There is something divine about early book printing. A graceful simplicity to an author delivering a handwritten document and walking away with printed copies. Perhaps the print house was plaster and warm wood, bathed in the golden glow of an afternoon, the light interrupted by dust motes carried through the air. Maybe the smell of […]
March 2020: You remember, don’t you? While we were all sterilizing our mail and hoarding toilet paper for the apocalypse, I was launching my debut novel. What’s funny about this—if anything is funny—is that The Companions opens during a pandemic, two years into lockdown, though I call it quarantine in the novel because lockdown is […]
Photo by Patrick Konior on Unsplash For today’s prompt, write about someone who has been willed their distant relative’s storage unit. Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments below.
Brydie Lee-Kennedy is an Australian screenwriter and author who splits her time between London and Sydney. She has written on shows for Netflix, Apple TV, and Disney. In a former life she was a cabaret performer, kids party entertainer, and sex columnist. Follow her on X (Twitter) and Instagram. Brydie Lee-Kennedy In this interview, Brydie […]
Today is our fifth (and final) Two-for-Tuesday prompt, and also the final prompt of the 2024 April Poem-A-Day Challenge. But it’s not the final prompt(s) of the year, because we’ll get back to Wednesday Poetry Prompts every week beginning tomorrow, and I am planning to lead the 17th annual November Poem-A-Day Chapbook Challenge in November […]
I’m sorry for the delay, but it’s finally time to reveal the results of the 2023 November PAD Chapbook Challenge. This year, there were nearly 80 entries from all around the country and the world. Once again, I saw a mix of familiar names as well as new-to-me names. The first round narrowed things down […]
YA summer romances come in a variety of flavors. Some sweep you off your feet, taking you on a whirlwind of sun-soaked escapism. Others offer more mellow ramblings through sleepy towns, endless afternoons, and quirky summer jobs. (5 Things Romance Writers Do to Win Over Readers.) Whether you want to write a summer teen love […]
In this week’s roundup brought to us by Script magazine, Barri Evins provides 5 powerful essentials that can help launch your screenwriter career—and they have nothing to do with writing. Plus, learn how to add effective plot twists to your stories, and read interviews with film historian Jeanine Basinger, Breathe screenwriter Doug Simon, and Humane […]
Jeff Zentner is the author of New York Times Notable Books The Serpent King and In the Wild Light, as well as Goodbye Days and Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee. Among other honors, he has won the ALA’s William C. Morris Award, the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award twice, the Muriel Becker Award, and the International […]
From KMW: On the one hand, deciding how to build a character arc is pretty simple: the character changes, the end. On the other hand, building a character arc can often seem monumentally overwhelming. How can we possibly take so nuanced and complex an experience as personal change and convey it realistically through the events […]
Crafting a compelling story within a specific genre is akin to deciphering a secret code. Every genre has its unique DNA—a set of markers that define its essence. To truly master your chosen genre, you need to become a genre detective, adept at uncovering and employing these markers to create stories that resonate deeply with […]
Tomorrow is the final day of this challenge, but remember: This challenge ain’t over until it’s over, so… For today’s prompt, take the phrase “Until (blank),” replace the blank with a new word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles might include: “Until the […]
