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Writing Guides

We assume you have stumbled upon our website for one reason: you are interested in writing. These pages address the writing processes, which vary by form and genre. A novel, a play, a software manual, and a screenplay are different; they require different approaches creatively and mechanically.

Throughout the writing process, mechanics and audience expectations are important. A great play might be a rather dull movie, while car chases are a bit difficult to produce on a stage. Novels can span decades or centuries, while a short story must quickly develop characters and tell a story. No two forms of writing are the same, and few writers are good at multiple forms.

Writing for General Audiences

General

  • Tips for Effective Writing: Appealing to more readers
  • The Writing Process: How to get the words out (incomplete)
  • A Writer’s Lexicon: Writing terms

The Elements of Narratives

  • Form and Genre: Selecting the right form
  • Plot and Story: Events drive stories
  • Conflict: Compelling conflicts
  • Theme: Unifying with a message (incomplete)
  • Characterization: Knowing the players
  • Point of View: A matter of perspective
  • Dialogue: Getting the words right
  • Setting: A place, a time (incomplete)
  • Scene (not started)
  • Description: Show and tell

Mass-Market Nonfiction Genres

  • Biographies
  • Autobiography and Memoir

Stage and Screen

  • Scripts for Stage and Screen
  • Stage
  • Screenwriting
  • Film Industry Jargon
  • Books on Screenwriting

Business and Technical Writing

  • General Business Writing
  • Résumés
  • Cover Letters
  • Memos and E-Mail
  • Technical Writing: The Five Cs and More
  • Instructions

Teaching Writing

We have created additional pages for teachers of writing within the Teaching section of this website. There is also a Workshop section for writers interested in various creative writing exercises.