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6 Things to Know Before Taking a Creative Nonfiction Course

January 19, 2021 by Jonathan McClure Leave a Comment

Taking a creative nonfiction course online is a great way to improve your writing, or even just to hold yourself accountable to writing creative nonfiction. If you haven’t taken creative nonfiction online classes before, though, it can be difficult to know if a particular creative nonfiction writing class is the right fit for you. In […]

How to Set SMART Writing Goals for 2021

December 31, 2020 by Fred Meyer Leave a Comment

Happy New Year! As 2020 comes to a close, many of us are looking ahead to our writing lives in 2021—especially if we’re including writing goals in our list of New Year’s Resolutions. Here’s a bit of concise advice for the goal-setting creative writer in each of us. If You Want to Include Writing in […]

Interview: Jack Smith Talks Writing, Publication Process, and His New Book “If Winter Comes”

December 1, 2020 by Sean Glatch Leave a Comment

When Fanny Kemble, an acclaimed nineteenth-century British actress, marries Pierce Butler, a Philadelphia aristocrat, she is yoked to a philanderer, a liar, and, as she soon learns, a slaver. She must deal with a husband who expects her absolute obedience, as though she were one of his slaves. As an abolitionist, she feels compelled to […]

Concise Writing: How to Omit Needless Words

November 19, 2020 by Sean Glatch 4 Comments

This article is all about concise writing, summed up in the timeless phrase “Omit needless words.” We’ll examine some of the best advice on writing concisely, define what concise writing is and isn’t, and describe 11 writing habits that encourage concision. “Omit Needless Words” and The Elements of Style In 1920, William Strunk Jr. published […]

Why “Show, Don’t Tell” is a Golden Rule of Creative Writing

November 5, 2020 by Sean Glatch 5 Comments

“Show, don’t tell” is one of the most plainspoken rules in creative writing, and yet its message will carry your writing journey. “Show, don’t tell” is not just a suggestion for creative writers; it’s at the heart of what defines creative writing itself. “Show, don’t tell” is not just a suggestion for creative writers; it’s […]

7 Common Writing Mistakes: Creative Writing Tips for Beginners

October 27, 2020 by Sean Glatch 1 Comment

Creative writing mistakes are nothing to feel down about. All good creative writing is not just writing: it’s writing, revising, editing, and proofreading—not only to polish the beauty of our language, but to work with common creative writing mistakes that pop up for all of us. Today, we’ll be looking at seven common creative writing […]

What Causes Writer’s Block, and How to Overcome It

October 20, 2020 by Sean Glatch Leave a Comment

Writer’s block—wanting to write and not writing—is a persistent problem that every writer (yes, every writer, even Stephen King) deals with, and one that has ended far too many writing careers. It’s also a tough problem to solve. If we all knew how to get rid of writer’s block, the world would be overflowing with […]

How Creative Writing Classes Can Improve Your Writing

October 9, 2020 by Sean Glatch Leave a Comment

Are creative writing classes useful? The short answer is yes. The longer answer is: it depends what courses you find and what you put into them. However, there’s a course out there for everyone that can help improve your writing! If you want to learn how to write creatively or simply want to improve your […]

24 of the Best Places to Submit Poetry Online

July 22, 2020 by Meghan Christie and Sean Glatch 14 Comments

What is the best place to submit poetry online? Just like poetry itself, the answer is often complex. Finding the right home for your poetry can a lot of time and research. We’re here to help! In this article, we’ll share our 24 best suggestions for where to submit your poetry online. After that, we’ll […]

24 of the Best Writing Exercises to Become a Better Writer

June 15, 2020 by Sean Glatch 3 Comments

The best writing exercises bring out our latent creativity. Especially if you ever feel stuck or blocked, making creative writing exercises part of your daily writing practice can be a great way to both hone your skills and explore new frontiers in your writing. Whether you’re a poet, essayist, storyteller, or genre-bending author, these free […]