Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > It all begins in your head Those of us who tend to plan our stories extensively before we write don’t pull that plan from our heads in a complete, coherent form. Just…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The covenant is the pact writers make with readers, the promise to deliver a riveting story with unforgettable characters and an ingeniously clever plot. The author also promises to tell the story…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Most nonfiction can be roughly divided into two types: expository or narrative. Expository nonfiction is mainly concerned with conveying information. The most common structure of expository nonfiction consists of breaking the main…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > A short story is exactly what it sounds like, a story of not very many words. Editors determine how many, and they decide based on how much space they have available in…
Short stories for young children are often under 500 words. That’s why writing picture books and stories for kids looks easy but is actually quite a challenge.
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some paranormal enthusiasts believe that a pyramid, simply by virtue of its shape, can preserve food, and enhance meditation and psychic talents. Others believe the Giza pyramids are a giant celestial generator…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > What Do We Need from Each? Although the structure of both fiction and nonfiction can be broken down and described in different ways, one simple method is simply to think of your…
Writing structure is the way the article or story is organized, the way the author puts the pieces together. Readers usually don’t notice writing structure. As a writer, that’s the way you want to keep it.
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the most common pieces of writing advice is “write the story that is in you” with the companion advice of “trends don’t matter.” So is that actually correct? If you…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > “Wit ought to be a glorious treat, like caviar; never spread it about like marmalade.”— Noel Coward, English actor, playwright and composer Bringing humor into your writing is more than inserting a…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the most antic ways to write humor is the spoof. A spoof is a story that pokes fun of a specific form or genre. It’s written as a caricature of…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I know. There are days we want to throw our television or computer or phone out the window. Days where getting dressed up is putting on a clean pair of sweatpants. Where…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Humor is a personal thing. There are things about humor that tend to be universal, but for each person, the specific things that will trigger amusement are different. And the level of…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > You’ve been on a roll with your project—the funny bits are amusing you to no end and your first reader thinks you’re hilarious. You’re a comedic genius. Nothing can go wrong now—not…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Humor For Older Readers Although teens may crack fewer knock-knock jokes or giggle less often over puns, humor is a popular ingredient in young adult books and stories. Humor can be both…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Get together with family and old friends and there usually comes a time when someone will tell a tale about a shared experience. The anticipation builds until the crowd is in hysterics—often…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As a left-handed person, I’ve been told I write funny a number of times in my life. That comment is an interesting take on the word “funny.” We think of humor as…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Conflict drives plot. When a character’s internal challenges are tested by external forces, the resulting story can be heart-warming, horrific, hilarious, or all three at the same time. But even the fluffiest…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For the last few weeks, I’ve been reading short stories. I’ve always loved short stories but they especially suit my ability to focus at present. And reading all these short stories is…
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > What’s the worst thing I can do to this character? The first time I ran across that question was in an essay by award-winning science fiction and fantasy author Lois McMaster Bujold.…