As writers, we arguably make up the most enthusiastic, Twitter-friendly community out there. It logically follows that we should make the best of this amazing resource. Continuing our week-long series on favorite resources, here’s a list of 10 Twitter feeds we love to follow. Twitter Feeds for Writers Elizabeth S. Craig @elizabethscraig An all-things-writers feed,… Read more »
It’s true. When we’re procrastinating, chances are we are spending most of our time on the web. The good news is that some of the best writers’ resources can be found online, so even when you’re procrastinating no need to worry about wasting time! Next time you have a few minutes in between flurried writing… Read more »
There are nine things you should beware of when writing dialogue. I call these the “Nine NO’s” because they’re things that as a general rule writers should try to avoid. Notice, though, that these are not the “Nine Nevers” just Nine NO’s. That means that while you should try to avoid these things, you shouldn’t… Read more »
The one grammar problem I see most frequently when I teach creative writing is with dialogue punctuation. And it’s understandable why this topic leaves many writers mystified. Dialogue punctuation is confusing. Is it a comma or a period before the end-quote? What if you have a question mark or an exclamation point? Here’s a quick… Read more »
This past week we’ve been talking about outlines. On Monday I asked the question: Plotter or Pantser? Where Do You Stand? That post got me thinking about my own writing process. I’m usually not a seat-of-my-pants writer but I hate traditional outlines. Something about long lists (I.A, 2.b–it’s all Greek to me) just doesn’t work… Read more »
Plotter: n. (1) A writer who plots out his or her story in the greatest of detail before starting the draft; (2) a writer obsessed with outlines, index cards and writing apps; (3) a writer who spends most of his or her time organizing the novel then writes it in about ten minutes. Pantser: n…. Read more »
Today’s guest article comes from Julie Duffy, founder of the StoryADay Challenge. Want to learn more about Julie? Check out this video interview I did with her earlier this week. Interested in trying your hand at writing a story a day? Go to the StoryADay website for more information. Your prompt: Collect three ‘Story Sparks’… Read more »
This week’s prompt is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. In fact, it’s pretty tough to do. For one week, commit to writing every day. Notice that there are no stipulations as to quantity or quality of the writing. You can write as little or as much as you like, for… Read more »
I love hearing writers talk about process and learning about new tools that can help my writing. I’m especially a fan of things that lend a festive and fun element to my writing. (Because let’s face it, a lot of the time writing is HARD. Might as well make it fun.) In this post I… Read more »
Sometimes writer’s block is inevitable. Suddenly–without even knowing how–you hit the wall and there’s nothing to do but try to break your way through it. So what do in that situation? Do you just sit and wallow in your inability to write? The secret to getting through writer’s block is write your way through… Read more »
