background preloader

Writing

Facebook Twitter

Journal Writing Ideas - Journal Prompts. 50 Books That Will Make You a Better Writer. Literary genius — or at least competence — never blossoms in a vacuum.

50 Books That Will Make You a Better Writer

As much as many creative types like to pose as a mysterious lone wolves skulking through the fringes of society without ever becoming a cog in the machine, man, even their works have been shaped by their external experiences up to that point. Even a whole rejection of society still involves relation to it, albeit one defined by absence than presence.

So despite what that "free spirit" in composition class claims, reaching out to fellow writers can still prove beneficial to those hoping to pursue the art as either a career or a hobby. Soaking up advice through any reads available opens up new worlds and ideas and can help mold a work from just OK to just plain awesome. Generally from a technical standpoint, anyways. Obviously, one must not take this article’s title too literally. Classics The Elements of Style by William F. Composition and Rhetoric The Office of Assertion by Scott F. Genre and Medium. Ink - Quotes about writing by writers presented by The Fontayne Group. Writing "I put a piece of paper under my pillow, and when I could not sleep I wrote in the dark.

Ink - Quotes about writing by writers presented by The Fontayne Group

" Henry David Thoreau "Writing is an adventure. " Winston Churchill "Know something, sugar? Stories only happen to people who can tell them. " Allan Gurganus "... only he is an emancipated thinker who is not afraid to write foolish things. " Anton Chekhov "A poet is someone who stands outside in the rain hoping to be struck by lightening. " "Whether or not you write well, write bravely. " Kurt Vonnegut's 8 Tips on How to Write a Great Story - Entertainment.

36 Writing Essays by Chuck Palahniuk. 1: Establishing Your Authority Chuck teaches two principal methods for building a narrative voice your readers will believe in.

36 Writing Essays by Chuck Palahniuk

Discover the Heart Method and the Head Method and how to employ each to greatest effect. 10 Universities Offering Free Writing Courses Online - StumbleUpon. See our list of universities that offer free online writing courses.

10 Universities Offering Free Writing Courses Online - StumbleUpon

Learn about what courses are available and what topics they cover to find the course that's right for you. Online Writing Courses for Credit Many schools offer free online courses and materials through OpenCourseWare (OCW) projects. While formal admission isn't necessary to access lectures and other materials, these courses don't usually award college credit. Creative Writing Prompts. Get Inspired Challenge; How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method. 6 Ways to Hook Your Readers from the Very First Line. Although I consider myself an avid reader, I must admit I have a short attention span when it comes to getting into books.

If you fail to grab my attention in the first few lines, I start spacing out. Most readers are like me. Most people don’t want to spend the first 50 pages trying to get into a book. Here are a few things I find annoying in the first lines of a story: Dialogue. The last thing you want to do as a writer is annoy or bore people. (N.B. 1. Put a question in your readers’ minds. “Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did.” 2. How to Use Vivid Descriptions to Capture Attention. Characterisation.

How to write convincing characters Characterisation - the task of building characters - isn't easy.

Characterisation

But if you're struggling to build characters with real life and vigour, here is our very own patented technique. If you haven't yet started your book, then work on the exercise below before you start. If you have started, but think that maybe you started prematurely, then back up, do the exercise and then look back over your existing work. Oh, and don't feel patronised at being given exercises. Plot and Structure. Our Quick Guide on writing plots that grip the reader In these days of the 3-for-2 tables and Tesco Book Clubs, fiction has taken a step forwards into the past.

Plot and Structure

These days, plot matters. No fiction will be taken on by agents - no matter how brilliantly written, how edgily contemporary, how weighty in subject matter - unless it has a strong story line. We've seen stunning work rejected for this reason. This is scary for authors. See also our More About Plotting guide ... and do watch out for the video below. The oldies are still the goodies. Creative writing resource. 100 Useful Web Tools for Writers. All kinds of writers, including poets, biographers, journalists, biz tech writers, students, bloggers and technical writers, take a unique approach to their jobs, mixing creativity with sustainability.

100 Useful Web Tools for Writers

Whether you’re a freelance writer just scraping by or someone with a solid job and more regular hours, the Internet can provide you with unending support for your practical duties like billing, scheduling appointments, and of course getting paid; as well as for your more creative pursuits, like developing a plot, finding inspiration and playing around with words. Turn to this list for 100 useful Web tools that will help you with your career, your sanity and your creativity whenever your write.

Getting Organized Thanks to the Internet, disorganized writers are no longer a cliche. Keep track of appointments, interviews and deadlines with these handy web-based tools. Finding Inspiration Beat down writer’s block by using these online idea prompts and inspirational tools.