The Writing Life
Negative Capability: What It Is and How to Access It
What is “negative capability”? In brief, when we as writers or artists are able to allow complexities and uncertainties in our work—without trying to resolve them—we are expressing negative capability.…
Read MoreWhat is Free Writing? + Prompts to Elevate Your Writing Process
If you’re trying to write but can’t get the words flowing, free writing can jumpstart the writing process. Free writing is a no-pressure method of simply getting words on the…
Read MoreCreative Writing Classes for Adults: Everything to Know Before You Enroll
There are hundreds of creative writing classes for adults, both online and in a city near you. Adult learners looking to work on their writing skills will find no shortage…
Read MoreThe Hardest Part of Being a Writer
Earlier this month, we asked writers from all walks of life: “What’s the biggest thing holding you back in your writing?” One hundred forty-four answered us. Among twenty options—everything from…
Read MoreWellness 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…
Read MoreCreative 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…
Read MoreWriter’s Block: What Causes Writer’s Block, and How to Overcome It
Writer’s block—having difficulty producing new writing—affects almost every writer at some point, and it can be debilitating for our creativity. If you’ve explored creative writing, I probably don’t have to…
Read MoreHow to Set SMART Writing Goals for 2024
Happy 2024! We hope this year will be full of writing for you—and if you’re like us, you’ve even got writing goals among your New Year’s Resolutions. One thing to…
Read MoreHow to Write a Novel
The novel form is a large, unwieldy, towering project, and if you find yourself wondering how to write a novel, you might already be daunted by the project’s size and…
Read MoreTakeaways from AWP 2023
Our staff just got back from AWP 2023, a huge annual literary conference that was held in Seattle this year. To start with, here are the equivalent of 9,000 words…
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