PRACTICE Write about the darkness of morning. Write for fifteen minutes. Post your practice in the comments when finished. And if you post, make sure to comment on a few other Practitioners' posts. Good luck! Here's my practice: His eyes snapped open before dawn from...
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.
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“Show Off” Writing Contest: The Love Story Edition
Once a month, we stop practicing and invite you to show off your best work. This might be for you if: You want to be published (in print) You want to improve your writing You enjoy a little competition You like the Write Practice How's that sound? Show Off Your Best...
Live a Better Story
Not only is Jeremy Statton one my best blogging buddies, he's also the busiest person I know. As an orthopedic surgeon, Jeremy works ten or more hours a day. Then, he goes home to his wife and four kids. On top of that, he somehow manages to find time to write on his...
How to Write About God and Other Big Ideas
I recently read an article about what people talk about when they’re dying. A hospice chaplain named Kerry Egan wrote the article. Every day she holds hands and watches people die. She listens to their last thoughts about life.
Sacrifices
When we were in Jerusalem, we stayed with an Orthodox Jew named David (pronounced Dah-VEED, there). He was eccentric but kind. Two of us were assigned to make Shabbat dinner like the Orthodox do, following the Rabbinical Kosher laws. The foremost rule was that they...
Her Father’s Murder
PRACTICE Write about a young girl out to avenge her father's murder. (Yes, I watched True Grit last night.) Write for fifteen minutes. When you're finished, post your practice in the comments. And if you practice, don't forget to give some feedback to other...
How to Use Layers to Enhance Your Plot
I'm happy to introduce our guest today, C.S. Lakin, who is the author of twelve novels (yes, TWELVE!), including the seven-book fantasy series, The Gates of Heaven. Ms. Lakin is a professional editor and loves to help writers improve at their craft. Make sure to swing...
Head Hopping and Hemingway, Part II
For Whom the Bell Tolls is about an American ex-patriot named Robert Jordan who fights in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. It's Hemingway's longest novel at 270,000 words. I purchased my copy two years ago in Manhattan during a three-week meandering that took me...
Head Hopping and Hemingway
A Write Practice reader and I recently got into a discussion about head hopping, which is when you switch from one character's thoughts to another in the middle of the action. It is generally known as an editor's pet-peeve, but my friend wasn't having it. "I do see it...
Entering the Threshold of Rest
Have you ever opened a tab in your browser, only to stare at the empty screen for minutes wondering why you opened it in the first place? Or gone into your email inbox to send a very important message, only to get distracted by a new message that just had to be read?...
