Writing Tips
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Newest Articles
How a Memoir Writing Coach Can Help: Author Interview
In this interview, author Clyde E. Fant describes his work with Writers.com instructor Sandra Novack on his recently-published memoir, The World in Black and White. We discuss Clyde’s experience of the memoir writing process, and how Sandra’s memoir writing help affected every aspect of the manuscript, from the sentence level to the overall narrative structure….
Embodied Writing: Interview with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
In this interview, Writers.com instructor Rosemary Tantra Bensko discusses her practice of embodied writing, a creative writing process that uses movement exercises to access the wisdom of the whole body. How did you get interested in the relationship between writing and the body? Around five years ago, I was reading the new reports that came out…
Five Tips for Aspiring Food Writers: Interview with Jennifer Billock
In this interview, Writers.com instructor and professional food writer Jennifer Billock shares her most important advice for anyone interested in food writing. 1. Don’t Be a Picky Eater The first thing is that you’d have to be willing to eat a lot of different things, and sometimes not super-pleasant things. For example, I was just…
From Our Instructors
The 35 Best Gifts for Writers in Your Life
Professional authors chime in on gift ideas for writers—both during the holidays and any time of year. If you’re looking for the best gifts for writers in your life, look no further. There are lots of great gifts for creative writers—you just need to get in a writer’s head. With the help of some lovely…
What is the Setting of a Story? 5 Functions of Setting in Literature
A short story or novel without a setting is one without context—it occurs nowhere and at no particular time. But every person and everything in our everyday world occurs somewhere at some given time. As in real life, characters are connected in some way, or ways, to a given place. They’re always aware of where…
Becoming 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 feelings to stanzas can seem impossible. With so many possibilities to tinker with language, where does the poet even begin? Whether you’ve just begun your…
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Writing Prompts
Jump-start your creativity with our writing prompts. Check back regularly for new prompts!
Show and Tell
Write a story or poem about an object with a lot of nostalgic value for you/the narrator. Do not, at any point, tell the reader explicitly what this object is.
Forgive and Forget
Write a story or poem about a time when you had to forget something to maintain a friendship or relationship.
Trash Day
Collect pieces of “junk writing”—spam emails, credit card advertisements, roadside billboards, bumper stickers, etc. Then, write a story or poem that uses all of the junk writing you collected.