Writing Tips

Fresh-Cut Lit & More

Tips on writing, revision, craft, and the writing life from Cleaver’s editors, workshop and masterclass teachers, literary contributors, and readers. Got a writing tip to share? Contact Writing Tips and Newsletter editor Layla Murphy.

All Genre Writing Prompts

YOU IN RANDOM ORDER: A Jesse Ball Exercise by Beth Kephart

August 2, 2024

DUALITY IN NONFICTION: Sydney Tammarine

April 1, 2024

WRITE IN SAFETY: A Writing Tip by Karen Rile

January 19, 2024

WRITE DANGEROUSLY: A Writing Tip by Karen Rile

December 9, 2023

Fiction Prompts

KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE: A Writing Tip by David Updike

December 6, 2024

SOLVING FOR X: A Writing Tip by Karen Rile

January 5, 2024

WRITE DANGEROUSLY: A Writing Tip by Karen Rile

December 9, 2023

GETTING INTO CHARACTER, A Writing Tip from Angelina Sciolla

October 3, 2023

Tips on Revision

LET YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS DO THE WORK: A Writing Tip by Jessica Kilmesh

December 18, 2024

THE ART (AND SCIENCE) OF REVISION: A Writing Tip by Andrea Caswell

October 27, 2024

TIPS FOR RELUCTANT REVISORS: A Writing Tip by Andrea Caswell

August 29, 2024

WELL BEGUN IS HALF DONE: A Writing Tip by J. Bradley Minnick

July 16, 2024

Craft Chats

A CRAFT CHAT WITH PATRICK STRICKLAND, by Andrea Caswell

September 19, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH ELAINE CHEKICH, By Andrea Caswell

September 9, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH MAXIEJANE FRAZIER, By Andrea Caswell

August 29, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH T.S. BENDER, by Andrea Caswell

June 6, 2024

Poetry Tips

SALVAGING A DEAD STORY: A Writing Tip by Kate E Lore

September 28, 2024

THE DEVIL FORM: A Writing Tip by Rob Greene

July 9, 2024

IN A WRITING RUT? TRY FREE ASSOCIATING: A Writing Tip by Layla Murphy

March 3, 2024

THE ALMOST-BUT-NOT-QUITE POEM, A Writing Tip by Shoshauna Shy

January 28, 2024

Fiction Tips

SALVAGING A DEAD STORY: A Writing Tip by Kate E Lore

September 28, 2024

INTERVIEW YOUR CHARACTERS: A Writing Tip by Kathryn Silver-Hajo

June 6, 2024

THE PAST IS PERFECT: A Writing Tip by Karen Rile

May 10, 2024

DUALITY IN THE PERSONAL ESSAY: A Writing Tip by Clifford Thompson

April 18, 2024

All Writing Tips

LET YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS DO THE WORK: A Writing Tip by Jessica Kilmesh

December 18, 2024

KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE: A Writing Tip by David Updike

December 6, 2024

WRITING AS A SOMATIC PROCESS: A Writing Tip by Vanessa Saunders

November 25, 2024

HOW TO NOT END A STORY: A Writing Tip by Cameron MacKenzie

November 12, 2024

STOP WRITING; WATCH BASKETBALL: A Writing Tip by Maggie Hill

November 2, 2024

THE ART (AND SCIENCE) OF REVISION: A Writing Tip by Andrea Caswell

October 27, 2024

HARVESTING SUBMISSIONS FROM A WORK IN PROGRESS: A Writing Tip by Sharon White

October 19, 2024

DO YOU REALLY NEED A WEBSITE? A Writing Tip by Jackson Tatge

October 14, 2024

SALVAGING A DEAD STORY: A Writing Tip by Kate E Lore

September 28, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH PATRICK STRICKLAND, by Andrea Caswell

September 19, 2024

NEVER READ CLEAVER’S WRITING TIPS: A Writing Tip by Merridawn Duckler

September 19, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH ELAINE CHEKICH, By Andrea Caswell

September 9, 2024

HITCHING A RIDE: A Writing Tip by Alex Barr

September 9, 2024

TIPS FOR RELUCTANT REVISORS: A Writing Tip by Andrea Caswell

August 29, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH MAXIEJANE FRAZIER, By Andrea Caswell

August 29, 2024

FINDING THE RIGHT NARRATIVE DISTANCE: A Writing Tip by SV Bertrand

August 10, 2024

YOU IN RANDOM ORDER: A Jesse Ball Exercise by Beth Kephart

August 2, 2024

WELL BEGUN IS HALF DONE: A Writing Tip by J. Bradley Minnick

July 16, 2024

THE DEVIL FORM: A Writing Tip by Rob Greene

July 9, 2024

DUST ISN’T DEATH: A Writing Tip by Alex Barr

June 22, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH T.S. BENDER, by Andrea Caswell

June 6, 2024

INTERVIEW YOUR CHARACTERS: A Writing Tip by Kathryn Silver-Hajo

June 6, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH SOFI GUVEN, by Andrea Caswell

May 29, 2024

VULNERABILITY, AUDACITY, AND FREEDOM: A CRAFT CHAT WITH MARIANA SABINO by Andrea Caswell

May 22, 2024

THE DENOUEMENT: A Writing Tip by Talya Jankovits

May 22, 2024

DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS: A Writing Tip by Beth Kephart

May 11, 2024

THE PAST IS PERFECT: A Writing Tip by Karen Rile

May 10, 2024

DIM THE SCREEN TO TURN OFF YOUR BRAIN: A Writing Tip by Federico Escobar

April 27, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH KIM MAGOWAN by Andrea Caswell

April 22, 2024

DUALITY IN THE PERSONAL ESSAY: A Writing Tip by Clifford Thompson

April 18, 2024

DUALITY IN NONFICTION: Sydney Tammarine

April 1, 2024

TRIAL AND ERROR: A Writing Tip by Snowden Wright

March 30, 2024

CREATING READER INVESTMENT IN YOUR CHARACTERS: A Writing Tip by Jess Silfa

March 18, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH RICHIE ZABOROWSKE by Andrea Caswell

March 3, 2024

IN A WRITING RUT? TRY FREE ASSOCIATING: A Writing Tip by Layla Murphy

March 3, 2024

BEAT THE CLOCK: A Writing Tip by Chuck Augello

February 10, 2024

WHEN WILLPOWER ISN’T ENOUGH: A Writing Tip by Moriah Hampton

February 3, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH HANNAH SMART by Andrea Caswell

January 28, 2024

THE ALMOST-BUT-NOT-QUITE POEM, A Writing Tip by Shoshauna Shy

January 28, 2024

WRITE IN SAFETY: A Writing Tip by Karen Rile

January 19, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH MONIQUE D. CLARK by Andrea Caswell

January 19, 2024

FIRST TO THIRD: A Writing Tip by Karen Rile

January 13, 2024

SOLVING FOR X: A Writing Tip by Karen Rile

January 5, 2024

A CRAFT CHAT WITH SUE MELL, by Andrea Caswell

January 2, 2024

HATE CHRISTMAS, YOU’RE ALLOWED: A Writing Prompt by Layla Murphy

December 22, 2023

BOOSTER CLUBS DON’T JUST SIT IN THE STANDS: A Writing Tip by Jen Mathy

December 14, 2023

WRITE DANGEROUSLY: A Writing Tip by Karen Rile

December 9, 2023

WRITE LIKE YOU’RE DYING: A Writing Tip by Layla Murphy

December 1, 2023

FINDING GOLD IN LOST TREASURE: A Writing Tip by Michelle Bitting

November 17, 2023

BEGUILING: A Writing Prompt from Anne Anthony

November 10, 2023

HEADLINE POETRY: A Writing Tip from Leonard Kress

November 2, 2023

WRITE WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW: A Writing Tip from Matt Broomfield

October 22, 2023

DABBLE IN EKPHRASIS: A Writing Tip from Mark Danowsky

October 18, 2023

DEADHEADING, A Writing Tip from Eileen Toomey

October 14, 2023

A CRAFT CHAT WITH CECILE CALLAN, author of “Home Away From Home”

October 14, 2023

GETTING INTO CHARACTER, A Writing Tip from Angelina Sciolla

October 3, 2023

WRITE LIKE AN ANESTHESIOLOGIST, A Writing Tip from Isabel Legarda

September 24, 2023

PACHELBEL’S CONUNDRUM, A Writing Tip from Micah Muldowney

September 18, 2023

POETRY AS MEDITATION, A Writing Tip from Leonard Kress

September 11, 2023

LISTEN BEFORE YOU WRITE, A Writing Tip from Moriah Hampton

September 3, 2023

DON’T FEAR THE WACKY STUFF, A Writing Tip from Andrea Marcusa

August 28, 2023

CRAFT CHAT: Andrea Caswell speaks with Brendan Stephens on “Hell’s Mountain”

August 22, 2023

WRITE LESS, READ MORE, A Writing Tip from Jessica Klimesh

August 16, 2023

DISASTER STRIKES, a writing prompt from Janet Burroway

August 8, 2023

RIFFS ON REVISION by Andrea Caswell

August 5, 2023

BE INSPIRED by Beth Kephart

July 25, 2023

5 TIPS FOR REVISING by Andrea Caswell

May 13, 2023

TIPS TO UNSTUCK YOUR WRITING, Part 2 by Tricia Park

May 5, 2023

TIPS TO UNSTUCK YOUR WRITING, Part 1 by Tricia Park

April 30, 2023