alan watt on writing

Recent posts

People gather around material in a professional work setting to suggest the value of a critique circle to professional effort

The Critique Circle Every Serious Writer Eventually Needs

Is there value in joining a critique circle?  Writing is one of the most solitary of all professions. You sit...

A woman looks out in the foreground with a map in her hand pointing into the distance of lush trees to suggest that avoiding plagiarism has a natural vibe filled with light and leisure

The No-Excuses Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism

Avoiding plagiarism seems like a simple task: Just don’t steal someone else’s work. But when you’re immersed in research with...

A woman in a bookshop look at novels with a camera beside her as a visual parallel for how to adapt a book into a screenplay

How to Adapt a Book Into a Screenplay

Months, maybe even years, have been invested in crafting your novel or memoir, and now you have decided to adapt...

A woman at attention watching someone perform in the foreground and a captive audience behind her suggest the way to write a cumulative sentence that would pull an audience in.

The Cumulative Sentence: How to Write Lines that Pull Readers In

The cumulative sentence is a versatile sentence structure that helps writers develop rhythm, reveal character, and enrich description within a...

People surrounded a paper with highlighter and pen to suggest a light collaborative and beautiful feeling to line editing as a process

Line Editing: Transform Good Writing Into Great Writing

Perhaps you’ve been working hard on your rewrite, but something is still off and you’re not quite sure how to...

A daily calendar that has a bunch of notes saying to "write!" suggesting that writing challenges offer a daily rigor.

Writing Challenges: How Small Daily Commitments Create Extraordinary Results

The writing challenge is a commitment to write each day. A few years ago, I noticed that the writers in...

Book Editing

See all articles
The Critique Circle Every Serious Writer Eventually Needs
Book Editing

The Critique Circle Every Serious Writer Eventually Needs

Line Editing: Transform Good Writing Into Great Writing
Book Editing

Line Editing: Transform Good Writing Into Great Writing

Revising vs. Editing: Why Mixing Them Up Is Costing More Than You Think
Book Editing

Revising vs. Editing: Why Mixing Them Up Is Costing More Than You Think

Copy Editing
Book Editing

Copy Editing

Proofreading Marks
Book Editing

Proofreading Marks

Book Outline

See all articles
Pacing in Writing
Book Outline

Pacing in Writing

What Makes a Good Story? The Four Elements
Book Outline

What Makes a Good Story? The Four Elements

Character Outline
Book Outline

Character Outline

Book Outline: Where Do I Start?
Book Outline

Book Outline: Where Do I Start?

The Pantser Method: Writing Without an Outline
Book Outline

The Pantser Method: Writing Without an Outline

Character Development

See all articles
The Hero Archetype: Building a Character Worth Following 
Character Development

The Hero Archetype: Building a Character Worth Following 

The Creator Archetype: Writing the Character Who Builds, Breaks, and Burns 
Character Development

The Creator Archetype: Writing the Character Who Builds, Breaks, and Burns 

Character Ideas
Character Development

Character Ideas

The Sage Archetype: The Gift and Burden of Knowing 
Character Development

The Sage Archetype: The Gift and Burden of Knowing 

Character Development
Character Development

Character Development

How to Edit a Book

See all articles
The Ultimate Guide to Developmental Editing 
How to Edit a Book

The Ultimate Guide to Developmental Editing 

How to Publish a Book

See all articles
How to Copyright a Book Like a Pro
How to Publish a Book

How to Copyright a Book Like a Pro

How to Write a Query Letter
How to Publish a Book

How to Write a Query Letter

How to Self-Publish a Book
How to Publish a Book

How to Self-Publish a Book

Literary Agents: Steps to Securing Representation
How to Publish a Book

Literary Agents: Steps to Securing Representation

Book Cover Design
How to Publish a Book

Book Cover Design

How to Write a Memoir

See all articles
How to Start a Memoir
How to Write a Memoir

How to Start a Memoir

Examples of Memoirs: What Great Memoirs Can Teach You About Storytelling
How to Write a Memoir

Examples of Memoirs: What Great Memoirs Can Teach You About Storytelling

Advice from Authors on Writing Memoir – 8 Helpful Hints
How to Write a Memoir

Advice from Authors on Writing Memoir – 8 Helpful Hints

Memoir Writing Prompts to Help You Find the Real Story
How to Write a Memoir

Memoir Writing Prompts to Help You Find the Real Story

Memoir Ideas: Finding the Story Only You Can Tell
How to Write a Memoir

Memoir Ideas: Finding the Story Only You Can Tell

How to Write a Screenplay

See all articles
How to Adapt a Book Into a Screenplay
How to Write a Screenplay

How to Adapt a Book Into a Screenplay

Wearing Too Many Hats: Understanding the Screenwriter’s Role
How to Write a Screenplay

Wearing Too Many Hats: Understanding the Screenwriter’s Role

“Too Many Hats” — Why Your Screenplay Loses Focus
How to Write a Screenplay

“Too Many Hats” — Why Your Screenplay Loses Focus

What is a Screenplay?
How to Write a Screenplay

What is a Screenplay?

How to Outline a Screenplay
How to Write a Screenplay

How to Outline a Screenplay

The Writing Process

See all articles
The No-Excuses Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism
The Writing Process

The No-Excuses Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism

Writing Challenges: How Small Daily Commitments Create Extraordinary Results
The Writing Process

Writing Challenges: How Small Daily Commitments Create Extraordinary Results

Writing Journals: A Conversation with Your Creative Mind 
The Writing Process

Writing Journals: A Conversation with Your Creative Mind 

Peer Learning: Why Writers Grow Faster Together
The Writing Process

Peer Learning: Why Writers Grow Faster Together

Words Have Power
The Writing Process

Words Have Power

Writers on Writing

See all articles
Trust Your Wild Imagination
Writers on Writing

Trust Your Wild Imagination

Writing Short-Form Articles for Substack
Writers on Writing

Writing Short-Form Articles for Substack

Unmoored: My Search for Meaning
Writers on Writing

Unmoored: My Search for Meaning

Follow the Dog: On Persistence and Self-Trust
Writers on Writing

Follow the Dog: On Persistence and Self-Trust

4 Tips for Writing a Novel
Writers on Writing

4 Tips for Writing a Novel

Writing Resources and Tools

See all articles

Writing Techniques

See all articles
The Cumulative Sentence: How to Write Lines that Pull Readers In
Writing Techniques

The Cumulative Sentence: How to Write Lines that Pull Readers In

Dialogue Tags: The Art of Guiding Conversation 
Writing Techniques

Dialogue Tags: The Art of Guiding Conversation 

The Scapegoat: Why Your Characters Need Someone to Blame
Writing Techniques

The Scapegoat: Why Your Characters Need Someone to Blame

Descriptive Adjectives: Choosing Words That Create Emotion  
Writing Techniques

Descriptive Adjectives: Choosing Words That Create Emotion  

Third Person Objective – Point of View
Writing Techniques

Third Person Objective – Point of View