Though screenwriting may come as a natural talent to the rare few, others must go to college to hone their skills and master their craft. The United States has numerous colleges offering a screenwriting program from coast to coast. Choosing a screenwriting curriculum will depend on your current location, where you want to go to school, tuition costs and types of courses offered. Read the rest

Writing a screenplay may seem easy at first, but writing one that sells is the tricky part. Numerous books are available to help you understand how screenwriting works and how to get your screenplay noticed. Below are the top ten screenwriting books. Most can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or ordered through a local bookstore. Read the rest

While most writing is generally considered to be an individual process, there are still many venues where a manuscript or document is completed through the efforts of two or more people. Specifically, collaboration takes several forms. The simplest form is that of two or more people jointly contributing to the completed content of a document or manuscript. Collaborative writing can also include more than one person contributing a specific component of the finished manuscript. It can include the editing and reviewing by more than one person or the working on an idea proposed by others. There are obvious benefits to the collaborative writing process. Read the rest

Most writers dream of becoming a bestselling author one day. So many writers give up on their dream after a few rejection letters or after watching their books sell only a few copies after all the hard work they put in. However, great writers shouldn’t have to sit on the sidelines and let thousands of readers miss out on their creation. With a little work, you can become a bestselling author. Read the rest

Writing groups are often essential to becoming and staying a successful writer. Writers are a solitary group, so writing groups give writers a chance to socialize and receive much needed feedback. Writing groups can be online and offline. You can start your own writing group to help writers in your area or to focus on specific types of writing. Read the rest

Many people dream of writing children’s books. Children’s books are often harder to write than other types of books. These books are much shorter, which gives the writer little room for word play. Also, successful children’s books must appeal to their desired age groups. However, if you want to write children’s books, following the tips below will help you get started. Read the rest

Some people might think that writing is writing. Those people have very obviously noticed how they behave when reading on the web, as opposed to reading a book. Reading on the internet happens in a very different way to reading in hard-copy, and writing has to change in order to address this difference. Read the rest

Writing a letter of complaint can be just as irritating and time consuming as the poor service, shoddy quality, or lack of common courtesy that sparked the need for a letter. When writing a letter like this, it is important to remember: a letter that does some good is worth much more than a letter that shows just how angry someone made the writer. This is best accomplished when writers attempt to put themselves “in the shoes” of whomever they’re writing. Read the rest

Most writers agree that writing is a solitary, and often lonely, business. Whether they are researching or writing fiction, nonfiction or poetry, writers spend a great deal of time inside their own heads and on the computer. Having other writers to offer support and even friendship can help a writer stay focused, motivated and encouraged. How can a writer find emotional support and friendship with other writers who understand the job they have? Read the rest

Writing novels is a joy and love for many. Novels give writers the chance to vent their thoughts and creativity. It is not always the easiest task to deal with however. There are a few common problems that writers have when they are writing a novel. Writing effective dialogue in a novel is certainly one of the trickiest issues that writers find themselves dealing with during the writing process. Read the rest