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By Dr Dan Be honest. When you read a novel, do you ever skip? Maybe your eyes slide past a long paragraph about the wallpaper, or you flip ahead to see when somebody finally says something. Almost every reader does it. Elmore Leonard, the crime and Western writer behind Get Shorty and Hombre, built one of the most useful writing rules ever printed around that simple habit. The advice In 2001, Leonard wrote a short piece for The New York Times series "Writers on Writing." In i

In the early hours of April 11, 1951, reporters were called to the White House for an unusual late-night announcement. President Harry Truman had relieved General Douglas MacArthur of his commands in the Far East, including command of United Nations forces fighting in Korea. MacArthur was a five-star general and one of the most famous men in America. The news stunned the country. That moment sits at the heart of my novel At the End of Hardship. Today I want to share the real

Every writer knows the feeling. You sit down with time set aside, a cup of coffee, and a clean page, and nothing comes. The story was clear in your head an hour ago. Now it won't budge. Ernest Hemingway knew that feeling too, and the way he got past it is one of the simplest pieces of writing advice ever put on paper. The advice "All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know." — Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast (1964) A Moveable Feas

By Dr Dan A loaded rifle hangs over the fireplace in Act One. By Act Three, the audience is waiting. If nobody ever touches it, they leave the theater feeling cheated, and possibly a little nervous. Anton Chekhov, the Russian doctor who wrote short stories and plays on the side (or perhaps practiced medicine on the side), turned that feeling into some of the most famous writing advice ever given. The advice "One must never place a loaded rifle on the stage if it isn't going t

Some writing advice takes a whole book to explain. Mark Twain needed one sentence and a joke about bugs. It may be the most memorable thing anyone has said about word choice, and it is just as useful now as it was in 1888. The advice "The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—'tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning." — Mark Twain, letter to George Bainton, 15 October 1888, published in The Art of Authorshi

By Dr Dan Some writing advice arrives as a thick system. Kurt Vonnegut gave us eleven words that do more work than most of those systems put together. The advice "Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water." — Kurt Vonnegut, introduction to Bagombo Snuff Box (1999) It is rule three of the eight rules he called "Creative Writing 101" in that introduction. He also said great writers break his rules. He named Flannery O'Connor, who "broke practica

By Dr Dan Stephen King reduces the writing life to two habits. They sound simple, but they are demanding because they require steady attention over time: read a lot and write a lot. The advice is useful for beginners, experienced writers, and anyone who has ever wondered whether they have started too late. The advice "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There's no way around these two things that I'm aware of, no sh

So, you’ve decided to finally write that book. You’re worried you started too late, and you’re convinced the publishing world is currently run by 22-year-olds who code in their sleep and communicate entirely in emojis.

Writing a novel is terrifying enough without worrying that Mrs. Higgins next door will recognize her passive-aggressive geranium-watering habits in Chapter Three.

Here are five embarrassingly tiny habits to lower the bar so much that even you can cross it.

The Great Reset: Why Blank Pages Are Actually a Feature, Not a Bug.

New writers often fail because common daily habits stop their progress before they can grow.

Your brain is lying to you. It wants you to believe that writer’s block requires a dramatic cure. It wants you to buy a $40 candle, book a cabin in Vermont, or stare at a blank Google Doc until your eyes bleed. The real cure is actually incredibly boring. It is called Uncensored Timed Free-Writing. It has the glamour of washing dishes, but it works every single time.

Here is the ultimate insider secret: professional writers aren't actually smarter than you. They just know the cheat codes. If you are new to the game, stop trying to do things the hard way. Here are seven writing shortcuts that feel like absolute robbery, but will instantly make you look like a seasoned pro.

Here are 10 books that will inspire, demonstrate technique and show you how it's done, each with a proven track record that stands on their own.

We have all been there. You sit down to write. You stare at the blank white screen. The screen stares back, judging you. You type a sentence. You delete it. You type another sentence. You decide it sounds like it was written by a caffeinated toddler, so you delete that too.

The Death of the Book Genre: The Death of the Book Genre: Why Hyper-Blended Stories are Ruling the Best-Seller Lists

Here are five traps you are probably walking into right now—and how to dodge them.

The Secrets to Creating a Great Story Structure: Master the Blueprint