• woman reading eBook on a beach; how to write a beach read

    Beach Read Writing: Here’s What You Need to Know

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    A “beach read” is a book typically set at or near the beach, published in late spring to early summer. The intent for this popular sub-genre is to have these be the books people take to their summer vacations. The cover designs are typically colorful, with beachy aspects incorporated. Beach reads have been around for decades but didn’t become a popular sub-genre until a few years ago. This is mostly thanks to the authors who put out a summer-themed book every year at the start of summer vacation travel. Some of the big hitters in the beach read genre include Elin…

  • Setting writing goals to keep yourself accountable is so important. But before we get started on tips for setting goals, it's important to understand goa...

    Set and Meet Summer Writing Goals

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    A common challenge a writer can face is that there’s no one to tell them what to do, when to do it, how to do it, or even if they’ve done it well. That’s why setting writing goals to keep yourself accountable is so important. And with summer officially beginning this weekend, now’s the perfect time to set them. Before we get started on tips for setting goals, it’s important to understand goals first. For example, while some may yearn to become a millionaire novelist, that’s not a goal — it’s a dream. And the only way you’ll achieve dreams…

  • This writing challenge is focused on writing 1,000 words every day for two weeks. If you’re looking for a community of writers all focused on the same ch...

    1,000 Words Per Day Writing Challenge

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    Started by author Jami Attenberg in 2018, this writing challenge is focused on writing 1,000 words every day for two weeks. So, if you’ve been sitting on a writing project for a while or don’t know where to dive into writing, this 1,000 words a day challenge is going to be a great fit for you. You can complete this writing challenge at any point on your own, but if you’re looking for a community of writers all focused on the same challenge, Jami Attenberg’s real-time challenge starts May 31, 2021, and ends June 13. Sign up for Craft Talk,…

  • If you’re feeling uninspired by your character names, this is for you. Here are four ways to choose strong character names: 1.) Base it on the birth year...

    How to Choose Your Character Names

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    When writing fiction, you may not think you need to put too much thought into character names, but using interesting names that lend to your story can be a great way to keep readers engaged. If you can’t think of a good name while you write, use generic names so you don’t lose your pace, but then go back and do a search and replace and change your characters’ names to your final selections during one of your revision rounds. If you’re feeling uninspired by your character names, we can help. Here are 4 ways to choose strong character names:…