On Writing

Writers are always looking for nuggets of wisdom. In this section you will find a collection of nuggets. Peruse them when you need to take a breather from whatever you’re working on. Sometimes just reading about writing can loosen a mental log jam and get you writing again.

Site Pages

• Why I write
• Workshop (workshop posts, ideas and prompts by Jayna)
• Resources (links to articles and tools for writers)

Writing Tips

I’ve been involved in a number of writing communities, over the years, and in fact I am always involved in at least one or two. As a part of this journey, I have written many articles on a range of writing topics to support my fellow writers. Some have been published from my own blog, and you can find them in order of publication on the Workshop page. I also write tips posts as The Ink Well on Hive.

This page holds the complete collection. I’ve organized these into several categories for quick browsing.

NOTE: This section is under construction, so please check back.

Writing Mechanics

• The Trouble with Adverbs
• Is There Anything Wrong with Using Italics for Emphasis?
• What Is the Best Way to Write Dialog?
• What Does “Show Don’t Tell” Mean?
• How Do You Start a Story?
• Should You Write in Present Tense or Past Tense?
• Writing in Second Person

Writing Structure

• Must We Fight? (conflict in fiction)
• What’s the Point? (incorporating backstory)

Writing and Editorial Quality

• Who Are You Writing For?

Genres and Writing Styles

• What Is Magical Realism?
• Writing Like Raymond Carver
• Workshop with John Cheever (studying the masters)

Character Development

• What Should We Know About Your Character?
• Must Your Character Do That?

Writing Topics, Plots and Themes

• What Should You Write About?
• What’s It All About?
• What Prompted That? (writing prompts)

The Writing Life

• Is There a Shortcut to Good Writing?
• Hazards of the Profession (finding ideas)
• Can You Get Paid to Write?
• Can You Write If You Don’t Have Time?