• Let the Holiday Season Inspire Your Writing

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    With less than a week until Christmas Day, we at Xulon Press are aglow with the joy that the holidays bring. As book lovers, we know just how stimulating the excitement of the holiday season can be for creative work—and, at the same time, how distracting it can be with endless to-do lists, gift buying, and traveling. Don’t let the busyness of the holiday season distract you from the writing inspiration that awaits! Here are a few ways that you can let the spirit of the season breathe life into your latest writing project: Use holiday travel as fodder for…

  • 5 Gifts You Didn’t Know Writers Wanted [hint: It’s not a notebook]

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    The holiday season is all about taking something you know and love about your friends and family and turning it into a wonderful gift that they will treasure—and you simply can’t give the writer in your life their millionth notebook! From the inspirational to the utilitarian, I have gathered together some fun, unique gift ideas that any reader or writer will love (or would make a perfect gift to yourself this year!). 1. Novel Teas Do you know a tea-loving writer? Each of these English Breakfast teabags is tagged with a literary quote. All twenty-five have quotes from a variety of…

  • Free Printable: 5 Writing Mantras to Live By Everyday

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    Most days as a writer are fun. Full of creativity, where imagination and story and folklore are limitless and boundless, and the only thing holding you back is the speed at which your fingers can type. On other days, however, the process of having to be brilliant, creative, and original can be taxing. It can leave you feeling drained, insecure, or ready to throw in the towel altogether. If there’s something we know about writing, it’s that there is no truth to those little voices telling you to quit—and the best way to combat them is to dial in to…

  • 3 Writing Prompts for Fiction Writers

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    Let’s face it; sometimes we just don’t know the first word to type. That’s fine if you’re a mathematician, but as a writer, words are as necessary as air to breathe. Instead of fuming at your desk, staring at a cursor that’s mocking you with every blink, try your hand at one of these fiction writing prompts to get your creative juices flowing. Feel free to tell us how your story ended in the comments below!   1.) Write a scene using only dialogue, and start with the line, “He was just here two minutes ago!”   2.) Paint the picture…