Short Story
Writing for Mindfulness: The Foundations of Mindful Writing
Being present, focusing on images, appreciating goodness: these are the foundations of mindful writing. Writing for mindfulness is a skill that any writer can develop, helping you to sharpen your…
Read MoreI’ll Fly Away
So, you might remember how I was telling you about my sister’s funeral, which happened during all the Covid 19 madness and even though she didn’t die of the virus…
Read MoreThe Artichoke Women
I love the smell of Artichokes cooking. It’s earth in a boiling pot. It is memories of adults when I wasn’t. It’s the women in my family sitting around a…
Read More10 Things Every Children’s Picture Book Writer Should Know
Picture books—don’t they conjure up happy memories? Maybe you have read them to your kids. Maybe you recall them being read to YOU. Remember having favorites that you wanted to…
Read MoreWith a Bang
—with a bang—the hairy flower wild petunia—flings its tiny seeds—sudden and far—how and why—the scientist—kneels down—clamps a metal band—on a pigeon’s leg—her initials—and i.d. number—my broken toe—x-rayed, recorded—at the Bleecker…
Read MoreInterview: Barbara Henning Discusses “Prompt Book” and Finding the Inspiration to Write
If you’re a writer looking for prompts, inspiration, or lessons on literary movements, then writers.com instructor Barbara Henning‘s new book Prompt Book (Spuyten Duyvil Publishing, 2021) is your solution. Naturally, we…
Read MoreProse vs. Poetry: Their Differences, Overlaps, and Writing Each
The difference between prose and poetry seems easy to explain: one has blocks of text and fully-fleshed characters, the other has line breaks and pretty words. That’s it, right? Despite…
Read MoreWhat is Urban Fantasy? Writing the Urban Fantasy Genre
If you’re interested in writing urban fantasy, just know this: urban fantasy books ruined my trip to New York City. There weren’t any goblins under the Brooklyn Bridge, the lions…
Read MoreHow to Avoid Clichés in Writing
I hope this isn’t unoriginal, but reading clichés in writing make me feel like I’ve woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Really, clichés in writing are a dime…
Read MoreHow to Write a Compelling Story
What makes a story interesting? Hasn’t every original idea already been taken? Trying to write an interesting story seems impossible when so many books have been written, and if you’re…
Read More