Just Write
Inspiration to write.
Stories remind us what matters.
Most Recent Just Write Post:
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Write toward obsessions, toward fun, toward compression
“I want to write to test forms and to break them. I want to write toward my obsessions. I want to write toward fun, and toward compression. I want to know, and I want to experiment . . .”—“What is Your Ambition? The Reasons to Write,” by Beth Kephart, The Brevity Blog, January 2, 2025
More Just Write posts in date order
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Write toward obsessions, toward fun, toward compression
Read more: Write toward obsessions, toward fun, toward compression“I want to write to test forms and to break them. I want to write toward my obsessions. I want to write toward fun, and toward compression. I want to know, and I want to…
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Your Path to Success
Read more: Your Path to SuccessExcerpt from an excellent post by Dan Blank: “As a writer, it can be difficult to find a clear path that leads you to your goals.” “One of my biggest concerns is that someone has…
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Making sense of something senseless
Read more: Making sense of something senselessI have re-read a Wall Street Journal article numerous times since its publication, July 2024, partly because of the subject, mostly because of the riveting way it was written . . . the account of…
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Stories offer Solace and Hope
Read more: Stories offer Solace and HopePhoto by Marlene Cullen “In times of unrest, struggle, and uncertainty, people reach for the comfort of story. When the world around us may feel bleak or overwhelming, stories offer us not just an escape…
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Create Characters That Feel Like Real People
Read more: Create Characters That Feel Like Real PeopleSophie Campbell hands us the key to unlock the dilemma of when to “show” and when to “tell.” “In creative writing, we’re often told to show, not tell. It’s practically gospel. In essence, it means show us how…
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What a good editor can do for you
Read more: What a good editor can do for youThoughts from Elizabeth Austin. “A good editor gives feedback that feels less like judgment and more like a conversation—less ‘here’s what’s wrong’ and more ‘here’s where we can dig deeper.’ There is something incredibly satisfying,…
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Imagine
Read more: ImagineAn inspiring message from Gurdeep Pandher The human mind tends to focus on painful memories while letting positive ones fade. These distressing memories become our heaviest burden, causing ongoing emotional pain. How much of our…
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One word, one concept at a time
Read more: One word, one concept at a timeBrevity’s Blog, “Worth the Climb: Self-Editing Secrets That Actually Work” by Allison K. Williams reveals creative ideas for revision as well as first draft ideas. I particularly like Allison’s suggestion about “converting similes to metaphors when possible—saying something is something else is more…
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See The Scene
Read more: See The SceneKasey Butcher Santana describes a scene about her “outdoor classroom.” “My science teacher uses a ruler and twine to mark a square-foot box in the damp blanket of leaves covering the ‘outdoor classroom.’ My task…