Busting 3 Magical Writing Myths
Jan Fields busts three common writing myths and shares how you can be sure these myths don’t derail your writing career before it even has a chance to start.
5 Ways Writers Can Prep for 2025 Goal Setting
Before we roll on to the new writing year, let’s harness our optimism for the blank slate before us and prepare for our 2025 Goal Setting just for writers.
Use Specific Language to Energize Nonfiction Writing
Nonfiction writing doesn’t have to be boring. Learn to recognize generalities and replace them with specific, concrete language and vivid sensory details.
4 Ways Writers Can Positively Deal with Constructive Criticism
Writers can be thin-skinned when it comes to getting feedback on their work. Let’s look at 4 ways to positively deal with constructive criticism!
Rejection and Reflection for Writers
Rejection is part of the territory when it comes to being a writer. Today we offer reflection for writers to help redirect your efforts after a rejection.
Happy Holiday Writing for Children’s Writers
Holiday time is here! Now is a great time for holiday writing. Today we look at writing and selling holiday stories and articles and the best time to sell them.
Grand Openings: Article Leads that Hook the Reader
The lead that opens an article often seems like the most challenging part to write but it can be done. Use these tips for article leads that hook the reader.
8 Ways to Improve Your Nonfiction Articles
Publishers know that young people are hungry for good nonfiction. Let’s look at eight ways you can spruce up your nonfiction article writing.
Riveting Resolutions: 10 Effective Article Endings
Writing an effective nonfiction article ending is one of the most overlooked aspects of writing. Leave your reader satisfied with these riveting resolutions!
Finding and Working With a Literary Agent
Finding and securing a literary agent is just as difficult as it is to land a good publisher for your book. Susan Ludwig shows us the way in this post.
Bea Donaldson
Pabulum
November 15, 2024
Learn from Success: 10 Engaging Article Openings
One of the best ways to learn what makes an engaging article opening is to study published nonfiction pieces and to see what made them successful. Let’s do it!
The Surprising Benefits of Writing a Nonfiction Article
Writing a nonfiction article isn’t easy. However, it may be easier and quicker than writing and selling a picture book and the benefits may surprise you!
What Writers Need to Know About Writing a Book Proposal
When writing nonfiction, editors generally want to see a book proposal before the book is finished. Here’s what you need to know about writing a book proposal.
Dealing with Submissions Failure
Sometimes submissions don’t pay off. Some ideas don’t work like you intend and sometimes they are outright rejected. Here’s how to deal with submission failure.
4 Tips for Deciding What You Want in an Agent
While agents perform similar functions, not all agents function the same. Here’s what to consider when looking for an agent who’s right for you.
Do You Need an Agent or a Publisher for Your Manuscript?
You finished your manuscript. Hooray! Now what? Instructor Susan Ludwig guides us through whether you should look for an agent or a publisher for your work.
The First Steps in Contacting Agents
You’ve written a book and now you want a literary agent. Now, the research begins. Get tips for finding the right agent for your work and avoiding scammers.
How to Indie Publish: Part 2
Indie publishing is a broad topic with many nuances. In part 2, Kristin Dawson gives insights on finding an editor, beta readers, and more! Let’s go!
4 Book Proposal Pitfalls
Creating a fiction or nonfiction book proposal can seem daunting. Let’s look at what editors and agents want from a proposal and 4 things NOT want to do.
Pitching Your Picture Book
Submissions in today’s market often involve new elements of pitching your picture books from social media to comp titles. Here’s how to make them work for you.
Writing Nonfiction for Very Young Readers
Writing nonfiction for very young children requires specific things but with a narrow focus, few words, and kid-friendly topics, you can break into this market.
How to Indie Publish: Part 1
Wondering how to indie publish your novel? Check out this step-by-step process for self-publishing your book with high-level insights and pitfalls.
The Big 3 of Nonfiction
The three essentials for any publishable children’s nonfiction are accuracy, clarity, and organization. Let’s look at these tips for success in nonfiction.
Sensing It: Bringing Show Don’t Tell to Your Nonfiction
What does show don’t tell mean when it comes to nonfiction? Jan Fields shares examples of using sensory details to bring true stories to life for the readers.
Alpha and Beta Readers: What Every Author Needs to Know
What is an alpha reader versus a beta reader? We break down everything writers need to know about using alpha and beta readers for your next writing project.
4 Steps to Improve Readability in Children’s Books
Part of writing children’s books that can be used in a school setting lies in meeting the needs of the reader. Here are 4 steps to improve readability.
Back to School: Writing for the Classroom
Schools are crammed full of reading material. Who is doing all that writing for the classroom? What’s different about the educational market? Let’s find out.
Exploring Learning Opportunities for Writers
Looking for back-to-school learning opportunities for writers? Susan Ludwig shares places where you can go back to school yourself and hone your writing skills.
Back to School Plans for Writers
Are you feeling the back-to-school itch? Make this season work for you as a writer! Jan Fields shares ways to get reinvigorated in your writing this fall.
Evaluating Writing Programs
How do you evaluate a critique program or a writing program and decide if it’s worth your time and your money? The answer is research. Check out these tips!
A Back-to-School State of Mind
As a writer, you may want to jump on the back-to-school bandwagon. There are an assortment of opportunities for your continuing education in the writing field.
Show or Tell: Writing Dialogue Tags and Beats
Speech tags and action tags or beats are essential when writing dialogue. These tiny but mighty words are the difference between reader confusion and enjoyment.
Dive into Writing Dialogue
Dialogue is a favorite for writers AND readers. Dialogue makes your character present and real in a scene. Let’s talk tips and techniques for great dialogue.
Creating Character Voice
Your readers should sense the subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences between the character voices in the stories you write. Try these exercises today!
Your Voice or Theirs?
Voice, whether your natural writing voice or the voice of a character, comes from an emotional place. Jan Fields gives us exercises to develop these voices.
Discovering Your Author Voice
Voice is something publishers want, but it’s an elusive thing to understand. Today, we discover ways to develop our own voice and the voices of our characters.
Inside/Outside: More Tips on Writing Conflict
When writing conflict, inner and outer conflicts are not two separate things. Outer conflicts offer an opportunity to explore inner ones better. Find out how.
Finding Your Author Voice
Your author voice has a unique and specific makeup. The way your word choice, writing style, tone, and perspective all make your voice unique to you.
Defining Types of Conflict in Children’s Books
Conflict in children’s books isn’t necessarily fights or arguments, it’s about the roadblocks that keep the character from getting what they want in the story.
Latalya Russell
3rd Place: DOES IT HAVE TO BE YOU
Conflict and Your Story Machine
Discover how the conflict the main character of your manuscript faces is the little piece of the story machine with the biggest impact on your reader.
Convey Emotions Through Dialogue
Dialogue is a powerful tool for conveying emotions. To write emotional dialogue that rings true, use these pointers from IFW Instructor Victoria Sherrow.
Plot: What’s At Stake?
Plot moves forward as pressure is applied to characters to motivate them to act. Pressure in a story is all about the stakes. Are your stakes high enough?
Nicole Groeneweg
4th Place: HAPPY IN NATURE: THE STORY OF EARTH DAY FOUNDER, GAYLORD NELSON
Worldbuilding and the 3 Stages of Writing
Many writers think worldbuilding is only for fantasy and sci-fi, but it’s important for all stories. Consider worldbuilding in these 3 stages of writing.
Get Started Worldbuilding
Good worldbuilding is an art. Writers must convince readers to live in their world. This writing exercise will help you build a world they won’t want to leave.
Irene Bennett
Battle of the Artisans: Making the Bells of Marquis Yi
May 24, 2024
4 Tips for Efficient Worldbuilding
Worldbuilding is the process of making decisions about setting and systems for a story. Check out these four tips for efficient and effective worldbuilding.
Nicki Jacobsmeyer
3rd Place: RISE OF AN UNDERDOG
4 Ways Setting Acts with and As Character
Setting can seem like a character all on its own, but only if the writer allows the setting to do its job. And that requires both research and imagination.
What is Worldbuilding?
Every story we read will take place in a world and readers need to be immersed in it. Here are the elements of worldbuilding—no matter what genre you write.
Tom Gauthier
3-time IFW graduate Tom Gauthier shares how taking one-on-on writing courses led to his publishing success.
Worldbuilding for Everyday Worlds
Worldbuilding is something every fiction writer needs to think about to create believable scenes rooted in a setting in such a way that readers feel it.
Angela Calabrese
1st Place: CRACK! CHICK! BOOM! THE STORY OF LEGENDARY JAZZ DRUMMER CHICK WEBB
Backmatter: When “The End” Isn’t The End
Backmatter is becoming more popular in nonfiction and fiction picture books. It can include timelines, photographs, and indexes. Will it work for your book?
Showing, Not Telling, Backstory
Backstory may be necessary to fill readers in on the history of a character. Victoria Sherrow shares how to include it in ways that show and don’t tell.
Keeping Up to Date with the Institute of Children’s Literature
The Institute of Children’s Literature has a solid reputation for preparing students to be published. We adapt to ensure students are ready for the marketplace.
Writing Scams: A Pair of Potential Problems
Writing scams aren’t new but with a new age of technology comes variations on old tricks. Here’s what two of these scams look like and how to avoid being duped.
How to Show Your Characters’ Emotions
To show emotions, we need words and phrases that help readers feel what the characters feel. This post will teach you how to show your characters’ emotions.
Writers and the Coming of “A.I.”
Today, we discuss writers and A.I. This is an ever-evolving topic where the ins and outs change quickly, but here are things to know about A.I. in early 2024.
Less Filtering = More “Show, Don’t Tell”
When writing fiction, we want to reduce the distance between reader and story. One good way “show, don’t tell” is to eliminate filter words.
5 Tips for Giving Useful Feedback to Writers
Not only does giving feedback help the writer who receives the feedback, it helps you as well. Let’s think about what makes good feedback and how to give it.
Writing Feedback: Casting Off Unhelpful Expectations
Preparing yourself to receive writing feedback is the best way to ensure you’ll improve. Let’s look at ways we sabotage our growth with unhelpful expectations.
Revision: Why Writers Need Objective Feedback
If you want to be published, objective feedback is essential for your revisions. Instructor Sue Ford shares different types of feedback to improve your writing.
Power Up Your Revision with Feedback
It’s easy to underestimate the value of feedback at some point in the revision process. Here’s where to get feedback and how to use it in your next manuscript.
4 Planning Tools to Use for Successful Revisions
Let’s look at some revision tools and techniques you may not have considered including timelines, style sheets, vision boards, and playlists!
Revision: The Importance of a Critique
We type “the end” and are so excited, but the truth is no draft is perfect. Here’s why getting a manuscript critique is crucial to getting your work published.
Jean Lennon
5th Place: WELL, SHE WAS JUST SEVENTEEN
L.E.A.P. into Writing for Children: Learn, Entertain, And Provoke
When writing for children, take a LEAP—write a story that teaches (LEARN), captivates (ENTERTAINS), AND gets the child to do something (PROVOKES).
Cultivating Writing Relationships in the Publishing Industry
Writers develop relationships in the publishing industry and these connections can contribute to a writer’s success. Let’s talk networking for writers.
Up Close and Personal: Writing Inside Viewpoints
One of the first things a reader looks for in a story is the viewpoint. Here are the benefits and drawbacks of using different points of view in your story.
Laura Thomas
1st Place: THE NEST OF NOW
What Writers Need to Know About Writing Chapters
Does your book need chapters? If so, how long should they be? Jan Fields reveals the ins and outs of using chapters effectively in your story.
Shirley Tucker
The Rooster Who Lost His Cock-A-Doodle-Doo
February 9, 2024
Building Solid Relationships for Stronger Writing
Relationships play a key role in most fiction stories. Thinking about relationships of all kinds will make for stronger writing that will engage readers.
Word by Word: Make the Most of Your Writing Choices
Writing involves choices. Word by word we can harness the power and magic of words. Let’s make the most of our writing choices with today’s post.
How to Make Readers Fall in Love with Your Book
Two things will make readers fall in love with your book: premise and character. Jan Fields shows how to have them head over heels for both in your story.
Katie Dolgert
2nd Place: DIAGNOSIS DAY
The Resolution to Produce: How Do You Make Time to Write?
The new year begins with so much potential. So how do we find time to write and use our creativity reserves to fulfill that potential? Check out these 3 tips
3 Ways to Target Submissions
Writing stories and articles is the fun half of the job. The other half is submitting your work to good markets. Here are 3 ways to target submissions.
Rae-Dawn Brightman
2nd Place: 30 MINUTES TOO LATE
Building Your Reading List as a Writer
Successful writers are also readers. The act of reading builds skills and inspires creativity. Let’s talk about building your reading list as a writer.
3 Resolutions to Make You a Better Writer
There are problems every new writer faces. Let’s look at some of the most common issues and turn them into 3 resolutions to make us all better writers.
What Writers Need to Know About Time Management
The beginning of the year is a perfect time to evaluate time management for writers. Here are 5 tips to help you—and your writing—be successful this year.
Diane Merz
1st Place: RUBY TUESDAY
5 Gentle Resolutions for a Positive New Year
Time to consider optimism and enjoyment for our writing resolutions. Instead of focusing on not failing, prioritize the elements of writing that bring us joy.
Busting 3 Scary Writing Myths
Writers tend to build up myths to insulate themselves from the possibility of “breaking” our writing. Let’s look at some scary writing myths we can bust today.
How to Write a Contemporary Romance First Page
In the world of contemporary romance fiction, the first page sets the tone for the emotional journey that lies ahead. Here’s what you need to know.
Sandra Jackson-Opoku
5th Place: LOST AMONG STRANGERS
5 Money Myths Writers Shouldn’t Believe
It’s difficult to talk about money in publishing since pay rates vary widely from publisher to publisher, but here are 5 money myths writers shouldn’t believe.
Angelie Martzke
Skipping Stones and Autism Parenting Magazine
December 15, 2023
4 Picture Book Publishing Myths
Let’s close out the year with a little myth-busting around writing and publishing. We’ll start where many children’s writers begin: picture books.
Busting Myths About Writing & Publishing
There are a lot of preconceived notions about writing and publishing. Dive in as Jamie K. Schmidt busts 5 popular myths about writing and publishing.
YA Romance: Is It for You?
Within the larger scope of all Romance novels, the YA Romance is considered its own subgenre. Let’s dive into 6 things to know about writing this popular genre.
Lauri Schoenfeld
Little Owl
December 1, 2023
Picture Books: From Then to Now
For all of us today, picture books have been part of our lives, and yet the form isn’t terribly old. Let’s explore the genre’s history and its possible future.
5 More Strategies for Revising Your Work – Part 2
Today, we explore 5 more ways to revise your story or article with IFW Instructor Susan Ludwig. Try one or more of these strategies for a stronger final piece.
What You Need to Know About Writing Nonfiction Picture Books
Nonfiction picture books are loved by kids. Writing one takes care, thought, and, especially, research. Dig into writing nonfiction for kids with this post.
Dawn Hoffer
Be The One, 40 Poems for Every Mood
November 17, 2023
4 NaNoWriMo Bonuses for All Writers
Even if you don’t take part in the effort to write a novel in a month, there are benefits to NaNoWriMo that are worth adding to our writing life. Take a look.
Strategies for Revising Your Work – Part 1
Today, we explore four ways to revise a piece of writing with IFW Instructor Susan Ludwig. Try a new way of revising and see your work in a whole new light!
4 Tips for Writing Teen Romance (and Pre-teen too)
It’s rare to find a YA novel without any romantic elements and romance can appear in upper middle grade too. Check out these 4 tips for writing teen romance.
Arlo Sharp
4th Place: A DOLL TO KISS, A DOLL TO KILL
Revision: Clearing the Clutter
Good writing is often hidden in the clutter of a rough draft. One way to showcase your writing is to put your revision skills to use and cut that clutter out.
What is Revision? Revision vs Proofreading
Revision and proofreading are two very different steps on the way to publication. Which one should you use and when? Read on for all the details!
Lynn Slaughter
3rd Place: MISSING MOM
4 Essential Steps to Revising for Theme
Discover 4 essential steps to revising for theme including finding the theme and revealing it to your reader in subtle ways throughout the story. Read on!
Revision is the Tortoise, Not the Hare
When tackling revision, remember the story of the tortoise and the hare. Revising too fast can lead to poor results, but diligent work leads to success.
Rebecca Loescher
2nd Place: LEAF ME ALONE
3 Vital Steps to Understanding Revision
To do the hard work of revision in your writing, you need to understand what it’s meant to do. Spoiler alert: it’s not just about fixing mistakes.
Submissions Research as Inspiration
Did you know market guides can provide writing inspiration as well as help locate a publisher for your work? It’s true. Find out how they can inspire you!
Jill Proctor
1st Place: SCARECROW
Online Submissions Rule the Day
Online submissions rule the day. You must get the details right to have a chance of an agent or editor reading your manuscript. Here’s what you need to know.
Writing New Adult: Bridging the Gap Between YA and Adult Romance
New Adult romance bridges the gap between Young Adult and adult romance. Lynne Smith gives tips on writing New Adult. Come see if this genre is a fit for you!
Ann Tuzi
Tica’s Tea Party
September 15, 2023
Reading Your Way to Targeted Submissions
Today we’re discussing how reading books in your genre not only improves your writing skills, but it can also help you find the right publisher for your work.
Targeting Submissions = Publishing Success
Carefully researching and targeting submissions is part of a successful writer’s routine saving massive amounts of time and emotional energy. Let’s get started.
Betwixt and Between: New Adult Romance
New Adult is a bridge between Young Adult and adult romance. How does it differ from YA? Here’s what you need to know to write in the emerging genre.
Maria Longbrake
IFW graduate Maria Longbrake shares how taking IFW’s Breaking Into Print Course led to six published articles and essays including a contest winner!
Successfully Facing Writing Feedback
Writers can get defensive when getting critiques of their work. Create a plan for writing feedback from editors and critique partners and be a better writer.
Are You Willing to Learn?
To become a better writer, you must be willing to learn. Let’s put our own knowledge aside and let the professionals show us how to improve our skills today.
Take a Writing Course as Your Back-to-School Adventure
There’s no time like now to sign up for a writing course. Institute for Writers writing courses are particularly easy to jump into. Let’s take a look!
Tiffany Dickinson
Kaleidoscope
August 18, 2023
Learning to Write for Publication
Learning to write for publication starts with getting your brain on board. Time to figure out where you are, where you want to go, and how to get there.
Learning to Write: Getting Past the Fear
Fear is a hindrance to your success, both in learning to write and in applying that learning. How can you overcome fear and keep moving? Let’s find out.
5 Ways to Start Fresh as a Writer During Back-to-School Season
Back-to-School season is the perfect time to reset and reevaluate your writing schedule and get a fresh start as a writer. Here are 5 ways to get started.
Back to School Writing Course Success
There are things you’re going to need if you’re planning to take a back-to-school writing course: time, place, tools, and attitude. Let’s talk about it!
How to Select the Strongest Nonfiction Structure
Organization is key to writing successful nonfiction. With easy-to-understand organization, you’ll lose the reader. Here’s how to choose a nonfiction structure.
How to Recycle Your Nonfiction Writing Research
Writing research takes time and energy. Fortunately, writers can develop new projects from unused material or even recycle what was used. Let’s find out how!
McKelle Anderson
1st Place: THERE IS NOTHING SCARY HERE
4 Tips for Writing Active Nonfiction for Kids
Writing active nonfiction means getting creative and encouraging hands-on activities with kids. Could this genre be your ticket to publication? Let’s find out.
Nonfiction and the Big Idea
In all that nonfiction does, writers need to decide what they want readers to take away from their work. Let’s explore nonfiction and The Big Idea.
Unity in Nonfiction: What, Why, How?
Unity in nonfiction means the writing is cohesive, coherent, and creates a meaningful whole. Let’s explore how unity gives you a better shot at publication.
Kimberly Kenna
2nd Place: 17 SHERLOCK LANE
Narrative Nonfiction: Tell Us a Story
Narrative nonfiction tells a true story from history using storytelling techniques from fiction to tell a compelling story. Read on to see how it works!
Sarah Richard
How I Taught My Kids to Read
June 30, 2023
How 3 Words from Aristotle Can Help Your Story
Aristotle’s RHETORIC gives 3 elements for persuasive communication—Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. These 3 words are also what every book for young readers needs.
Ready, Set, Go! Incorporating the Rule of Three into Your Writing
Rule of Three writing tools, such as a tricolon or hendiatris, make our writing different and possibly more interesting to readers—always a good goal.
Kelly Bakshi
5th Place: WHEN THOMAS COLE PAINTED
Surprising Ways to Use the Rule of Three in Writing
The rule of three is surprisingly helpful in all aspects of writing. Let’s look at the rule of three in titles, query letters, and cover letters.
Arnita Ware
Arnita Ware shares how taking IFW’s Breaking into Print writing course led to her published book LOOK THROUGH THE WINDOW, published by Radical Women.
Writing a Successful Plot: A Wandering Journey
Plot is complicated and those complications are called conflict. Let’s explore different types of conflict your character must face in a successful plot.
The Magic Number: Three – Recognizing the Rule of Three in Writing
What’s so special about the number 3? Three is magical because it’s the smallest number that creates a pattern. Here’s how to use the rule of three in writing.
Amanda Flinn
4th Place: LET’S GET OUTSIDE
Introduction to the Rule of Three
We find the rule of three in all sorts of places, but especially in writing. How can you make this magic number work for you? Read on to find out!
Shelley Jones Clark
1st Place: SAY CHEESE
Plotting Your Plot
Plot is the structure that brings everything together in a way that makes sense, drives the story, and results in an engaging read. Let’s plot our plots.
11 Reasons Why You Can’t Write the End of the Story
Writers often complain about not being able to finish what they start. Are you in that spot? Here are 11 reasons why you just can’t write the end of the story.
Building Writing Motivation Through the Hard Times
The writing journey isn’t always easy. How do you build writing motivation during hard times? How do you follow your creative dreams when it’s easier to quit?
Plotting Your Growth as a Writer
It’s smart to look for productive methods to grow and improve your writing. Get inspired by what helped these published writers and enrich your writing skills.
Speed Bumps to Avoid in Your Story
You don’t want speed bumps in your story to slow down your readers. Today we discuss the types of story speed bumps that bring your reader to a full stop.
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.
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.
Don’t Get Bogged Down with Backstory
Let’s talk about various ways to NOT include backstory. Avoid boring your reader to death with info dumping, unnatural dialogue, and irrelevant details.
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.
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!
Dialogue: Keeping It Real
If we want characters to seem real, their dialogue must sound real—both the words they say aloud and the words they say to themselves through inner dialogue.
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.
Dialogue: The Key to Effective Storytelling
Dialogue is one of the most effective ways to show rather than tell information readers need to connect with your protagonist and your plot. Grab these 6 tips!
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.
Writing Romance Tropes That Sizzle
Writing romance tropes that sizzle is a surefire way to grab an audience whether you’re specifically for the romance genre or any other genre. Get tips now!
Leslie Bilodeau Placzek
Leslie Bilodeau Placzek shares how taking IFW’s Breaking into Print led to her book THE AUDACIOUS ADVENTURES OF ZAZOO PLAZZ, PART-TIME SUPERHERO, FULL-TIME MOM.
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.
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.
Six Romance Tropes You Can’t Ignore
Romance is such a popular genre, so it’s essential to understand trending romance tropes. Check out the first three Six Romance Tropes You Can’t Ignore Part 1.
Deb Kaiser
Late for St. Patty’s Day March 3, 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.
Lisa Betz
Death and a Crocodile February 24, 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!
Looking Through Your Characters’ Eyes
Your challenge is to get your characters to reflect your style of writing, the genre, and the setting plus emerge as unique and interesting personalities.
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!
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!
12 Writing Tips for Building Convincing Characters
Use any of these 12 writing tips and develop convincing characters readers will care about. No more two-dimensional characters in your stories!
Linda Sue Svoboda
A Gift for Alia February 3, 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?
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?
5 Tips for Planning Your Writing Goals
Any day can be a restart—not just January 1st. You can revisit your writing goals daily, monthly, or quarterly. Let’s look at 5 tips for SMART writing goals.
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.
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.
Manage Your Writing Life by Managing Your Writing Time
With so many demands on your time, it’s essential that you use your writing time wisely. Time management can help you to be more productive, organized, and efficient.
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.
New Writing Plans for the New Year
When you break your writing plans into steps, you always know what to do next. Get Jan Fields’ tips for using small steps to complete BIG goals!
The Ghosts of Writing Past, Present, and To Come
Imagining a personal Scrooge-like journey can help us make choices for a brighter future in the new writing year. So, what are the Ghosts trying to tell you?
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.
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.
5 Tips for Writing During the Holidays
This time of year is filled with joy and busyness. Here are ideas to keep you writing during the holidays or during any particularly busy time in your life.
Your Writing Year in Review
As you review your writing year, the only way to know where you are and where you’re going is to focus on what you did accomplish, not what you didn’t.
Submissions: The Search for an Agent
Do I need an agent? What do they do? How do you get one? Are they expensive? Jan Fields answers all these questions and more as you search for an agent.
10 Tips to Draft Your Novel Fast
With the right strategy, you can draft your novel fast. Use these 10 tips to finish your book quickly and with less stress.
Submissions: Why Market Guides Are Your Best Friends
Use ICL Market Guides as a launching point for your research and find a variety of publishers, what they publish, and their websites for submission guidelines.
Block Out Writer’s Block: Write Your Book to The End
One of the biggest challenges to writing your book to the end is writer’s block. Jan Fields offers tips for getting past writer’s block and finishing your book.
Become a Novelist This November
If you want to become a novelist, then NaNoWriMo is the challenge for you. Get encouragement to meet your word count goals while writing a novel in a month.
A New View of Your Writing Time Investment | IFW
Today we consider how investing in your writing time leads to success—even if the piece you’re currently working on doesn’t ever get published.
Is NaNoWriMo Right for You?
It’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Part experiment, part personal challenge, writing a novel in a month is an eye-opening experience.
10 Tips for Winning NaNoWriMo
The NaNoWriMo challenge is not for the faint of heart, but many writers find the experience exhilarating and rewarding. Here are 10 tips for winning NaNoWriMo.
Essential Submissions Tips: How to Write a Synopsis | IFW
Learning how to write a synopsis of your manuscript can be one of the most intimidating steps of submitting your work—but it’s also one of the most important.
Time to Talk About Submissions
Submissions take a lot of courage. In this post, we discuss how to use the skills you learn in writing your book to create targeted submissions.
Online Submissions: 2 Sites to Make It Easier
Online submissions are becoming an industry standard. Let’s explore how Submittable and Query Tracker work and how writers can take advantage of them.
Rediscover Your Writing Passion
Whenever we take a break from writing, it can be difficult to get back in the groove. Will we ever get it back? Let’s talk about ways to rediscover your writing passion.
Boldly Facing Your Writing Fears
Writing fears can keep us from success. Whether it’s fear of failure or fear of letting other people down, it’s time to get past those fears and move forward.
10 Points to Ponder Before You Submit Your Writing
Create a checklist of these 10 tips and review it before you submit your writing. Your submission will be stronger and, more likely successful, as a result.
You Can Learn How to Write a Book
You can learn how to write a book! Learning how to write a book begins here and your next step is a novel writing course at Institute of Children’s Literature.
Try New Writing Techniques
How often do we, as writers, try new things with our writing? Fall is the time to take advantage of new opportunities to learn new writing techniques.
Your Back-to-School Plan for Writing Success | IFW
Writers need a plan to improve and succeed. Apply the following tips and techniques to your writing back-to-school program and be ready for writing success!
The Essentials of Writing Back-to-School Stories | IFW
Every year, book and magazine publishers buy back-to-school stories. Let’s talk about how to create projects that are unique and engaging to young readers.
The Essentials of Writing Romance, Fantasy, and Historical Fiction
Knowing the defining elements of a particular genre helps your writing succeed. Let’s look at the essentials of writing romance, fantasy, and historical fiction.
7 Ways to Go Back to School for Writers
Although most writers no longer attend school full-time, we can create our own learning experiences. Here are ways to go back to school for writers.
The Essentials of Writing Mystery and Adventure Stories for Kids
Identifying your story’s genre helps readers know what to expect. Here are the defining essentials of writing mystery and adventure stories for kids.
7 Things to Know About Writing a Book Series | IFW
Different book genres allow for the potential of writing a book series. Jan Fields reveals 7 things to know as you consider writing the next great book series.
Using POV in Writing to Build Emotion
Using POV in writing gets us deep inside a character’s thoughts and feelings. Jackie Diamond Hyman reveals how to connect with your reader using point of view.
Introducing Genre Writing
If you can describe your story with genre shorthand, it will help attract the attention of an agent or a publisher. Here’s how to think about genre writing.
The Role of Pace in Writing Fiction
Turn the page already! IFW Instructor Kris Franklin shares the important role of pace in writing fiction and reveals the traps where pacing can easily get stuck.
The Trouble with Rhyme
We know without a doubt that children love poetry and picture books that rhyme. So why do publishers say they don’t want rhyme in submissions?
Poetry Play and Poetry Prompts
Looking at famous poems and really thinking about how the poem came about is one way to be mentored by other poets. Try one of these poetry prompts today!
Dialogue: Putting Words in Your Character’s Mouth | IFW
Dialogue isn’t the only tool fiction writers have, but it’s the best one to reveal character, advance the plot, and inform readers. Find out why!
So You Want to Be a Children’s Poet
You want to be a children’s poet? Great! Let’s explore how poetry and publishing connect so you can realize your dream of becoming a published children’s poet.
MaryLou Driedger
Lost on the Prairie July 15, 2022
Who Has Seen a Children’s Poem?
What makes a good children’s poem? Jan Fields explores the essential elements of writing poetry for young kids including topics, imagery, musicality, and length.
Detail: Yep, That’s Where the Devil Is
Lynne Smith shares how to use familiar, relatable, and evocative details to convince readers that the people and places in your stories are as real as they are.
Skip Zetzman
4th Place: RUST THE SOUL
Be a Better Writer: Summer Stretching
Be a better writer by looking for new ways to stretch your writing skills including new things to try, new elements to learn, and new ideas to cultivate.
Jennifer Coleman
Come ‘N Git It! July 1, 2022
Become a Better Writer: Study an Author’s Work | IFW
Want to become a better writer? Studying published writers help you see how they hook a reader, create interesting characters, and structure their stories.
Amy Hansen
3rd Place: GALACTIC WORMSHIPS
A Petite Pack of 5 Perfect Writing Prompts | IFW
With the busy days of summer, writing prompts and exercises can keep your creative mind sharp when your actual time available for writing is limited.
Marie Mercado
La Ch’ uupalo: The Conqueror June 17, 2022
Summer Fresh: Write Something New
Summer offers a chance to write something new and different to keep you active in your writing. Here are summer fresh possibilities for writing for children.
A Summer School Project: Work to Improve Your Writing | IFW
Summer is the perfect time to improve your writing. Susan Ludwig helps you identify problem writing areas and offers actionable tips to solve those issues.
Use It or Lose It: Avoiding the Summertime Writing Slump
Breaks from writing can unclog the creative pipes, but you must use them well. Get tips to avoid the summertime writing slump and keep your momentum going.
Exercise Your Summertime Writing Inspiration
Summer offers writers new opportunities as schedules change. Jan Fields provides four writing exercises for finding writing inspiration at any time of year!
Take It Away! Effective Endings for Nonfiction | IFW
Victoria Sherrow takes us through what readers are looking for in an effective endings in nonfiction and how we can give them what they want with style.
Finish Your Book: 3 Ways to Say “The End”
Something to consider as you finish your book is finding an ending that makes the best impression on the reader. Check out 3 ways to say The End.
Brent Meranda
1st Place: ROCKET MAN
3 Steps for Overcoming Writing Fear So You Can Finish Your Book
Creativity and fear don’t mix. In this post, Jan Fields gives us 3 steps for overcoming writing fear so you can finish your book. Banish those fears today!
Writing a Satisfying End for the Character’s Journey | IFW
Your ending needs something, but you can’t quite figure it out. Join Victoria Sherrow for tips on writing a satisfying ending to your character’s journey.
Bonnie Lindauer
Hannah G. Solomon Dared to Make a DifferenceMay 13, 2022
Stephanie Bearce
1st Place: MOONRISE MURDER
Plan for When You Finish the Book
You finished writing your book. Yay! Now what? Jan Fields helps you make a plan for when you finish the book. You might be surprised at what comes next.
Using Complex Characters to Finish Your Book | IFW
Are your characters keeping you from finishing your book? Develop your characters, retool them if needed, and finish your book with these tips from Jan Fields.
Finish What You Write: Top 10 Motivational Writing Tips
How do successful writers finish writing a book? IFW Instructor Victoria Sherrow reveals 10 motivational writing tips to get you from draft to finished project.
Carolinna Stevenson
“Growing a Beautiful GardenApril 29, 2022
Revision: Surviving the Cutting Process
Revising to get within word count can be painful. Jan Fields shares revision techniques to make the process less painful and your writing stronger than ever.
Reonne Haslett
JAKE/GEEKApril 22, 2022
Sticking the Landing & Perfect Ending- Institute for Writers
The perfect ending is more than the point where you stop writing. It’s where everything you’ve written before pays off. Today, let’s revise and stick the landing.
Pay Yourself First: Prioritize Your Writing
Today, we use investment strategies to prioritize your writing and manage your time just like you would your money. Make a plan to dedicate time to your stories.
4 Tools for Tidying Messy Middles – Institute for Writers
When writing for children, one of the toughest parts of any piece to write is the middle. Today we look at four revision tools to help you tackle the messy middle.
Bang! Big Picture Revision of Your First Pages | IFW
A big picture revision is to make sure your writing, whether fiction or nonfiction, engages the reader at the beginning, keeps the reader through the middle, and offers a satisfying ending.
A Couch to 5k Plan for Creativity : Building a Plan | IFW
Whether you’ve been away from your writing for a while or just haven’t been making as much progress as you’d like, here are some things to consider as you recommit to writing a novel.
Emotional Truth in Writing a Picture Book
Establishing an emotional connection is an important element to consider in writing a picture book. Jan Fields share picture books that have nailed emotional truth in their stories.
Trouble Getting Started? Try Picture Book Writing Exercises
In picture book writing, getting started can be the hardest part. Jan Fields shares her go-to writing exercises for getting the writing motor revved up raring to go!
How to Write a Personal Essay
Personal essay writing offers endless opportunities for personal expression and publication. Find out how to write a personal essay that gets noticed.
4 Questions About Writing Picture Books
Picture books are probably the most easily identified of all the children’s books. So, let’s answer four burning questions today about writing picture books.
The First 3 Questions About Writing a Children’s Book | IFW
Let’s look at the three most frequently asked questions about writing a children’s book in today’s market with answers from author Jan Fields.
How to Write a Short Story That Gets Noticed
Short story writing can be fun and rewarding. Karen Hammond shares tips for how to write a short story that will get noticed by editors and readers alike!
Essential Tips for Writing Children’s Picture Books | IFW
For such tiny books, picture books are complex creations. Today, Jan Fields shares essential tips for writing children’s picture books that delight kids and adults alike!
The Seed of Inspiration for Writing
Inspiration for writing lights a fire under writers and makes everything about the process easier and smoother. Let’s make inspiration work for you!
Inspiring Connections for Writers
Inspiring connections for writers include connecting with role models, fellow writers, and writing instructors. Discover how networking can lead to writing success.
The Value of Feedback for Writers
Feedback for writers is one of the most important tools needed to get from first draft to polished, submission-ready manuscript.
Where Do You Get Your Inspiration for Writing ? | IFW
Writers are often asked where they get their inspiration. The key to getting inspiration for writing is less about finding it and more about recognizing it.
Need Inspiration to Write? Try Action.
Do you need inspiration to write or does the act of writing bring inspiration? Victoria Sherrow shares how your writing process can inspire you to write a novel or story.
Finding Inspiration: How To Get Inspired To Write | IFW
Having trouble finding inspiration to write? Jan Fields shares how to get inspiration and motivation to start writing. Dive in now!
Inspired Goal Setting Tips for Writers
The best writing goals are inspiring, flexible, and clear. Let’s talk about goals for writers and inspired goal setting tips for writers for the upcoming year.
How to Find Killer Ideas for Your Novel -IFW Writing Contest
A novel idea can give you an advantage in writing your novel and also in getting it published. Let’s talk about how to find killer ideas for your novel.
Online Classes Roar for Homeschoolers | Institute for Writers
Everyone benefits from being able to communicate clearly and professionally through writing. So, it’s worthwhile to ask the question: How can an online writing class help a homeschool student who isn’t thinking about publishing as a future interest?
Let’s Pick Up a Good Writing Habit
Hope doesn’t often produce a habit, action does. Let’s talk about how to build your writing habit.
Read Like a Writer
Studying how a book is put together can help us with our own writing. IFW Instructor Kris Franklin shows us how to read like a writer.
Online Courses & Homeschooling | Institute for Writers
Homeschooling families often make use of online courses to dive into topics of specific interest. Art, engineering, and science courses are frequent options, but writing courses also offer unique opportunities.
Series Books: The Trouble with Character Transformation
How do you handle character transformation in series books where readers fall in love with characters and expect to meet those same people, sometimes exactly the same people, book after book?
Creating a Useful Series Bible
Grab a 3-ring binder and start creating a series bible with bestselling author Jamie K. Schmidt.
Series Books: 3 Popular Ways to Orient Your Reader | IFW
Each book in a series must somehow orient the reader to what is going on in the series overall and the specific book in hand. Today, we look at three ways to orient your reader.
Trade Publishing: Single Book or Series?
Trade publishing recognizes a simple truth: when selling a series to individual readers, the first book gets the most readers. Jan Fields shares tips for increasing your series odds.
4 Tips for Planning a Series
There’s a lot to consider when planning a series, author Jamie K. Schmidt shares her tips for planning your next successful book series.
Planning a Book Series: The Premise
All series books have a basic premise, something that links the books through time. Today we talk about how a good premise is interesting but also has repeatability.
Planning a Book Series: Characters Who Can Go the Distance
When planning a book series, it’s important to create characters that can sustain a story and still be likable throughout many books. Let’s talk about characters that can go the distance.
It’s a Date: Wooing the Muse
The Muse won’t always turn up, but she is much more likely to put in an appearance if you put in the effort. Here’s how to attract and hold her attention.
Who Has the Time? 4 Time Management Tips for Writers | IFW
Life is settling into the new normal, which is different from the old normal and not without extra dollops of stress. With this new normal, we need to take a new look at time management for writers if we want to get back to writing.
Writing Great Middle Grade Dialogue
Because dialogue is an essential element of any book, it’s worthwhile to take a specific look at writing great middle grade dialogue.
The Energy of Groups: Group Writing
The support and energy of group writing can often spur writers to accomplish more than when writing on their own.
Middle Grade Characters: Beyond Likability | IFW
Let’s look at the complex middle grade characters who aren’t really likable, and how they can play a part in grabbing the reader and holding on.
Writing for Middle Grade: An Essential Primer | IFW
Middle grade books are seeing an awakening in the publishing world. What you need to know when writing for middle grade.
How to Write a Novel in Only 15 Minutes a Day
IFW Instructor Kristin Wolden Nitz shares the secrets for how to write a novel in only 15 minutes a day—with the real-life examples to prove it!
Writing Income -Side Hustle: Making Money in Unexpected Ways
Many writers do not make a living solely from writing income. Those who do often build their writing income from a variety of sources. Let’s talk about your side hustle.
A Word on Recordkeeping for Writers
Careful recordkeeping for writers helps cut time when it comes to filing taxes, and helps you make better use of your time by knowing what is working and what is not.
Making Money as a Writer: Passive Income-IFW Writing Contest
Author Jamie K. Schmidt explores opportunities for writers to get some extra cash in their bank account through passive income streams.
Would You Work for Hire? Should you?
For many writers seeking steady money for their writing skill, work for hire offers opportunities that are often easier to break into than traditional publishing.
Making Money as a Writer: Audio Books
Author Jamie K. Schmidt encourages us to consider audio books when looking for ways for making money as a writer.
Write for Money
Professional writers take on extra challenges, and often face extra limitations as well. So the decision to write for money is best made after careful consideration of what you’ll gain and what you may give up.
Contests Are More Than Winning
Beyond the possibility of winning, there are so many benefits for writers entering contests. Jan Fields shares what contests can do for you.
Connecting to Learn
Discover how connecting to learn with others can make a huge difference in your writing skills.
The Best Christmas on Mars
What can you hope to gain by entering a writing contest? IFW Instructor and contest judge Lynn Smith shares why entering a contest can improve your work.
Keep Learning, Never Stop
Don’t be a stagnant writer. No matter where you are at in the journey, you still have places to go and things to learn.
Making the Most of Writing Classes
Writing classes have considerable value for a writer, but there are things you can do to help the writing class do the most for you. Let’s look at four ways to make the most of writing classes.
Lights! Camera! Action! Creating Dramatic Action Scenes
IFW Instructor Kris Franklin illustrates how to build more tension in your story by showing and not telling.
With Writing, the Learning Never Stops
Whatever your writing journey entails, it always includes learning. To write is to learn. And every piece of writing you do will teach you something if you let it.
Types and Topics: Nonfiction That Doesn’t Get Old | IFW
A look at magazines published one, five, ten, and twenty or more years ago will reveal the same categories of nonfiction and many of the same topics. Why? Because they address universal needs and aim to help readers improve their lives.
Recurring Topics: Seasons
Seasonal stories, seasonal poetry and even a bit of seasonal nonfiction can be counted upon to appear in magazines and on publishers’ book lists every year. Jan Fields shares how to make this perennial topics feel new.
Remember the First Day of School?
Every year one event rolls around that is profoundly meaningful for children: the first day of school and these stories can offer a special opportunity for writers.
Planning Ahead for Timely Submissions
What’s going to be happening? Victoria Sherrow helps us plan for timely submissions for holidays and commemorative events. Look for new angles into the market.
Writing for Holidays in Books and Magazines
Most publishers (including books and magazines) produce some holiday pieces each year. Here’s what you need to know to take advantage of these opportunities.
Mystery Elements: The Satisfying Ending
Mysteries are rarely open-ended because the very nature of how mysteries work requires closure to be successful. So let’s think about what makes for a good mystery ending.
Mystery Elements: Double Duty Dialogue
Dialogue is important in virtually every story you’ll ever write, but in mysteries that importance (and difficulty) is compounded by the use of dialogue in relation to clues.
Building Your Author Press Kit
Kelli Panique gives tips for what to include your author press kit to make it easy on you and your contacts.
Put on Your Mystery Thinking C.A.P.
Jan Fields shares the differences in writing mystery for adults and kids. Time to put on your mystery thinking C.A.P. and get started writing a mystery today!
Winning Mysteries
Jan Fields reveals how to write a winning mystery for readers of all ages.
Getting the Most Out of a Writer’s Conference Part 2 | IFW
Karen Hammond offers tips and tricks for getting back in the swing of attending writing conferences.
Freedom of Speech: What Does It Mean for Writers? | IFW
Jan Fields explains Freedom of Speech and what it means for writers
Getting the Most Out of a Writer’s Conference Part 1| IFW
Karen Hammond is getting us in tip-top shape for a return to in-person writing conferences.
Can I Do That? Writing Difficult True Stories | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > WRITING DIFFICULT TRUE STORIES One of the most compelling types of writing for many is telling true stories from the writer’s own life, in other words, writing a memoir. Memoir writing isn’t just for books targeting adults. Examples…
Tough Topics in Fiction for Kids
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > TOUGH TOPICS IN FICTION FOR KIDS Today, many children’s books do not take place in an idealized world where children are always loved, cared for, and healthy. Instead, some writers set their…
Writing About Painful Subjects
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Pandemic. Who hasn’t heard that word by now? Since early 2020, news about the global spread of the deadly virus known as COVID-19 has dominated the news. We’ve heard about millions of deaths and watched grieving people share…
Writing Poetry for Magazines
How can you be successful writing poetry for children’s magazines? Check out these three elements that editors look for in children’s poetry from Jan Fields.
244: Industry Insider Tips from Hannah Holt
244: An Interview with Hannah Holt
May 21, 2021
From a Nonfiction Idea to a Magazine Sale
Writing nonfiction for magazines offers publication opportunities and develops skills in research, organization, and submission in writers. Let’s find out how!
Writing Children’s Magazine Fiction
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For writers who love short stories, there are a few potential markets. Testing companies use short stories in reading tests, but connecting any given story to a testing company is close to…
Six Tips for Writing Tantalizing Titles
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When you think about all of the writing elements that need to come together to make a successful magazine story or article, it might seem as if the title is the least of your worries. After all, it’s…
From a Nonfiction Idea to a Magazine Sale
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > WHY TRY WRITING FOR CHILDREN’S MAGAZINES? Magazine writers can easily slip into a Rodney Dangerfield level of moaning about a lack of respect for the genre. For many, writing for magazines is…
Why Try Writing for Children’s Magazines?
Why should you try writing for children’s magazines? Let’s look at the benefits of breaking into the magazine market. They just might surprise you!
Let’s Talk About Now
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > April 2021 is almost over and many writers are feeling a little discombobulated. The past year has been challenging, but change is coming, and we have questions. Should we start sending out…
Explaining STEM and STEAM
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > If you’ve spent much time reading guidelines recently, especially those for educational publishers, you’ve almost certainly run across one of two acronyms related to nonfiction: STEM or STEAM. STEM stands for science,…
Focus and Slant: Key Elements for Nonfiction Success
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > It was early spring, and I was thinking about articles for January. As freelancers know, most publications plan issues months ahead, so we need to submit our queries and articles with that in mind. I decided to write…
Writing Nonfiction: Plans Are Essential
Writing by the seat of your pants may work for fiction, but one of the key needs of nonfiction is clear organization. Here’s how to get organize nonfiction.
What Should You Write? Choosing Your Best Nonfiction Ideas
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Nonfiction ideas truly are everywhere, and writers who focus on nonfiction need never say, “There’s nothing to write about.” We can delve into biography, history, science, sports, astronomy, autobiography, memoir, geography, technology, travel, pop culture, religion, health and…
Narrative Nonfiction: Finding the Lesser Known Story | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Many new writers whose greatest goal is writing fiction shy away from writing nonfiction. They recall texts read as children without pleasure and don’t want to create material like that. But nonfiction…
How To Find Hot Nonfiction Topics
The popularity of nonfiction makes it worth an author’s time to investigate. Here’s how to find hot nonfiction topics that publishers are looking for.
Magazine Sleuth: What to Study Before You Write | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When people think of writing, they might picture themselves with their hands eagerly curled over the keyboard waiting for inspiration to strike. Then, once the frenzy of inspiration has passed, they hit the save button, and wonder what…
Book Promotion: Do I Need This?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When it comes to promotion, it pays to evaluate each step in the process before jumping in. After all, some things cost a lot of money or a lot of time and…
The Best Book Promotion Uses What You Have | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Book promotion has one goal, getting your book known so that people will read it and love it (or hate it, honestly, people are fickle) and talk about it. Many writers panic,…
Sci-Fi Characters Help Your Readers Stay Afloat | IFW
If readers believe in your human sci-fi characters, they’ll believe every other aspect of your story, no matter how weird or alien or out of this world. Readers will follow you anywhere, even to the ends of the universe.
Creating Science Fiction Characters: Don’t Let the Genre Upstage Them
Our goal in creating science fiction characters is to write characters that are deeper and more engaging than the fantastical world around them.
Breaking Down Science Fiction To Find Your Place | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Science fiction is the marriage of science and imagination. The genre has been popular in film, television, graphic novels and fiction for young people (mostly middle grade and up). It is a…
Conventional Structures for Unconventional stories | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Conventional Structures for Unconventional stories What is it that you love about science fiction? The out-of-this-world settings? The nifty gadgets? The weird aliens? As unconventional as science fiction can get, it almost always follows a conventional structure. Take…
The Agent of V.O.I.C.E: Work Undercover for the Best Writing
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When we think about voice, the goal really is to create effective and memorable writing. Voice is not some false face a writer puts on simply to get attention. When writers do…
Word Choice and Voice
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Anyone who has read my past essays much will know that I’m often anti-rules and pro-purpose. In other words, I believe that nearly any writing choice can be made as long as it is done with thought and…
6 Tips to Prime, Pump, and Polish Your Writing Voice
Your writer’s voice is a skill that can be developed. Here are six tips that will help you pump, prime & polish your writing voice. Let’s get to work!
More Than One Sound: Creating Voice in Characters
Character voice grows from the character’s feelings, ventures, and qualities. Get better at character voice through practice. Get started today!
Speaking of Voice
Your voice is about HOW you write. So, how do you make the way you write the content as nearly as interesting as the content itself? Check out these tips.
Raise Your Voice: Only You Can Tell Your Story Your Way
Voice in writing can be elusive. How do you develop your writing voice while also writing characters with their own voices? Lori Mortensen is here to help.
Cover and Query Letters
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The vast majority of submissions you will make during your publishing career will include a letter. If the letter travels on its own, it is a query letter and must carry a…
The Odd Bits of Submission
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Not all publishers ask for the same things during the submissions process, and sometimes the listed requirements for a submission or a proposal can be confusing. After all, surely all they really…
The Submission Train is Leaving the Station | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In my previous post, I highlighted common roadblocks writers may experience when it comes to submitting their work or even thinking about submitting their work. Now that these have been explained and hopefully eliminated, you should be able…
Electronic Submissions
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Wouldn’t it be nice if you only had to learn one set of rules about how to make a submission to a publisher, and that way would always be exactly right? There…
Five Strategies For Successful Submissions | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > There are few things more frightening than submitting your work for publication. First, there is always the chance of rejection, which is painful. And then, there is the worry that you’re simply…
Jump on the Submission Train This Year
Make this the year you create a submissions plan so you can confidently get your writing into editors’ hands. Let’s tackle each potential roadblock head-on.
Be a Joyful Writer
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As a writer who is trudging out of a tough year in publishing, one of my top goals for the coming year is to rediscover that joy, to return to my roots.…
Stay On Track With Your Goals
There’s rarely a direct path between setting a goal and achieving a goal. So, we’ve got tips and tricks to help you stay on track and get closer to success!
Hope: The Most Important Goal
Life can be hard and stifle our creativity but it’s during the hardest moments that we must keep the tightest hold on hope. Words every writer needs to hear.
Finding Your Time to Write
Struggling to find time to write? Time-management experts stress the need to MAKE time. Here’s how you can create a writing schedule that works for you.
Becoming a Fearless Writer
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > All of us struggle with fear. It’s natural. Rejection is painful, so we want to avoid it. As a writer, avoiding that fear usually means reducing the number of submissions we make, or submitting only to “safe” markets.…
Simple Goals that Lead to Writing Success
Small goals take a few minutes a day and can lead to writing success as they can help us improve our craft, complete projects, and gain personal satisfaction.
One Good Goal For All
When you work on improving your craft, you increase your chance for success with all of your other goals. Grab these tips to identify how to be a better writer.
A SMART Approach For Setting Goals
Take your writing to the next level with SMART goals. Ensure your writer plans for the year are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
Making Goals In Uncertain Times
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > With publishing still adjusting to the results of a pandemic, there has never been a more important time to recognize that goal setting is all about planning for things you have the…
Set Goals for a Successful Writing Year
To get where we want to go as writers, we can set goals and work to achieve them. Victoria Sherrow shares ways to taking stock and setting achievable goals.
Maybe What You Need Isn’t a Market
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Maybe It’s An Agent For writers with high concept books (works that can be summed up in a few, movie-poster type words) or who are writing primarily young adult novels, you may…
NaNoWriMo: The Home Stretch
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Hello NaNoWriMo-ers! You are word writing warriors. The end is in sight. Don’t slow down now. It’s almost over. By the end of today, you should have 40,008 words done on your novel. That’s fewer than 10,000 words…
Finding Markets in Difficult Times
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As with virtually every industry, publishing has faced new challenges during the pandemic, even though book sales have stayed strong (especially in children’s books). The issues aren’t with lack of sales, but…
NaNoWriMo: Synopsis and the Sagging Middle | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Hello NaNoWriMo-ers! You are on the way. You’ve past the halfway mark of the month of November and are heading down the home stretch. How’s that for scary? (Or exciting!) By the end of today, you should have…
You Only Need One
The whole publishing process is a journey up a mountain after the path has been washed out. Remember, it only takes one editor to connect with your work.
NaNoWriMo: Plotting on the Fly
Before you get stuck in the narrative and hit a wall, let’s think about plot. With these tips, you’ll spend more time writing your novel than planning it.
From Writing to Selling
Once you decide that publication is part of your writing journey, you have one of two choices: self-publishing or trade publishing. Which one is right for you?
NaNoWriMo: Out of the Gate, Getting Into the Zone | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For NaNoWriMo participants, November 3rd is the day their novel hits 5,001 words. NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and it’s when thousands (millions?) of people all over the world pledge to write 50,000 words of their…
Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
Ideas can come from many different directions, so we’re going to look as some of the ways ideas spring up so that you can try them for your own writing.
Something Wicked, Weird, and Spooky This Way Comes | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Examples for Building a Supernatural Mystery or Paranormal Mystery Saying a mystery is about something unknown takes on a new meaning when it comes to supernatural and paranormal mysteries. Supernatural means anything beyond our natural world, beyond our…
Mystery Sidekicks
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The sidekick, a character who supports the main character, is almost as much a part of a good mystery as the detective. The sidekick gives the detective someone to discuss the case…
Things Are Not What They Seem
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In last week’s post, I told you about Catherine Aird’s article “Planning and Plotting the Detective Story.” Here are the points that were lightbulbs for me, and why I think you should pay mind to them. Lightbulb #1…
Mystery Detectives
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Any fan of mysteries would be happy to tell you that mystery detectives come in all shapes and forms. Some are detectives because they want to be like Sherlock Holmes, Encyclopedia Brown,…
All Is Revealed
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In last week’s post, I gave you two clues. With only one accredited class in genre writing under my belt, and a dozen creative writing classes that came nowhere near 221b Baker Street, how did I write five…
Follow That Clue!
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The Clue-Theory-Test Method of Plotting Mysteries For many writers trying mystery writing for the first time, one of the things that feel the hardest is leaving clues for the reader. So let’s…
Riddle Me This
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Every story ever written contains some element of mystery. We’ll talk about that and a lot of other things over this four-week series. In a mystery novel—a whodunit, a police procedural, a cozy—the mystery is the story. Who…
Mystery For Young Children
Young readers love the interactive nature of solving a puzzle at the heart of a mystery. Study these mentor texts for tips on writing mysteries for kids.
Writing a Holiday Romance
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > If you decide to write a holiday-themed romance, the first thing you need to do is decide if you want to self-publish it or if you want to go the traditional route. Traditional publishers (the big five: Penguin/Random…
Love Scenes: Spicy or Sweet?
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 issues with writing romance in young adult novels lies in the question of how far to push the love scenes. Do you stop at the kiss and fade to…
Happily Ever After or Happy For Now
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The key element that makes a novel a romance is the ending. How to conclude your book so it’s satisfying to the genre readers who have set expectations? By ending with the happily ever after (HEA) or the…
Conflict Is So Romantic
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Like any strong story, romance needs conflict. Without conflict, romantic stories can be dully predictable. After all, the vast majority of romances end with the characters together. Readers are confident that will happen. So, it’s the journey to…
Open or Closed Door Sex Scenes
When writing a romance novel, how do you should you handle sex scenes? Tips for writing open and closed-door sex scenes from Jamie K. Schmidt.
Characters Make the Romance
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > With romance such an important element of YA novels, it can be easy to focus all the attention on creating the main character, only to give the second romantic lead less attention (and much of it focused on…
Working the Romance Tropes
Romance readers have expectations for a novel depending on the sub-genre. Writing a successful novel hinges on following the romance tropes.
For Love of Romance
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The Romance novel is an example of the kind of evergreen genre that simply never stops selling and selling well. Not only that, but in young adult (YA) novels, some strong romantic element is nearly a requirement. YA…
Romance Writing is Serious Business
Avid romance novel readers have made the romance genre a billion-dollar industry, but romance has come a long way in the 21st century. Read our primer here!
Walking Through a Developing Story Structure | IFW
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…
Structure 104: The Arc of the Covenant
Facebook 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 in a smooth, logical, and easy…
Structure in Narrative Nonfiction Articles
Blending fiction structure with nonfiction facts makes narrative nonfiction a favorite of kids and educators. Discover how to successfully write this genre.
Structure 103: Short Stories
A short story is a story of not many words that’s why structure in writing short stories is so important. Lynne Smith reveals what you need to know.
Traditional Plot Structure for Very Short Stories
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.
Structure 102: Nonfiction
Facebook 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 that could power the world if…
Beginning, Middle, and End
One simple structure is to think of your book as having a beginning, middle, and end. Each serves the reader in different ways. Grab these tips for success!
Writing Structure 101: It’s All About the Reader | IFW
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.
Does Popularity Matter?
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…
This Will Only Hurt a Bit
Facebook 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 series of jokes. Here are…
Feeling Spoofy?
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…
Funny Cat Videos And You!
Facebook 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 breakfast can just as easily be…
Five Steps To Finding Your Funny
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…
Stuck in the Mud Doesn’t Need to be Stick in the Mud | IFW
Facebook 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 when things are flowing like this.…
Humor For Older Readers
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…
True Stories or Funny Stories? You Choose | IFW
Facebook 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 before the story is even finished.…
You Write Funny
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…
Plotting Complexity: Adding Depth and Resonance
Writing tips for creating layers of meaning and emotional resonance in your writing from romantic romps to fast-paced adventures and everything in between.
The Value of Short
Short story writing allows you to experiment with new plot types, genres, or voices without the commitment of a novel.Check out these tips for writing short.
Plotting Against Your Characters
“What’s the worst thing I can do to this character?” It seems like a terrible question to ask, but it might be the one that takes your story to the next level.
Do I Have To Have a Plot?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some writers hesitate to talk about plot because they believe it equates to preplanning their stories. For the organic or seat-of-the-pants writer, pre-planning simply doesn’t work for the way story unfolds in…
Plot Structure: Formulaic or Freeing?
You have to know the rules about structure to make informed choices when writing your story. Use this outline from Kristin Wolden Nitz as a starting point.
From Zero To Sixty
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 hardest parts of creating a strong plot that grabs the reader is knowing where to start. If you start too soon, you risk boring the reader with a lot…
Plotting and Planning: The Premise
Before you plunge into writing the first chapter or outlining the plot, consider taking some time to put your basic premise through a stress test.
The Dance of Plot and Theme
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Many writers struggle early in their writing journal when they try to sort out the difference between plot and theme. In fact, the two work in tandem to create a story but…
Worldbuilding When You Can’t Go Out in the World | IFW
Research is key to creating believable worlds for the characters. Here’s how to research when you can’t travel to the places you are writing about. Let’s go!
Worldbuilding Bible
What is a Worldbuilding Bible? Do you need one? Find out all the answers in part 4 of our Worldbuilding writing series from Kristin J. Dawson.
Writing in Difficult Times
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > During this month of exploring the topic of world building, it seems appropriate to talk about the world building we’ve all been doing in real life during this pandemic. Just as when…
9 Worldbuilding Mistakes to Avoid
In part 3 of our Worldbuilding series, discover 9 mistakes to avoid as you build and populate the world of your novel. Don’t miss these valuable tips!
Worldbuilding: Dressing the Set
As writers, the worldbuilding process includes adding elements that make each setting stir the senses of the reader while helping to move the plot forward.
Digging Deeper Into Your Worldbuilding
Welcome to part 2 of our Worldbuilding series where dig even deeper into your new world and what it should include and what you can leave out.
Introduction to Worldbuilding
Worldbuilding isn’t just for fantasy writers. Every character lives somewhere and travels through the world. Let’s make that world real for your readers.
Worldbuilding Checklist
Worldbuilding is usually associated with speculative fiction writers, but even historical, memoir, and romance authors must create a world for their characters.
Words As Art
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writing is both a craft, which is learned and honed over time, and an art, which is unique and adds to our collective culture. And within the realm of writing, we generally…
Hands
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > My hands are cracking from washing them so often these days. Yours too? How about, in addition to tending to your hands with soap and water, writing a poem to and for and about them, those prehensile and…
Poetry Publication Options
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 couple weeks, we’ve looked at the value of writing poetry simply to write it with no concern toward publication. But as writers, most of us do want to be…
My Body, Myself
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The architect Suchi Reddy said, “We build our lives from our bodies. Then we build the next layer and the next layer—our home, our towns, our cities, our villages, our world.” Do you see your body that way,…
Why Poetry?
Poetry has an intense flavor that prose generally doesn’t manage, and that intensity can make poetry valuable for a number of reasons in your writing.
List Poems
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > List poems have an off-hand quality, as though they’re not even poems but casual jottings like a grocery or birthday list. That makes them particularly accessible and welcoming for readers to enter, and their unassuming quality keeps them…
5 Poetry Practice Playtime Activities
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Poetry, like any art form, is improved with practice. The more you do it, the better you’ll become at it. But there is something very special about poetry: the more you practice…
What Sits Beyond the Reach of Language
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > It’s National Poetry Month, and with the chaos of coronavirus that’s unsettled us and our need to stay as close to home as possible, now, more than ever, is the perfect time to delve into poetry for the…
Children’s Poetry for Magazines
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > 6 Hot Tips Finding a market for poetry can be tough. It’s not that children don’t enjoy poetry. In fact, many young children love verse. The even meter and the rhyme make…
Imagery in Narrative Nonfiction
Narrative nonfiction writers need to describe people, places, objects, and events in imaginative but also accurate ways. Enter imagery. Follow these 3 tips.
Top Three Narrative Nonfiction Missteps
Narrative nonfiction is popular with kids, teachers, and publishers. Here are the top three missteps to avoid when writing narrative nonfiction.
The Writer’s Voice and Narrative Nonfiction
The content of your piece is the what of your writing. How you say it is the voice. Time to talk about how to develop your author voice in your work.
Picture Book Biographies
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 forms of narrative nonfiction is the biography. Biographies can be found in long form novels, long-form highly illustrated books, chapter books, early readers and picture books. Picture…
Using Creative Nonfiction Techniques in a Memoir | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > “Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.” Those familiar opening lines from Charles Dickens’ novel David Copperfield are…
Narrative Nonfiction and Magazines
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > If you’re interested in trying your hand at narrative nonfiction, there are options beyond massively researched full-length books. Some children’s magazines buy narrative nonfiction in the form of biographical sketches, profiles of contemporary figures, and anecdotal stories of…
Using Quotes in Narrative Nonfiction
IFW Instructor Victoria Sherrow shares how to effectively use quotes from historical figures and experts when writing narrative nonfiction novels and articles.
Narrative Nonfiction
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Melissa Stewart, writer and nonfiction evangelist, fills her Twitter feed with books and bits to help writers and buyers better understand nonfiction. She’s made nonfiction her life. And she explains that nonfiction is basically broken into two broad…
The Appeal of Narrative Nonfiction
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > “Just the facts, ma’am.” These oft-repeated words are associated with Sergeant Joe Friday, a character in the 1950s TV police drama “Dragnet.” Friday’s actual words were “All we want are the facts,” but the point remains: Investigators need…
The Perils of Picture Books
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writing a publishable picture book is hard. It simply is. The competition is incredible. And your book must do so many things well. It needs to sing. It needs to speak to every reader, whether child or adult.…
Verb-Perfect: 7 Tips to Fuel Your Writing
Verbs play a key role in building effective sentences, so pay close attention to them as you revise and polish. These 7 writing tips will make your story shine!
How Do I Tell Where I Fail?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > According to Dr. David Dunning, a psychology professor at Cornell, we are not good judges of our own competency. In other words, we aren’t very skilled at telling if we’re good at…
The “Feel” of Your Writing
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > “Everything is in the tone.”—Sherwood Anderson For a well-polished manuscript, make sure you use tone and mood effectively. Tone in fiction refers to an author’s attitude toward the characters and events in the story. The tone helps to…
Picking the Right Word
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Polishing a manuscript involves both big picture corrections, such as plot issues or motivation issues for your characters, and incredibly small, picky bits where you’re really bringing out the shine in each…
Time for a Sound Check?
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > “Hearing” your manuscript with a reader’s ear As you polish your manuscript, you will likely review it numerous times, looking for ways to improve the content, style, and presentation. Some experts suggest reading a hard copy in addition…
Perfectionism Alert
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > How Polished Does It Need to Be? In the many views about the importance of polishing a manuscript, there are two opposite ends of the spectrum. First are the writers whose work…
Polishing the Point of View
Today we focus on ways to intensify a third-person point of view to achieve a close third person viewpoint drawing readers deeply inside a character’s POV.
Dialogue and Plot
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Dialogue serves a number of purposes in a book or story. It brings immediacy since dialogue takes place at a specific moment in time, thus bringing the reader into the story. It…
Dos and Don’ts of Dialogue
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > What to do (and not do) in your characters’ conversations As a final check through your dialogue, a good idea is to give a scene to two friends and have them read a different character as if they…
Dialogue: Don’t Forget the World!
Setting and dialogue must influence each other. Let’s look at one conversation in three different places to see how setting influences the dialogue.
4 Tips for Snappy Dialogue
Dialogue is a great way to get readers to care about your characters and eager to find out what happens next. Here are 4 tips for snappy dialogue.
Dialogue Bits and Bobs
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Let’s talk about the mechanics of dialogue, the nuts and bolts of putting it on the page. In order to write good dialogue that communicates clearly with the reader, it’s helpful if…
Avoiding the “As You Know Bob…”s
Dialogue can be an effective way to share backstory with your readers. Here’s what to do and what not to do when using dialogue to convey a character’s past.
Dialogue and Humor
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Much of the humor in the books I write, both the children’s books and the adult mysteries, involve the dialogue. Because dialogue reveals character, it’s a perfect opportunity for the characters to…
Punctuating Dialogue
Properly punctuating dialogue trips up even the most seasoned of writers. Bookmark this post to help you as you proofread your manuscript for submission.
Writing Contemporary Realistic Fiction
What is contemporary realistic fiction? Is it the right genre for your story? Check out this post for tips and tricks in writing this genre for kids.
The Enemies of Goal Keeping
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > How to win when your goals are under attack Goals are like your characters. They aren’t real until you write them down and bring them to life. Until then, they’re just dreams and aspirations. In a story or…
Checking for Ruts
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 things that keeps writing fresh for me is trying new things. I can always tell when I’m in a rut, because my excitement for the writing wanes. Whenever I…
Relax! Ideas for People Who Don’t Know What to Do with Their Lives When Not Writing
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I have a confession to make: my name is Chaunie and I’m a write-aholic. I have always been a woman who enjoys working and independence, but when I first stumbled upon freelance writing as a career, I felt…
The Most Powerful Writing Tool
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Do you know what it is? Words don’t spring from your mind onto the page or the computer monitor. At least not yet, though I’m sure some tech genius somewhere is working on that. In the meantime, you…
179: Failure is Proof of Effort
178: Revision Power Tips
December 14, 2019
The End
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As I type this, I’m minutes away from having finished my last pass of revisions on a novel. I sent it off to the editor. I know, of course, that I’m not…
The End
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As I type this, I’m minutes away from having finished my last pass of revisions on a novel. I sent it off to the editor. I know, of course, that I’m not…
A Practical Guide for Writing Goals
Discover a practical guide to writing goals by paying attention to your rhythm and stamina as a writer and the constraints your life places on your writing.
Looking Back on Your Year
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Are We There Yet? One of the best things to consider when looking over a year of writing is what we’ve learned. As writers, we’re always learning new things. It’s one of…
How Time-Blocking Can Transform Your Writing
Increase your productivity with time-blocking! Time-blocking is a time management technique that groups your work into shorter, more focused periods of time.
The Goal of Having Goals is Hitting Your Target | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Think about your goals before writing them down. Goals keep you focused. Pin them up where you can see them when you sit down to write. Draw a target on a sheet of paper and write your goals…
Your Year in Review
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > December is often a terrible time to try to get any writing done. We’re pulled in different directions socially since so many events pop up. Also, for anyone who gave NaNoWriMo (National…
How Was Your Writing Year?
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > You can learn from failure—if you pay attention Did you achieve the goals you set? Did you exceed them? Miss by a hair or fall woefully short? Would you like to talk about something else? I would, because…
Okay, I Sent My Submission. Now What?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For many of us, the hardest part of the submission process comes after you’ve finally gotten brave enough to send off the submission. Whether you’re submitting to an agent or an editor,…
The Waiting Game
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Things to do while you’re out on submission You’ve just hit send. Your query is off to your dream agent. There are only so many times you can hit the refresh button to your email before becoming dejected.…
Have You Considered Essays?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > If you’ve been a long-time reader of the eNews, you know that I often list markets that aren’t technically for children’s writers. I’ve done so in this issue, for example. There are…
Tips for Winning Our Mystery First Pages Writing Contest
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Advice to take your entry to the top. Have you heard the exciting news? The Institute for Writers is now accepting submissions for its Mystery First Pages Writing Contest! Every quarter, IFW hosts a contest, and this time…
Tips for Getting Past the Gatekeeper
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > 10 reasons manuscripts are automatically rejected Before the internet, if you didn’t have a way to contact an agent, you had to mail your manuscript to their office. If the agent had not requested your manuscript, it would…
Crossing Over Into Writing for Adults
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Throughout my career, I’ve written for children and for adults. My magazine work covers both. And I have books for kids and books for adults. For me, writing is about freedom. I…
How to Avoid an Automatic Rejection
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > How to avoid an automatic rejection You’ve worked so hard to put together a submission package to an agent. You don’t want to waste all that effort only to get an automatic rejection. The best way to avoid…
177: Browbeaten into Submission
176: Break into Publishing
November 22, 2019
Submissions: Preparing to Send
Successful submissions require research and using my market guides. Putting time into pre-submission activities decreases the number of avoidable rejections.
What Are Agents Looking For?
Each literary agent has unique interests, specialties, and dislikes. Your submission to each agent should be personalized for that person. Find out how.
Researching Agents
Researching agents is the key to finding one that is a good fit for you and your work. Here’s what to look for in an agent and when you to run the other way.
Building a Better Bibliography
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > What sources matter most? Today, we’re wrapping Research Month on the IFW blog. What good is all that research without a good bibliography? This article comes from our book SEARCHING: A RESEARCH GUIDE FOR WRITER. For more practical…
Research Never Stops
Most successful writers are researching all the time. We just call it reading. Reading for exploration improves your writing in all kinds of ways—find out now!
Research Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them – Part 2
Paula Morrow reveals even more ways to make sure your research is working for you and not against you when you submit to editors. Read on for her insider tips.
4 Research Perils and Prevention
Without parameters, research can send you down a rabbit hole you can’t afford to follow. Consider these 4 perils the next time you research a writing project.
Research Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them – Part 1 | IFW
Famed editor Paula Morrow brings us Research Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them because research is essential whether you write fiction or nonfiction. Expert tips ahead!
4 Unexpected Benefits of Research
Research is a necessity for any writer, but with it comes benefits in other areas of life that may surprise. Consider these benefits the next time you research.
Steps on the Research Road Part 2
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In last week’s post, Steps on the Research Road Part 1, Joan Broerman and Marie-Therese Miller shared tips for using books, online searches, and databases to research topics for our fiction and nonfiction stories. This article is just…
Asking Questions
You know that tiring toddler stage where your child asks questions and never stops? Poke your inner toddler and stir your curiosity. Dive in to read more!
Steps on the Research Road Part 1
Quality research is vital whether you focus on books, articles, short stories, or novels. Enjoy these research tips from Joan Broerman and Marie-Therese Miller.
Needful Things: Revision Begins on Page 1
In a first draft, it’s common to explain a lot as you begin to understand the story, but that has to go in the revision. So what does belong at the beginning?
Winning Nonfiction: A Path for Revision
Nonfiction writing includes outlines, research, and many drafts. The revision process gives us the chance to polish the content, presentation, and style.
Guilty Secret: Revision is Not My Favorite Thing | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some people adore revision. They so talk excitedly about belching out their story in a rush of words and then relishing the time put into turning that rush into something a reader can love. I can admire that…
Revising: A Time to Fine-Tune Your Style
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Making your writing more distinctive. As experienced writers know, revising involves more than changing word counts, fixing punctuation, or checking for accuracy. Revision is also the time —think “opportunity”—to make our writing more vibrant, meaningful, and distinctive. Fine-tuning…
Misunderstood Verbs
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Verbs are the powerhouse of the sentence. Because of that, understanding how verbs work will help you tremendously in the revision process. It’s only by knowing what verbs are all about that…
Revising for a Strong Start
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > A checklist for hooking your reader. As the saying goes, we have one chance to make a first impression, and it’s the same with writing. Editors, agents, and readers tend to cast aside stories with weak beginnings. It’s…
Three Steps to Writing Better Dialogue
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Fiction, the kind accepted by children’s magazines and book publishers, relies on a careful balance of great action, strong setting and believable dialogue. Readers love dialogue. It lightens the page, making the…
Do You Need to Cut?
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > A Revision Checklist Cutting words is a task most writers face during revisions. We may scrutinize each line and even each word to meet the publisher’s requirements. I’ve cut hundreds of words from an article or story and…
How to Get Published in a Magazine
Magazine writing differs from book writing in several ways. Reading one issue of a magazine can offer many useful insights. Let’s look at a few important ones.
Scoring a Regular Freelancing Gig
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Increasing your chances of becoming a regular freelancer Getting a one-off acceptance is always a cause for celebration. Getting offered a regular paying gig is even better. Learn ways to increase your chances to become a regular freelancer.…
Top Ten Questions to Ask Before Submitting | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The moment when you submit can be an interesting mix of exciting and terrifying. It’s easy to forget small details. So a good checklist can help. Before you send, make sure you…
Mining Magazine Markets
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Discovering markets you didn’t know existed From quarterlies about secretaries to periodicals about electricity, it seems there’s a magazine for everything. Expand where you sell your writing by mining obscure markets. I worked as managing editor of OfficePro…
Is This Real Writing?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writers tend to have trouble holding onto a positive self-image. We toil alone, usually with little or no cheering section. In fact, our writing can be seen as being a resented competitor…
Crafting the Perfect Pitch
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Tips for getting closer to yes! Editors are busy, often juggling multiple duties. That means it’s important to grab them with a quick, precise query letter. Learn what works and what doesn’t. Learn how to query even if…
Write Your Fiction Tight But Right
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One absolute need a fiction writer must have to create material for magazines is the ability to write to extremely short word counts. As this is also true of picture book writers,…
Research You Need to Do Before Querying
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Targeted submissions can lead to success. Before you even start to query a publication or an agent, it’s important to do research on what they’ve already written, their style and the person you need to sell your work…
Increasing Your Successes in Writing for Magazines
Writing for magazines can be challenging AND rewarding! You may even see your name in print far faster than with book publishing. Grab these tips for success!
5 Common Questions About Author Platform
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > From writers like you! A while back I sent out a one-question survey. Writers could submit any one question about author platform and marketing. I learned a ton from reading all the questions that were submitted, but there…
Overcoming Fear
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Talk about “platform” is pretty scary for a lot of writers. Many of us are not really all that social, so we’re not excited by the words “social media.” But really, isn’t…
Building Author Brand Engagement
You’ve defined your author brand and found your target market, now let’s dive into how to build engagement with your readers through your author platform.
Listening to More Voices
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Last week we looked as some good advice writers would give their past selves, their pre-publication self. And this week, we’ll see even more of these tidbits of advice. What kinds of…
Finding Your Target Market
Who is your target market and where can you find them? Kristin Dawson shares insight on finding just the readers who will resonate with your stories. Let’s go!
Listening To the Voices
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I recently asked a group of published writers for examples of advice they would give their unpublished selves, looking for insight into the things that might speed up our writing journey. As…
Defining Your Author Brand Part 2
Let’s continue to define our author brand as we narrow down your brand values, reflect on what makes you unique, and finalize your new branding.
Author Platform: It’s About Name Recognition | IFW
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 alarming things to tell a new writer is that he or she needs platform. Most of us don’t know what that is when we’re early in our career…
Defining Your Author Brand Part 1
What is a platform for writers and how do you build one? Kristin Dawson breaks down how new and experienced writers can start building their author brand.
From Real Life to the Written Page: Inspired by People You Know or Have Met
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > “Writers, do not wait for inspiration. You need to arm yourself and track inspiration down and mount its head over your fireplace.” – Erin Bow This quote makes me laugh. It’s a reminder to open my eyes and…
Self-Care Matters
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writing never happens in a vacuum. It’s always something we’re throwing into the stewpot of life, hoping that the writing isn’t overwhelmed by the other ingredients. But in order for that to…
From Real Life to the Written Page: Using Your Emotions and Beliefs
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > “For sale: baby shoes, never used.”* That gets an immediate reaction from me. It implies sadness, loss, grief in only six words. We want our readers to react emotionally to our writing as well. But where do we…
Specific Requirements of a Publishable Real-Life Account
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Sometimes the real world inspires us to write. When that happens, we often take real life and twist it, turn it, plump it up, pare it down, and patch it with fiction…
From Real Life to the Written Page: Using Others’ Experiences Along With Your Own
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Ever read a story that felt unrealistic? I sure have. And I’ve seen it too many times to count in TV shows and movies. For example, the unconscious patient with the hospital bed rails down. Right. I’m sure…
How to Use What You Remember
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In real life you can find constant fuel for your writer’s imagination. I’ve written articles, essays, and books triggered by things I’ve seen on television or read in magazines. I’ve used my…
From Real Life to the Written Page: Using Where You’ve Lived
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The old adage “write what you know” definitely has value, especially when you use places you’ve experienced. Lived in a dry climate? You know the feel of grit blown into your eye and the scent of freshly rain-dampened…
Setting the Stage for Nonfiction Success
Nonfiction is a deep market, popular with readers, and well worth considering. Today we chat about what it takes to be successful in nonfiction for kids.
Hooking the Reader
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > With all the competition from Kindle Unlimited, self-published books, and traditional publishing’s blitz of new releases and re-releases, getting and keeping a reader’s attention has gotten difficult. You need to entice the reader from the very first line,…
Setting the Stage: More On Props
Using props in your setting can give your character interesting things to do and what your character chooses to do will tell the reader about their personality.
Setting as a Character
Write a setting so integral you can enhance your characters’ experiences, drive home your theme and mirror the characters’ journey through the novel.
Choosing a Point of View
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > All stories are told by someone. Sometimes it’s a chorus of voices as the writer dips into the consciousness of more than one character, revealing their thoughts. More often it’s told by…
Editing Descriptions to Move Your Story Forward | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Is your pacing too slow? Need to pull out your writer tools to increase story pacing? This is Part II of my “editing description to move the story forward” article. Part I focused specifically on scene imagery. This…
Elements of Setting
Lengthy descriptions of setting can feel slow and gratuitous, but we mustn’t throw away this essential, tool. Let’s talk about how to do setting well.
Editing Scene Imagery to Move Your Story Forward | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > If you’re looking to increase the tension and keep readers turning the pages, become a master of story imagery. We’re told to have sensory details, and imagery descriptions to create a well developed setting. But imagery runs the…
Setting the Stage: Scenes
Scenes are the building blocks of the story. A scene is simply the action and dialogue that takes place at a specific location in a specific time in the story.
Six Step-by-Steps for Your Book Marketing Plan | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Having anxiety about creating a book marketing plan? I did, and I’m a marketer. Going through that period of freak-out on my own novel project helped me understand, for the first time, how creating a marketing plan could…
Getting Unstuck
Here is the thing about writing. Eventually, no matter what else you do, you’ll get stuck. It’s uncomfortable and scary but here’s what you do to move past it.
Top 3 Source of Writer’s Block (& How to Jump Over Them Now)
Here are the top 3 sources of writer’s block and how to bust right past them from guest blogger Kristin J. Dawson. Read on for tools to help you right now!
Let’s Talk About Plot
Many writers struggle with plot. Plot has to mix and blend characters, theme, premise, and more. So, let’s break down the essentials of plot.
How to Avoid Writer’s Block
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > We spend months, even years, weaving characters and conflicts into a story. We cut, tweak, and rearrange. Yet if someone asks what our story is about, we might be dumbstruck. “It’s about a woman who inherits a cosmetic…
Check Your Clutter
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Like most writers, I’m prone to clutter. Clutter in my office with one deep drawer in my desk where I toss an alarming variety of things. And shelf clutter with all the…
Breaking Through Writer’s Block
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Stuck Is a Symptom, Not the Cause Whether you write for fun or profit, you likely have had this experience: You feel the adrenalin rush about a story idea. It is so clear in our thoughts that it…
Yeah, It’s Work
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writing is work. Now, I’m not one of those who think writing is suffering or agony. Honestly, if it were agony, I’d do something else with my time to make money for my family. But it is work.…
Live Long and Prosper with Verisimilitude and Suspension of Disbelief
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > We’re all Captain James T. Kirk when we sit down to write. We boldly go where no man or woman has gone before—and we take readers with us. The idea is not to drag them kicking and screaming.…
Harnessing the Power of No
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > This week is mostly going to be story time, so let me share some with you. When I was younger and single, folks had a tendency to assume I had a lot…
Falling in Love
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some writers create playlists for their books. Some do elaborate interviews with their characters. Some just can’t get started until they come up with names: name of the book, name of the…
Character Arc and Conflict: You Can’t Have One Without the Other
For your main character to have a satisfying character arc, there has to be conflict. Without it, how does your character grow and change? Get these tips today!
A Letter from Editor Eileen Robinson – Institute for Writers
140: A Letter from Editor Eileen Robinson
March 15, 2019
Dialogue Attribution: Small Thing, Big Effect | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Dialogue is the favorite part of story writing for many authors. In dialogue writing, the author is able to give voice to the people the author created. Also dialogue is a favorite…
The Forge for Your Characters
The literary term for life experience is backstory. This is your character’s origin story. Discover tips for backstory from IFW instructor Lynne Smith.
All Done, or Not?
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 satisfying things about writing is finishing a book or story. That last line typed, that last period placed almost always brings a rush of accomplishment. If you’re like…
People Aren’t Perfect – Your Characters Shouldn’t Be Either
While characters are often created from similar molds or archetypes, it is their imperfections that draw us in. Tips for crafting engagingly flawed characters.
138: Interview with Leslie Connor
138: Interview with Leslie Connor
March 1, 2019
The Value of Road Maps
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I do love having a GPS to guide us whenever we’re making a road trip. Still, to be honest, I miss the days when I navigated using a combination of internet map…
Story Development: Writing to Market
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Why it’s important to write a marketable book When you first start writing, one of the most common pieces of advice you will hear is, “All you have to do to be successful is write a great book.” …
A Tale of Two Payments
There are two ways to be paid in children’s publishing: a traditional publishing contract and work-for-hire. Let’s talk about which one might be right for you.
Developing Your Story with a Plot Board: Part Three | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In this three-part series, we go over how to set up a plot board to develop your story from an idea into a tailor-made synopsis that is as detailed or sparse as you want it to be. A…
When I Really Want To Get Better, I Teach
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When I was in high school, I discovered something interesting: teaching something made me learn it more. I spent a lot of time helping other people through a variety of subjects and…
Developing Your Story with a Plot Board: Part Two | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In this three-part series, we go over how to set up a plot board to develop your story from an idea into a tailor-made synopsis that is as detailed or sparse as you want it to be. The…
Adding Humor for Increased Sales
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > If you flip through your market guide or read writer’s guidelines online, there’s one word you’ll see over and over: humor. Kids love humor, so publishers do too. But for many writers,…
Developing Your Story with a Plot Board: Part One | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In this three-part series, we will go over how to set up a plot board to develop your story from an idea into a tailor-made synopsis that is as detailed or sparse as you want it to be.…
Beware Bears: Problems to Avoid
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Having been writing professionally for a lot of years, I have sometimes been asked how do you build a career that has legs, one that will last. This is a valid question…
Setting Up for Success: Excel Spreadsheets | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of my favorite author stories revolves around Dave Barry and Stephen King. Dave Barry tells this story of when he had writer’s block. He didn’t know what to do so he went over to Stephen King’s place…
Cleaning Up Misconceptions
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > January is a great time for a good cleaning. There’s something heartening about starting a new year with a clean slate. So let’s sweep away writing myths that might still be clinging…
A Room of One’s Own
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When you are setting up for writing success, don’t forget to make a space for yourself to write. J.K. Rowling just got blasted on social media recently because she mentioned she had a writing room. Of course, she…
Keeping a Writer’s Notebook
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > 8 ways to use your writing notebook Writer’s love office supplies. In fact, the only thing they love more than a sale at Staples is a deal on journals. I have a collection of leather bound ones, spiral…
Success Ahead in Creating Characters
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Success Ahead in Creating Characters As we look at a successful year ahead, we must overcome the problems that have held our writing back. One of the frequent problems new authors encounter…
Planning Your Story
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Things you should know before you start your novel Before you can make the most of your writing time, you need to know where you’re going. Planning what you’re going to write can be as easy as saying,…
Triple Up for an Electrifying Year Ahead
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Now that 2019 has arrived, we want to get going on the best writing year ever. With many things outside our control (like publisher or agent reaction to our work), it’s good…
Getting Organized for Writing in the New Year
Get organized for writing! Use these tips from USA Today Bestselling Author Jamie K. Schmidt to hold yourself accountable and accomplish your writer goals.
Preparing for Next Year’s Success
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As the last days of 2018 tick off, it is a good time to prepare for a successful new year. I always find a special hope in a new year. No matter…
Taking Stock of Your Attitude
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Attitude can make a big difference in your writing, and we often overlook its importance. Are you apologetic about the time you spend writing? Do you let minor things crowd it out…
How to Know When to Take a Break from Writing | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > What happens when your writing fails you? This time exactly one year ago, I was struggling. Coming off some personal losses, a move, and a general upheaval of everything in my life, I was feeling adrift. It felt…
The Courage to Go Your Own Way
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > People often ask successful writers “how do you do it?” as if there is a special roadmap that will always take you from wanting to be a successfully published author to actually…
Taking Stock
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As the end of the year creeps ever closer, it can be a good time to take stock of how your writing life is going, as long as you do that examination…
5 Ways to Get Over Writer’s Burnout
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > What to do when your creativity ebbs. Being a writer for a living is a funny thing. Unlike a lot of other jobs, writing comes down solely to you, and to your own mind. If you’re broken in…
Picture Books: 3 Sides to Great Picture Book Characters
Picture books are a character-driven art form. A large part of their success lies in truly memorable picture book characters. So what makes us love your character?
Can You Make Money From Amazon Publishing ? | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Here’s the short answer and the not-so-short answer. On the way to school the other day, my kids and I were chatting about how much Amazon has changed the world. Strapped safely into the back seats of my…
Picture Books: Sound Off
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 defining characteristics of picture books is that they are designed to be read aloud. They are a way for parents to share art with children through story and illustration.…
Picture Books: First Lines
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Every picture book must begin somewhere and those opening lines are surprisingly important. For one thing, buyers on Amazon who use the “Look Inside” feature to browse the book often only see…
The Unorthodox Way I Got a Nonfiction Book Deal | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > There’s no one way to sign on the dotted line. Hi there. My name is Chaunie and I’m a published author. I say that to you, not to sound like a conceited jerk, but to remind myself that…
Picture Book Autopsy
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Many children’s writers have tried writing picture books. Some have gone on to tremendous success. Some have simply moved on to writing that suits their skill sets better. But the reality is…
Why Every Writer Can Benefit From NaNoWriMo | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Confessions from a writer too scared to try the challenge. If you’re a writer reading this, I’ll just go ahead and say it: I know your secret, the one you’re embarrassed to admit out loud, the one you’re…
The Unique Challenge of Picture Books
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As with many art forms and literary genre, the picture book has changed over time. Picture books are a fairly young art form. The beginning of true picture books can probably be…
Down and Dirty Plotting
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Techniques for pulling it all together. With National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) right around the corner, or if you’re about to write a new book, it’s helpful to have a plot outline in front of you when you’re…
The Process of Novel Writing: Transitions
In novel writing, transitions jump readers ahead in time or place quickly. Here’s how to leave the reality of a scene and skim ahead via a transition.
Prepping for NaNoWriMo
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Let’s get ready! NaNoWriMo is the National Novel Writing Month. Every November, writers of all ages and skills get together online and in community meet-ups to write their own 50,000-word novel. In one month (thirty days). This will be…
The Process of Novel Writing: Jumping In
Few things are scarier in novel writing than a blank page. Since your rough draft is almost certain to change, the important thing is to begin.
Five Things to Change in Your Novel
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Don’t miss these in your manuscript Once you finish your novel, you should put it away for a few weeks so that you are fresh when you come back to edit it. Having that distance will allow you…
The Process of Novel Writing: Planning
Before plotting, comes planning the premise. The premise is the idea that will make this particular novel different and is the kernel from which the plot grows.
Beyond Show Don’t Tell
You want readers to laugh, cry, and get angry alongside the protagonist. Readers who are invested in the characters keep turning pages. Enter show, don’t tell.
Novel Writing FAQ
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For many children’s writers, the concept of attempting a novel is daunting at best and filled with questions. So for the sake of those looking toward this exciting writing option, let’s answer…
Achieving Deep POV
The goal of deep POV is to give the reader a chance to be inside your character’s head. Discover ways to achieve deep point of view in your next story.
Break Free from Pretending
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > “Fake it ’til you make it. How many of us have heard that advice? Sometimes it’s a good thought. It doesn’t hurt to step out boldly sometimes, even when you’re not 100%…
Strunk & White: The Elements of Style
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog Virtually everyone calls it a “classic”—and with good reason Ask anyone for recommendations about books on writing and invariably someone will pipe up with, “Strunk & White—The Elements of Style!” Having somehow managed to arrive squarely in the middle…
A Writer’s Book of Lists
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > This week I bought one of those journals where the pages have dots instead of lines, a bullet journal. I did it because my desk has a tendency to become a bunny…
Stephen King: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft | IFW
Stephen King’s ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT isn’t just a book about writing; it’s also a memoir, making it a must-read for all writers. Let’s find out why!
Off the Beaten Path
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > You might notice that the markets this week are off the beaten path, outside of what we normally think of when we’re considering markets for our work. Today, publishing is a massive…
A Self-Publishing Primer
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Yes, you really can do it yourself. I get asked fairly often why I chose the self-publishing route. Truth is, there are several reasons. First, it takes a lot to dissuade me, but my 217th agent rejection letter…
Reconnecting with a Work in Progress
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 problems with writing is that it’s fairly difficult to complete a project in one sitting. It can sometimes be a bit easier with a picture book where the rough…
Carroll Dale Short: A Writers Tool Kit-Institute for Writers
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > A concise book of tips to improve your writing. What more do you need? Many years ago, in a city far, far away (okay, it was Hartford, Connecticut, if you insist on destroying the magic), I had the…
Don’t Crash on the Rock of Talent
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I have heard some people argue that good writing cannot be taught. It is innate or it simply doesn’t exist. Sure, they will argue, most people can learn to communicate competently through…
Query Writing 101
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When you’re ready to submit your novel to an editor or an agent, you start off by sending a one-page letter called a query. The purpose of the query is to make the editor or the agent request…
Show Up To Learn
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In-Person Learning For most writers, conferences and in-person workshops are gifts we give ourselves. Often these options aren’t cheap, but they let us get out of our homes and mix with other…
Finding a Writing Course That’s Right For You | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When you’re looking for further instruction on writing, you can take college classes, but that gets expensive and they’re held at specific hours that may be inconvenient. You can also learn a lot by going to a conference…
Reading: Osmosis Education
Love of story isn’t the only reason successful writers are readers. Reading is one of the best writing teachers because it teaches us without us even noticing.
10 Things That Make Editors Cringe
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Everybody knows to use spellcheck or Grammarly when going over their writing. However, the following mistakes aren’t generally caught by these two programs. And if you want to stop an editor’s eyes from rolling to the back of…
Behind the Curtain
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Whenever you get a chance to watch a really good magician, it’s easy to get caught up in the wonder of what they’re doing. But if you’re an adult, and driven by…
Getting the Most Out of a Writer’s Conference | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Whether you’re doing a day trip or going away for a weekend or more, planning will help you get the most out of a writing conference. You want to choose a writing conference that will help you at…
Leaving the Nest
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writing is an interesting sort of thing. You can spend years and years doing it, even getting published and paid, and there will still be a multitude of writing and publishing areas…
Okay, I’ve Finished My Revision. Now What ? | IFW
Once you’ve finished your last big revision, what do you do now? You bask in the glow of a job well done. Then you get back to work. Your next steps are here.
Revision: Revising By the Bones
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some writers love outlines. They outline everything they write and feel it gives the story order and direction. Some hate outlines and feel that an outline makes a story rigid and lifeless.…
We All Have a Story About a Trip That Didn’t Go As Planned
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Submit yours … perhaps you’ll win! We all have stories about trips gone awry. C’mon, admit it. You’ve got one. Maybe you were bound for Aruba and your luggage spent a lovely weekend in Iowa. Or the guy…
Writer Reason Vs. Story Reason
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Generally the things we put into our work have strong writer reasons for being there. The main character has a sidekick to give him someone to talk to so the scenes have…
Who’s Ready to Do Some Literary Gardening ? | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Taking the Pruning Shears to Your Manuscript to Lose the Verbiage* Sometimes, in the process of revising, you realize your manuscript is just too darn long. That’s when you have to get creative about trimming it. Really creative.…
Revising Your Picture Book for Clear Structure | IFW
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 major problems editors encounter when reading picture book submissions is the lack of plot, or even purposeful organization. Many picture books basically start with the character waking up, then…
Revision: An Overwhelming Project
The way to go about eating an elephant is one bite at a time and so it is for revising your writing. Break down your revision into small steps and get it done.
Distance: The Key to Revision
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As most writers know, it’s much easier to find the flaws in someone else’s work than to find the flaws in your own. Part of the reason for this is distance. When…
Revision: Your First Step to Fantastic Writing | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Do you know where to start? “Wait … what do you mean I’m not done?!” I hear this so much from new writers when I mention revision. I swear, revision is like a four-letter word to them! It’s…
Nonfiction: Let’s Talk More About Sources
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 valuable tools in any writer’s toolbox is the ability to evaluate sources. What is a trustworthy source? How do I know? Should I always avoid Internet sources? Is…
What You Should Consider Before Writing About Your Life Online
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Questions to ask yourself before you put your stories out there. When I first started my career as a freelance writer, I had one goal and one goal only: to make enough money to leave my job as…
4 Ways a Fiction Writer Can Learn to Love Nonfiction | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Many fiction writers shy away from nonfiction. They are afraid it takes skills they don’t have, or that they’ll be bored in writing it. But good fiction writers already have the skills…
How To Get Started as a Travel Writer
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Tips for turning the dream into a reality Getting paid to travel is the ultimate dream of any writer, right? Lounging on white, sandy beaches with the crystal-clear blue sparkling water just beckoning you for a day of…
Active Nonfiction
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Nonfiction does many things for readers. Sometimes it tells them a story. Sometimes it informs. But sometimes the whole point of the nonfiction piece is to help and encourage the reader to…
8 Tips For Sourcing Your Articles
No story is complete without a source. Grab these tips for sourcing your articles including finding contacts, discovering the best answers, and what comes next.
The Importance of Nonfiction
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Many writers view nonfiction as less: less creative than fiction, less fun than fiction, less interesting to kids than fiction, and definitely something they want to do less often. Some will accept…
How To Turn Your Experiences Into Stories
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Making stories about your life engaging for readers Do you ever feel like every story that could possibly be written has been done already? Well, I am here to tell you that your feelings are correct —everything that…
Character Development: The Road to Greatness
What makes a character great and what do writers need to do to write great characters? Take a look at three sides of character development. Jump in now!
Character Development: A Few Final Thoughts | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Haven’t I warned you not to get me started? I haven’t? Hmm … well, that does pose rather a difficulty, doesn’t it? Well, I suppose it’s a little late to caution you about that now, so you’ll just…
Developing Characters: What Are Their Extremes? | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writing a compelling character is often about extremes. The best characters are believable but pressured. The whole point of a plot, in fact, is to apply pressure to a character to make…
Everyone’s Got a Story to Tell. What’s Yours ? | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > So you’ve decided to write your memoir. Good for you! It’s great that you’re up for the challenge. Before you start amassing stories, beginning from your most traumatic potty-training memory right up through the jerk in the maroon…
Character Development: A Rose By Any Other Name | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some of us struggle with finding names for characters. As I write (on average) 6 to 10 books a year, I have to come up with a lot of names. And if…
Writing a Character Who Has Cancer
When you write a character with cancer (or other disease), things can get touchy. Here’s how to ensure your character isn’t solely defined by their illness.
Tough Characters to Sell
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As important as solid writing and well-crafted plot is to a successful book (and they’re really important), there is something that could arguably be considered even more important: characters. Your characters are the life…
Character Development, Part Deux
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Creating a Well-rounded Character Just Got More Fun! Last week, we took a broad, overall view of character development. Today, we’ll quit staring at our overalls, zero in on creating that protagonist you’re bringing to life, and add…
Character Development: Every Character is a Casserole | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Character creation can be approached in many different ways, but overall, most great characters come about as a mixture. Like a particularly tasty casserole, a writer grabs a pinch of this and…
Three Keys to Believable Three-Dimensional Characters | IFW
When you sit down to write a new story, think about your characters. Giving characters heart, soul, and real faults—yes, faults—is vital to creating memorable characters.
Contests: Little Things Mean a Lot
How do you make a story stand out among other writing contest entries beyond simply writing a strong engaging piece? Here are three judge-grabbing suggestions.
Anatomy of a Score Sheet
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > What are judges looking for? When I was first starting out on my publishing journey, I entered a lot of contests for feedback, for the possibility of getting an agent or editor interested in my work, and for…
Why A Contest? Here are 7 Lucky Reasons
A writing contest doesn’t seem to be part of that straight line of publication. So why would you enter one? Well, here are seven lucky reasons.
Predatory Contests
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > 5 Ways to Spot a Fake Now that you’re a contest pro or at least thinking about becoming one, you need to be aware of some of the contest scams out there. As long as there have been…
Tighten Up the Weakest Link for a Contest Win | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Judging a contest is an interesting activity because it happens in layers. The first layer is simply removing from consideration all the entries that are not appropriate at all (prose memoirs sent to a poetry contest for young…
Tweet Your Way To Representation
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > No, seriously. One of the ways social media can be a writer’s best friend is by allowing you to be up-to-date on trends. On Facebook, we’ve seen a rise in online selling. Whether it’s ads on your wall…
Want Professional Feedback on Your Writing? Enter a Contest
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > No matter what genre you write in, there will come a time when you need to get some non-biased feedback. Your friends and your writing group will only take you so far. There are several contests that can…
Launching a Story From a Title
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > It’s hard to develop a story when you can’t get started. Though there are many ways into story creation, one that isn’t considered as often is the title. Titles are often tacked…
How to Take Your Own Writer’s Retreat
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As a writer who works from home with four young children, there is one fantasy that constantly makes its way into my mind—and it has nothing to do with any shades of anything gray or freed. Instead my…
Story Development and Revision
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For many writers, especially newer writers, revision is mainly a step for fixing typing errors, spelling errors and grammar mistakes. Some may have a checklist of things to look for such as…
7 Ways to Connect More with People as a Writer | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > 7 Ways to Connect More with People as a Writer As a writer, do you ever feel a little, well, disconnected from the world? Are there ever entire days that pass before you realize that you haven’t actually…
Story Development: What’s At Stake?
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 important questions to consider when developing a story is “what is going to be at stake for my main character?” By this, we mean, “What is the cost…
Tips for Using Scrivener for Story Development | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Tips for using Scrivener for story Development Like many writers, I am aspiring to write the next great American novel. Well, actually, that might be a slight exaggeration. I just want to write a novel that is mine…
Playing Fair with Plot
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Good stories have lots of moving parts, and it can be challenging to get all the parts to come together in a way that works. Many writers understand that a good plot…
To Outline or Not to Outline: That is the Question | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > To Outline or Not to Outline: That is the Question There are two types of writers in this world: the kind who outline and the kind who don’t. OK, so that may be a slight exaggeration, but I’ve…
Piece by Piece
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Many times, the compelling urge to write, to create, to make something that reflects our skills and creativity, brings us to the blank page (or blank computer screen) with the intention of…
Write Science Fiction that Will Survive My Scoff-O-Meter
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Can You Write Science Fiction that Will Survive My Scoff-O-Meter? I won’t mince words here. I always hated sci-fi. There. I’ve said it. I realize those are gasps of disbelief (and yes, even horror) emanating from all over…
What’s the Rush?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When it comes to writing and submissions, there is such a thing as too soon. In fact, the number one mistake writers make in the area of submitting their work is moving…
Memoir vs. Autobiography: What’s the Difference, Anyway
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > How do I go about writing a memoir? As an editor, I often get asked, “What’s the difference between an autobiography and a memoir?” In framing my answer, I sometimes reply, “All baseballs are round, but not all…
What’s Your “Elevator Pitch”?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Query letters, cover letters, pitches, and proposals all have one very important thing in common. They all require an author be able to describe the story in few words. This is sometimes…
(Brow)beaten Into Submission?
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Submit only when your work is ready, not when your family or friends think you should. Sometimes, the most well-meaning folks can do the greatest harm to an aspiring writer. If Great Aunt Harriet insists your writing is…
Projecting Confidence Without Being Obnoxious | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Your first contact with a publisher or agent does a lot of things. It presents the project you’ve created (or wish to create) in a clear, concise, lively manner. That’s hard enough,…
The First Step to Getting Published…Submissions
Once you decide you want to be published, the first thing you need to do is decide how to target your submissions. Here’s how to outline your first steps.
Submissions: Because Publishers Rarely Come to You
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > If you ask almost any writer what parts of the process they like least, submissions will pop up somewhere in the list. We worry about whether we’re doing it right. We struggle to find all the information we…
Idea Starters: Lo-Jack and High Tech
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > We’ve talked about many ways to use idea starters. Most of the time they don’t need to be based on fancy systems with lots of features. It just takes old school, go-to tools that you can pull out…
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone: Try Nonfiction | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Get Out of Your Comfort Zone: Try Nonfiction For most people considering children’s writing for a career (or even for a hobby), the type of writing that comes to mind is fiction. For many of us, the picture…
Idea Starters: Map Your Ideas
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > An offshoot of mining for stories is mapping ideas. For me, it started as a way to think about and control how much money I make on my stories. Those of us who write for publication have all…
A Raven and A Writing Desk
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > “How is a raven like a writing desk?” When Lewis Carroll first wrote the riddle about the raven and the writing desk, he didn’t have an answer. It was simply a riddle…
Idea Starters Mining Your Stash
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > If you are like me, writing can be a series of stops and starts. It is all a part of the process. I have a ton of ideas that may have been great but as I started writing,…
Using an Object for Inspiration
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Over the holidays, as I was putting out the holiday decorations, my daughter and I took time to talk about some the ornaments and other well-loved decorations. Some decorations brought back memories…
Where to Find Great Ideas
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The Hunt for Good Ideas Last week, we talked about having a system in place to keep your ideas organized, now it’s time to dig deep into where you find them. Sometimes the best ideas show up when…
Must I Be Unique?
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 crippling things a writer can do in the early stage of any book is worry about whether your story (or something like it) has been done before. First,…
Organizing Your Ideas
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As we start a new year, we also often face the big scary thing—a blank page of a new project. If you’re lucky, you already have an idea for the next story, novel or essay in mind. But…
Not All Children’s Books Are Picture Books
Children’s literature covers a vast area. There are picture books, chapter books, novels, graphic novels, and more. Find out which one is a good fit for you!
5 Steps to Reprinting Song Lyrics Without Getting Sued
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some years ago, an aspiring novelist told me his main character had a penchant for speaking in song lyrics. I found this idea intriguing—and certainly quirky … although it could get annoying both for the other characters and…
How to Achieve Success in 2018
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The new year will be upon us soon, and it’s a good time to make plans to increase our chances of publication success in 2018. Now, it helps to know what you…
A Self-Publishing Primer
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > You’ve done your outline, carefully completed extensive research, and fleshed out your protagonist, antagonist, and assorted minor characters. You’ve battled your literary demons, outlasted extreme bouts of writer’s block, written your book, and received glowing feedback from several…
How to Title Your Book
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalg > Coming up with a title for your work in progress can be easy or really hard. Sometimes the title comes to you early, and you just always know what you want to…
Method To My Madness Part 2
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Last week I touched on how I began writing fiction—and how my first two characters (Gary and Michaela) dropped in on me, unannounced, in freshman English class. Today I’ll unpack more of my writing process. When I write,…
Self-publishing v. Traditional Publishing
What’s the difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing? Which is the right path for your writing project. Discover the pros and cons here.
How and Why I Do What I Do
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The Method to My Madness—Sort Of I often get asked about my process. How do you write your novels? Where do you begin? How do you keep going? And what do you do once you’re finished? Great series…
Want Some Exercise?
Writing exercises can be fun. They can also help you exercise your writing muscles and break through a block you might be having. Try these exercises today!
Profile of a Successful Freelance Writer
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Today our guest blogger, Chaunie Brusie, is profiling successful freelance writer and mother of three, Mary Sauer. Mary has been published with sites like Headspace, Romper, and She Knows. She’s also an experienced ghostwriter and content creator and…
Copyright and You
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Copyright, because it is an area of law, can be scary for writers, and many new writers worry about their work being stolen; they want to know what to do to protect…
How to Break Into Freelance Writing
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Not too long ago, I was burning with jealousy whenever I would come across a writer’s byline. “Why her?” I would think, “how did she break into freelance writing?” as I donned my scrubs and got ready for…
How to Make Money as a Writer: A Primer
Some books make lots of money and others have more modest sales. It’s important to think about the money-side of things so we can make wise decisions.
Creating a Writing Schedule That Works
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > You sit down to your computer, the entire world literally at your fingertips, your hot cup of coffee next to you, determined to crank out some serious writing, when the next thing you know, it happens: Two hours…
Compare and Despair or Mentor Texts? – Institute for Writers
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The Competition Some book publishers are now specifically asking writers to look at competing books when sending in manuscript submissions, partial submissions, queries, or book proposals. And this request can seem overwhelming…
How to Write From Home With Kids
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I’m about to tell you something that may shock you, titillate you, maybe even horrify you, but it is my truth and I am willing to speak it— In the past six years as a freelance writer, I…
When the Ideas Won’t Come
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 questions writers tend to be asked a lot is “where do you get your ideas?” Of course, two other questions are “can you read something for me?” and “can…
Putting It All Together
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > We’ve talked about voice, tone, and humor. We’ve also discussed viewpoint. But how do we make it all work seamlessly? And can you use the same tools in nonfiction as you do in your fiction writing? It is…
Writing Samples, Part Deux: Nonfiction
Good nonfiction writing samples have things in common with fiction ones, but they also have specific requirements, so let’s check out the difference.
Six Ways to Gear Up for NaNoWriMo Now!
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > It’s coming! Are you ready? You’re probably asking, “What’s coming?” Why, National Novel Writing Month, of course. It rolls around every November, that magical month when writers all across this great land of ours shut out every other…
Whose Story is it Anyway? Thoughts On Viewpoint
Zeroing in on the viewpoint and finding the right way into the story is difficult. Check out these tips to consider when choosing the POV of your story.
Busy, What to Do When You Have a Lack of Time to Write
How address your lack of time to write in the middle of holiday chaos.
Interjecting Humor in Your Work
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Cours Catalog > Out of all the style tools we describe in this series on tone and voice, interjecting humor is probably the most difficult to pull off well. One reason is that we all see “funny” with different lenses. What…
Keeping Separate Writing Separate
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some writers write only one sort of book: picture books, mysteries, science fiction, humor, racy romance, etc. But many writers jump around in their careers and tackle whatever project bubbles up in…
Finding the Right Tone for Your Story
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > We’ve talked about “voice” now it is time to meet its twin sister, “tone.” If you are writing for publication, or for a specific publication, no matter what the genre, and you strike a tone that is too…
Creating Quality Dialogue
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > A while ago on the Institute’s Facebook page, someone was asking about dialogue, which made me think again about this important writing tool. Readers love dialogue because it makes a scene and a…
Training Your Writer’s Voice to Come Out to Play
A writer’s voice is his or her fingerprint on a piece of work. It’s like DNA when it’s authentic. How do you define and develop your writer’s voice? Read on!
How to Choose Your Educational Writing Sample | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The Secrets to Samples Many of us who write for educational publishers are very familiar with samples. These are the bits of writing publishers use to judge whether you’re a writer who…
How Does It All End?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Talking about how to end a book or story is a bit harder than talking about how to begin one. The first paragraph of a book doesn’t really count as a spoiler…
Comma Long With Me and Celebrate Punctuation Day | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > It’s like they created a day just for folks like me, people who are (admittedly or not) obsessed with punctuation… proper punctuation and not-so-proper punctuation. As a professional proofreader and editor, Punctuation Day is especially dear to my…
When It All Starts to Sag
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Momentum is a delicate thing in writing. Sometimes you start out revving along in a novel, falling in love with your main character, fascinated by the situation you’re creating and cranking out…
Author’s Day and Stress Awareness Day
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Author’s Day and Stress Awareness Day Two Celebrations That Go Hand in Hand: Authors Day and Stress Awareness Day If you’re a writer, chances are you know a thing or three about stress. And that’s a good thing.…
Writers Make the Best Friends
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writing can be a lonely art form. Unlike performance artists, you don’t have audience reaction to rev you up. And sometimes family and friends aren’t incredibly supportive, especially during the early years…
September’s a Month for Literary Celebrations | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > This month we celebrate a hat trick of days of particular note: September 6th is Read A Book Day. September 7th is Buy A Book Day. September 8th is Literacy Day. Mark your calendars. And make it a…
Once Upon a Time
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Every story has a beginning. The best beginnings grab our attention and make us eager to read on. The best beginnings give a sense of sort of story we’re going to get…
Do All Novels Need to Be About Young People ? | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > A look at 7 recent successful novels where the main protagonists were Middle-Aged In writing courses you’ll hear professors say things like, “It doesn’t matter the age of a character as long as they are well drawn and…
The Love of Genre
Do you love a good genre novel? Then you might be the perfect person to write one! Jan Fields shares what you need to know about writing genre novels for kids.
Your Brain on Writing
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For me, being a writer is more than something I do. It’s something I am. A writer is always a writer, whether sitting before a computer or picking up a pen and…
Weaving Pop Culture Into Your Writing
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Weaving Pop Culture Into Your Writing Pop culture – Why it’s so important in fiction today and how to weave it into your writing (without dating your work) As a journalist I’m sent a lot of novels and…
Villainy
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Almost any strong plot is basically a story of someone’s struggle against something. That something is the villain of your story. Now sometimes you have a real human villain. If your story…
7 Ways to “Cheat” Writing Inspiration
Waiting for inspiration to strike could take a lifetime. Here are 7 ways to cheat the muse and jumpstart your writing without having to wait around.
What To Do on the Hard Days
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > People often tell me how lucky I am to make a profession from something I enjoy deeply. And I am thrilled that this has been possible for me. I love being a…
Opening Lines: The Most Important Part of Your Story | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > A newspaper headline serves one purpose–to make you want to read the article beneath it. The opening sentence in a novel tries to do something similar. It should make you want to read the second sentence, which then…
Should I Contact This Publisher?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As writers we can easily get caught up in the mode of looking for anyone who will accept us. This is especially true early on in our writing careers, but all publishers…
Behold the Spider
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I was recently at the Highlights Foundation and had the opportunity to read the guest book journal in my cabin. A couple of the guests talked about a large spider they cohabitated…
The Plot Arc
A successful plot generally follows an arc. What’s that arc look like and how can it help you unlock your story’s potential? Jan Fields explains all.
Succeeding with Digital Submissions
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When I began submitting to editors, no one used email. Okay, I’m sort of old and no one actually had email. Submissions were sent through the postal mail, so they were typed.…
Trade Secrets: Which Ones Should We Keep?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Recently I was watching a video where an artist was talking about “trade secrets” in art. He was recounting the times when he was just beginning in art and people would refuse…
Revise Your View of Revision
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some writers love revision. In fact, for many, the rough draft is something to be rushed through to get to the real “fun,” the revision. I’m not one of those writers. I…
8 Tips for Writer’s Websites
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Creating a writer’s website can be daunting, especially if it’s your first.Does it have to cost a lot? Should you hire someone to design it? How often do you need to update?…
Tips and Tricks for Planning a Series
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As of today, I have created three original series and written for several others where I had a fairly free hand in shaping the series beyond the original concept. I’ve worked on…
5 Tips for Writing a Strong Synopsis | Institute for Writers
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For most writers, there are few things more reviled than writing a synopsis of a book manuscript or short story. What do you put in? What do you leave out? Why is…
Time to Write
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I know folks who lament about not having time to write. They’d do it if they just had time. If they could quit work. If they didn’t have so much care-giving they…
What Writers Should (and Should NOT) Spend Money on
What’s worth spending your money on as a writer and where should you NOT spend it? Jan Fields shares what to look out for when investing in your writing career.
Can I Say This ? Copyright, Trademark, & Writers | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writers often look at trademarked products or song lyrics or bits of poetry and ask, “Can I put this in my book?” The answer to that question can be complicated and rests…
Exit Stage Left
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As playwrights know, a script is made up of both dialogue and directions for movements on the stage. Good playwrights tend to trust the actors and directors to determine most of the…
The Structure of Adventure
Does the plot of an adventure or action story differ from other genres? It’s important to know the rules when writing a new type of story. Let’s dig in!
Within Reason
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Within Reason People write stories for all kinds of reasons. Some do it to pass on experiences in their own life and family. Some do it to impart life lessons to help a…
Finding Your Way to “The End”
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In a way, every story is a story of transformation. Circumstances change. Characters experience revelations. Challenges are met and overcome. The longer the work you’re writing, the more transformations are likely to…
How to Make Your Good Muse Show Up
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Along with writing, I also draw a bit and work with polymer clay. On some days, it seems I can draw or sculpt anything. My little clay creatures end up with charming…
Sometimes, Ya Just Gotta Rhyme
There are a lot of rhyming picture books published every year, but writing a rhyming picture book is not as easy as it looks. Get tips for writing in rhyme now!
Let’s Talk Sources
There’s nothing worse than finding out something is factually wrong in your work AFTER it’s in print. Here’s a primer on research resources and how to use them.
Don’t Be Bored
If you’re not excited by what you’re writing, you’ll never get the reader excited about it. Here are three ways to avoid being a boring writer.
Talk About Money
Writers need to get paid for their work. Let’s look at the kind of money you can expect in various publishing situations from trade publishing to work-for-hire.
Learning to Write Short
Whether you’ve tried writing a picture book, poem, or short story, you know that writing short is difficult. Use these tips to learn how to write short.
Prewriting: Preparing for Success
Prewriting can help you avoid writing blocks when you’re in the middle of writing your story. Here are three different ways to prewrite before you begin.
Five Tips for Writing Success
We won’t all write a global bestseller, but if your idea of success is being published regularly & making an income, these 5 tips will lead to writing success.
Five Common Character Motivations of Value to Writers
What motivates young characters to do what they do in our stories? Author Jan Fields shares the top five character motivations for children’s stories.
Change, The One Constant
How do artists make strides in their projects? Jan Fields shares what she’s observed about artists in other mediums and how we can apply it to writing.
Help! I’m Stuck!
All authors, whether pre-published or professional, get stuck sometimes. Here are five tips for pulling yourself out of the rut when you have writer’s block.
Four Tips for Building a Successful Mystery
Are you looking to understand how to write a successful mystery story? Then, dive in to learn about the Four Tips for Building a Successful Mystery.
Begin As You Hope to Continue
Revising your beginning is always one of the steps in turning your story from a rough draft into a finished piece. Here are 3 things a strong opening will have.
Can Lack of Research Kill a Writer?
Young readers may take our books and articles at face value and believe them to be true. That means proper research is important in any writing for children.
Picture Books: Sound, Story, and Emotion
Being good at writing picture books means doing three things well: sound, story, and emotion. Here’s why these are essential in your next picture book draft.
What Rejection Really Means
All writers face rejection. The key is to realize it isn’t personal. Here’s how to use the takeaways from your recent rejections to improve your writing.
Time Management Tips When You Have No Time to Manage
How do people manage to fit in a busy life, work activities, AND writing? Let’s look at 7 time management tips to help you fit writing into your busy day.
Avoiding the LONG Short Cuts
New publishing opportunities pop up and make it seem like a writer has found a short cut to getting their book published. Beware of the long short cut.
3 Keys to Good Kid Nonfiction
Good kid nonfiction comes down to three key elements: focus, vitality, and appeal. Learn how you can incorporate them into your next article or manuscript.
Writing Rewards and Challenges
If you’re getting the blues about your long term writing goal, consider taking a small break and doing a piece that will give you a writing reward!
Being Open to Surprises (Don’t Slam the Door on Possibility)
Many of us begin our writing journey with a firm vision of exactly what we want to write but don’t close yourself to surprises along your writing journey!
Personal Inventory Quiz: What Kind of Writing Do You Like ?
The writing world offers so many options. Finding the exact right spot can come from self-analysis and exploration. Answer these questions to see where you fit!
In My Day (How I Started Writing)
Your writing journey may be different from Jan Fields’ and it might not have any snow on the way to the mailbox, but it’s the right path for you. Keep going!
What’s Your Motivation?
To understand how best to plan for your writing adventure and keep going during the tough times, look inward and ask yourself: What’s my motivation?
Two-Layered Writing
Children’s writing has a dual nature—an objective story. what happens, and a subjective story, the emotion of the story. Today, we discuss how to include both!
Dangerous Writing Tools
The truth is that every tool in the writing toolkit has value. Let’s evaluate the more dangerous writing tools and see how we can make them work for us.
Creating Characters for Young Children
When writing for kids, your main character must be someone a child can relate to and care about. Check out these tips for writing believable characters.
Holidays: Time to Try Out Some Crafts
Can submitting craft tutorials help you get published by a children’s magazine? Yes! Crafts make magazine content interactive! Use these tips to get started.
Thankful
This is a time of year when many people think about thankfulness. I am thankful for the gift of writing. A gift that I’ve nurtured and used to make a living.
Digging in for Winter
Do you want to know the truth? For every single piece of advice given to writers, there are successful authors who never did them. Get some inspiration today!
Stuck, Stuck, Stuck
Are you stuck and you wish you had someone to help you out? Look at your characters. Ask them what they want and then drive that plot ahead!
Number One, Engage!
Are you leaving your readers enough freedom to examine, experience, and learn? Or are you dictating a lesson? Here’s why you need to engage your reader.
Three Agent Myths: True or False?
There’s much to be said about working with an agent, so what’s true and what’s not? Here’s what you need to know about working with an agent.
The Physics of Fantasy
A key element of fantasy is that things happen outside of our real world. But all stories abide by rules—you just get to decide what those rules will be.
