Running a writing contest may seem like a risky undertaking for an individual, a literary magazine, or any other type of publication. In order to get any interest at all, you have to put up some prize money. What happens if there aren’t enough entrants to cover your prize purse? How is a publication supposed … Continue reading How to Host a Writing Contest
Being a good writer isn’t easy. While some people seem to be naturally good writers, every proficient writer has to develop their skills through years of practice. On the other hand, some people seem like bad writers who just can’t craft a good sentence if their life depended on it. Fortunately, everyone can become a … Continue reading 9 Ways to Become a Better Writer
This post is going to be so stupidly simple that it’s going to blow your mind. If you want to drive more organic traffic to your website, there is one thing you absolutely must do above all other tactics: CREATE MORE CONTENT! Wow, it felt really good to get that off my chest. Seriously, it’s … Continue reading The one thing you absolutely must do to drive more organic traffic to your website
If you want to be a great storyteller, you have to know how to write dialogue. I’m about to make a shocking confession: sometimes when I’m reading a book, I’ll start skimming. And when I skim, I often will pass quickly through large blocks of narrative in search of dialogue. Thankfully, the dialogue will usually … Continue reading How to Write Dialogue with Good and Bad Dialogue Examples
I recently saw this pseudo-inspirational quote on Facebook: “If I only wrote when I felt like writing, I’d never write anything.” There’s a fair amount of true to this. How often do you really feel like writing? Unfortunately for me, the answer is not enough. More often than not, I'd rather fritter and waste the … Continue reading 9 Things You Can Do When You Don’t Feel Like Writing
Lately, I’ve seen a massive increase in the number of ads in my Facebook feed offering cheap content writing services. Granted, it’s probably my own fault for engaging with some of these ads, but it still makes me sick to see all these phony companies taking advantage of both customers and writers. I’m here to … Continue reading Why you should never buy cheap content writing for your website
When a publication rejects your work, it’s pretty final. They are telling you, “We don’t want this.” When they accept your work, it’s also pretty final (or at least it should be). It’s their way of saying, “We really like this and want to share it with the world.” But sometimes you get something in … Continue reading What a rewrite request really means
Aside from apostrophes placed where they don’t belong, my top grammatical pet peeve is misusing “everyday” and “every day.” It’s probably a bit irrational, but it grinds my gears beyond belief. Hell, I’ve even stopped using products after finding this error on the packaging. This is one of the few mistakes I see on a … Continue reading Everyday vs Every Day. Is Everyday One Word or Two?
I started my first WordPress blog in 2012. Prior to that, I had been using a static HTML website for several years, so I certainly knew my way around a website. In fact, I think anyone who hasn’t built or managed a static HTML site is missing out. Not that I would recommend anyone actually … Continue reading Why you absolutely must self-host your WordPress blog
When reading submission guidelines, one of my biggest turn-offs as a writer is the dreaded "NO SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS." This is especially true for those publications with notoriously long response times. Who are these editors to demand an exclusive look at your piece? Would you apply for a job if the employer said you couldn't apply … Continue reading What are simultaneous submissions? Your complete guide to submitting your work.
