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.
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.
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 | IFW
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.