New Daily Writing Guides from The Write Practice

How to Use a Photo Shoot for Character Development

When we imagine what a character looks like, we see only the basic, surface details, like height and hair color. But when we describe a character in a photograph, a person is more than their hair color, height, and gender. We can learn a lot about them from the way they pose for the photograph.

The photographer has arrived to photograph the characters for your story. They are setting up the lights and the backdrop as your characters get ready to have their photograph taken. Here’s how visualizing a photo shoot will help you improve your character development.

How to Write What You Know

by Jeff Elkins | 36 Comments

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.

Spring Contest Winner: Run

by Guest Blogger | 29 Comments

We’re very proud to publish this story by Maia Thomlinson, which won the grand prize of $300 in the 2016 Spring Writing Contest with wordhaus literary magazine.

Run. Run. Run.

As light bleeds into this endless plane, I run towards the rising sun.

I run from destruction, from my own pounding heart. Gun shots fire. Still, I run.

Pressed tight up against my chest, my baby brother whimpers. The tall grass grabs for his tiny, bare feet, and I clutch him tighter still. This precious cargo is all I have left; no more family, no village, no home.

Why Your Character’s Childhood Dreams Matter

by Ruthanne Reid | 46 Comments

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 Secret to Winning a Writing Contest

by Joe Bunting | 35 Comments

In this post, I want to share a secret I’ve learned about how to win a writing contest. Plus, I published a new book yesterday all about how to get the most out of writing contests (and I want to give it to you for free).

The Secret to Bringing Your Characters to Life

by Jeff Elkins | 54 Comments

It’s Atticus Finch giving advice to Scout that shows us he is a man of empathy and compassion. It’s Frank Underwood banging his class ring on the table that reminds us he is in command. It’s Holden Caulfield using phrases like “vomity” and “grow up” that helps us remember that he is an adolescent.

Using indirect characterization can make our heroes and villains leap from the page and come to life in our readers’ minds. Showing our readers who our characters are through indirect characterization allows our readers to draw their own conclusions about our characters, intensifying our readers’ engagement with our stories.

Flash Giveaway: Our Fun Writing Toolkit

by Joe Bunting | 21 Comments

This Friday, we’ve got an awesome surprise for you: a flash giveaway!

We love to share awesome stuff with our community, so today, we’re giving you a chance to win some fun writing tools.

Hurry, though—the giveaway ends tonight!

P.S. You may want to write a short story sooner than you think. Next week, we’ll be announcing an exciting reason for you to sit down and write.

Get prepared by entering this giveaway for our story writing toolkit now!

6 Characters Your Protagonist Needs to Have Around

by The Magic Violinist | 55 Comments

Your protagonist may be the star of the show, but they can’t do everything alone. Just like it takes a village to raise a child, it takes an entire cast of characters to help your hero along on their journey.

Do you think Harry Potter could’ve accomplished all that he did if it were just him on his own out there against Voldemort? Of course not. He had friends who stuck by him, teachers who came and went, and a whole assortment of villains that drove the plot forward. Your main character needs those people, too.

Let’s take a look at the people who surrounded Harry and the roles they played in his life. Which of these characters appear in your story?

How to Learn to Write by Reading

by Monica M. Clark | 47 Comments

A pop-up bookstore opened up next to my job, full of used books. One antsy afternoon, I took a stroll around the store looking for anything on my “to-read” Goodreads list.

That’s when I found it: Francine Prose’s “Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them.” This helpful book shares how we can learn to write better by reading intentionally.

I haven’t finished the book yet, but I’m already inspired and am dying to share what I’ve learned so far. So without further ado, here are three ways you can learn to write better by reading.

3 Devious Steps to Write an Antagonist You Hate

by Guest Blogger | 80 Comments

In any good book there is conflict. Often, that conflict is between the characters. No matter how many characters you create, it all boils down to two: The Protagonist and the Antagonist. The stars of the show.

We write a lot about the protagonist, the one who really is the actual “star.” But I’ve noticed that not as much attention is devoted to the antagonist. In my own writing, I find it much more difficult to write about him then the protagonist. At times, I find it nearly impossible to relate to him and his beliefs, to be able to step into his shoes as I do with every other character.

Today, I’m sharing how to write a great antagonist, even if you can’t stand him.