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How To Write Shop

Articles on the craft and business of writing

Author: Kathy Steffen

Why Write Fiction? Top Ten Reasons

September 4, 2018 by Kathy Steffen 1 Comment
present tense vs. past tense young adult books

Why write fiction? There are loads of reasons to not start, or to quit, writing fiction. Here are just a few… There are too many people writing, now more than ever. The odds are not in your favor for grabbing an agent or publisher’s attention. You won’t get rich. The work takes years. It’s a … [Read more…]

Posted in: Inspiration, Writing Life Tagged: writing fiction

Five Steps to Picking the Perfect Book Title

July 5, 2018 by Kathy Steffen Leave a Comment
picking the perfect book title

One of the biggest challenges I find in writing is picking the perfect title. Book titles, story or essay, doesn’t matter. They’re all difficult. But picking the perfect book title? There’s a lot of pressure on that one. Being a novelist means I like to use many words. A one-to-five word title can throw me … [Read more…]

Posted in: Marketing, Writing Business Tagged: book titles

14 Creative Challenges to Build Confidence

May 29, 2018 by Kathy Steffen Leave a Comment
creative challenges to build confidence

When creative challenges present themselves, what is your first reaction? Embarrassingly, my first reaction in the past has been NO WAY!! Recently, I had an opportunity to write an introspective political essay. A chance to be serious, honest, and dig into myself to uncover deep feelings. My first reaction? NO WAY!!! Yet, something (inspiration? my … [Read more…]

Posted in: Inspiration, Writing Life Tagged: creative challenges, writing inspiration

How to Find Writing Inspiration in Your Garden

May 21, 2018 by Kathy Steffen Leave a Comment
how to find writing inspiration garden

Creating a garden (or even being in one) is wonderful inspiration for writing. Keeping a garden journal is the perfect way to enjoy both. If you are a gardener, you can use your journal to make notes, develop to-do lists, plan your space, keep planting records and include photos of your garden as it begins … [Read more…]

Posted in: Inspiration, Writing Craft, Writing Life, Writing Prompts Tagged: writing inspiration, writing prompts

Keeping Readers Engaged: Word Choice Matters

May 16, 2018 by Kathy Steffen Leave a Comment
keeping readers engaged word choice in writing

Writing is about choosing powerful, interesting, and specific words to keep your readers engaged no matter what you are writing. Keeping readers engaged means making every word count. And nothing puts me more in the mood for a session of word-nerding than wisdom from Mark Twain. ~~~ “The difference between the almost right word & … [Read more…]

Posted in: Writing Craft, Writing Tips Tagged: word choice
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