Writing Tips
Expert advice on all aspects of writing, updated weekly. To get Writing Tips in your inbox for free, join our newsletter.
Newest Articles
Wellness Journaling: How to Journal for Wellness
Keeping a wellness journal allows us to monitor our health in a way that’s both freeing and healing. Traditionally, journaling is a way to keep a written record of our daily lives—our thoughts and experiences. Journaling as a wellness practice can incorporate some of that, but it is a mode of journaling with a more…
What is Poetry?: Helping You Define Poetry for Yourself
What is poetry? Well, it’s the oldest form of literature, a full-throated inquiry into the human experience, a means of compressing life into the fewest words, etc. All of these things are true, yet none of them convey a useful introduction to poetry. Defining this deceptive term d’arte is hard. Not because we can’t easily…
Creative Writing Programs: Finding the Right Fit for Your Learning
Creative writing programs give writers the knowledge and confidence they need to write effectively. It used to be that the MFA was the primary avenue for career-oriented writers to develop their craft, but now, with the internet, there are so many programs for writing out there. What are the best writing programs for you? This…
From Our Instructors
How to Write a Podcast Script: A Step-by-Step Guide
Want more advice on how to write a podcast script? Check out Cara Stevens’ Zoom webinar How to Start a Podcast. Cara J. Stevens is an author, editor, podcaster and book coach. She has written more than 80 books for young readers based on video games, pop-culture trends, and beloved characters including Pokémon Go, Terraria, and…
Writing About Real People
Sneak Peek: This essay is excerpted from some of the materials I’ll be sharing in my class, “The Body and Soul of Your Memoir: Shape, Focus, and Write Your Memoir” at Writers.com starting June 4. When my memoir, The Sky Begins At Your Feet: A Memoir on Cancer, Community and Coming Home to the Body,…
The 35 Best Gifts for Writers in Your Life
Professional authors chime in on gift ideas for writers—both during the holidays and any time of year. If you’re looking for the best gifts for writers in your life, look no further. There are lots of great gifts for creative writers—you just need to get in a writer’s head. With the help of some lovely…
Writing Tips Series
Check out our free Writing Tips on the craft, business, and life of creative writing. Interviews with our award-winning instructors, practical advice you can put to use now, and more.
How to Read Like a Writer
Literary Devices
Character Development
Writing with Confidence
Writing Prompts
Jump-start your creativity with our writing prompts. Check back regularly for new prompts!
Show and Tell
Write a story or poem about an object with a lot of nostalgic value for you/the narrator. Do not, at any point, tell the reader explicitly what this object is.
Forgive and Forget
Write a story or poem about a time when you had to forget something to maintain a friendship or relationship.
Trash Day
Collect pieces of “junk writing”—spam emails, credit card advertisements, roadside billboards, bumper stickers, etc. Then, write a story or poem that uses all of the junk writing you collected.
