The Number One Enemy Of The Writer
Unclear thinking is most often about being lazy and not fully imagining your story. Write with clarity of purpose, and your writing comes alive.
Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 rules for writing a short story
In his book Bagombo Snuff Box, the famous post-war American novelist Kurt Vonnegut listed these eight rules for writing short fiction. Check them out here!
Getting — And Interpreting — A Reader’s “Thought Map” Of Your Book
Authors want to manipulate readers' thoughts — this is why we read, after all. We love getting swept away into new worlds, with new people and ideas. Getting a reader's thought map is a great way to hone this skill.
Are You Breaking These Grammar Rules?
I enjoyed this infographic and agreeing/disagreeing with the rationale behind the green light to break these grammar rules. And ultimately, isn't language there to be twisted and abused?
Writing Phone Conversations to Forward Your Plot and Draw Your Characters
When writing phone conversations, does your one-sided dialogue give insight into the character of one or both participants or the relationship between them? Is the conversation moving the plot forward?
Edgar Allan Poe’s Notion Of “Unity Of Effect”
Edgar Allan Poe's notion of "unity of effect" describes his belief that everything in a written work must lead toward the denouement, starting with the first word.
Mind Mapping Can Help Organize Your Writing Process
Mind mapping is a technique for outlining information in diagrams using written text as well as lines, symbols, keywords, colors, and images.