When I first started writing, I was advised to “write what you know.” While the advice was well intended, it left me sad because I don’t know much, and what I do know isn’t exciting enough to build fiction with.
Then, one day, it started to click for me. While I may not be a dragon-slaying knight or a criminal-catching detective, the emotions I experience on a daily basis can be used to bring those worlds to life.
We often struggle to create realistic characters; they don’t always seem believable. We can usually recognize characters that feel two-dimensional, but we don’t always know why. I’d like to submit that one of the primary reasons we have trouble with characterization is we rarely ask ourselves how our characters got where they are.
With very few exceptions, all characters had a childhood. What did your character want to be when they grew up? The success or failure of that dream is a crucial part of the journey that brought your characters to their place in your story.
The Write Practice exists to help writers improve their craft through deliberate practice. Through doing this, we get to meet new aspiring writers who are growing in their craft and encouraging and inspiring others. This week we wanted to share with you some fun, inspirational writing quotes from our new friend Kathy Jeffords.
Memorial Day serves two roles in American culture: the intended one and the unintended one. Today, let’s take some time to write about what makes Memorial Day significant and special.
Whether you’re a blogger, poet, novelist, or cookbook author, there are certain things all writers are expected to do. Some of them are obvious: all writers should read; otherwise, how will we know what to create? Likewise, all writers need to establish a habit of writing daily in order to pursue their passion.
But writing flash fiction? If you don’t write shorter stories, why should you write flash fiction?
Here are three reasons why.
