I love a good story, particularly those set in the fantasy genre. One such story, The Lord of the Rings, is a rather large set of books that consumed a great deal of my teenage years. I think I read through them five times in about as many years.

If you have an interest in taking up a career that involves creative writing, it is essential that you understand what would be expected of you. All writing can be termed creative, though this is a style which usually refers to a format which goes beyond that used in technical compositions and journalism. Drama, poetry, personal essays, and short stories can all be classified as falling under the category of creative writing.

Stuffing detail into your writing does not necessarily mean you end up with a good story. Learn how to effectively use details to engage readers, not lose them.

There’s no better way to practice the art of writing than to write a few poems and short stories. Have you ever tried your hand at them? It’s surprising the number of writers that have never done this. Instead they jump straight in with their first novel.

If you are looking for work that you can do from your home computer, creative writing jobs might be the answer. If you have basic writing skills and a sense of creativity about a wide range of topics this could be an option to your income needs.

Mystery series are as popular as television series, where fans look forward to the next book or episode with their favorite characters. Following these ten tips will ensure that readers will keep coming back for your stories.

Great writers tantalize the senses. They do this by first using their imagination and then allowing the reader to follow the plot in his of her imagination. Learn to write imaginative stories and you will have happy readers!

One of the hardest jobs a Christian fantasy, or secular fantasy, author has is to keep track of all the “rules” governing a made-up world. For instance, my Forsaken Kingdom series has a strong spiritual element, and there are a number of beings that dwell in the spiritual world that have certain rules they must follow in the physical. If I’m not aware of these rules, or accidentally deviate from them, I could confuse and frustrate my readers by damaging the realism of my story.

Mystery novels make up one of the most popular categories of fiction. Tap into the market using these 10 tips from a prolific mystery author.

A controversial start to an article! It’s very tempting when you begin a story or a novel to start at the beginning. That is usually a mistake. Why? Quite simply because beginnings of stories usually aren’t that interesting. If you want to hook a reader from the very beginning, start with something exciting. Maybe an argument, a murder, a conflict, a car crash or a funeral.

The other day, I was speaking with a fellow author, albeit one much more accomplished than I in the writing sector, and we got to talking about the future of fine literature. Are we on our final era of fine literature due to texting, Twitter, and short bits of irrelevancy? Could be, especially if you consider the difference between the great writers of the past and their works, and what people are calling novels today – there is really no comparison.

The writer’s persona is a default factor for most people. They revert to what they know! Learn to understand your persona and work out ways to reduce the negative impact on your writing. Think about how the reader will perceive the story by giving the narrator freedom to present appropriately.