Tag: creative writing

  • The Place That’s Important to You

    The Place That’s Important to You

    “So don’t take your story to the place you think you’re supposed to take it; take it to the place that’s important to you, that feels right to you.” Martha Wells, author of the Murderbot series

  • Five Ways to Write a Rough Draft of a Scene

    Five Ways to Write a Rough Draft of a Scene

    Have you ever known exactly what needs to happen in a scene but still found yourself staring at a blank page?

  • A Portable Writing Kit

    A Portable Writing Kit

    A while back, I did something simple that has made a real difference in my writing life: I built a portable writing kit.

  • Writing Strong Description in Fiction, Part 1

    Writing Strong Description in Fiction, Part 1

    When we talk about description in fiction, most writers immediately picture long paragraphs about sunsets, castles, or what color somebody’s curtains are. And honestly? That’s part of why description gets such a bad press sometimes.

  • Writing Advice from Brandon Sanderson

    Writing Advice from Brandon Sanderson

    Witness a dramatic fantasy landscape come to life in this atmospheric artwork inspired by classic epic fantasy covers.

  • Do Your Own 50K Novel

    Do Your Own 50K Novel

    The National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) website may be going inactive, but the spirit of NaNoWriMo does not have to die. It’s an opportunity for writers who have participated in the past to write their own fifty-thousand words in thirty days. And it can be any month they want. And they can start on any…

  • Friday’s Findings: Goals or Systems?

    Friday’s Findings: Goals or Systems?

    I’ll be honest with you. I did not achieve my writing goals this year. I have no one to blame but myself. Being the end of the year, I thought about how I could do better in the year to come. So, I consulted with my friend, a book called The Atomic Habits. I’ve discussed The Atomic…

  • Painting and words

    Painting and words

    “Paint. That’s the magic word. Paint pictures with words. That’s the greatest advice I can give anybody. Paint the pictures with words. The picture will appear in the imagination so the person reading it can say, ‘I can see that’.” -Brian Jacques Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán: https://www.pexels.com/photo/several-paintbrushes-114123/

  • Friday’s Findings: Will I do NaNoWriMo This Year?

    Friday’s Findings: Will I do NaNoWriMo This Year?

    That photo of the guy contemplating NaNoWriMo may be a bit melodramatic, but it’s a feeling many of us can relate to. Since 2008, NaNoWriMo has been a journey of self-discovery for me. It’s shown me the strength I possess as a writer, pushing my brain, body, and sanity to the limit. It’s proven that…