These writing books all mix short chapters with writing exercises that make it easy to break the book up to read with a group.

Inspired by Meander, Spiral, Explode I'm writing a short story with a spiral plot structure, from idea to final draft.

Rough draft time. My goal at this stage is to get words on paper, whether that's in a notebook or digitally.

Start your new writers group with a "Session Zero" meeting to get everyone on the same page.

If you are in need of a reminder to breathe, sit, and write, Wild Mind is that good reminder. 

A list of intrepid tomes that dare to teach what many say cannot be taught.

Writing books sure to please your writer friends.

Build your writing muscle with these books on grammar, punctuation, and rhetoric.

Every writer's desk should have a few reference books nearby, if only for something to peruse when your brain hits a wall.

A guest post on syntax by Jordan Jones of Red Pens and Playwriting.

My post on building a revision checklist can be found on Red Pens and Playwriting

A very untidy library, foodie flashfiction, and how to make writing less hard.

Weasel words sap your sentences of conviction and once you start to notice them, you will see them everywhere.

Thought-time is the sum of the mental energy put into a piece of artwork. Along with craft-time and distance-time it helps determine the "value" of the work.

Whether on paper or a spreadsheet, or on specialized software, keeping track of when, where, and how much you write can help you spot when your writing sweet spots are, and are useful tools for estimating how long a draft will take.

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten was if you want to get good at something, keep your tools with you all the time.

Instead of a New Years resolution, try a gentler approach by setting a yearly or seasonal theme. Here's how.

Unique descriptions are a skill you can build by learning to observe the world around you in detail with focus and compassion.

ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR SUBJECTIVITY and care about Your Perspective, not a generic one

It all sounds so simple, just write every day, how hard could it be? (cue laughter). Of course we all know that it is nothing like that simple. But there is wisdom in working towards a consistent writing routine, whatever that routine actually looks like. These books are not hard "you must write every day" books. They are books that emphasise finding a routine that works for you.

List Criteria:…

An ode to Roller Coaster Tycoon and building manuscripts that don't fly off the tracks.

This month's reading report has a fish committing credit card fraud, doomscroll the game, and some ominous mail from the red cross.

Drop into your seal flow, get cozy knitting short fiction, plan a year of dinners and more in December's Reading Report.

Luddite Literature, two excellent games to try, and a pair of excellent books read in in this month's Reading Report. Now with added acountability!

The poetry of baseball, light moving through cathedral windows, and a load of excellent writing articles.

A smart book full of interesting literary tidbits about the failures of writers you have certainly heard of.

What makes a piece of writing good to you? Knowing what you like is an essential part of figuring out what you’ll enjoy writing.

Tiny baby primates, mysterious medieval tunnels, and questioning why we write about so many kingdoms.

Experiencing transitions, waging nonviolence, and talking too much about AI.

A fable for writers guest post by Drafting Through Life.