The 6 Things Writers Need to Make a Living (Everything I Know)
— Millions of people have built writing careers, and you can too. You can work full or part-time. It’s up to you. Most writers never [Read More]
Blog
Three Ways to Discover Who Your Characters Really Are
Don’t “create” characters; get to know them instead. John Jamison has used the power of story in various roles—from pastor to brand development consultant—and he [Read More]
Jerry Seinfeld’s 5-Step Comedy Writing Process
Former WD staffer Jess Zafarris crossed paths with Jerry Seinfeld, who shared a five-step rundown of his comedy writing process. His tips are not only [Read More]
Juggling Act: How I Work on Multiple Manuscripts at Once
While curating the Breaking In debut authors column for the July/August issue of Writer’s Digest, WD editors were impressed to hear that Next Girl to Die author [Read More]
How To Encourage Young Writers
When I was a child my fondness for writing was often met with smiles and praise, but rarely with helpful or genuine encouragement. In fact, [Read More]
How To Write (And Edit) Nonfiction That People Want To Read
Katie Lawrence Many a writer has sat down, written a fairly decent piece, and was left without a clue of what to do next. This [Read More]
How to Keep Writing When You Don’t Have Time to Write
When a writer voices frustration about not being able to write, often the advice given is some form of “you just have to suck it up [Read More]
9 Weird Ways to Beat Writer’s Block
To beat writer’s block, a typical problem among writers, let’s tackle it with atypical solutions. Nine of them, because, well, nine is an atypical number. [Read More]
What is the Difference Between Metaphor and Simile?
The terms metaphor and simile are slung around as if they meant exactly the same thing. A simile is a metaphor, but not all metaphors [Read More]
North Street Book Prize
North Street Book Prize 5th year. Your self-published book can win up to $3,000 plus expert marketing services. Please submit during February 15-June 30, 2019.Submit [Read More]
Get Organized: The Art Of A Flow Board
Many people talk about being in the flow. Whether it’s an athletic competition, an artistic project, or writing your book, flow is about transcending the [Read More]
The Write Conversation: Find More Time to Write by Avoiding The 12 Productivity Mistakes
There are a lot of tasks we must master as we make writing a priority. But with these additional tasks, our productivity may drop. Learning [Read More]
10 Tips for Sharp Writing That’ll Please the Grammar Police
You can’t tell who they are until something happens. Something evil. Something so terrible it’s almost an unspeakable crime. But they’re everywhere. And if you’re [Read More]
Do I Need to Register My Copyright?
I am not a lawyer. I just want to get that out of the way.This is the dictionary defintion: the exclusive legal right, given to an [Read More]
10 Ways For Professional Writers to Hone Their Craft
For casual scribes, stringing words together can be a bit of a lark. Professional communicators, though, must adhere to higher standards. Embrace these practices for ongoing [Read More]
How to Start a Story: 10 Ways to Get Your Story Off to a Great Start
Perhaps you’ve heard the old publishing proverb: The first page sells the book; the last page sells the next book. I’m convinced there’s a mammoth [Read More]
3 Book Marketing Myths to Avoid
When I was in college, one of the girls in my dorm terrified us with the “true” story of “The Hook,” a killer with a [Read More]
Dialogue is Not Conversation
Young writers often confuse dialogue with conversation, under the assumption that the closer you get to reality, the more convincing you sound. But dialogue is [Read More]
Steal Idea: Should You Be Afraid That Someone Will Steal Your Ideas?
A common refrain I hear from writers is that they have an idea, but it’s too much like ___________ (fill in the blank with whatever [Read More]
50 Inspiring Leadership Quotes from the Greatest Leaders of All Time
Leaders come in all shapes and sizes but they will often have a number of similar qualities that have ultimately helped them to reach the [Read More]
Writing Backstory Through Dialogue
Used to be you could invent something to remind her of her childhood or her relationship with her father or the first time she fell [Read More]