Writing

From Chekhov to James Joyce, the short story defined modern fiction. Subsequently, it became a form defined by America. Here, one of the great US writers explains why he came to prefer the story to the novel.

From the British painter and sculptor Maggi Hambling

It's about coming home to your art.

Building up courage to own your identity as a writer starts when you realize you need to ask someone for an objective opinion on your work.

Prepare yourself to receive feedback so your writing benefits from people’s input while ensuring you’re taking care of yourself.

A page from Ruth Krauss’s HOW TO MAKE AN EARTHQUAKE.

Writing dialogue can be difficult for some authors. Bestselling author Roz Morris shares how to write dialogue that takes your story to the next level.

Screenwriter Mike White ("School of Rock," "Nacho Libre") takes viewers inside his creative process in an exploration of where ideas come from.Subscribe and ...

On first drafts, unusable pages and the difference between typing and writing

I’ve been teaching one of my favourite courses these past weeks – Self-Adaptation, Making the Personal Publishable – which is basically a small reading group (max 10 on Zoom), concerned with set texts of personal essays, which turns into a writing group where participants offer each other feedback on their work in progress. The idea […]

Your writing might soar to new heights when you make weather—and the words describing it—an important element in your characters’ lives.

Everything you need to know about working with beta readers – who they are, the benefits & practical tips on how to recruit & brief them.

I have three events left this year. One with E.M. Tran at University of New Orleans on November 3, and two at the Texas Book Festival on November 5. If you are interested in having me come speak at your organization, please contact my speaking agency

A few checks you can do to try and work out once and for all if your writing is – you know – any good.

When it comes to idea generation and development, what are ways to both provide structure and room to explore?

Writing a perfect ending for you novel is hard. We've put together 8 mistakes to avoid in order to ensure your best chance at success.

The following first appeared in Lit Hub’s The Craft of Writing newsletter—sign up here. At a literary festival a few years ago, during question time after a panel discussion, an audience member tol…

Seriously, it’s really weird. But it’s helped me for 25 years!

An anecdotal account of my experience writing and selling "India World" to Tor.com

So many ideas, so little time.

And you both have full-time jobs

Are you a writer? Do you like learning about the creative process, either for your own projects, or just cause you think it’s interesting? This post is about to make your day. As I’m su…

I would go so far as to say talent is an overrated component. If I was a gambler, I’d put my money on an average writer who knows how to work hard over someone who is supposedly talented but doesn’t know how to apply the AOC rule (Ass On Chair).

We write when we can. But every now and then you get a day that's a gift--or even just half a day--where you can set your imagination free. How do you seize that day?

How to get your writing started by recording yourself thinking out loud.

A character cheat sheet can help in the early stages of character development and ensure you write well-rounded characters every time.

A handy reference for writers and teachers of fiction and creative nonfiction

Can we all agree it sucks?

Our seven-step guide will help you tackle common problems all writers face during the first draft: from writer’s block to scenes that are difficult to write.

I wrote stories for over a decade before I began to think that I might have enough material for a collection, and when I sat down with those stories with the vague idea that the ones I chose for a book should share a theme, I was startled to find that although I’d been reading story collections for many years, I didn’t know what made for a successful one.