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

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

So many ideas, so little time.

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.

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.

Henry David Thoreau did not consider his time on Walden Pond a writing retreat, per-se. He was retreating from all of life, and he wrote about how brilliant that was. Despite his assured and unrema…

Reflecting on moments that shaped his life, actor Ethan Hawke examines how courageous expression promotes healing and connection with one another -- and invites you to discover your own unabashed creativity. "There is no path till you walk it," he says.

I realized my book could focus on what I cared about most

Hey Week 5 and you’re hitting the hump aren’t you? I can feel it. I get to this point also. It’s where the adrenaline of the initial idea is wearing off and you’re starting to find conjuring drama difficult and writing is hard and it’s just easier to muck about on the internet, and the book you’re reading is making you think, I am terrible, everything I do is terrible, I’ll never be as good as this, and you’re ready to junk it in.

Become a better creative writer with The Write Practice. Find the best writing lessons, get timed writing prompts and exercises, and then publish your writing in our community to get feedback.

1. Read like mad. But try to do it analytically – which can be hard, because the better and more compelling a novel is, the less conscious you will be of its devices. It’s worth…