Creative Writers Online

On this page, you'll find expert advice on the art -- and business -- of writing, reading, and critiquing. To read an article, just click on the title. When you're done reading, just click your back button to return to this page. NOTE: All articles here at Creative Writers Online are free of viruses, trojans, worms, and other nasty little bugs!

Check out these articles before hitting our forums!

• How to Critque Fiction
  • By Science-Fiction author Victory Crayne
• How to Read and Critique Poetry
  • By poet Kathleen Kirk

 This is where you'll learn about the basics of writing -- the nuts and bolts -- the little things which so many people ignore but which can make or break your writing....

• The Case For Case
  • An article from TD Critiques on the correct usage of pronouns
•  He Said, She Said
  • An article from TD Critiques discussing subject/verb agreement
• The Comma is Your Friend
  • An article from TD Critiques describing the proper use of the comma
• Consumers' Guide to Dictionaries, Thesauri, and Grammar Texts (or, "Take Two Synonyms and Call Me In the Morning")
  • How to choose the best dictionary, thesaurus, or grammar text for your particular situation (by Kelly Peck, our own "ElementalWarrior")

Tips and tricks on how to make your writing the best it can be....

• Writing Fiction That Sells
  • As the craft of writing has evolved, it has naturally formed the plot structure most pleasant to the human mind: the Three Act Structure, which applies to novels, short stories, and screenplays alike. Author/entrepreneur Patrick Dent shares his tips for using the Three Act Structure in your fiction.
• How To Write Successful Endings
  • Don't let your fiction get tossed into the wastebasket because the ending "didn't quite work". Follow the advice of author Nancy Kress for choosing a successful ending based on the style of your work.
• Twist Endings
  • Nancy Kress (see above) identified the "Surprise Ending" as one of the five basic endings. In this article, author Celia Hixon delves into more detail about this particular kind of ending.

Now that you've written your masterpiece, what do you do with it?

• How To Prepare a Manuscript For Submission
  • Based on advice from the editors of anotherealm.com
• Ezine Marketing -- The Free Lunch
  • There are thousands of ezines on the internet pertaining to just about any topic you can imagine, and they are an incredible method of promoting your website absolutely free. They are also an excellent free way to get your name out and recognized. Author/entrepreneur Patrick Dent shares two ways to maximize results without money.