Resources for Writers

One of the most important parts of writing a good action/adventure book usually involves a strong villain. Now when I say a villain, you don’t have to imagine Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty or Dr. Drakken from Kim Possible. The best part about making a villain is that you don’t have to follow the fairytale archetype, which is black and white (Cinderella is good and the … [Read more...] about Five Ways to Strengthen the Role of the Villian

Top 10 Types of Poems, Forms or FormatsHere is a list of what I feel are the Top 10 Types of Poems, Forms or Formats. I say forms or formats because we cross some lines of distinction here that are not always easy to explain. Basically these are types of poems where people use a certain form to create them, but some are forms in and of themselves. Anyway,  I wanted to come … [Read more...] about Top 10 Types of Poems, Forms or Formats

100 Story ideas Categorized by Theme Here are 100 story ideas categorized by theme every writer should write. Why should every writer write these particular story ideas? These are the basics. I’ve been teaching writing for a long time, and I’ve worked with writer’s groups and workshops for over 20 years. These ideas always get writers writing, and sometimes it's worth a lot … [Read more...] about 100 Story ideas Categorized by Theme

How to Publish a Poem  This article, "How to Publish a Poem"  is one of our old articles that was titled “How to Submit a Poem.” We have changed it somewhat, and changed the title, but most of the information is the same. The link to How to Submit a Poem redirects here. I changed it because I believe how to submit a poem and how to publish a poem are really one in the … [Read more...] about How to Publish a Poem

 Here are a few tips and examples of how to write a cover letter. In the old days, really not that long ago, it was customary to send a cover letter with your short story or poetry submission. For 100s of years it was customary to send a cover letter, but writers are following tradition less and less. Not sending a cover letter can seem a little arrogant on the … [Read more...] about How to Write a Cover Letter

This is our list of 1000 Great Short Stories of All Time. To the best of my knowledge no list, book, film or otherwise exists like this one. This will be the first list of it's kind, ever, again as far as I know. In doing a first list you really hope to do it best, but with a 1000 stories on the list, it will make doing it well very difficult, so, as with our list of poems, we … [Read more...] about 1000 Greatest Short Stories of All Time

A complete sentence is simple a NOUN (or Pronoun), VERB AND a Complete thought. If you can put these 3 things together with a capital at the beginning and punctuation at the end, you’ll have a complete sentence.Keep it simpleSo to learn what a sentence is, it is easiest to start with the basics. We you have a NOUN, VERB and A COMPLETE THOUGHT. You have the most basic … [Read more...] about What is a complete sentence?

Writer's Checklist for the Zombie Apocalypse! Here is our Writer's Checklist for the Zombie Apocalypse. It's everything you will need if the zombies attack, as a writer. In light of recent events I thought I would give my suggestions on what writers should do to prepare for and during the coming zombie apocalypse. I feel writers will deal with the coming scourge differently … [Read more...] about Writer’s Checklist for the Zombie Apocalypse!

How do I format my manuscript?If you are wondering How do I format my manuscript, here is a 10 part easy to follow checklist that we feel answers most questions people have when they are submitting a manuscript to a publisher. Keep in mind the rule of thumb here is to make your manuscripts easy to read, neat, and professional. This isn't the only way to do it, and we are … [Read more...] about How do I format my manuscript?

Why Simultaneous Submissions are Essential Writing can be an exhausting endeavor, especially if you’re a family oriented (or just busy) person. Trying to juggle your household responsibilities, a proper diet and exercise, errands, and most likely a day job, finding time to write can be tough. When you do get a moment of blissful silence where you can sit back and reflect a … [Read more...] about Why Simultaneous Submissions are Essential

Do you want know how to start a literary magazine? Many people have a passion for writing. One of the best ways to connect yourself to writers and meet artists is to become an editor of a literary magazine. There are many ways to do this. Some ways are better than others. So here are some things to think about when you are beginning a magazine. I have been the editor of 2 … [Read more...] about How to Start a Literary Magazine