So, you’ve decided to write a novel. Good for you. It’s a big project to take a bite from, and to be successful, you need to finish the meal and wipe the gravy from the plate with a napkin. In other words, don’t be the yutz who starts then never gets back to it.

“I understand what you’re saying, professor, but that’s my point exactly. My character really would say this.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this very argument from students in workshop after explaining that clever as a fox, or, smart as a whip has no place in their writing. A cliche, my friend, under any pretext, would still smell as stale.

A joyous journey of imagination and hard work await the beginner fantasy writer. Your muse is waving her wand and the stories are filling your head, and now it’s time to seriously consider how to write a fantasy book.

Putting together a piece for work or for personal enjoyment can be easier said than done sometimes. There are not many steps to get around problems that may arise, but there are alternatives.

Learn how to deal with that old chestnut: ‘Show’, don’t ‘tell’. Something you’ve probably heard again and again, but is it easier said than done?

Ideas are one of the most important thing in writing. In this article I write about how to encourage new ideas and note them down.

Those little brothers are always stealing our shine. When we finally get good grades in school, there he goes again, throwing a tantrum or getting into trouble, snatching the attention away from us and projecting it onto himself. What a selfish little brat.

Beware of them. They’re lurking in shadows, creeping up on every page and slowly approaching. Your novel looks for ways to escape but it’s too late, those story suckers open their mouths and sink their sharp teeth right into its neck.

Lean about 7 common mistakes that writer’s make and how to avoid each one of them. Become a better writer in minutes by reading the 7 Habits of Highly Unsuccessful Writers.

Writing from your intuitive brain is easy, stress-free and liberating for both you and your readers. This article will tell you how to do it and why.

How do your words affect people? When you are writing, do you make an effort to make people feel good about themselves? You have a choice – to build people up or to put them down.

Some of us really do not know how to accept a compliment graciously. If we are embarrassed by a compliment, we may tend to brush it off and minimize it as though it really is not important to us or it is of no consequence whatsoever in the grand scheme of things. When you brush off a compliment as meaningless, you are in effect brushing off the giver.