New Daily Writing Guides from The Write Practice

Enter the Covering the Classics Contest

by Joe Bunting | 12 Comments

This month, we’re partnering with Story Cartel to host the Covering the Classics Contest (wow, that’s a lot of C’s), a contest to re-imagine the covers of ten classic books. This is part of Story Cartel’s new book club, an online community to read and discuss the classic books of yesteryear.

By the way, if you want to brush up on the classics, plus get ten classic books completely free, you should check out the Story Cartel Book Club.

If you could re-imagine the covers of classic books, what would they look like? This is your chance to put your personal mark on some of the world’s most revered books. Sound interesting? Read on for the rules…

How to Show Off Your Innate Expertise in Your Writing

by Katie Axelson | 28 Comments

The truth is we all have hidden expertise we don’t think about. There’s something you do regularly you know more about than most of your friends.

Hidden within that expertise you consider mundane is a story the rest of the world has yet to hear.

2 Ways to Manage a Large Cast of Characters in Your Novel

by Liz Bureman | 18 Comments

On the recommendation of a coworker, I started reading Ken Follett’s Century Trilogy. The books are apparently known for Follett’s meticulous historical research, but when I first opened Fall of Giants, I was wondering why no one had warned me about the seven-page list of characters.

Seven. Pages. Of character names.

How Do You Build A Strong Character In Your Writing?

by Sophie Novak | 35 Comments

What’s the most important element in a piece of writing? Is it the plot, the characters, descriptions, dialogue, or the style? Obviously, you can’t single out only one. A powerful work succeeds in combining all of them in a unique mix producing a master creation.

A mundane theme can be saved by a great writing style; poor dialogue can be replaced with a fantastic storyline, and descriptions can be skipped altogether if it’s not your cup of tea. Undeveloped characters, however, are not to be hidden or overlooked by anything else. So, how do you build a strong character?

Change the World With Your Memoir: Jeff Goins’ 3 Rules for Memoir Writing

by Jeff Goins | 100 Comments

I love memoir, always have. Anne Lamott, David Sedaris, Annie Dillard, even Stephen King. There’s something magical about the ability to transform ordinary circumstances into beautiful scenes that teach a deeper truth.

Twenty years ago, it seemed the only people qualified to write memoir were the incredibly famous and the I’m-so-disgustingly-rich-I’d-better-write-a-book elite. The rest of us had better keep our mouths shut… or turn our life’s story into a novel.

But recently, more “normal” people are writing powerful reflections on everyday life. So what’s to stop you and me from joining them?

Money [writing prompt]

by Joe Bunting | 37 Comments

PRACTICE
Write a story or scene involving money.

Write for fifteen minutes. When your time is up, post your practice in the comments section, and if you post, please be sure to leave feedback for a few fellow practitioners.

Happy writing!

50 Shades of Villain: How to Characterize Without Cliché

by Liz Bureman | 12 Comments

This past weekend, ABC Family had a Harry Potter marathon. My roommate recorded the first part of the Deathly Hallows, and we’re watching it now as I’m writing. It’s oddly fitting that the close of this discussion of heroes, villains, anti-heroes, and anti-villains happens while watching a film of the series that encompasses basically every shade of hero and villain that we’ve covered.

What I’ve Learned from Writing for The Write Practice

by Melissa Tydell | 38 Comments

After about a year of contributing to The Write Practice, today’s post is my last one.

With a new baby due to arrive in the next couple of weeks, I’m wrapping up my time as a regular contributor—and as with any turning point, it feels like a good time to reflect on what I’ve learned.

How to Steal

by Katie Axelson | 70 Comments

There’s nothing original in the world. Good writers are always stealing ideas from each other and recycling stories. It’s expected. And it’s natural.

Four Types of Anti-Villains

by Liz Bureman | 14 Comments

I don’t have a very big DVD collection, but one of the discs on my shelf is Catch Me If You Can. I really enjoy this movie, for a few reasons. I love anything that is based on a true story, plus you really can’t go wrong with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. Come on now.

By nature of the story content, you have a pair of characters who are on opposite sides of the law, but they’re both painted as sympathetic characters. DiCaprio’s Frank Abagnale, Jr. is clearly meant to be the one whom the audience sympathizes with, but Carl Hanratty, played by Hanks, is the man on the right side of the law. He’s clearly the anti-villain to DiCaprio’s anti-hero.

What other degrees of anti-villains are there?