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When the Words Won't Come: Word Explorer

Use ProWritingAid's Word Explorer to look at any word 14 different ways. Yes, it's true. Here's the list of ways you can check out any given word: - Dictionary - Reverse Dictionary (this shows you words with your given word in their definition) - Thesaurus - Lists (lists of dated terms, ironic terms, often used terms) - Alliteration (adjectives, adverbs, nouns, and verbs with the same letter or sound at the beginning or adjacent to your given word) - Clichés (to help you avoid them) - Spelling (good to know if you write frequently in American, British, and Australian English) - Rhymes - Pronunciation - Collocations (adjectives, adverbs, nouns, and verbs that come before or after your given word) - Common Phrases (2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-word phrases using your given word) - Commonly Possessed By (words that can own your given word) - Anagrams (in case you need help) - Examples (From books and quotes using your given word)

How to Edit Your Your Manuscript

You wrote a novel! Well done. Reaching the NaNoWriMo goal of 50,000 words in a month is an impressive feat. What's next? The technical writing edit.

World-building: What You Need to Know

If you write science fiction or fantasy, your readers expect to drop into a new world. But regardless of what type of fiction you write, you'll need to build a believable society for your story. We take a look at how.

Punch Up Your Narrative Arc and Character Development

You’ve survived yet another NaNoWriMo. Congratulations! You’ve just written a book in 30 days. Now what? Kathy Edens tackles this question.

How to Be Productive During NaNoWriMo

Write first. Proofread in December. It’s all about getting the words down on the page (or the computer screen). We published an article a couple of months ago about [ilys]( https://prowritingaid.com/art/375/Where-We-Write-%E2%80%A6-ilys.aspx ), an online platform that only allows you to see the last letter you typed on the screen. You can’t go back and edit—you can only keep typing until you’ve hit your word goal for the day. While this platform may take the “just write, don’t edit” rule further than many writers are comfortable with, the idea remains the same whether you are writing in word, Scrivener or with a quill and ink. Just write.

What's After NaNoWriMo?

It’s time to burst your bubble. Sorry! The typical paperback novel is between 80,000 and 100,000 words long. Yes, you completed 50,000 words, and that’s an amazing achievement in 30 days. But 50,000 words does not a novel make. The beauty of NaNoWriMo is that it releases you from worrying about what you’re writing, trying to make it perfect, and instead you just focus on getting words down on the page. And that is a serious accomplishment: 50,000 words in 30 days. NaNoWriMo hopefully taught you that when you’re not seeking perfection, you can get an amazing amount of words out instead of staring at a blank page. So, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you’ve likely got more work ahead on that novel of yours. Here's what you need to know...

Getting Through The Midpoint of NaNoWriMo

We're halfway through National Novel Writing Month! Here are some tips on making sure you finish.

Which Grammar Rules Do You Follow? And When Is It Okay to Break Them?

Grammar and writing rules are important, but following them isn't the ultimate goal. Clear and compelling writing is. And sometimes, you need to ignore the writing rules in order to make your point.

How the Technique of Over-Writing can Benefit Beginning and Blocked Writers

If you want to set yourself up for writing success—which in this context means more polished pieces and fewer fragments—make time to latch onto an idea and write the heck out of it NOW.

Learning How to Write Mystery

When writing mystery, manipulating your target audience to keep them turning pages is key. Here's how to write like Agatha Christie.

How Nicole Scarano Learned to Love the Edit

Nicole Scarano never thought she would be an author, yet here she is: one book published and another due this year. This is the story of how that happened.

How to Write Romance like Nora Roberts

One of the most prolific romance writers, Nora Roberts, writes a new romance novel every 45 days. How does she do it? We examine.

How to Build Worlds like J.R.R. Tolkien

When you build another world, you’re responsible for creating everything from the flora and fauna surviving in this new universe to a variety of species, including man, who inhabit your world. Here's how to do it.

How to Use... The Sticky Sentences Report

A sticky sentence is one that is full of glue words. Glue words are the empty space that readers need to get through before they can get to your ideas. If your sentences contain more than 45% glue words, they should probably be re-written to increase clarity. Here's how and why.

How Writers Can Use Meditation to Improve Their Craft

Focus and creativity are two things that writers desperately need. Meditation can help writers get what they need to make sure they are on track with their writing goals.

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