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…
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…
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…
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.
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.…
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…
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…
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?…
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…
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…
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’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.
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…
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…
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!
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…
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…
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…
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!
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.
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© 2025 Direct Learning Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
1000 N. West Street #1200, Wilmington, DE 19801
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