Writing Forward

Story Drills is packed with fundamental storytelling concepts and comprehensive writing exercises that will strengthen your skills.

A fiction writing exercise. 

"There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." - W. Somerset Maugham

Writing Tip: Use descriptive words that engage readers’ senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

"If you read good books, when you write, good books will come out of you." ― Natalie Goldberg

Get more writing prompts.

How to Identify the Protagonist in a Story

You can't have too many writing tips and you can't be reminded of them too often or too many times. Here are fifteen of my favorite tips for better writing.

It's a battle for the ages - affect vs. effect. These two homophones are misspelled and mixed up all the time. But with these tips, you'll always get them right.

Whether you need something for the writer in your life or want to treat yourself to something special this holiday season, these gifts will hit the spot.

In this excerpt from the book 10 Core Practices for Better Writing we examine the benefits of revising your writing.

What’s the Story? Building Blocks for Storytellers fosters a better understanding of stories, what they are made of, and how they are developed.

Find out how keeping a journal makes you a better writer by improving your habits and skills.

Writing tip: Figure out what your character is most afraid of, then make the character face it.

Part memoir, filled with poetry exercises and activities, and sprinkled with poems, Poemcrazy is sure to inspire anyone who wants to delve deeper into the art of writing poetry and the lifestyle of a poet.

Lemony Snicket

The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler is the seminal book on storytelling, a must-read for all fiction writers.