Writing.Com Newsletter Archives: jayne

Writing.Com Newsletters Edited by Jayne


#13624:	Short Stories	March 04, 2026
Tightening the Screws A look at how tightening the elements of your story increases its impact. What sentence are you emotionally attached to that your story could live without?

#13625:	Poetry	March 04, 2026
Interfering with the Evidence What you can learn from your own work once you deliberately interrupt your habits. Which of your favorite poetic devices would be most offended if you ignored it for a day?

#13607:	Drama	February 18, 2026
It Made Sense at the Time When characters justify bad choices, drama gets interesting. What are you currently justifying putting off that you know you'll regret?

#13584:	Short Stories	February 04, 2026
Slow, or Hesitant? Momentum is why some stories move effortlessly while others stall. Is one of your stories quietly waiting for your approval? Why are you hesitating?

#13582:	Poetry	February 04, 2026
Poetic Forensics What you can learn from your own work by noticing what's on repeat. What writing quirks show up again and again in your writing, no matter what you write about?

#13563:	Drama	January 21, 2026
Pay Attention to the Mess Authentic drama is an undeniably messy human fingerprint What's the worst decision you've ever made that you'll forever insist was right?

#13539:	Poetry	January 07, 2026
Escaping the Clone Factory Why so many poems feel familiar to readers (and how we can change that) Do you notice “sameness” creeping into your writing? Does anyone else? What can you do about it?

#13541:	Short Stories	January 07, 2026
Narrative Gravity The invisible force that pulls readers forward. Not including lacking a "hook" in the first few lines, where's the easiest place to lose your reader?

#13496:	Drama	December 24, 2025
Why We Do What We Do Making sense of humanity's often flawed emotional logic in 2026 (and why it's more important than ever). Who is your most unhinged character? How do you make them believable?

#13493:	Poetry	December 10, 2025
An Endnote & A Prelude Where we end the year and begin a strange new poetry experiment. What writing experiment have you been too afraid to try? Can you take a tiny step toward it next year?

#13494:	Short Stories	December 10, 2025
Orbiting 2026 What makes a story irresistible? We're going to find out! What’s the last story that pulled you in so hard you were compelled to stay up late?

#13473:	Drama	November 26, 2025
The Drama of Cutting Your Own Scenes Editing your own work can be where the real heartbreak lies If your editing had a soundtrack, which song would play when cutting your “but I love this scene” moment?

#13448:	Poetry	November 12, 2025
This Is Not a Good Title Great poem titles don’t summarize. They prepare you, sneak up on you, mislead you, or change everything. Which poem cut you the deepest, and why on earth do you keep recommending it to people? Do you at least offer tissues?

#13447:	Short Stories	November 12, 2025
Pivot! Tight word count? Forget the big arc try a pivot instead. What was your experience with the vampire-run convenience store? I'm employee of the month.

#13425:	Drama	October 29, 2025
The Scenes After the Scene Big drama is easy. How do you keep it going when your characters are emotionally spent? When’s the last time you said, ‘That’s it?!’ to a book or movie ending?

#13401:	Poetry	October 15, 2025
The Crow Is on Fire, and That's Good. The first line may be the key, but the first image is the door to your poem's world. What's the most vivid image you've opened a poem with? Why? Don't answer why! You don't owe anyone explanation!

#13402:	Short Stories	October 15, 2025
Start Late. Leave Early. Start your story after the setup. Leave before the dust settles. What’s a story that sticks around in your brain because it left something unsaid or unresolved?

#13383:	Drama	October 01, 2025
Monologue or Monolong? Why Monologues Work Better in Scripts Than Fiction What’s the most powerful monologue you’ve ever read? Why did it stick with you?

#13353:	Short Stories	September 17, 2025
Don’t Toss the Scraps! Your story fragments need a home. Do you have any unused story scenes that live rent-free in your head?

#13351:	Poetry	September 17, 2025
These Lines Are Not the Same How a poem’s last line differs from a story’s last line. How can you tell if your poem’s last line is carrying its weight?

#13328:	Drama	September 03, 2025
The Big Reveal Dramatic reveals aren’t just twists. They’re truths that change everything, so don’t ruin them with cheap tricks. What reveal made you roll your eyes so hard you nearly sprained an eyeball?

#13254:	Short Stories	July 23, 2025
What You're Doing (still) Matters. Not everything you make needs to be for sale. Doing things for fun is still worthwhile! Other than writing, what’s a hobby you love, even if you’re “not good at it” by anyone else’s standards?

#13256:	Poetry	July 23, 2025
Poems That Changed Me(aning) Revisiting old poems can hit harder the second time around. What’s a poem/line that meant something different to you when you read it again years later? Why did it change?

#13232:	Drama	July 09, 2025
Misinterpretation How to fuel emotional drama with miscommunication's more dangerous sibling. What’s a scene you love where a character completely misinterpreted what was said?

#13203:	Poetry	June 25, 2025
Echo, Don’t Explain Don't spell everything out let your readers muse about your message. What’s one image or line that stuck with you—even if you weren’t sure what it meant?

#13202:	Short Stories	June 25, 2025
The Art of the Last Line Endings matter as much as beginnings! What’s a last line you’ve never forgotten? What made it stick with you?

#13177:	Drama	June 11, 2025
Dramatic, or Just Dumb? When a character's actions stop making sense, the story stops working. What’s the worst character decision you’ve seen that completely shattered your belief in a story?

#13152:	Poetry	May 28, 2025
Reclaiming List Poems Boring list poems are real. Here's some tips on writing the form so it's dynamic and compelling. What’s the weirdest subject for a list poem you can come up with? What list items would you include?

#13153:	Short Stories	May 28, 2025
Stories Without Setting Sometimes, skipping the scenery sharpens tension, voice, or meaning. What’s the most vivid story you’ve read that barely described where it happened?

#13134:	Drama	May 14, 2025
Drama in a Single Line The Quiet Power of One Hard-Hitting Line What’s the most emotionally devastating line you’ve ever read (or written)?

#13113:	Poetry	April 30, 2025
Writing Against the Obvious Break away from obvious images and emotions to create memorable poetry. If you had to outlaw one poetic cliché forever, which one gets the boot first?

#13112:	Short Stories	April 30, 2025
One Prompt, Infinite Possibilities There's No Such Thing as a Boring Prompt What’s the most unexpected story you’ve ever spun from a prompt?

#13060:	Drama	April 16, 2025
What Is Drama, Anyway? What's the difference between dramatic elements in a story and a story in the drama genre? What's the most dramatic moment in a story that had you thinking, "Well, that's a bit much" (yet you liked it anyway)?

#13062:	Short Stories	April 02, 2025
Plot? Vibes? Chaos? It's Up to You! Help shape future short story newsletters! What topics intrigue you most? (Suggestions inside!) What’s the weirdest short story concept you’ve ever come up with? Did it work?

#13061:	Poetry	April 02, 2025
Is It Prose? Is It Poetry? Yes. Prose poetry: why you should try the rebellious hybrid breaking all the rules. What’s a memory so vivid you could only capture it in a poem?

#13042:	Drama	March 19, 2025
Your Move, Drama Llamas. Help shape future drama newsletters! Tell me what you want to read about! There are some suggestions in the newsletter. What’s the most compelling part of drama for you? Is it the tension, the tragedy, or something juicier?

#13017:	Poetry	March 05, 2025
This Is Nonsense! (That’s the Point) How embracing absurdity can unlock fresh creativity. Which would make a better muse: a philosophically conflicted goldfish or a nihilistic tortoise? Why?

#13016:	Short Stories	March 05, 2025
Punchlines and Pathos Blending Comedy Into Serious Themes Do you have a favourite author who knows how to add some levity to serious stories?

#13007:	Poetry	February 26, 2025
I Wept, I Wailed, and I Wrote This Turning up the poetic drama and embracing the excessive emotion of hyperbole! What’s the most over-the-top two-line poem you can write? (Mine is in the newsletter)

#12959:	Poetry	January 29, 2025
Breaking Cadence: When Rhythm Rebels Rejecting cadence in free verse to achieve tension, dissonance, and emotional impact. Do you focus on the sound of your poetry before posting it for everyone to read?

#12915:	Poetry	January 01, 2025
Elegy: Reflecting on Loss and Renewal Start the year with an elegy honouring the past and embracing renewal. Stepping into the new year, what’s one thing from the past you can honor for what it was while still moving forward?

#12869:	Poetry	December 04, 2024
When Weather Weeps With You Using Pathetic Fallacy in Poetry Have you ever experienced a time when the weather perfectly matched your mood?

#12828:	Poetry	November 06, 2024
Acrostic Poetry: More Than Meets the Eye It's time to discover how much depth is in this simple structure! Have you found something unexpected in a book the author didn't write? Note, letter, pressed flower? Something else?

#12775:	Poetry	October 09, 2024
Subverted Symbolism Using Symbols to Betray Reader Expectations Have you ever taken something ordinary and twisted it? 🕵️‍♂️Tell us about a time you messed with the familiar!

#12708:	Poetry	September 11, 2024
Anaphora: The Power of Emphasis Learn how repetition can create rhythm, emphasize themes, and engage readers. Do you find yourself repeating things? 😉 Maybe it's just for emphasis... or maybe you're stuck in a loop? 😏

#12689:	Poetry	August 14, 2024
Embrace the Clash Using Juxtaposition in Poetry 👗 Does your wardrobe clash more than your poetry? 👖 Tell us how you use juxtaposition in your life and writing!

#12656:	Poetry	July 24, 2024
A Crash Course in Poetry Texture The rich, textured layers of sound, imagery, and wordplay make poems unforgettable. What's your favorite fabric texture in clothing, and why? 🧥 🧶 🔍

#12647:	Poetry	July 17, 2024
The Pause that Empowers: Line Breaks Exploring how poets use line breaks to intensify emotion and pace in poetry. What's your favorite sneaky line break in poetry? 🕵️ Share the lines that caught you off guard!

#12604:	Poetry	June 26, 2024
Concrete Yet Fluid: Visual Poetry Forms Explore some visual forms and learn about the interplay between Concrete Poetry, Poesia Visiva, and Pattern Poetry. Share your take on visual poetry! 📣🎨📝 Do you prefer abstraction or when the text mirrors the image?

#12538:	Fantasy	June 19, 2024
Mix & Match: Creating Fantasy Creatures Creating unique fantasy creatures by blending the classics with your imagination. Got hybrids? 🐉🦄 Have you created unique creatures? What was your process, and what did you come up with? 🧚‍♀️🧜‍♀️

#12536:	Poetry	June 19, 2024
Haibun: The Beauty of Prose and Haiku Capturing life's fleeting moments with brevity and depth. Can you haiku your prose? What’s your haibun game like? C'mon, scale of 1 to 'never heard of it' 😂📖✍️

#12482:	Poetry	March 27, 2024
Collaborative Creation with Poetry Chain Exploring collaborative creativity in poetry chains, where each verse weaves a unique, evolving narrative. Have you dreamt of co-creating a poetic masterpiece? 🖋️🔗🌐✨ How would you balance the linked voices?

#12451:	Poetry	March 06, 2024
I Enjambed the Quatrain! It Lost a Foot! If you avoid poetry because the jargon seems like a foreign language, you're not alone! Take it one term at a time. Have you ever tried a poetic device or form that resulted in a literary disaster?

#12174:	Contests & Activities	September 13, 2023
From Start to Submit: Finish Your Entry! Quick Tips to Stay Motivated and Finish Your Contest Entry What's your writer's kryptonite? Share your superhero solutions to maintaining motivation in the comments! 🦸‍♀️🦸‍♂️

#12165:	Contests & Activities	September 06, 2023
Let's Celebrate with Murder & Mayhem! WdC's annual murder mystery Masquerade Party arrived September 1st! There's still time to join the fun! What's the Most Ingenious Alibi You've Ever Encountered?

#11985:	Poetry	May 24, 2023
The Digital Quill: Technology & Poetry Discussing the Role of Technology for the Contemporary Poet 📱💻 vs. 📚✍️! Do you embrace or rebel against the digital era in your poetic journey? Why?

#11976:	For Authors	May 17, 2023
Even Old Digital is New Again Interactive Fiction in the Age of AI How might AI reinvent interactive fiction? 💻 🤖 Share your predictions!

#11942:	Romance/Love	May 03, 2023
Love Bytes: Hearts and Hard Drives Tackling AI Romance in a Changing Technological Landscape Can AI steal your heart, or would you hit 'ctrl + alt + delete' on robo-romance? Share your thoughts! 💻❤️ #LoveBytes

#11902:	For Authors	April 19, 2023
Embracing Modern Style Guides Going Beyond Strunk and White for Vibrant, Inclusive Writing What does it mean to be a "modern" author?

#11901:	Mystery	April 12, 2023
Dynamic Storytelling with In Media Res If you're dropping your reader into the middle of a story, give them a parachute instead of an empty backpack. I "nope" out of conversations all the time. Have you ever walked into a conversation and walked right back out?

#11905:	Short Stories	April 12, 2023
Unlocking the Potential of Short Stories A Dive Into Five Captivating Tales What's your favorite short story? Why?

#11596:	Action/Adventure	October 05, 2022
Writing Battle Scenes Writing epic battles in any genre. What's your favourite fictional battle scene?

#11562:	Contests & Activities	September 14, 2022
Mistakes Were Made Poor Contest/Activity Performance May Not Mean It's A Poor Idea What's the silliest thing you've accidentally done in public? (I've done my fair share!)

#11553:	Action/Adventure	September 07, 2022
Riding the Birthday Wave! Thoughts for keeping the creativity going at a sustainable pace. What was your favourite part of WdC's 22 birthday celebration?

#11503:	Action/Adventure	August 10, 2022
Are You Controlling Your Idea? Or is your idea controlling you? What themes do you typically work into your own writing?

#11492:	Noticing Newbies	August 03, 2022
Read the Newsletter! There's not enough room here to fully explain why. Did you know the answers/background to the newsletter questions are often in the newsletter itself?

#11472:	Contests & Activities	July 20, 2022
Make Reviewing a Regular Activity! Pt. 1 Pt. 1 - Is Review Avoidance Holding You Back? Leave a link in the comments for a someone else's recent item that you thought was fantastic!

#11461:	Action/Adventure	July 13, 2022
Lighting Your Action Scenes Don't overlook the impact of lighting! Based on the author's descriptions, what book(s) would you consider mostly cool-toned or warm-toned?

#11426:	Contests & Activities	June 22, 2022
5 Ways to Help Us Help You Stay Current Keeping your contest/activity status up to date makes life easier for authors, aggregators and hunters. How would you let your participants know your contest/activity is on a break?

#11416:	Action/Adventure	June 15, 2022
Why Are You Still Talking? Learning to minimize chatter in action sequences. Can you think of any potentially great action sequences that were destroyed by excessive dialogue?

#11379:	Contests & Activities	May 25, 2022
Clean Up Your Copy The final installment on pulling together or revamping your contest or activity on WdC. If you take part in contests or activities, what sort of things encourage you to participate?

#11369:	Action/Adventure	May 18, 2022
Fight the Power, Not the Genre. How do you know if you're staying in the action epic genre and not straying into a societal story? Movie or Book: What's the most jaw-dropping action scene you've watched/read?

#11334:	Contests & Activities	April 27, 2022
What You're Doing Matters. Don't let anyone dictate whether or not what you're doing is important. Are hobbies important to you? Why/why not?

#11323:	Action/Adventure	April 20, 2022
Action-Adventure: Person Against Nature Does the action dilute the message? Jaws : Book or Movie Version? Discuss.

#11301:	Action/Adventure	April 06, 2022
No Spoilers Don't insult your audience with an extra-large serving of trope and a side sauce of silly. Which book or movie took a great idea and completely wasted it with bad writing or poor creative decisions?

#11290:	Contests & Activities	March 30, 2022
Solve Your Writer’s Problems The problems your writers face directly impact your contest or activity. Address the issues and build a community. What's a genre you're uncomfortable writing in?

#11277:	Action/Adventure	March 23, 2022
The Good, The Bad, and The Intolerable Get your characters right in the action genre. Who's the worst popularized Mary Sue/Marty Sue character?

#11276:	Contests & Activities	March 23, 2022
Have I Made Myself Clear? Clarity of purpose and direction is the cornerstone of contests and activities. What's your communication style?

#11255:	Action/Adventure	March 09, 2022
Is Action a Standalone Genre? Can Action Support Itself? What's one of the best action sequences you've ever read?

#11242:	Contests & Activities	March 02, 2022
Who Is Your Audience? Are you serving your writers as best you can? What’s a contest or activity you’d like to see that’s currently missing?

#11025:	Mystery	October 13, 2021
The Need to Know The legacies of unsolved mysteries and what they can tell us about endings. Have you ever read a book where you questioned if you truly understood the ending?

#11026:	Contests & Activities	October 13, 2021
A Quick Quill Update & Special Request Can I ask for a quick favor? What's your favourite piece of your own writing? Link it here and tell us why.

#10981:	Mystery	September 15, 2021
Subverting Tropes Upending tropes to help create unique work What's the most unique story/book you've read?

#10980:	Contests & Activities	September 15, 2021
Volunteer Burnout Everyone at WdC is a volunteer, and any volunteer is at risk for taking too much on. What was your most rewarding volunteer experience?

#10936:	Contests & Activities	August 18, 2021
IT'S BIRTHDAY TIME! Mark your calendars! WdC's Birthday Bash is on the way! I love turning 32 every year. Do you celebrate your own birthday?

#10938:	Mystery	August 18, 2021
Are You Up for a Little...Murder? WdC's annual murder mystery Masquerade Party arrives September 1st! Have you been to a live dinner-theatre style murder mystery?

#10885:	Contests & Activities	July 21, 2021
Timely Habits There's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to time management. Which procrastination station does your train stop at?

#10883:	Mystery	July 21, 2021
The Meddling Kids Are Useless It's no mystery why not all tropes work in all places. Can you think of a main character who had no impact on the outcome of a story?

#10845:	Fantasy	June 23, 2021
Bang! Bang! Bangsian! Club Dead for the rich and famous. Read any off-the-beaten-path subgenres lately?

#10840:	Contests & Activities	June 23, 2021
Follow the Rules! Whether or not you like rules (who does?), ignoring them is self-sabotage. Have you faced publisher rejection because you missed one of their requirements?

#10838:	Mystery	June 23, 2021
Honkaku: Testing Your Logic A quick overview of Japanese mystery fiction known as honkaku Have you read any honkaku?

#10811:	Drama	June 09, 2021
Streaming Content The Art of Creating a Stream of Consciousness What's your stream of consciousness like?

#10786:	Contests & Activities	May 26, 2021
Generic Genres Why does genre selection matter for The Quills? Why don't you use all three genre options for your work?

#10788:	Mystery	May 26, 2021
Weapons of Convenience Not every whodunnit has a criminal mastermind. What weapon details do authors frequently get wrong?

#10780:	Mystery	May 19, 2021
Hey, Look Over There! Are you writing red herrings or a kettle of fish? What's your favourite way to throw your readers off the trail?

#10737:	Mystery	April 28, 2021
Horrified by Thrills, Thrilled by Horror The difference between the psychological thriller and psychological horror genre. Do you prefer a thrilling horror or a horrifying thriller? What's your favourite psychological genre book or movie?

#10734:	Contests & Activities	April 28, 2021
Spotlight on {suser:socalscribe} For the next several issues, I'll be focusing on the people behind the contests and activities offered on WdC. Do you enter the official contests?

#10729:	Drama	April 21, 2021
Pause and Effect Wait for it... Take a deep breath and focus. What are you thinking about?

#10712:	Drama	April 14, 2021
The Great Irony Irony literally slid into "literally" territory 100 years ago. Maybe we should move on. Does it bug you when language evolves and gives alternate or extra meaning(s) to words?

#10648:	Horror/Scary	April 07, 2021
Horror For Kids: They'll Be Fine. A brief look at writing horror for a younger audience. Is it getting harder to scare kids with fiction?

#10649:	Contests & Activities	March 31, 2021
Spotlight on lilli_in_fl For the next several issues, I'll be focusing on the people behind the contests and activities offered on WdC. How many contests do you enter each month?

#10637:	Mystery	March 31, 2021
The Mystery of Mysteries Disentangling the subgenres of mystery. Do you think subgenres have become too niche?

#10635:	Contests & Activities	March 03, 2021
Spotlight on: purplesunday For the next several issues, I'll be focusing on the people behind the contests and activities offered on WdC. Is there a contest you'd really like to see on WdC?

#10634:	Mystery	March 03, 2021
Are You Sure It's A Mystery? The blurry lines between mystery, thriller, and crime stories. Has an author ever disappointed you by promising a certain genre of book but delivering something different?

Total 104 newsletters found.

For newsletters before June 2005, please see: "Writing.Com Newsletter Archives"

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