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.