#5onFri: 5 Ways to Be Kind to Your Eyes

I am an alumna of Pixels to Platform and DIY MFA 101. In my writing and life as a writer, I incorporate practices from my teaching as a certified Breath Qigong Yoga and Tai Chi instructor. I am also studying to be certified as a WELL Accredited Professional for health and wellness in building design…. Read more »

#5onFri: Five Tips for Narrowing Your Focus

Lots of people say they want to write a book about their life. Over the course of years and decades, they’ve amassed experiences and learned lessons that make for interesting reading and inspiration for others. That makes sense. We all have a story to tell – and really, more than one story. Which can make… Read more »

#5onFri: Five Daily Word Count Figures of Famous Writers

It’s amazing to realize how writers occupy completely different modes of existence. We all share the same reality, but at a deeper level, we dwell in creative worlds dictated by our routines.  There are larks among us who strike their keyboards in the early morning. Then, there are nocturnals, for whom nightfall portends creative output…. Read more »

#5onFri: Five Ways You Can Beat Writer’s Block

Beating writer’s block can seem impossible when you’re lost in the weeds. It’s frustrating to feel like you’re completely stuck and all the good ideas you had have just checked out. In fact, some authors even feel anxious when they sit down in front of their computers to write.  But getting past the writer’s block… Read more »

#5onFri: Five Ways to Write Emotion-Provoking Romance

I once asked on a social media site why people read romance novels. I received two primary answers: a guaranteed happy ending, and the way the books make them feel. As a romance reader myself, I couldn’t agree more. I turn to that genre when I want to feel deeply, and experience love through the… Read more »

Janet Rebhan

#5onFri: Five Writing Tips That Don’t Involve Writing

We’ve all heard that writers write and that writing is re-writing. Yet, there are many other aspects to the creative writing process that do not involve putting pen to paper or moving your fingers across the keyboard. Assuming you already know your craft–you’ve studied your lit terms and are well acquainted with them–and you are… Read more »

Sacha Black

#5onFri: Five Ways to Improve Your Description

Description is one of those magical elements of prose. Whether it’s “good” or not is entirely subjective. One author’s Mozart is another’s Metallica. But, regardless of your preferences, there are some techniques and literary tools you can use to tighten your sentences and sharpen your description. Here are just five tricks you can use.  1)… Read more »