Writers on Writing

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Writing Short-Form Articles for Substack

If you’re like me, and wondered if being on social media and doing book promotion was even compatible with the...

A man solemnly wears a lot of many hats that he needs to sell — is this what you want your writing to represent?

“Too Many Hats” — Why Your Screenplay Loses Focus

“Too many hats” is one of the most common traps a screenwriter can fall into, and it almost always begins...

When excavating photographs and old memories one may find what they need in memoir ideas for their next stories

Memoir Ideas: Finding the Story Only You Can Tell

Some writers believe you need to have lived a dramatic life in order to write a great memoir, but that’s...

A man holds a duke by the hair with a knife to suggest a sometimes simple and violent heart of a central conflict. More quickly identified.

Central Conflict

Though you may love and care about your protagonist, there needs to be a central conflict in your story. You...

A controller below a series of puzzle pieces suggests that the controlling idea leads a writer through their narrative an an audience to the heart of the story's controller

Controlling Idea

Some stories explore universal themes like belonging or ambition, while others arrive with something very specific to say. The latter...

A woman looks at floor plans with two people looking over her shoulder to suggest visual similarity to plot development

Plot Development: 3 Main Elements

Good plot development doesn’t rush or drag. It doesn’t stumble or take detours, nor does it feel contrived. A good...

need to write: manuscript on laptop with dog
Blog
Kelly Dwyer

What I Need to Write

Dorland Mountain Arts Colony is a tranquil retreat for writers, artists, and musicians in the mountains of Temecula, California. The first time

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Recent posts

Substack logo on white

Writing Short-Form Articles for Substack

If you’re like me, and wondered if being on social media and doing book promotion was even compatible with the...

A ship's mooring in a snowy part of the world to give a frosty visualization of Unmoored

Unmoored: My Search for Meaning

Explore the transformative power of writing as a tool for healing trauma, finding self-acceptance, and discovering meaning beyond the search...
A blank page for the article "Follow the Dog: On Persistence and Self-Trust" by Tess Callahan

Follow the Dog: On Persistence and Self-Trust

Tess Callahan details her journey through authorship and publishing her manuscripts--the difficulty of not feeling enough as a writer and...
Visualization of 4 tips to write a novel image licensed from deathtothestockphoto

4 Tips for Writing a Novel

Monica Lourens shares tips on how to write a novel and find one's individual strength to finish their work....
Featured image for author Maida Korte's guest blog

Authoring – and Other Writerly Pursuits

Maida Korte explores 5 critical tenets to help writer's prove their authorship and create unabashedly in a piece on her...
need to write: manuscript on laptop with dog

What I Need to Write

Dorland Mountain Arts Colony is a tranquil retreat for writers, artists, and musicians in the mountains of Temecula, California. The...