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.
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We’re heading into summer, and with the longer days, warm sun, and vacations to look forward to, we’re feeling inspired to write. What better way to enjoy summer than with a writing contest?
That’s right: our Summer Writing Contest is now open! This time, we’re doing something new, and I can’t wait to share with you what makes this contest special.
We hear voices in our heads in the middle of the night. We see scenes in our minds like movies and are compelled to capture them on the page. We look around at the world and notice things, things other people might not see. Writing procrastination—well, that’s just not in our vocabulary.
We are lovers of stories. We gasp at expertly crafted sentences. We smile at innovative turns of phrase. We’re left breathless at the fierce beauty of a story well told.
We are writers. And writers write, right?
Well…
“How do you write so much?” asked one young writer. “I struggle so hard to write for even just a few minutes everyday!”
Needless to say, there are days I really just can’t write, but I have to. So, I’ve developed a few hacks of how to do it when I just can’t.
You’ve spent countless hours pondering the plot, creating the characters’ voices, and building the perfect twist at the end that will leave readers speechless. Once everything is as good as you can make it, you publish your writing and wait. . . .
But no one reads your masterpiece.
Unfortunately, in our content-saturated age, if you don’t grab people by the throat, pull them in close, and yell, “Pay attention to me!” with your first paragraph, they won’t stick around to read the amazing story you’ve crafted. Here’s how to write an opening paragraph that will draw your readers in and keep them reading to the end.
Writers are thieves. Intentionally or unintentionally, we steal from other artists all the time. We can’t help but be inspired and influenced by the stories we consume. However, we can steal productively by borrowing from other works in a conscious manner.
Hey, you. Yes, you—the one with the storied dreams and the demanding imagination. You need to TAKE the time to write. I’m sorry to say this, but that time will never materialize on its own.
This weekend in Denver is apparently supposed to be b-e-a-utiful. Weather reports are calling for temperatures in the 60s and 70s, and it’s going to be a great weekend to spend outside in the park. The only problem with this is that I’ll be in Philadelphia during this amazing weather spot. It will not be in the 60s and 70s in Philly. It will be in the 40s. That’s further than I’d like to be from those glorious spring temperatures.
Wait. Further? Or is it farther?
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about writers, it’s that we hate public speaking. Sure, public speaking tips are helpful—but we’d rather not have to give a speech in the first place.
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about publishing, it’s that you’d better be able to speak publicly. It’s essential for pitching your book, sitting on panels, leading author talks, and more. One of my journalist friends was even asked to give an actual commencement speech to our high school!
Your writing deserves an audience. But do you know who that audience is? Knowing your audience—who they are, their needs and wants—will help you write things that are meaningful and powerful to them.
Not sure who your audience is? These four questions will help you find them.
Every item has a story: The true story of where the item was acquired, who owned it, and where it traveled, and the story you are inspired to write about the item.
This is an Adventure Prompt. However, this is not the television show Mission Impossible, starring Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, and Greg Morris, a popular series from the late 60’s to the seventies. This blog post will not self-destruct in five seconds.
Even so, we will pretend we are going on a real adventure.
