Yesterday, about half of you said discipline is one of your biggest obstacles to achieving your writing goals. One of the biggest things I've done to increase my discipline is actually the most paradoxical. One day a week I stop trying. I eat as much food (and...
Here to learn? You’re in the WRITE place!
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.
Check out the latest articles below or find ones that match your interest in the sidebar.
And make sure to subscribe to get a weekly digest of our latest posts, along with our free guide, 10 Steps to Become a Writer.
What Are You Struggling With?
What are you struggling with in your writing? Where are you stuck? What are you having a hard time with? Here are some options: Discipline Finding time Writer's block Organizing your writing The Resistance Inspiration Finding your voice Getting published Building a...
The Winner of Show Off: The Love Story Edition
Well, this was the hardest contest to judge so far. Special thanks to Patricia W. Hunter and Lisa Burgess, the winners of our two previous contests, for their help as judges. They were amazing, and if you haven't read their stories, The Worst Christmas Ever and The...
Coffee
PRACTICE Write about coffee. Write for fifteen minutes. When you're finished, post your practice in the comments section. And if you post, make sure to comment on a few posts by other Practitioners. Here's my practice: I look down into her cup of black coffee and am...
The Aesthetics of Good and Evil in David Copperfield
On Saturday, I purchased Charles Dickens' classic novel David Copperfield and couldn't put it down all weekend. Dickens was a childhood favorite of mine, and Great Expectations was one of the most impactful books to my young consciousness. After college, though, I...
Your Favorite Love Story
Submissions for Show Off: The Love Story Edition are now closed. "Submitting is like sitting naked in the subway," said Kate after last month's contest. Casey said, " I've never submitted anything. And after I hit submit, I wanted to hide under my blankets. I still...
How to Draw Your Characters Out
Submissions for our Show Off Writing Contest: Love Story Edition will close at midnight EST tonight. Make sure you have your pieces in before then. Thank you so much for participating. Every month I'm overwhelmed at the response. Pardon the terrible pun in the title,...
Why Writers Should Forget About Fame
Michael Cunningham says, "I’m so much happier thinking of myself less as some kind of aspiring great artist and more as one of the people who carved the gargoyles in the face of the cathedral—hidden away." In 1998, Michael Cunningham wrote a novel called The Hours....
Pride and Prejudice and the Three Movements in Every Love Story
Okay here's the story, boy meets girl. They have a nice, semi-awkward chat. Then, boy does something to offend girl, and girl begins to hate boy. Boy falls in love with girl, not knowing she hates him. Girl tells boy she hates him. Boy hates girl. Finally, both boy...
Who’s Whose: More Help With Pronouns
Liz here. I love reader/writer requests. Last week's comments section yielded a request to highlight the difference between whose and who's. Because, you know, there is one. Whose is a possessive pronoun. If you have two sloppy roommates, you might wonder whose dirty...
