New Daily Writing Guides from The Write Practice

How to Edit Your Story Like a New York Publisher

You have finished writing the first draft of your story, a version of your whole story from beginning to end. Now it is time to edit, to revise your words to make your story clear and compelling, so the reader will continue reading after the first sentence.

Editing your story might feel like an impossible task, but when you have a strategy to use, you can be confident you can edit your own story and improve your writing.

Whatever you do, do not skip the important step of editing your first draft. According to David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, “Revision is all there is.”

Ensure Versus Insure: Definitions and Examples

by Liz Bureman | 14 Comments

Both “insure” and “ensure” are verbs. They both derive from the same word meaning “to make sure.” So are they just a spelling variant of the same word?

No. The context can help clarify the difference between insure and ensure and the more distinct meanings for each.

Why Do People Write Poetry? 3 Compelling Reasons

by Kellie McGann | 90 Comments

There are real benefits to writing poetry like expanding your language skills and your ability to capture emotion with words: skills that will help you as a writer, no matter what genre you write in.

Enjambment: Definition and Examples for Writers

by Liz Bureman | 31 Comments

I love new words. I always get really excited whenever I learn a new word, and I try to use it as often as is applicable in my daily life. Sometimes this is harder to do than I’d like. However, this is a writing blog, and the word I learned today is a writing word. Congratulations, you get to learn about enjambments.

How to Read a Poem: One Secret To Unlock the Mystery

by Sue Weems | 8 Comments

Happy Poetry Month! My students often scowl when I announce we’ll be reading a poem or covering *heaven forbid* an entire unit on poetry. Poetry often bothers people—it certainly bothers me in the best possible way.

Sometimes poetry feels lofty and pretentious and seems to say, “I know something you don’t know,” which is obnoxious, like an older sister taunting us. Some poetry makes us scratch our heads and say, “What the heck was that all about?”

But if we keep reading, poetry often moves us in ways a paragraph can’t. It requires a compression of language and meaning, tucked inside precise words that create concrete images. Poets, with a wink and a wry smile, trust us to read well. (Writers of all genres: we can learn so much from the poets!)

Elements of Fiction: Master the 6 Ingredients of Powerful Storytelling

by Ruthanne Reid | 29 Comments

Much of writing is instinctual, but there are some tools every writer needs to make their story professional and effective. Today, I’m talking about the elements of fiction: character, plot, setting, point-of-view, theme, and style.

3 Bad Writing Habits Preventing You From Writing (And How to Break Them)

by Sarah Gribble | 0 Comments

Let’s be honest: it’s hard breaking habits, especially when it comes to bad writing habits. Writing is a career that requires a lot of self-motivation. In other words, it’s the perfect breeding ground for procrastination, distractions, and a world of other bad writing habits stalling your time to write.

But there’s hope! The best way to break bad writing habits is to first recognize that 1) you have them and 2) put forth the conscience effort needed to protect your time for writing. Here’s what I consider the three worst writing habits—and how to break them.

How to Write a Story: 10 Steps to Master the Art of Storytelling

by Joe Bunting | 371 Comments

Writing isn’t easy, and writing a good story is even harder.

I used to wonder how Pixar came out with such great movies, year after year. Then, I found out a normal Pixar film takes six years to develop, most of it on the story.

How do you write a story, and more importantly, how do you write one that’s good?

Top 10 Book Planners: Can These Planners Help You Finish Your Book?

by Joe Bunting | 1 Comment

Writing a book is a bit like going to war. It takes blood, sweat, and tears, often over the course of years to finish writing a book.

And when going to war, it’s important to spend time planning for battle. As Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.”

But how do you plan? What makes a good plan to write a book? And are there any materials that can help make it easier?

Good news: there are now plenty of practical and user-friendly planners, both physical and digital, specifically tailored for the needs of writers.

In this article, we’ve listed some of our favorite book planners, both physical and digital, created with authors and writers in mind so you can create a strong plan for your book that you can actually finish.

Literally and Figuratively: Definitions and When to Use Each

by Liz Bureman and Sue Weems | 68 Comments

The English language is full of idiomatic phrases and figurative expressions that often take on new life in casual conversation. One of those expressions that often irks grammarians is the use (or misuse) of literally and figuratively. Have you noticed the overuse of literally in everyday speech? Today let’s look at these two terms and how to use them to our advantage as writers.

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