Writing Tips and Tools Archives

Reading Poetry: A Little-Used Tool to Strengthen Prose

September 28, 2017
Staff Writer
Self-editing Tips, The Writing Life, Writing Tips and Tools
2 Comments

By Gabrielle Schwabauer, Staff Writer I have heard many people admit, “I always skip the poems.” Devout readers might attend to a poem if it’s integral to the plot, but few writers actually seek out poems outside of the context of story. It’s a shame, because the study of poetry can benefit any fiction writer.

A Game of Connections: Networking from a New Perspective

September 14, 2017
Student Contributor
Industry, The Writing Life, Writing Tips and Tools
0 Comments

By J. Tobias Buller, student contributor Networking lingo gets thrown around a lot in the publishing world. It's often associated with too-many-handshakes at writing conferences, aggressive elevator pitches, and overly-caffeinated Facebook posts. Read this, follow that, and stay connected!

How Do You Know When You’re Ready to Publish?

August 24, 2017
Student Contributor
Industry, Novel Submission, The Writing Life, Uncategorized, Writing Tips and Tools
3 Comments

By Jennifer Sauer, Student Contributor At sixteen (when my book came out) I was nowhere near ready to devote the time and energy publishing required. I was a writer. I had no idea what it meant to be an author. And up until that point I had no idea there was a difference between the two.

5 Fatal Flaws in Fictional Friends

August 11, 2017
Student Contributor
Help with Characters, Push Your Imagination, Self-editing Tips, Writing Tips and Tools
3 Comments

By Susan Sader, Student Contributor In my years as a writer, I've noticed a few major issues that get overlooked, often masked by publishing contracts or a title on a TV screen. These Fatal Flaws are fatal not only to your character, but to your plot, prose, and readers' interest.

Give Your Fear of Writing the Uppercut

July 13, 2017
Student Contributor
Stuck? Discouraged?, The Writing Life, Writing Tips and Tools
2 Comments

By Lydia Davis, Student Contributor The act of creation attracts a surprising variety of fears. Part of this is because creativity refuses to be predictable. No matter how thoroughly you plot a novel, there’s inevitably some aspect that catches you off guard. Writing can be unknowable and unexpected. Sometimes, that’s what makes it exciting . . . but not all the time.