New Daily Writing Guides from The Write Practice

Are You Counting Stars?

I am addicted to the song “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic. It’s the first thing I listen to in the morning. It all started when the lead singer of OneRepublic, Ryan Tedder, was a guest mentor on The Voice. Now, I know you’re gonna cringe, but I’ll say it anyway. I love music, and yet, even as a writer, I never digest the lyrics. Weird I know.

In this case something Tedder said struck a chord. He described the meaning behind the song (being broke, worrying about money, wishing not to worry…) and all of a sudden I wanted to listen to the song and absorb the lyrics. In doing so, I found a stockpile of similarities between the words in the song and my life as a writer. Let’s take a look at the lyrics and see if they hit you too.

8 Formatting Tips and Shortcuts For Writers

by Joe Bunting | 31 Comments

I consider myself primarily a creative writer, but to pay the bills, I take on many the odd job involving writing. Because of that, I’ve been doing a lot of editing lately, editing blog posts, articles, books, and more.

With all this editing, I’ve found that I keep making several of the same changes again and again. Yes, there are typos and grammatical corrections, but a surprising amount of the editing I have to do is just simple formatting.

Have You Made Art Today?

by Katie Axelson | 38 Comments

Prolific author Joanna Penn has a sign hanging on her wall that we all need to live by.

Embrace the Present Moment Writing Prompt

by Marianne Richmond | 60 Comments

During hectic times, I like to jump-start my creative writing practice with the Present Moment writing prompt to pull me back to today, to notice what is rich and savory about this. Very. Minute.

The Bechdel Test: Is there a Gender Bias In Media?

by Liz Bureman | 26 Comments

I watched a video the other day about the portrayal of women in media in 2013, and it started out by celebrating some fantastic victories. The second Hunger Games film was one of the highest-grossing opening weekends of all time, and the main character is an independent female. The Netflix series Orange is the New Black, about life in a women’s prison, was a colossal hit.

But then it was quickly followed by a reality check of how women were objectified in print ads, commercials, and Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” video. The segment on the degradation of women was depressingly more than three times more extensive than the segment on positive portrayal. With that as inspiration, I’d like to introduce you to the Bechdel Test.

When Language Ornamentation Leads to Kitsch

by Sophie Novak | 58 Comments

As a writer, you are bound to be a language lover and enjoy the infinite combinations that produce a unique effect, striving for the occasional strike of reaching the near-magical. You continuously learn words, perhaps obsessively dive into etymologies, underline admired phrases by other authors, and practice weaving words in the quest of developing your own style.

It’s not unlikely that you also write down sentences and paragraphs by others and read them aloud, enjoying their delicious taste which sometimes feels as if they’ve come from another, unknown and better universe.

The 7 Stages You Pass To Become a Writer

by Guest Blogger | 38 Comments

A few days ago I was at TEDx Yerevan, which as always was a very uplifting experience. I’ve been there before, but this time was different because a my life had gone through an important change over the past year.

During coffee breaks and lunch, the most common question asked was, “So what do you do?” At the conference in 2012, when people asked me what I did, my answer was more complicated. I had quit my job and at that point just started writing Highfall—my first novel. Maybe that is why I answered with insecure phrases, such as “I am trying to write,” “I write a bit,” and “I want to be a writer.”

Sound familiar?

How To Write and Launch a Thriller Novel: Interview with Joanna Penn

by Joe Bunting | 7 Comments

I don’t write thrillers. But after The Write Practice team and I talked with Joanna Penn, author and popular blogger of The Creative Penn, I kind of wanted to.

When Joanna agreed to chat with the team and I, she didn’t know we were going to post this here, but the conversation was so fascinating that I wanted you to see it. Fortunately, Joanna was generous enough to let me share it with you.

Getting the Best Out of a Writer Conference

by Birgitte Rasine | 36 Comments

Have you ever attended a writer conference? If not, what the hell are you waiting for?

If you have, did you get the most you possibly could out of it? If you did, great. I want to hear all about it in the comments. If not, you need to read this post.

Take It Easy With the Thesaurus

by Liz Bureman | 8 Comments

I’ve recently discovered that whenever I think something is great or fantastic, and it’s worth commenting on how great or fantastic it is, I default to the exact same word in every conversation. It’s “awesome”. Everything is awesome.

If it’s funny, it’s awesome. If it’s pretty, it’s awesome. If it makes you think, it’s awesome. If it’s a weird random fact, it’s awesome. It’s funny because most of the time, I speak in SAT words.

Here to learn? You’re in the WRITE place!