Great writers are always great readers—and not by accident. Clay Stafford explores how reading with purpose strengthens a writer’s craft, voice, and imagination. Learn to turn every book into a classroom, expand your creative vocabulary, and transform reading into an essential part of your writing practice.
Every writer needs to know their audience. Writing for “everyone” often means reaching no one, but tailoring your story for a specific readership builds clarity, resonance, and loyalty.
This essay is crazy talk. Yesterday was the perfect day, a snapshot of what every day could be like in my ideal world. We all know that life interferes. That’s what life does. I used to think that these sorts of days, the perfect ones, were anomalies, but over the...
I usually write about aspects of literature, but today, I will veer a bit. Several out there seem to be songwriters or budding songwriters and have asked for some songwriting tips, knowing I’ve had a little musical background, including writing, producing, and...
“You’re very creative.” You said it before to someone. Probably several people have said it to you. People collectively think of creativity as something we are born with. That’s probably partly true. But no matter how well I was born to shoot basketball hoops, if I...
I’m all about reading, but I’m also all about writing. Answers are not necessarily found in self-help books, in fixing everything that “is wrong with you,” or staring out the window thinking about how things could be better. Sometimes, our self-reflection seems...
My daughter caught my attention. “But I want it to be perfect.” It was a moment of awakening. My daughter's innocent desire for perfection echoed my own inner struggle, a battle I’ve been fighting for years. The realization that this ideal of perfection was already...
As a speaker on leadership, I often address diverse groups, not exclusively writers. However, it's crucial to recognize that writers are indeed leaders. They are the driving force behind their teams, the origin of all creative endeavors. Today, I want to delve into...
Embrace the joy of brainstorming. It's a process I love, filled with cool ideas that may not all work out, but some are definitely keepers. And even the ones that don't stick around forever can lead to even more fantastic ideas. It's a constant process, and I...
Plotter or pantser? I am not fond of those terms. I am not fond of those discussions. I was on a panel discussion at Bouchercon last week, and my answer is that we are both. If you ask a professional writer if they are a plotter or a pantser, you’ll probably see them...