Finding Your Place as a Writer
Writing isn’t one-size-fits-all. For each of us, there is a genre that fits best with our interests and abilities. Today we are finding your place as a writer.
May 11, 2023
Finding Your Why as a Writer
Why are you a writer? Knowing your why as a writer can help you get writer’s block and rejection. Let’s talk about what motivates you to write.
May 5, 2023
Nitty-Gritty of Dialogue Format
Dialogue format is complicated. Quotation marks. Commas. To use said or not to use said, that’s just one question. Join us today as we set the record straight.
April 19, 2023
Writing a Book: Voice vs. Dialogue
Voice is a vital element of dialogue. Dialogue is essential to express a character’s voice. How do these intertwined writer tools work together? Let’s find out!
April 12, 2023
The Purpose of Dialogue in Writing a Book
Dialogue brings so much to a story’s character, pacing, and plot. You might even say it’s essential for writing a book. Let’s talk about why.
April 6, 2023
Writing a Book: What Happens After the Writing is Done?
After writing a book, there are still steps to take to ensure a polished finished project for submission. Here are four things to do after your book is written.
March 23, 2023
Writing a Book: Pen to Paper
After prewriting comes the part of writing a book that most people imagine: putting the words on paper. This is the time to let your imagination run wild.
March 15, 2023
Prewriting: Essential Writing Groundwork
The first step in writing is not writing. It begins in your head with the spark of an idea. What happens between the spark and writing the book is prewriting.
March 9, 2023
Breaking Down the Writing Process
Let’s take a broad overview of the writing process and the pieces of the puzzle that go into pre-writing, writing, and post-writing in this post from Jan Fields.
March 2, 2023
Be a Professional Writer: Your Character Counts Too
3 tips for being a professional writer that editors want to work with in this post from Jan Fields. Take these suggestions to heart and go far in your career!
February 22, 2023
Collecting Real Life Quirks for Character Creation
Real people can be the perfect inspiration for character creation. Which quirks can you use and which ones should you lose? Let’s find out!
February 16, 2023
Bringing a Cast of Characters to Life
Your cast of characters fills certain roles in the plot to bring forth an engaging story. Time to talk about your protagonist, antagonist, sidekicks, and more!
February 9, 2023
Sneaky Writing Tip: Character-Building Characters
Characters populate our stories but what does it mean to write a character-building story? How do you help build character without preaching at your audience?
February 3, 2023
Choosing Your Writing Word of the Year-Institute for Writers
One way of thinking about what you most want out of the year is by choosing a writing word of the year. What’s a word that encapsulates your goals this year?
January 26, 2023
3 Steps to Becoming a Positive Writer
Negativity can deplete your creativity and energy. Today, let’s look at practical ways to be a more positive writer—even in the face of rejection.
January 18, 2023
Becoming a Healthy Writer
The physical act of writing can be hard on our bodies. One goal for the new year is to become a healthy writer, physically, and emotionally. Join us on the journey.
January 11, 2023
New Year, New Writing You
Welcome to a new writing year! It’s time to grow in your writing and Jan Fields reveals how to do that through new attitudes, new goals, and new habits.
January 5, 2023
New Writing Plans for the New Year
When you plan and break things into steps, you know what needs to be done next. Let’s look for positively motivating steps when making our new year’s writing plans.
December 28, 2022
3 Writing Tricks to Get Out of a Rut
One problem many writers fall into is writing ruts. We do the same thing the same way. Here are 3 writing tricks to consider as you expand your writing options.
December 20, 2022
3 Reasons Why Your Story Needs Sensory Detail
Today we dive into sensory detail. What kind of details should you include? What details can you leave out? Time to get the most out of the senses.
December 15, 2022
