Story setting as a character? Have you ever read a book where the author describes a scene yet leaves you feeling flat? Try this. Instead of telling or even showing your setting, why not bring the elements to life? Sun…
Cliche Rephrasing Look at your current work in progress. Regardless of genre, book, article, poetry, whatever, underline any cliched phrase in it. Write alternatives for each of those phrases. Remember, actions (waking to an alarm clock) can also be cliche.…
Imagine you’re on the way to your wedding ceremony. As you drive past a pond, you see a group of kids, screaming. Their friend in the water just went under, not coming back up. What do you do? Write this…
Today, write about your best vacation. Use as many senses as possible to show the story and don’t forget to add emotion. Make us wish we went on that vacation with you.
Ever try writing with humor? For non-fiction, humor can keep a reader interested. In fiction, especially when dealing with serious or dark subjects, humor allows the reader to breathe for a moment. The best writing evokes emotion, and laughter is…
Happy St. Patrick’s Day. I had to say that, since I have a fair percentage of Irish blood flowing through my veins. For today’s prompt, let’s practice research and then write what we find. Why do we celebrate this day?…
I know the ending to this story from last night’s thunderstorms. But how would you end it? Have fun creating your imaginary ending to my story. Continue without adding passive verbs and show, don’t tell. Post your work in the…
Writing Retreat. What exactly does that mean? Fantastic question as the deadline for Texas Radical Writers’ spring 2023 retreat looms. Registration ends this weekend. If you want to attend, you still have time, and we still have spaces open. But…
Fear keeps us in bondage. It prevents us from reaching our full potential–as writers, as people in general. For today’s writing prompt, consider what you fear most. Spend some time writing what you would do if that fear didn’t exist.…
Can a picture tell more than a well-written paragraph? Sometimes, perhaps. When you look at the photo posted here, what goes through your mind? I might weave a story around a woman simply enjoying a sunset. Then again, perhaps she…
