Plot twist story prompts aren’t meant for the beginning or the end of stories. Rather, they’re for forcing big and small turns in the anticipated trajectory of a story. This is to make it more interesting for the readers and writers alike. Each week, I’ll provide a new prompt to help twist your story. Find […]
C. J. Box is the author of 24 Joe Pickett novels, eight stand-alone novels, and a story collection. He has won the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, Gumshoe, and two Barry awards, as well as the French Prix Calibre .38, the Western Heritage Award for Literature, and two Spur Awards. An avid outdoorsman, Box has hunted, fished, […]
It’s our last day of this challenge, and whether you joined in every day or just wrote a single story, I’m so happy to have had this time writing with all of you! If you’re feeling a little glum that this challenge is coming to a close, I want to reassure you that there’s another […]
A source in journalism can refer to a person, interview, document, speech, video, an official record, book, data, or article. This is the information reporters rely on to build a substantive, credible, and impactful story. (10 Interviewing Tips for Journalists.) There are two main types of sources in journalism—primary and secondary. We’ll address how to […]
C. J. Cooke is an award-winning poet and novelist published in twenty-three languages. She teaches creative writing at the University of Glasgow, where she also researches the impact of motherhood on women’s writing and creative writing interventions for mental health. Follow her on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram. C. J. Cooke Photo © C. J. […]
For this week’s prompt, write a leap-year poem. Tomorrow, February 29, is a day that only exists once every four years. So a leap-year poem could be about that actual date. Or it could dive into what you’re going to do with that “extra day” you get once every four years. Or, well, who am […]
For today’s prompt, write a one-sentence story. Remember: These prompts are just starting points; you have the freedom to go wherever your flash of inspiration takes you. (Note: If you run into any issues with posting your story, please just send me an e-mail at mrichard@aimmedia.com with the subject line: Flash Fiction Challenge Commenting Issue.) […]
If you do a Google search for “romantasy,” you don’t get a clear definition. There’s no Wikipedia page outlining elements of the genre. Instead, the results largely include lists of recommended romantasy books to read, and they have a considerable amount of overlap. So there must be some generally understood definition that people are using […]
“Borrowed interest” is perhaps the most inept—and ineffective—approach to advertising today … yet its use is widespread. In “borrowed interest advertising,” the marketer can’t think of anything interesting to say about their product. So they “borrow” interest for the ad from somewhere else. A case in point is CHEMCAD. CHEMCAD is “process simulation software” sold […]
By: Miriam Manglani Linda didn’t ask for a step daughter with Down Syndrome when she married Allen six months ago. She exhaled in frustration and paced through her bedroom, her heals digging into the white plush carpet. “You said we’d go to the Country Club dinner tonight.” “That was before I knew Greta’s play was […]
When I began drafting Once Persuaded, Twice Shy, as a modern reimagining of Persuasion, I knew I was going to need to bring the funny. (4 Tips for Writing a Modern Retelling.) Not only is Jane Austen known for her sparkling humor and vividly drawn comedic characters, but in Persuasion, her classic tale of second […]
By: Steven Grogan I think I was just too nervous when I let my tongue go rattling off like the machine gun I was holding. Why did I have to say I was going to kill those people if my demands weren’t met? Nothing could have been further from the truth! Unfortunately, the chance to […]
