Reflections on being a freelance writer versus writing for the sake of writing

In its April issue, a writer at The Atlantic makes the argument that “retweets are trash.” Whereas once if you wanted to repeat something someone

flickr photo shared by mrkrndvs under a Creative Commons ( BY-SA ) license SAMR is an acronym standing for substitution, augmentation, modification and redefinition. It is a model for looking at the integration of technology into education. It is often used to support staff with how to make better use of technology within the classroom. Devised […]

Copywriting is writing that sells but…

On the 4th day of Tech-Mas my true love gave to me… four rubric writers. Note : This post is part of my " 12 Days of Tech-Mas " series f...

It takes more than just writing something great to become successful.

I once heard John Irving give a lecture on his process at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, an in-depth account of the way his novels come to be. He kicked it off by writing a single sentence on the chal…

The Rocky Mountain chapter of Mystery Writers of America is putting on a contest. All you have to do is write a mystery in six words.

William Faulkner is one of the best writers America has ever produced, with a distinctive voice and a relentless intelligence that earned him a Nobel Prize in literature at age 52—not to mention tw…

Spread the loveThere’s a big push in education right now to teach kids how to code. Coding is undoubtedly an important skill that will help students in the job marketplace. It’s an in-demand skill and a useful one. But can coding help students in other areas? Some are now suggesting that coding can help improve students’ writing skills. Telling a story through code In many ways, coding is like writing a story. Programmers must go in a sequential order, just like storytellers. Just like writers, programmers first sit down and plan out the story they will tell. What will happen […]

A Pulitzer Prize-winning op-ed writer shares his best tips for getting published in The New York Times.

Student writers often struggle because they lack connection with the assignment or an authentic audience. Relevant topics, blogging, and brainstorming with peers can remedy this.

Do you need help on the author journey? I've been writing since 2006 and making a full-time living with my writing since 2011 and on this site, I share information and inspiration about writing, self-publishing, book marketing and making a living as a creative. Check out the free Author Blueprint, articles, tutorials, podcast, videos and more.

Each summer we press pause for a few weeks to tackle new writing projects and plan for the upcoming school year. And we reflect on where we’ve been by sharing with you the most popular posts of the…

In his 1919 manual for screenwriters, Ten Million Photoplay Plots, Wycliff Aber Hill provided this taxonomy of possible types of dramatic "situations," ...

Providing writing sprints to engage students’ creativity

Here are the seven essential questions marketers should keep in mind when finding freelance writers that will best represent their brand.

There are a lot of guides around the web for drafting, brainstorming, and actual writing, but I feel like there’s less about an equally important aspect of a writer’s life: Revision. Revision is actually my favorite part of the whole writing process, so it’s a phase I hold near and dear to my heart. But […]

The New York Times recently published a long front-page story about how Google “took over” the classroom. The writer’s primary focus is on concerns about the amount of student data the company is c…

Mark David Gerson never wanted to be a writer, never believed in a world beyond that of his five senses. But when life began to chip away at his sense of self with a relentlessness that he couldn't ignore, he found himself launched on a spiritual journey that would redefine everything about him...

Celebrate National Encourage a Young Writer Day

Download these free Scrivener templates for authors, bloggers, and freelance writers.

About a month ago I was chatting with a colleague who was inspired to implement project based learning (PBL) in her classroom, took it upon herself to do so, and her first attempt at it was a complete flop. While talking with her about what took place, she mentioned how many bloggers and writers (including myself) spend a lot of time talking about what we should do, but we don’t always reveal the struggles we endured to arrive at our current belief system. Although I’m sure there are countless reasons as to why we should be transparent about our trials