Creative Nonfiction
Interview: Barbara Henning on “Girlfriend” and the Craft of Poetic Memoir
[Photo: Barbara Henning (right) with poet Maureen Owen (left)] Our selves are collages of the people that impact us; we are products of every person we have met. To put…
Read MoreWhat Else? – How Research Makes Meaning
Since all the essays in my new collection, Shelter and Storm: At Home in the Driftless, incorporate facts I learned from asking experts, reading scholarly works, or rooting around in…
Read MoreTruth in Possibility: Writing Speculative Nonfiction
Speculative nonfiction is an emerging genre of literature that empowers writers to incorporate imagination, wondering, and non-shared realities into works of creative nonfiction. By writing into the realm of possibility,…
Read MoreSound Devices in Poetry and Literature
Although literature exists on the page, poetry and prose are both sonic artforms, each enhanced by the use of sound devices. Indeed, poems and stories used to be developed as…
Read MoreLiterary Motifs: What is a Motif in Literature?
When a work of literature employs an image or idea in repetition, that image or idea might be a motif. Literary motifs describe noteworthy repetitions whose presence in the work…
Read MoreYou Finished Your First Draft—Now What? A Step-by-Step Guide to Your Novel’s Next Chapter
Congratulations! You’ve crossed the finish line of your first draft—an accomplishment many dream of, but few achieve. I hope you are beaming with pride, but after the adrenaline fades, you…
Read MoreThe Importance of Word Choice in Writing
All strong writers have something in common: they understand the value of word choice in writing. Strong word choice uses vocabulary and language to maximum effect, creating clear moods and…
Read MoreSpiritual Journaling: How to Keep a Spiritual Journal, and 46 Spiritual Journal Prompts
If you have an active spiritual practice, I strongly recommend keeping a spiritual journal. I’ve been spiritually journaling regularly for the past three years, and my personal spiritual growth over…
Read MoreNegative Capability: What It Is and How to Access It
What is “negative capability”? In brief, when we as writers or artists are able to allow complexities and uncertainties in our work—without trying to resolve them—we are expressing negative capability.…
Read MoreWhat is Free Writing? + Prompts to Elevate Your Writing Process
If you’re trying to write but can’t get the words flowing, free writing can jumpstart the writing process. Free writing is a no-pressure method of simply getting words on the…
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