• There's less than a week left of NaNoWriMo. Here’s how to keep moving forward, no matter which stage you’re at in your writing this month.

    NaNoWriMo Check-In 

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    If you’ve been participating in NaNoWriMo this year, my guess is you’re acutely aware that there is less than a week left to accomplish the challenge of writing 50,000 words in the month of November. Don’t start to sweat at that thought. Here’s how to keep moving forward, no matter which stage you’re at in your writing this month. If you’re super far behind. Take a few minutes to figure out why or how you got so far behind on your NaNoWriMo project. Did something unexpected come up at work or home that is out of your control? Give yourself…

  • This holiday season, refine your writing and record your memories with these creative writing ideas! Here are 10 Christmas-themed creative writing prompts:

    It’s Here! Christmas Writing Prompts

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    We create so many memories during the Christmas season–from little to big moments, happy to sad memories, and first and last times–it can be very easy for some to end up forgotten. That’s where these creative writing prompts (and hopeful new holiday tradition) will come in handy. Writing is one of those skills that you can always improve and you should always practice. This holiday season, refine your skill and record your memories with these creative writing ideas!  Here are 10 Christmas-themed creative writing prompts: A story of the first memory that comes to mind when you hear the word…

  • A flashback scene should be used to show crucial moments that led to a character’s present decisions and way of thinking. Here are 5 tips to successfully ...

    How to Write a Flashback Scene

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    One of the best ways to work in a backstory for a character is through a powerful flashback, but getting a flashback right requires a little more time and attention than you might think. First, know why you’re thinking about including a flashback scene in your novel. Flashbacks should be used to show crucial moments that led to a character’s present decisions and way of thinking. For characters’ memories or large jumps in time, use a flashback scene. Here are 5 tips to successfully add a flashback scene to your writing. 1. Do a quick outline. Writing a scene in your…

  • There are 2 approaches to writing: writing a lot & writing well. To produce quality writing you must employ both approaches. Let’s dive deeper:

    Writing a Lot Versus Writing Well

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    I think back to some college literature courses I took, and the required length of papers I had to turn in. It wasn’t uncommon to have to produce an eight-page essay, but hitting that page count was hard every single time. I found myself using filler words, expanding my sentences to take up more space. I traded direct and pointed sentences for ones that were way too long and wordy—and sometimes a little redundant. I think that focus to get as many words on paper sticks with us as writers, but it shouldn’t. In fact, when writing a book, the…