How to Become a Writer
Becoming a writer is actually quite easy. Contrary to the stereotype that writers are divinely-gifted recluses or quirky Beatniks, the truth is, anyone who writes is a writer. Yes, including…
Read MoreNaPoWriMo Prompts for National Poetry Month
Want to do NaPoWriMo with other poets? Check out our April 1st class 30 Poems in 30 Days, designed to celebrate National Poetry Month! April is National Poetry Month in…
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 Poetry?: Helping You Define Poetry for Yourself
What is poetry? Well, it’s the oldest form of literature, a full-throated inquiry into the human experience, a means of compressing life into the fewest words, etc. All of these…
Read MoreWriter’s Block: What Causes Writer’s Block, and How to Overcome It
Writer’s block—having difficulty producing new writing—affects almost every writer at some point, and it can be debilitating for our creativity. If you’ve explored creative writing, I probably don’t have to…
Read MoreHow to Come Up With Story Ideas
How do writers develop good story ideas? Sometimes, coming up with a story idea is the hardest part about writing fiction. Figuring out what to write about can be frustrating,…
Read MoreNaNoWriMo Tips: Preparing for National Novel Writing Month
National Novel Writing Month begins in November, and if you’re planning on organizing your own novel writing intensive, you’ve got some NaNoWriMo prep to do. Novelists of all fiction genres…
Read MoreWhat is Purple Prose? The Case Against Overly Ornate Writing
Ah, purple prose: that ornate room of language: that jeweled scabbard with which the writer unsheaths their mightiest thoughts, decorated and aglitter in the light of passing eyes; so wrought…
Read MoreCreative Writing Feedback: How to Workshop Creative Writing
Writing workshops are a wonderful way to grow and expand your writing skills—provided you know how to workshop creative writing. There are different writing workshop models, both online and in…
Read MoreThe Best Online Writing Workshops: How to Succeed in Creative Writing Workshops
Creative writing workshops can take your writing to the next level. The chance to experiment with your writing in a community is invaluable, and getting live feedback on your work…
Read More“Show, Don’t Tell” in Creative Writing
“Show, don’t tell” is one of the simplest guidelines in creative writing, and one of the most helpful. In short, it encourages writers to transmit experiences to the reader, rather…
Read MoreBecoming a Poet: Learn to Write Poetry!
Becoming a poet is no simple task, but with careful attention to language and the world around us, anyone can learn to write poetry. Even so, sitting down to put…
Read MoreLearn to Write! 8 Tips on Learning How to Write
If you’re here, you want to learn to write—whether that’s poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or something in-between. Learning to write is a process, one that requires consistent hard work and determination—and…
Read MoreThe Best Online Creative Writing Courses: 12 Things to Look For
Are you looking for the best online creative writing courses? You may have found some promising classes online, but you may also be unsure if the course is actually good.…
Read MoreWhy Learn Creative Writing?
Why learn creative writing? Truthfully, creative writing is one of the most misunderstood disciplines in the 21st century. When people think of a creative writing course, they often imagine a…
Read MoreHow to Be Confident in Your Writing
At some point early in our writing careers, we find ourselves asking a painful question: What if I’m not good enough? It’s an early indication that writing confidence—the ability to…
Read MoreCreative Writing Anxiety: What It Is and How to Overcome It
Editor’s Note: In this interview on writing anxiety, instructor Giulietta Nardone describes what creative writing anxiety is, what causes it, and—most importantly—how to get over writing anxiety. What is writing…
Read MoreOvercoming Writing Anxiety
Editor’s Note: In this article, instructor Dennis Foley gives his best tips and perspectives on overcoming writing anxiety. His advice is geared toward novelists, but is equally valuable for any…
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