Whether you’re familiar with fairy tales and archetypes or not, what does the illustration above make you think of? How does it make you feel? What kind of story — in 1500 words or less — could you tell based on that image? What are fairy tale archetypes? An archetype is a character, idea, symbol, … Read more
All writers need writing practice, and flash fiction based on a photo or other prompt is a great way to expand your creativity and maybe even break through writer’s block. It can build confidence, too, especially if you’re a beginner. The best part is that it doesn’t require a big time commitment. Flash fiction, also … Read more
You read that right. Kill your adjectives. The same advice goes around about adverbs. Stephen King famously wrote, in his memoir On Writing, “the road to hell is paved with adverbs.” King doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever use them. The point is that a carefully chosen verb packs a more powerful punch on its own. If you … Read more
Happy New Year, writers! What’s up your writerly sleeve for the coming year? You can set writing goals any time (remember that). After all, goal setting doesn’t have to be a big, shiny new year thing. Besides, January 1 and all the holiday hoopla and folderol that leads up to it isn’t always the most … Read more
Traditional publishing, self-publishing, indie-publishing, and vanity-publishing. It’s enough to make your head spin, and with all the constant changes, it’s hard to keep up. It’s even hard to have a conversation sometimes. The trouble is that the terminology we use in almost any industry, sport, hobby, or even a company is almost always well-known by … Read more
You’ve heard the advice to “write what you know,” right? It sounds kind of wise and deep. Profound, even. And beginning writers scramble their brains trying to figure out what they know and how to write it. I know I did. Sometimes the conclusion is “I don’t know anything,” and you give up after a … Read more
Guest contributor Neely Raffellini is the founder of 9 to 5 Project, which helps professionals get the tools they need to land jobs they love. For more information, visit 9to5project.com or email hello[at]9to5project[dot]com. Sometimes I think people dread writing their resumes about as much as doing their taxes. #truestory And that’s for people who have a … Read more
Receiving a critique of your writing can be challenging, especially if you don’t know your critique partners or writing group members well. The first few times can even kick off anxiety, embarrassment, and discouragement. And learning to write good critiques can be equally difficult. If you’re a beginning writer, a “critique” is thoughtful, intelligent feedback … Read more
All writers wrestle with common writing problems, and any novel worth reading should undergo rigorous copyediting. That applies to all writing, of course, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. But let’s use novels as an example. Your novel. Let’s say you’re done writing and revising. Ready to rock whether you’re querying agents or taking the indie route. Your story … Read more
Do you worry about ebook theft or someone stealing your writing or ideas? Lots of writers worry, especially early on. I remember a short story class in college and some students who were so anxious about stealing and copyright issues they were afraid to share their work with critique partners or read aloud. And some writers are afraid that a … Read more