Jesmyn Ward’s prose flows smoothly using imagery. The mention of Esch’s mother, is 1) Directly paralleled to what is currently taking place, and 2) Is not distracting from the present.
hayleyshucker.substack.com/p/salvage-th...
#writingtips #craftessay #fiction #historicalfiction #tbr

I’ve picked three very different collections and three differently styled short stories to review, so there is something for various styles of writing.
hayleyshucker.substack.com/p/hot-takes-1

#firstchapters #fiction #literature #books #tbr #craftessay #craftanalysis #writingtips #shortstory

When your mom names you after a celebrity and you fake your own death.
hayleyshucker.substack.com/p/lady-oracl...

#firstchapters #fiction #literature #books #readinglist #tbr #craftessay #craftanalysis #writingtips #writingcommunity #lieraryfiction

The novel operates within a dream-like state at times, making the doll and other moments even more uncanny.
hayleyshucker.substack.com/p/the-lost-d...

#firstchapters #fiction #literature #books #readinglist #elenaferrante #tbr #craftessay #craftanalysis #writingtips #novella #writingcommunity

What’s Wrong with the Literary World? Is it scams or what?

What's wrong with the literary world?
hayleyshucker.substack.com/p/whats-wron...

#scams #writinglife #writingtips #craftessay #writingcommunity #fiction #literature #books #tbr

Ove is the epitome of a “get off my lawn” character. If you want to look at creative similes and metaphors, read this. hayleyshucker.substack.com/p/a-man-call...

#firstchapters #fredrikbackman #fiction #literature #literaryfiction #writingcommunity #writingtips #craftanalysis #craftessay

Mina's Matchbox by Yōko Ogawa The First Chapter of a Literary Coming-of-Age Novel

The information we get through Tomoko's descriptions of vehicles shows how Ogawa has mastered subtlety.
hayleyshucker.substack.com/p/minas-matc...

#firstchapters #fiction #literature #tbr #craftessay #craftanalysis #writingtips #literaryfiction #historicalfiction #comingofage #bookrecommendations

The Maitlands’ death scene works well with imagery, pacing, and humor.

hayleyshucker.substack.com/p/beetlejuic...

#firstchapters #fiction #literature #books #readinglist #tbr #craftessay #craftanalysis #writingtips #writingcommunity #writinglife #beetlejuice #80smovie

Made #zines of my Substack posts. Gave a few away at a publishing event today. Full video on my Instagram @crafting_first_chapters And you can subscribe hayleyshucker.substack.com/archive?sort...
#firstchapters #fiction #literature #tbr #craftessay

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean The First Chapter of Dean’s “You Are What You Eat” Novel

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean delves into the patriarchy, the old world, and really highlights how many ways “you are what you eat” can resonate.

hayleyshucker.substack.com/p/the-book-e...

#firstchapters #fiction #literature #books #tbr #craftessay #writingtips #thriller #mystery #horror

Making some zines based on some of my Substack posts.
hayleyshucker.substack.com
#firstchapters #craftessay #tbr #zinemaking #zines #writing

On Writing the Haunted: A Craft Essay What do our ghosts wish us to make of their lives—and of our own? With Ocean Vuong, Olivia Laing, Doireann Ni Ghriofa, Judith Kitchen, and J. R. Moehringer

Thoughts on writing toward our ghosts, on today's Substack. #writingcommunity #memoir #craftessay thehushandthehowl.substack.com/p/on-writing...

A multiple pov #thriller where you don't know who to trust! Learn to plant #mystery in this new post!
hayleyshucker.substack.com/p/rock-paper...
#firstchapters #fiction #literature #books #readinglist #tbr #craftessay #craftanalysis #writingtips #writingcommunity

Let's use tarot cards to create characters with 4 readings and 7 brainstorming prompts.

hayleyshucker.substack.com/p/tarot-card...

#firstchapters #fiction #literature #books #readinglist #tbr #craftessay #craftanalysis #writingtips #writingcommunity #writinglife #writingprompts

Craft analysis of The Need by Helen Phillips.
hayleyshucker.substack.com/p/the-need-b...
#firstchapters #fiction #literature #books #readinglist #tbr #craftessay #craftanalysis #writingtips #writingcommunity #writinglife #bookrecommendations #speculativefiction #horror
#thriller #mystery

Tomorrow I tackle The Need by Helen Phillips hayleyshucker.substack.com
#firstchapters #fiction #literature #books #readinglist #tbr #craftessay #craftanalysis #writingtips #writingcommunity #writinglife #bookrecommendations

CRAFT: Using the Lesson of the Rose to Write Detail as Narrative by Ellen Blum Barish | Hippocampus Magazine "Too much detail can distract your reader and slow the pace of the action." -- Eileen Blum Barish in her craft column, "Using the Lesson of the Rose to Write Detail."

"That was the day I learned about the value of the well-selected detail." – from "Using the Lesson of the Rose to Write Detail as Narrative" by Ellen Blum Bar...
hippocampusmagazine.com/2025/08/craft-using-the-...
#craftessay

Child in a green coat playing with bubbles at the park.

I'm writing a craft essay for a litmag about writing from a child's point of view in a way that feels natural and real. What questions would you like to see answered? Please let me know, and feel free to share.

#WritingCommunity #WritersSupportingWriters #AmWriting #CraftEssay #Writing

In case you've wanted to know how I manage multi-artistic projects...

I don't declutter.

You can read more at Brevity Magazine: Concise Literary Nonfiction in my essay "Decluttering Damages My Writing" that just posted.

#craftessay #personalessay #writer

Check out @anitafelicelli.bsky.social's latest essay on the crafting of time and memory in fiction in @writersdigest.bsky.social:

www.writersdigest.com/write-better...

image credit: Writer's Digest

#craftessay #prosewriters #storycollection #writingtips #newindiebook

Or maybe you want to learn through #WritingCraft articles, #CraftEssay newsletters or #WriterInterview blog posts? This feed (which uses those three hashtags) should flag up a lot of that.

🎨

13/16

I already made one for this with the search terms #WritingCraft, #CraftEssay, #WriterInterview