23 Most Popular Writing Posts of 2023
We’re always sharing so many writing-related posts throughout the year on this site that it’s nice to take a moment to look at a few of the highlights. So it only makes sense to collect the most popular writing posts of 2023. In fact, this is kind of turning into an annual tradition.
(22 Most Popular Writing Posts of 2022.)
Each post was originally published in 2023 and has been visited many, many times during the year. And yes, I’ve included more than 23, because a few of these can be categorized together. And I just like sharing all the fun stuff we’ve done during the year.
So here we go. Click on the titles to read the original posts.
23 Most Popular Writing Posts of 2023
21 Popular Fantasy Tropes for Writers, by Robert Lee Brewer. Common writing tropes are fun for readers and valuable for writers. It’s good to know what readers expect from a genre, and that can help with fulfilling expectations and subverting them. By the way, the third most popular post of 2023 was “21 Popular Mystery Tropes for Writers.”5 Different Forms of Journalism, by Alison Hill. Alison’s journalism posts topped last year’s list, and here she is near the top again this year with a post on the different forms of journalism, including feature journalism, opinion journalism, and more. And be sure to check a couple other popular Hill posts in “How to Hunt Down New Stories to Cover as a Journalist” and “5 Tips on Writing a Feature Journalism Article.”5 Pieces of Advice From Writers That I Come Back to Again and Again, by Tríona Walsh. In this post, Walsh collects five key pieces of advice from authors that have stuck with her so much that she returns to them again and again during her award-winning writing career.How to Write Dates Correctly in Sentences (Grammar Rules), by Robert Lee Brewer. Writing is so much bigger than publishing. Take, for instance, this grammar rules post that was inspired by a question my wife (a paralegal) forwarded from her law office about the correct way to write dates in a sentence. After answering the question in real life, it became a post on the site.8 Tools for Pacing Your Novel, by Christine Wells. Pacing is one of the more popular topics for writers. After all, a writer may know how to start a story and how they want to end it, but they also need to keep readers hooked in that space between. Wells collects eight tools to help make that happen.Writing Bite-Sized Horror, by Ran Walker. Walker shares nine tips for writing sinister microfiction. After all, who said horror fiction has to be novel length? This post, which originally appeared online in 2023, is also a nice crossover piece that originally published in the Writer’s Digest magazine in 2022. Also, different topic, but be sure to check out Walker’s “Back to Basics: Benefits of Writing With a Pen & Notebook.”Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers 2023, by Amy Jones, Moriah Richard, and Michael Woodson. Speaking of pieces that were originally published in Writer’s Digest, the 101 Best Websites for Writers post is a perennial favorite.6 Steps to Getting Your Query Letter Out of the Slush Pile, by Aileen Weintraub. When it comes to publishing writing, the query letter is one of most important tools in the business. Here Weintraub outlines six steps to getting that query out of the slush pile and hopefully accepted.Why I Don’t Maintain a Social Media Platform, by Diego Jourdan Pereira. Love it or hate it, social media is a big part of our society. But that doesn’t mean all writers maintain social media platforms. In this post, Pereira shares why he doesn’t.I Wrote My First Book at 48 and Am Now a Bestselling Author: Here’s How I Made It Happen, by Maia Toll. For many writers, it can be intimidating to see a constant barrage of lists like “30 Best Writers Under 30” or “40 Best Writers Under 40,” as if age (even if you’re much older than 48) plays any role in the publishing journey. In this post, award-winning and bestselling author Maia Toll shares how she started her journey. ChatGPT: A Writer’s Best Friend…for Now, by Giancarlo Ghedini. AI has taken popular culture by storm in 2023, including the world of writing. In this post, Ghedini investigates the possible pros and cons of ChatGPT in relation to writers.The 10 Dos and Don’ts of Being Rejected, by Clare Boyd. While there might be one exception out there, nearly every writer who has found (or not found) any success has been rejected…many times. In this post, Boyd shares the dos and don’ts of this very normal publishing activity.6 Tips for a Satisfying Short Story Ending, by Peter Mountford. Sticking the landing of a short story can be challenging, but Mountford offers six tips and tricks for making it happen. And for those keeping track at home, this is the third post on the list that originally appeared in the magazine. Also, be sure to check out another good post on this topic that made this list, “7 Tips for Writing Effective Endings to Short Stories,” by Garnett Kilberg Cohen.7 Mindset Shifts for Writing Your Best Book—and Enjoying the Process More, by Jacyln Goldis. In this post, Goldis shares seven mindset shifts that will help writers accomplish more and enjoy the process while doing so, from remembering to have fun to knowing when to move on to the next idea.6 Tips for Jumpstarting a Stalled Writing Career, by A.D. Nauman. For many writers, writing success is not a straight line. There are ups, downs, U-turns, and other directions. In this post, Nauman shares six tips for jumpstarting a stalled writing career.On the Importance of Persistence to Writing Success, by Michael Melgaard. Almost as if on cue, here’s Melgaard’s piece on the importance of persistence to writing success. It’s a common refrain among bestselling authors: Just keep going, keep trying, and it will happen.5 Rituals to Get in the Right Headspace to Write, by Bryn Turnbull. Internationally bestselling author Turnbull shares her top five rituals to get in the right headspace to write your novel.15 Tips for Starting Your Writing Career Later in Life, by Rick Bleiweiss. Remember earlier in this list when I mentioned that 48 wasn’t an age barrier for making your publishing dreams come true? In this post, Bleiweiss (who published his first novel at 78) shares 15 tips for starting your writing career later in life.What Is Cosmic Horror in Fiction?, by Moriah Richard. WD managing editor Moriah Richard outlines the tropes and ideas that make up cosmic horror and how best to utilize it in your storytelling.Dislocating a Thumb to Escape Handcuffs: FightWrite™, by Carla Hoch. Trained fighter and author Carla Hoch has covered several fighting-related topics for writers over the years on our site, but this has been one of the most popular ones, which makes me start to wonder about our audience (just a little).5 Ways to Help Beat Writer’s Block, by India Hill Brown. Some writers deny writer’s block exists, but India Hill Brown has put together a helpful list of ways to beat it for the rest of us.The Happy Life of an Overthinking Author, by Courtney Walsh. Most writers know what it’s like to think about something and not be able to turn off as the thoughts turn into full-blown overthinking. Walsh explains how she was able to find happiness in the writing and overthinking.25 Benefits of Writing a Novel in a Month, by Katharine Gripp. I think nearly everyone on the WD staff has tried NaNoWriMo at one point or another, and here are 25 benefits of writing (or trying to write) a novel in a month.
So there you have it. Now don’t forget to share what you’d like to see in 2023 and beyond in the comments below. And check our home page regularly, because we’re constantly sharing great new writing posts.
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