Dialogue may be one of the hardest things for a writer to perfect. When it comes to showing instead of telling, Andrzej Sapkowski is a master. In his books, dialogue is the primary source of storytelling--you can go pages without exposition, but the reader always knows exactly what's happening around the conversation. The characters have … Continue reading Dialogue Case Study: “Season of Storms,” from The Witcher Series

Food is one of those things that is easy to overlook when writing. We eat multiple times a day, and sometimes it's a chore. However, food is also a huge part of culture, family, connection, and even intimacy. This week's writing challenges are about slowing down, savouring, and telling stories around food. So, grab a … Continue reading Weekend Writing Prompts: FOOD

A PG How-To for R-Rated Content Erotica is a term that could describe Harlequin novels--you know, the paperbacks with a damsel draped over a set of rippling abs--or 50 Shades of Gray. While writing steamy romances and kinky scenes may seem taboo, it’s actually a pretty good way to make income as a writer, since … Continue reading How to Write Erotica

History is a great place to find inspiration for writing, but it's even better when it's strange! Here are some bizarre stories from history that you can expand upon, based closely on the story or written with great artistic liberty. Make it funny, make it dark, make it yours. Poetry: Pope Gregory IX supposedly hated … Continue reading Weekend Writing Prompts: STRANGE HISTORY

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and who doesn’t love a good romance? Capturing the tension that people feel between them, the stirring of emotions in a simple moment, the flutter that comes from a light touch… it can be hard to convey effectively. Here are some tips on writing romance! Nothing is more important … Continue reading How to Write Romance

This weekend, let's talk a walk down a subtle subject path and explore the quiet things that exist around us. You can explore this via reflection on the importance of that object, anthropomorphize the object, create a fictional world for the object, or whatever you think would be an interesting take on it! These prompts … Continue reading Weekend Writing Prompts: INANIMATE OBJECTS

Aisha Yusuf is a Somali-Canadian author, editor, and publisher who is passionate about the diversification of literature, and aims to create stories that bring under-represented voices to the forefront. She is a current student at MacEwan University in the Communications Program and started a publishing company, Abāyo House, with her sisters. You can check out … Continue reading An Interview with Aisha Yusuf

Since the Weekend Writing Prompts series has been such a hit, we're going to do our best to post one every other week, opposite our usual blog posts! This week's theme: Fairytales. These classic stories have been rewritten, spun, and magic-pumpkin'd into many iterations. Some fairytales are disturbing. Some explore good vs. evil. Others are … Continue reading Weekend Writing Prompts: FAIRYTALES

The first draft of a novel or prose is arguably the most challenging phase of creation for novel writers. Trying to get all the ideas down in a way that’s presentable and sounds impressive is challenging, and the temptation to edit is strong every time you open the document. Here are some strategies that may … Continue reading How to Conquer the First Draft

This week's writing prompts are cyberpunk themed! Cyberpunk typically deals with themes and social issues such as rampant capitalism, artificial intelligence, body modification and gene selection, and the commodification and oppression of people. Also, neon and cool cars! Here are a few prompts! Poetry: Cybernetic body implants replace organic body parts to make them perform … Continue reading Weekend Writing Prompts: CYBERPUNK