The Difference Between a Personal and Academic Essay
Personal essays and academic essays serve different purposes and audiences. Personal essays are intimate, reflective, and conversational, while academic essays are structured, evidence-based, and analytical. Understanding these differences can help writers navigate both forms effectively.
Tie Up the Loose Ends
A strong ending ties up loose ends, provides emotional and intellectual closure, and ensures your story lingers in readers’ minds. Here’s how to craft one that resonates.
Adapt Your Novel to a Film
Turning your novel into a movie is a dream for many writers, but the journey from page to screen is challenging. Understanding the film industry, mastering story structure, and adapting your craft for a visual medium can increase your chances. Learn what makes a novel film-worthy and how to navigate Hollywood’s complexities.
A Writer’s Job is to Make It Look Easy
A writer’s job isn’t to show the struggle—it’s to make the craft look effortless. But behind every seamless page lies discipline, daily practice, and an unstoppable creative mind.
The Twenty-Five Year Rule: A Traditional Path to Becoming a Great Writer
Becoming a great writer doesn’t happen overnight. Like any profession, it takes years of dedication, study, and practice. Explore the traditional 25-year path to mastering the craft of writing.
Rewriting: The Key to a Remarkable Manuscript
A remarkable manuscript is not about being well-written but well-rewritten. Rewriting is essential, but too much can harm the manuscript. Knowing when and how to rewrite requires a deep understanding of the craft, intuition, and experience. Writers must learn to analyze, identify problems, and know when a change is truly necessary to preserve the core of their work.
In Things That Matter, We Do Have Control
Talent is natural, but persistence is rare. Writers have control over showing up, improving, and creating. While we can’t dictate how our work will be received, we can control our dedication, our craft, and our passion for storytelling.
The Myth of Innate Writing Talent: Why Anyone Can Learn to Write
Writing is not an innate talent reserved for a chosen few—it is a craft that can be learned and mastered. The key lies in perseverance, education, and the willingness to grow. Those who doubt themselves may, in fact, be the ones with the most potential.
Beginnings and Endings: Do They Ever Begin or End?
Beginnings and endings in storytelling are never absolute—they exist within a continuum of narratives that shape and influence us. Understanding this literary stream allows writers to create with awareness, originality, and purpose.
The Burden and Courage of Creativity
Creativity is a fundamental human trait, yet it often faces resistance. Writers must have the courage to express their creativity, understanding their culture, art, and time to challenge the norms and innovate.
Protagonists Don’t Have to Be Likeable; They Have to Be Unforgettable
A protagonist doesn’t need to be likable—just unforgettable. Whether heroic or villainous, they must captivate from their first entrance. Readers should feel an irresistible pull, whether through admiration, disgust, or fascination. The key is to create a character no one can ignore.
Writers Beware: There is No Formula for Writing
There’s no magic formula for great writing—only hard work, creativity, and persistence. Beware of rigid writing rules that promise success. Instead, focus on learning, reading, practicing, and refining your craft to become an original, engaging writer.
Writers are Both Born and Made
Are writers born or made? The answer is both. Your natural abilities provide the foundation, but dedication and effort determine how far you go.