
Do you want to be a writer but are hesitant to try because you haven’t taken any writing classes? Wondering if you need to have a degree in order to write?
Guess what? You don’t have to have a writing education to be a writer.
I don’t have one and have been published dozens of times. And today’s interviewee is the same way.
6 Creative Ways to Strengthen Your Story Idea
Coming up with a story idea isn’t hard. Coming up with a story idea that hits it out of the park, fires on all cylinders, and has never been done before is. In fact, it’s the equivalent of winning the lottery—an unlikely event that can burn up your resources if you’re not careful.
How to Use Snappy Zingers to Write Effective Dialogue
Dialogue is an essential part of storytelling. We all know our characters speak to express themselves, and effective dialogue says a lot more than just the information conveyed—it also shows your character’s personality, range of knowledge, and their current state in the story.
But do you find that your characters sometimes drone on and on without getting to a point? Or that it seems to take a lot of words to get to the single idea you’re trying to get to? Or maybe you sometimes lose control of the exchange and find you don’t know which way to direct the conversation.
The problem is usually that your dialogue has too much “fluff.” Fluffy dialogue tends to slow down the story and bore the reader. But fear not; there are a few simple ways to remedy this.
How to Revolutionize Your Character Motivation
Whether I’ve blown it at work or reacted poorly at home (hypothetically of course), I often need a fresh start. Why? Because I’m human and I have a tendency to get in a rut. Sometimes my ruts are grounded in bad habits or faulty beliefs.
It’s not great for me as a human being, but it’s terrific for fiction. The first step to making a fresh start for me or my characters? Figuring out our default settings.
How to Start Writing Again When You Haven’t in a While
Life happens. There are new jobs, new babies, new houses. There’s an increased workload at work, a major house project, a mental block. There are a ton of things that might get you out of your writing groove. It happens to the best of us.
If this has happened to you, no matter how long you haven’t written, here are some tips to help you start writing again.
4 Grammar Myths You Can Ignore
You just want to tell a story in the best way you know how. You work hard to express yourself, observing the rules of grammar you’ve been taught. But what if those rules aren’t really rules?
How to Write to Market and Still Write What You Love
When new writers ask, “How do I succeed as an author?” the advice they most often receive is, “Write to market.”Popularized by Chris Fox’s 2016 book, Write to Market: Deliver a Book that Sells, the strategy requires authors to pick a genre to write in, study the tropes of that genre of books that are currently selling, and then write a book in that genre that fits all the existing tropes. While many authors struggle to embrace this concept, by changing our perspective on it, we will find it empowering rather than limiting.
The Writer’s Guide to Beta Readers: How to Deal With Beta Reader Feedback
You’ve spent a few agonizing weeks waiting on the feedback to roll in from your beta readers. You’ve probably worked your way into an anxiety attack with all the waiting. What if they don’t like it? What if you have to do a major rewrite? It’s scary!
In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly what to do with all that beta reader feedback. Take a deep breath—it’ll be great.
