One of the biggest obstacles for writers attempting to get paid for their work is finding legitimate, paid, online writing jobs. It’s all too easy to stumble across freelance writing “gigs” that offer little more than exposure—which doesn’t put money in the bank.

A great resource for freelancers, this membership site is $40/month and you get access to more than 300 hours of “bootcamps” that teach you how to make money as a freelance writer and hundreds of forums where you can get any question answered. Whether you want to listen to expert guests on their podcast, access the 24/7 community of writers, or check out video and audio training materials, the Den has everything a freelancer needs to grow their career — all in one place.

If you’re serious about freelancing, this is worth considering. You can join at the links above, or read our full Freelance Writers Den review for more details.

So where should you look online for freelance writing jobs?

Fortunately, some reliable resources for finding online writing jobs do actually pay. 

In this post, we’ll share a list of our favorites. Here are some of the best places to find freelance writing jobs online.

1. FlexJobs

One of the top job boards for not just freelance writing jobs but remote work in general, FlexJobs enables you to create a custom job search profile to meet your specific needs. Select your categories (there are several under “Writing”), your preferred work schedule, your experience level and more to hone down your search results to those that best fit the freelance writer job you’re looking for. You can also set alerts so you’re notified when new jobs matching your search criteria are posted. 

A subscription is $9.95/week, $24.95/month, $39.95 for three months or $59.95/year. Here’s a search for “writer” jobs if you want to try it.

2. SolidGigs

SolidGigs is part job board, part productivity tool. Why? Because their team literally saves you hours of scouring job boards. They hand-pick the best gigs from around the web and compile them into a weekly email, including remote opportunities. 

It’s $21/month to subscribe, and they offer a free 14-day trial. Along with curated job opportunities, you’ll also get access to business training courses and hundreds of lessons on freelancing and interviews with successful freelancers.

3. Freelance Opportunities!

Freelance writer Kaitlyn Arford curates this handpicked, exclusive freelance opportunities list, which is hosted on Beehiiv and sent twice weekly to subscribers. With both a free tier and a paid tier, Kaitlyn covers a wide variety of writing jobs, including journalism, copywriting, content writing, fact checking, content design, content strategy, search engine optimization, public relations, marketing, social media, and more.

4. Working In Content

Working In Content aims to connect organizations with passionate content professionals. As a bonus, it values diversity, equity and inclusion, and it encourages the employers it works with to do the same. 

Whether you’re a UX writer or a content strategist, this site is a great option to find work in content design, marketing, management and more. It offers full-time and contract roles that are either remote or in cities like Seattle, New York City and San Francisco. Be sure to subscribe to its free newsletter that shares expert interviews, resources and job opportunities once a week.

5. ProBlogger Job Board

Created by Darren Rowse of ProBlogger, an authority site on blogging, the ProBlogger job board features part- and full-time, contract and freelance writer jobs across a wide variety of locations, industries and writing specialties.  

Plus, given ProBlogger’s high profile in the blogosphere, it’s likely you can often find jobs posted by some big-time blogs and employers who have an idea what good writing is really worth. Besides content writing, it also lists a healthy dose of copywriting jobs.

6. Best Writing

This site is a content writing job board that includes remote, freelance, contract and full-time jobs. To peruse these hand-picked writing opportunities, visit the site online, sign up for daily job alerts or subscribe to its paid newsletter that shares brand new openings once per week for $19.50/month and up. 

Another good resource: This site offers a content writing blog that features long-form interviews with prolific content writers, authors and founders who share tips of the trade.

7. Behance Creative Jobs

Powered by Adobe, Behance is an online platform for creative professionals to showcase their work, find inspiration and connect with companies looking to hire. 

Behance allows you to upload your past projects to quickly create a visually-pleasing online portfolio, making it a great resource for writers without a website. It has its own job board which you can browse to find your next career move or freelance writing job!

8. MediaBistro

MediaBistro is a great resource for media freelancers of all stripes, offering online courses, tools and information that can help you navigate your career.

Be sure to check out the freelance job board section of the site, as well, for a wide range of jobs for all experience levels from industries like TV, PR/marketing, magazine and book publishing and social media—a little something for everyone.

9. FreelanceWriting

FreelanceWriting provides a nice compendium of freelance writing and editing jobs with competitive pay rates. 

With exclusive job opportunities as well as posts pulled from sites like Indeed and Craigslist, the job board consolidates a variety of gigs for everyone from newbie to seasoned freelancers. Save yourself the time of scouring numerous sites and let this newsletter bring the decent jobs right to your inbox.

10. Who Pays Writers?

Who Pays Writers? is a crowd-sourced list of publications that pay freelance writers—and it’s a gold mine. The list has hundreds of publications to explore; it not only shows you which publications are accepting submissions, it also tells you how much they pay per word. 

The site primarily offers writers a good research opportunity to learn how much different publications pay, but there are some online blogging opportunities as well (depending on the publication). Maintained by an anonymous volunteer collective, the list is updated monthly.

11. The Ultimate List of Better-Paid Blogging Gigs

Freelancer Sophie Lizard compiled a free ebook listing 75 blogs that pay $50 to $2,000 per post, broken down into sections like Writing Blogs, Food Blogs, etc. She also includes some good tips on how to approach these blogs, how to promote yourself once you’ve landed a post, and more. 

To get the ebook, add your email address to her newsletter list—you’ll also get free access to her money-making toolkit and more.

12. LinkedIn Jobs

If you’ve already got a LinkedIn profile (and you really should to attract new clients), don’t let it just sit there. Networking goes a long way in the freelance world, and LinkedIn is a great resource to do some networking through common connections.

While you’re doing that networking, check out the Jobs section and sign up for email alerts when jobs are posted that match your interests. Many will be location-based, but who’s to say you can’t approach these employers with a proposal for freelance writing services? Maybe they need someone to fill the gap in the hiring interim, or maybe the job could just as easily be done remotely but they hadn’t considered that. Talk about a different kind of pitch! 

13. Freelance Writing Gigs

This invaluable resource updates daily with online writing jobs scooped from around the ‘net. It’s also got a rich archive filled with posts offering all kinds of tips and insight for beginning and experienced freelancers alike.

Along with the daily blog posts, you can also check out the Freelance Writing Gigs Board, where those in need of copy services of all sorts post jobs on the regular.

14. Where to Pitch

This one takes a little bit of forethought and footwork. Instead of simply listing online writing jobs, Where to Pitch offers a list of potential venues when you type in a topic you’re interested in working on. If you’re willing to put in that effort, you’re bound to find some new publications to pitch.

You can also sign up for the Where to Pitch newsletter,  which gets you access to five real pitches that snagged the writer bylines in the New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, and other large publications.

15. Upwork

Although Upwork has a bit of a reputation for offering low-rate jobs, it’s definitely possible to find postings offering livable wages for writing jobs online. When this article was published, a job to write a finance/trading article for $500 and a ghostwriter gig for $600 were both listed. 

Plus, you get the added benefit of rate transparency: You know exactly what you’re going to get before you even put in the effort to read the full job description! If you’re curious about this platform, here’s a longer post on why one writer says Upwork is legit.

16. JournalismJobs.com

Offering full-time, freelance and remote jobs opportunities, JournalismJobs.com can help you find writing, editing, reporting or copy editor gigs. You can also find jobs across a wide range on industries like non-profit, technology and TV, so you’ll never get bored with this website’s selections. 

Plus, while you’re here, be sure to set job alerts to know right away about new freelance writer jobs, check out its section of career advice or even peruse the fellowship listings.

Freelance Writing Jobs for Beginners

If this list is helpful, you’ll get even more out of The Write Life’s ebook: 71 Ways to Earn as a Freelance Writer. We suggest dozens of different ways to earn income online as a writer, including information on how much each gig pays and tips for how to land those freelance writing jobs. The bulk of the jobs we suggest are ones you can do from home. 

17. Smart Blogger

Smart Blogger launched in 2012 and has since grown to become one of the world’s largest sites dedicated to writing and blogging. As well as a jobs page that lists hundreds of opportunities for freelance writers, they also have a resources and tools section which provides a number of valuable insights to help freelance writers in all areas of their work.

There’s good reason that Smart Blogger has over 300 thousand subscribers to date and any aspiring freelance writers would be well placed to become one themselves.

18. Contena

Contena markets itself as an online program and suite of tools designed to help users get started with freelance writing and remote work. They operate through a membership scheme with prospective users invited to fill out a simple form on their website, however anyone is able to view the list of jobs available, which is impressively extensive.

Independent reviews suggest Contena is indeed a great resource, so you should definitely check it out when seeking new opportunities.

19. Freelance Framework

Curated by content writer and marketer Chris Bibey, Freelance Framework is a daily newsletter delivering freelance writing gigs by email. Like most of these services, there’s a free tier and a paid tier, and the website features archives in case you want to search for something specific. Expect a variety of gigs spanning the globe.

20. What Editors Want

Curated by James Durston, this Substack curates calls for pitches from other sites around the Internet including X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and even other newsletters mentioned on this list. There’s a lot to go through, with many of the articles citing 75+ calls for journalism and/or writing pitches. There are three tiers for this newsletter: free, monthly, and annual.

Bonus. Opportunities of the Week

Founded by Sonia Weiser, this bi-weekly newsletter became a must-have for freelance writers. Before being acquired by Study Hall, Sonia would gather dozens of calls for pitches and email them to her community. The service was previously offered through Ghost, where members were asked to contribute up to $10 per month. In addition to freelance writing jobs, she included career advice, resources on how much different outlets pay, and other helpful links.

Alright, but how do you run a freelance writing business, anyway?

Even with tons of resources for finding online writing jobs, it can be hard to know exactly what it takes to get your foot in the door with those editors. After all, you don’t just fall into a job (usually); you’ve got to prove to someone that you’re the right fit.

All of that to say nothing of the fact that running a freelance writing business is its own job, once you get started. You’ll have to negotiate pay raises, deal with editorial disagreements, and even—perish the thought—figure out self-employment taxes.

If you’re eager to learn about any of those topics, check out some of these helpful posts, created to help freelancers tackle every part of the writing-for-a-living experience.

• How to Become a Freelance Writer
• How to Pitch a Story
• Tips for Raising Your Freelance Writing Rates
• Portfolio Website Options for Freelancers
• Avoid Freelance Writing Scams

We never said it was easy, but the writing life certainly is a rewarding one.

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life—and we thank you for that!

Some legitimate contests charge small entry fees, but often a fee can be a red flag for a scam, so those might be the ones you want to stay away from. 

Besides, there are plenty of free writing contests that encourage and inspire boundless creativity with real cash prizes and career-advancing opportunities! Since it can be hard for a writer to know where to find them, we did the legwork for you.

We found 40 reputable, well-reviewed, free writing contests for poets, fiction writers, essayists and more

With thousands of dollars in cash prizes and numerous opportunities to secure a publishing contract, you’re sure to find the right free writing contest for your work.

If you don’t mind paying a little money to enter, our friends over at Smart Blogger have rounded up some great writing contests that have small entry fees. And if you’re still hungry for more opportunities, we also have posts on writers grants and writing fellowships.

Fiction and nonfiction writing contests this year

Ready to share your novel or personal essay with the world? Whether you’re a newbie or more established writer, you’re likely eligible for a few of these contests.

Here are some fiction and nonfiction writing contests worth considering.

1. L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest

Whatever your feelings about L. Ron Hubbard’s work and philosophy, the prizes for this regular contest are nothing to sneeze at. Every three months, winners earn $1,000, $750 and $500, plus an additional annual grand prize of $5,000.

Submissions must be short stories or novelettes (up to 17,000 words) in the genre of science fiction or fantasy, and new and amateur writers are welcome to apply.

Deadlines: Quarterly on March 31, June 30 and September 30

Website: Writers of the Future

2. Inkitt

This boutique publishing firm offers cash prizes and promotional packages to winning authors. Submit a novel of 10,000 words or more in any fiction genre (no fanfic or poetry).

Inkitt’s writing contest runs monthly and gives authors the chance to win cash prizes up to $300, exclusive book badges and promotional packages while showcasing their books to Inkitt’s audience of more than 3 million users. Winners are determined by Inkitt’s unique algorithm based on overall reader engagement.

Deadline: See individual contest pages

Website: Inkitt

Disclosure: Inkitt is an advertising partner of The Write Life. We hold our advertisers to high standards and vetted this contest just like others on this list. 

3. Drue Heinz Literature Prize

You can win $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press with this prize, awarded for a collection of short fiction.

You may submit an unpublished manuscript of short stories, two or more novellas or a combination of novellas and short stories. Your total word count should be between 150 and 300 typed pages. You must also have already published a novel or book-length work of fiction “with a reputable publisher,” or no fewer than three short stories or novellas in nationally-recognized journals.

Deadline: Annual submissions must be postmarked between May 1 through June 30

Website: University of Pittsburgh Press

4. Young Lions Fiction Award

This $10,000 award recognizes “young authors,” which the rules define as any author aged 35 or younger. Submit any novel or collection of short stories published or scheduled to be published in the calendar year. Works must be written for adults; children’s or YA pieces are ineligible.

Deadline: Submission information is available on the award website

Website: New York Public Library

5. Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prizes

One of the best-loved small presses in the creative writing world, Graywolf Press hosts a variety of contests for both established and up-and-coming writers. Graywolf also offers smaller fiction and nonfiction prizes, with genres rotating by year; 2020 was a nonfiction year, so fiction was up in 2021, then back to nonfiction in 2022, and so on. These awards include a sizable advance—$12,000 in previous years—as well as publication with Graywolf.

Deadline: Contest is held annually with rotating genres

Website: Graywolf Press

6. The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans

Hosted by the prestigious Iowa Review, the Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award is offered to U.S. military veterans and active-duty members writing in any genre about any subject. Manuscripts of up to 20 pages will be accepted, and the first-prize winner will receive $1,000 and publication in the Review. A second place prize of $750 is also available, as well as three runner-up prizes of $500 each.

Deadline: Biennially

Website: The Iowa Review

7. Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

For 15 years, this contest has provided visibility for emerging African American fiction writers and enables them to focus on their writing by awarding a $15,000 cash prize. Eligible authors should submit a work of fiction, such as a novel or short story collection, published in the calendar year. (Galleys for publication within the year are also accepted.)

Deadline: Annually. The entry window closes on December 31

Website: The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

8. PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction

Honoring the best work of fiction published by an American author in a single calendar year, this award has been given to the likes of John Updike, Philip Roth and Ann Patchett. Novels, novellas and collections of short stories are all eligible.

The winner receives a hefty cash prize—up to $15,000 in the past—and an invitation to read at the award ceremony in Washington, D.C. Plus, there are no submission fees or application forms to deal with; just send a PDF of each book (as many as you’d like) to awards@penfaulkner.org.

Deadline: Submissions will be accepted from July 1 to September 30

Website: Pen/Faulkner

9. PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers

This contest requires you to have already published a short story in a literary magazine or journal or cultural website. But if you’ve made your debut (but gone no further), you may be eligible for the generous cash prize of $2,000, which is annually awarded to 12 emerging writers, whose works are then published together in an anthology.

Short stories of up to 12,000 words are eligible and must be published in the calendar year preceding the year in which the award is given. Additionally, keep this in mind: Submissions are only eligible if submitted by an editor. Authors may not submit their own work.

Deadline: Submissions close November 1

Website: PEN America

10. Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

Fiction and nonfiction writers who have recently published a book that “contribute[s] to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of cultural diversity” are eligible for this award, which offers $10,000 cash as well as media and publicity opportunities. Plus, winners receive their prize at a ceremony in Cleveland.

Submissions must be published in the prior year (so books published last year are eligible for the award this year).

Deadline: Annual submission window is September 1 through December 31

Website: Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

11. Marfield Prize (aka National Award for Arts Writing)

Presented by the Arts Club of Washington, this award seeks to honor nonfiction books that deal with the “visual, literary, media, or performing arts.” The prize is $10,000 and may be awarded to works of criticism, art history, memoirs and biographies, and essays.

Deadline: Annually in the last quarter of the year. The submission window in 2023 is October 15

Website: The Marfield Prize

12. W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction

If you’re a war buff, this competition is for you. It awards $5,000—and a 24-karat-gold-framed citation of achievement—to the best piece of fiction set during a period when the U.S. was at war (war may either be the main plot of the piece or simply provide the setting). Submissions may be adult or YA novels.

Deadline: Annually on December 31

Website: American Library Association

13. Friends of American Writers Chicago Awards

FAW presents two annual awards: an Adult Literature Award for literary fiction or nonfiction, and a Young People’s Literature Award for a children’s/YA book.

Authors must reside in the state of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin—or they must set their book in one of those locations. Prize amounts vary from year to year, but you don’t have to bother with an application and all winners are celebrated at the organization’s May luncheon.

Deadline: Annually in December

Website: Friends of American Writers Chicago

14. Hektoen Grand Prix Essay Contest

Hektoen International, an online journal dedicated to medical humanities, offers two prizes annually for essays of no more than 1,500 words: $5,000 is awarded to the winner and $2,500 to the first runner-up. Eligible topics are broad so long as they have a relation to medicine, and many include art, history, literature, education and more.

Deadline: Annually; September 15 is usually the deadline

Website: Hektoen International

15. Biopage Storytelling Writing Contest

There’s no denying it: social media is a huge part of our modern-day lives. It’s easy to get used to limiting our communications to 280-character and emoji-strewn snippets, which is why this marketing firm is hosting an essay writing contest to “remind people of the benefits of writing.”

Essays of up to 5,000 characters (roughly 1,000 words) will be accepted, and right now they’re looking for stories of COVID-19 quarantine life. The grand prize winner will receive $300, and five runners-up will be awarded $100 each.

The contest is free to enter, but you’ll need to register for a Biopage account to be eligible.

Deadline: The contest ends January 31 each year

Website: Biopage

16. St. Martin’s Minotaur / Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition

Writers 18 and older who have never had a novel published (in any genre) are eligible for this prize, awarded to an original book-length manuscript where “murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story.” The winner receives a publication contract with Minotaur Books and an advance of $10,000 against future royalties.

Deadline: December 17 each year 

Website: Edgar Awards

17. ServiceScape Short Story Award

ServiceScape, a platform matching freelance writers, editors and graphic designers with clients (i.e. a great place to look for paid writing work!) offers a yearly Short Story Award of $1,000 to a winning fiction or nonfiction work of 5,000 words or fewer. The winner will also have their story featured on the ServiceScape blog, which sees thousands of readers each month.

Deadline: November 29 each year

Website: ServiceScape

18. Stowe Prize

This biennial prize of $10,000 honors an American author whose adult fiction or nonfiction work has had an impact on a critical social justice issue (as did Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin). The book must be written by a U.S. author and have been published in the United States during the previous three calendar years.

Deadline: Contact the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center for this year’s deadline.

Website: Harriet Beecher Stowe Center

19. The Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction essays of no more than 5,000 words on any subject are eligible for consideration for this award, whose winner receives $250 and publication in Lunch Ticket, the literary and art journal produced by the MFA community of Antioch University Los Angeles.

Works must not have been published elsewhere. Award winners are required to submit a 100-word biography, recent photo and a short note thanking the Woods family for their generosity and support.

Deadlines: Biannual reading periods are in February for the Summer/Fall issue and in August for the Winter/Spring issue

Website: Lunch Ticket

20. The 2023 Brandon Langhjelm Memorial Essay Contest

Each year, this Canadian organization offers three prizes, ranging from $500 to $1,500, to the essay with the most thoughtful, well-reasoned arguments around a specific human-rights theme. (For example, 2022’s prompt was, “Canadian governments are making Digital ID technologies a precondition of access to essential services and goods. What can Canadians do to protect their Charter rights and freedoms against the dangers of these technologies?”)

The contest is open to Canadian college and university students, and essays should be 2,500 words or less in length.

Deadline: November 5

Website: Justice Center for Constitutional Freedoms

21. Write the World

For young writers ages 13-18, these cool contests also serve as mini workshops. Recognizing that “a first draft is never perfect,” submissions actually receive peer review by authors, writing teachers and other experts and writers are given the chance to revise their pieces based on this feedback before submitting them for final prize consideration.

Contests vary each month, but there’s a $100 prize for the winner and $50 for the runner-up (plus $50 for the best peer-reviewer). All three are featured on Write the World’s blog alongside comments from a guest judge. And since each month’s prompt is from a different genre, developing writers get a chance to test out different styles.

Deadline: Monthly

Website: Write the World

22. Prose.

Stuck with writer’s block and looking for a way to jumpstart your escape? Prose offers weekly challenges meant to spark your creativity; many are just for fun, but look for the weekly numbered challenges posted by Prose (rather than community members or sponsors) for a chance to win money.

Prizes are typically between $100 to $200 and word counts are low—some as low as under 150, some as high as 500. So even if all you get from the prompt is a chance to flex your brain, it’s not a bad deal.

Deadline: Weekly and monthly

Website: Prose.

23. The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing

First-generation immigrants have a chance to win $10,000 and publication by Restless Books for telling their stories (real or imagined). The contest alternates annually between fiction (novel or short story collection) and nonfiction (memoir, essay collection, narrative nonfiction).

Deadline: Submission window is usually between December and March

Website: Restless Books

24. AFSA National High School Essay Contest

The U.S. Institute of Peace and the American Foreign Service Association sponsor this annual high school essay contest, where the winner receives a $2,500 cash prize, an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., and a full-tuition paid voyage with Semester at Sea upon the student’s enrollment at an accredited university. Essays should be between 1,000 and 1,250 words and have to answer all aspects of the prompt as well as demonstrate an understanding of the Foreign Service.

Runners-up get a pretty sweet deal too, a $1,250 cash prize and a full scholarship to participate in the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference.

Deadline: April each year

Website: American Foreign Service Association

25. Science-me a Story

Born in 2018, the Society of Spanish Researchers invites talented and original writers to write a 100-word blurb for a hypothetical novel. This might sound really easy, but your blurb has to quickly hook readers and make them want to read more. Open to anyone over 18 anywhere in the world, your real or fictional short story for this competition must be either in English or Spanish and “conceived from the objective of scientific dissemination to primary school” to qualify for the cash prizes: £150, £100 and £50. 

Deadline: April each year

Website: Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom

26. VCU Cabell First Novelist Award

Virginia Commonwealth University sponsors this award that honors an outstanding debut novel published in the preceding calendar year. While you may have published previous books in a different form, the submission must be your first published book marketed as a novel.

The award is a $5,000 cash prize, and the winning author must agree to attend the award event, usually scheduled for November.

Deadline: Annually; the submission window runs from July 1 through December 30

Website: Virginia Commonwealth University

27. Daisy Utemorrah Award

The Daisy Utemorrah Award is for an unpublished manuscript of junior or YA fiction written by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples currently living in Australia. Generously supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund and the State Government of Western Australia, the winner of the award receives $15,000 and a publishing contract with Magabala Books.

Deadline: Submission window usually opens at the beginning of each year

Website: Magabala Books

28. Short Fiction Prize

If you’re an undergrad at a college in the U.S. or Canada, this writing competition is for you. (Traditionally, this contest has encouraged applicants with an Asian background, but anyone is invited to apply.) Submissions should be no more than 7,500 words.

One winner will get a $1,000 prize as well as a scholarship to the next Southampton Writers Conference.

Deadline: Submission window is usually between March 1- July 14

Website: Stony Brook University | Lichtenstein Center

29. Bacopa Literary Review Contest

The Bacopa Literary Review is an international journal published by the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. Each year, it opens submissions for pieces in four genres: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and prose poetry. Find detailed guidelines for each genre on its website. First place gets $300, and the second prize in each of the four genres gets $100.

Deadline: May 30 each year

Website: Writers Alliance of Gainesville

30. Insecure Writer’s Support Group Annual Anthology Contest

As long as you stick to the guidelines, The Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s annual contest welcomes your 5,000- to 6,000-word (previously unpublished) creative story. But before you send it off, make sure your story is polished and formatted! Plus, the prizes aren’t too shabby—winning stories will be edited and published, authors will receive royalties, and the top story will even get to give the anthology its title. 

Deadlines: September 1 each year

Website: Insecure Writer’s Support Group

31. New Voices Award

Presented by Lee & Low Books, an award-winning children’s book publisher, this award is given for a previously unpublished children’s picture book manuscript of no more than 1,500 words written by a writer of color or Indigenous/Native writers who’s a resident of the U.S.

The winner receives $2,000 cash and a standard publication contract, and an additional Honor Award winner will receive a cash prize of $1,000. You may submit up to two manuscripts.

Deadline: Watch the website for details. 

Website: Lee & Low Books

32. St. Francis College Literary Prize

Since 2009, this biennial literary award has honored mid-career writers who have recently published their third, fourth or fifth work of fiction. The winner receives $50,000 and may be invited to the St. Francis College campus in Brooklyn, New York, to deliver a talk about their work or teach a mini fiction workshop to St. Francis students.

Deadline: Biennially. The contest was not offered the last three years due to the pandemic and limited campus access

Website: St. Francis College

33. Future Scholar Foundation Short Story Competition

The Future Scholar Foundation is a nonprofit organization started and run by high school students in Redmond, WA. Their mission is to empower young students to develop their self-expression skills through monthly short story competitions. Their efforts have been recognized by the Seattle Times and Northwest Asian Weekly, and their short story competitions have received hundreds of submissions from over 15 US states and five countries.

Deadline: Monthly on the 28th

Website: Future Scholar Foundation

Free poetry contests to enter

Curious about opportunities for poets? Your stanzas—rhyming or not—could be worth a fair amount of money in these poetry competitions.

Check out these poetry writing contests.

34. Black Voices in Children’s Literature Writing Contest

This contest is open to Black writers who are over the age of 18 and residents of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin.  It’s hosted by Strive Publishing and Free Spirit Publishing and seeks to fill the need for Black representation in children’s and young adult books. Original board and picture books for children aged 0-4 and picture books for ages 4-8 are eligible, provided they feature contemporary, realistic Black characters and culture and focus on character development, self esteem, community and other aspects of positive childhood development.

Three prizes, ranging from $250 to $1,000, will be awarded, and the first-place winner will be “seriously considered” for publication, though it’s not guaranteed.

Deadline: Usually late July, each year

Website: Free Spirit Publishing 

35. James Laughlin Award

If you’re already a published poet, this is the award for you; it’s given for a second book of poetry due to come out in the forthcoming year. The winner receives $5,000 and an all-expenses-paid week-long residency at The Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. In addition, copies of the winning book are distributed to 1,000 members of the Academy of American Poets.

Deadline: Annual submission window is January 1 through May 15

Website: Academy of American Poets

36. African Poetry Book Fund Prizes

The APBF awards three prizes annually for African Poetry. The Luschei Prize for African Poetry gives $1,000 for a book of original African poetry published in the prior year.

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets gives $1,000 and a publication contract for a book-length collection of poetry by an as-yet-unpublished African author.

The Brunel International African Poetry Prize is a new prize that grants £3,000 to a poet who was born in Africa, or has African parents, who has not yet had a full-length book of poetry published. (U.S. citizens qualify.) To submit, you’ll need 10 poems.

Deadlines: See individual prize pages or details

Website: African Poetry Book Fund

37. Tufts Poetry Awards

Claremont Graduate University presents two awards each year to poets they deem to be “outstanding.” The Kate Tufts Poetry Award grants $10,000 for a published first book of poetry that shows promise.

The Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award grants a mammoth $100,000 for a published book of poetry by an established or mid-career poet.

Deadline: Submission window is July 1 to June 30 each year

Website: Claremont Graduate University

38. Graywolf Press Walt Whitman Award 

The Walt Whitman Award is a $5,000 prize awarded, along with publication, to an American poet with a winning first book manuscript. He or she also receives an all-expenses-paid six-week residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center in Umbria, Italy.

Graywolf Press is also one of the publishers of the Cave Canem Poetry Prize, “a first book award dedicated to the discovery of exceptional manuscripts by Black poets.” Winners receive $1,000 and Graywolf publishes every third winner of the prize.

Deadline: July 1 to September 1 each year

Website: Poets

39. Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Now in its 23rd year, this humor contest wants your best published or unpublished work for a grand prize of $2,000; runners-up are awarded $500 and 10 honorable mentions will receive $100 each. Writers of all ages from eligible countries can submit an original, humorous poem with 250 lines or less, and it must be in English.

Deadline: April 1, each year (and no, this isn’t an April Fools joke)

Website: Winning Writers

40. The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize

This writing competition is looking for the best piece of unpublished, themed writing. For example, one year, the theme was “Untamed: On Wilderness and Civilization.” Submissions may be prose, poetry or non-academic essays. Maximum word count is 2,500, and this is open to all nationalities and to anyone 18 or older. The winner gets a £10,000 cash prize, second place gets £3,000 and third place gets £2,000.

Deadline: Applications open at the beginning of each year. Follow the Alpine Fellowship on Instagram for updates

Website: The Alpine Fellowship

Where to find more legitimate, free writing contests

Looking for more opportunities to submit your work? Here are a few great sites to keep an eye on for writing contests.

Winning Writers

A number of the contests found on our list came highly recommended by this site, which compiles some of the best free literary contests out there. Along with a wide range of recommended contests for writers of all stripes, Winning Writers also lists some contests and services to avoid, which is just as useful!

They also offer a handful of contests themselves, including the North Street Book Prize.

Poets & Writers

Another fantastic source for legitimate writing contests we consulted when compiling this list, Poets & Writers vets competitions, contests, awards and grants to make sure they’re following legitimate practices and policies. It’s worth checking out regularly as it features both annual and one-time contests.

This listing contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life—and we thank you for that!

The original version of this story was written by Kelly Gurnett. We updated the post so it’s more useful for our readers. 

Photo via Viktoriia Hnatiuk / Shutterstock

Historically, the answer has been grammar nerds, Strunk & White, and those who follow the infamous Chicago versus AP writing style guide debate.

And after this lawsuit a few years ago, we added dairy driver to the list.

That’s because an appellate court ruled in favor of Maine dairy drivers in a labor dispute that hinged on the oft-debated piece of punctuation.

For anyone who’s ever wondered what all the fuss is about over Oxford commas, the circuit judge’s 2017 opinion says it all:

“For want of a comma, we have this case.”

Barron, Circuit Judge

Let’s get into why the oxford comma can make such a difference

What is the Oxford Comma or the Serial Comma?

For those in need of a grammar rules refresh, here’s a quick overview.

Sometimes called the serial comma, the Oxford comma is a comma placed between the last two items in a series of three or more.

For example, the Oxford comma falls after “hat” in this sentence:

“She wore a jacket, hat, and mittens.”

While some writing style guides do not use this comma, supporters say it’s necessary to avoid potential ambiguity. And if there’s one thing writers can agree on, it’s the importance of clarity. In some cases, an extra comma matters.

Does AP Style Use the Oxford Comma?

The short answer: No.

Many writers, including journalists, live by the Associated Press stylebook. AP style does not use Oxford commas.

However, Chicago style does require Oxford commas. That’s the Chicago Manual of Style, which is commonly used by book publishers, academics, and trade publications.

So the decision about whether to use the serial comma relies on what type of writing you’re doing, and which style guide applies to that project.

If you’re writing for a news site, you probably want to follow AP style and skip the extra punctuation. If you’re writing a novel you plan to submit to publishers, you probably want to follow Chicago style, which does use the Oxford comma.

An Example to Follow

Let’s review how the Oxford comma works.

Here’s an example of a sentence with the Oxford comma:

“I admire my parents, Gandhi, and Mother Teresa.”

It’s clear in this example that I admire my parents, as well as Gandhi, and Mother Teresa.

But remove that serial comma, and the sentence reads, “I admire my parents, Gandhi and Mother Teresa.”

One could argue that, written this way, the sentence implies that Gandhi and Mother Teresa are my parents. While the average person would know this isn’t likely to be the case, it illustrates how easily a missing comma can change the meaning of a sentence.

It was precisely this type of ambiguity that led to the Maine case with the dairy farmers.

The Oxford Comma Debate, And A $10 Million Comma

In this class action lawsuit, drivers for Oakhurst Dairy sued the company over its failure to grant them overtime pay.

Workers in Maine are entitled to 1.5 times their normal pay for hours worked over 40 per week, according to state law. However, there are exemptions to this rule. Specifically, the law states, companies don’t have to pay overtime for the following activities:

The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of:

1. Agricultural produce;
2. Meat and fish product; and
3. Perishable foods

Note the end of the opening line, where there is no comma before the “or.”

Oakhurst Dairy argued its drivers did not qualify for overtime because they engage in distribution, and the spirit of the law intended to list “packing for shipment” and “distribution” as two separate exempt activities.

However, the drivers argued the letter of the law said no such thing. Without that telltale Oxford comma, the law could be read to exclude only packing—whether it was packing for shipment or packing for distribution. Distribution by itself, in this case, would not be exempt.

Without that comma, as the judge maintained, this distinction was not clear-cut:

If that exemption used a serial comma to mark off the last of the activities that it lists, then the exemption would clearly encompass an activity that the drivers perform. And, in that event, the drivers would plainly fall within the exemption and thus outside the overtime law’s protection. But, as it happens, there is no serial comma to be found in the exemption’s list of activities, thus leading to this dispute over whether the drivers fall within the exemption from the overtime law or not.

Barron, Circuit Judge

As a result, the court found in favor of the drivers, costing the dairy an estimated $10 million.

Comma Rules: To Comma, or Not to Comma?

As a diehard Oxford comma loyalist, this ruling made my day.

While many of the sites I write for as a freelance blogger follow AP style, which is sans-serial comma, I still sneak one in when it seems needed to avoid confusion. This case backs up that habit as more than just an old-school tic I haven’t yet let go.

While the debate may still rage on over whether Oxford commas are necessary all the time, this ruling upholds the practice of using them when they’re essential to ward off ambiguity.

So, who care about the Oxford comma? The answer, according to the courts, is officially: anyone who’s interested in clarity.

Take that, AP style!

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

Photo via Lamai Prasitsuwan/ Shutterstock

See: the 400+ comments on my piece on the Oxford comma debate, which devolved into everything from political jabs to commentary on the fairness of overtime laws.

Amid the many readers continuing to rail against my adoption of AP style on a blog I specifically say uses AP style, I found one observation in particular that made me pause. Some readers pointed out my use of a dangling modifier. And I confess: You caught me.

I also confess: I don’t feel terribly bad about it.

Which lead me me down the rabbit hole of a whole ’nother debate: When does a grammar rule pass into obsolescence?

Grammar rules we should just forget about already

At what point is non-standard sentence construction widely accepted as standard? Can we as writers loosen up on certain rules when general usage renders an “incorrect” syntax perfectly understandable to the average reader?

Hold onto your outrage, Internet. Tell your grammar checker tool to buzz off.

Here are six English grammar rules that are going out of style.

1. Never end a sentence with a preposition

Attempting to follow this rule can result in some painfully stilted sentences, like this gem attributed to Winston Churchill: “This is the sort of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put.” (Sadly, this attribution is only anecdotal, but it’s still a gem.)

This rule stems from Latin, English’s ancient ancestor, in which sentence-ending prepositions simply can’t be done.

In modern English usage, however, there’s no reason to cling to this rule, unless you want your writing to sound more formal (or your characters to come across as pompous know-it-alls).

So the next time you wonder, can you end a sentence with a preposition? The answer should be, hell yes!

2. Never start a sentence with a conjunction

You know what kills me about this one? There’s no real basis for this rule except teacherly bias and a misplaced fear of sentence fragments.

According to David Crystal in The Story of English in 100 Words, teachers in the 19th century were annoyed with their students’ overuse of conjunctions as sentences starters. Rather than working to correct this tendency, they created a hard-and-fast rule against it, no doubt making their lives easier, but causing quite a headache for writers for centuries to come.

The truth is, there are different types of conjunctions. Subordinating conjunctions (like if, because and when) join a dependent clause with a standalone one. Break apart “If you build it, they will come,” and you have an independent clause that could be its own sentence (“They will come.”) and a fragment that doesn’t make sense by itself (“If you build it…”). That’s why it’s perfectly fine to start a sentence with “because.”

Coordinating conjunctions (like and, but and or) join two independent clauses together: “I was looking forward to the beach, but it rained all day.” Separate the clauses in these cases, and you still have standalone sentences, each with a noun and a verb: “I was looking forward to the beach. But it rained all day.”

While you don’t want all your sentences to be this abrupt, it’s OK to pepper some in for flavor.

3. Don’t use sentence fragments

Beginning a sentence with a conjunction will result in some sentence fragments.

As with any other “rule” on this list, this is a no-no for formal writing (i.e., articles in traditional publications, cover letters) but allowable for informal (i.e., blog posts, fiction).

One goal of informal writing is to sound more conversational, and like it or not, we use plenty of sentence fragments in everyday conversation. 

So. Add them in! Lean into it! Your writing will be more engaging because of it.

4. Never split infinitives

This one’s another holdover from Latin sentence construction. In Latin, an infinitive is a single word; it literally cannot be split. But English’s two-word infinitives can, so why shouldn’t they be?

Opponents argue the split infinitive is inelegant.

An infinitive is a two-word unit that expresses one thought, they hold, and splitting it up makes a sentence less readable.

But there are plenty of times when avoiding a split infinitive can lead to linguistic contortions that make a sentence clumsy or ambiguous. It can also change the impact. “To boldly go where no man has gone before” just doesn’t have the same ring as, “To go boldly where no man has gone before.”

Whether or not you split an infinitive is largely a matter of preference; it if makes a sentence smoother or more powerful, go for it.

Use as needed — without feeling bad about it.

5. Never use “who” when you should use “whom”

As Megan Garber argues in an Atlantic article titled “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” grammar rules are intended to clarify language to avoid confusion. And in many cases, “whom simply costs language users more than it benefits them.”

“Whom” has been falling out of practice for some time now. As a result, the majority of people don’t know how to use it, resulting in plenty of second-guessing, incorrect usage and less-than-smooth sentences. (Admit it, “Whom You Gonna Call?” hardly makes for a catchy song lyric.)

If you find yourself wrestling over “who” vs. “whom” in a sentence, your best bet is to rephrase the sentence to avoid the issue altogether. A reader may trip over, “With whom did you meet?”; a simple rewrite to, “Which person met with you?” solves the problem.

6. “They” is not a pronoun

Yes, using “he” as a default pronoun sounds sexist. But flipping between “he” and “she” in the same piece can be awkward, and using “he/she” brings the flow of a sentence to a grinding halt. Unless you want to use “it” as a gender-neutral pronoun — which seems insensitive, if not psychotic — that leaves you with “they.”

I get why this makes grammarians cringe. “They” is a plural noun, and we’ve twisted it into a faux singular noun in an attempt to be PC. It’s an imperfect solution, but until a widely recognized alternative comes along, we seem to be stuck.

What’s a writer to do?

Grammar, like language itself, is a constantly evolving creature.

Practices frowned upon in the past make their way into general acceptance as they become widely recognized. Contractions were once considered uncouth, but no one questions them now.

Just like spoken language, written language has dialects, and the adept user knows how to switch between them. An academic paper calls for a vastly different style than an article in a fashion mag.

The best rule of thumb when it comes to deciding whether to follow a seemingly antiquated grammar rule is to know your medium and audience.

Know the rules…so you can make an informed decision to ignore them.

That’s what being a pro is all about.

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

Photo via  Charles-Edouard Cote/ Shutterstock 

We write a lot about the best websites for writers, online writing courses, books on writing and lots more for writers of all kinds, but there’s a whole ‘nother realm of resources out there.

I’m talking about YouTube channels.

You may currently know YouTube only as that place you go to watch far too many cute animal videos rather than facing your writer’s block. (No judgment from me; have you seen the one with the tiny hedgehog birthday party?!)

Looking for writers on YouTube? Here are 20 channels to check out

YouTube also contains a wealth of useful advice on everything from novel writing to marketing your work, and you’d be remiss if you didn’t tap into it.

I’ll make you a deal: For every animal video you watch, watch just one of the videos from the 20 awesome YouTube writing channels below. 

1. Self-Publishing School

Chandler Bolt’s Self-Publishing School channel aims to teach new writers how to publish and become bestsellers in their genres. It has a wide variety of topics like fiction writing tips, marketing strategies for authors, business building, writing prompts, book ideas, writing software, book cover design tips… You’ll be bombarded with hours and hours of content. Don’t forget to check out their podcast in there!

We recommend: How To Write A Book for Beginners: 21 Simple Steps To Published Author

2. Hannah Lee Kidder

Hannah Lee Kidder is an indie fiction writer, consultant, and YouTuber. She covers the craft of writing, self-publishing, and building your own career. Hannah finds engaging and entertaining ways to teach writing, like with her most popular series where she rewrites the Twilight series, pointing out pitfalls newbie writers can learn from (and giving much-needed attention to neglected characters—give Charlie a dishwasher!).

She has two heart-jerking short story collections currently available on Amazon, and is working on a fantasy duology she’ll self-publish as well! Follow along if you love witty humor, straight-to-the-point writing advice without the fluff, and videos that turn the “darker” side of being an author into light-hearted fun.

Be sure to check out: my favorite reason people HATE my book

3. The Creative Penn

From The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Joanna Penn (who runs the writing website of the same name), this popular YouTube channel provides tips on self-publishing, marketing, the business of being a writer and more. 

Penn and other successful writers draw from their own experiences and life lessons to teach you everything you need to know to turn your writing dreams into reality. If you need tips on how to improve your craft, posts like Writing In The Dark. Horror Writing Tips With Tim Waggoner shows she’s got you covered there, too.

Be sure to check out: From Chaos to Creativity: Productivity For Writers With Jessie Kwak 

4. Katytastic

Book reviewer and aspiring author Kat O’Keefe’s YouTube channel is chock full of writing videos with everything from micro advice like word choices to macro advice like world-building.

Her upbeat personality and sense of humor make every lesson feel fun, so it’ll be easy to learn from the wisdom she shares about her own unique writing process.

If you’re a NaNoWriMo participant, she’s got a few playlists geared towards how to survive (and win) that challenge. The videos are older now, but they still offer tons of value.

Be sure to check out: How I Write a Rough Draft 

5. Vivien Reis

This YA sci-fi writer, whose debut novel “The Elysian Prophecy” was published in 2018, is a great resource for newbie novel writers trying to make sense of the whole overwhelming process.

Her videos discuss challenges like how to divide your story into chapters, how to choose the right editor and how to find beta readers. Her down-to-earth, imperfections-included style (hello, intruding dogs!) make you feel like you’re video chatting with a friend.

Be sure to check out: Writing Travel Scenes in Your Novel  

6. bookishpixie

Gabe  is a writer  who draws from experience as a YA author, freelance editor and assistant editor.

He delivers some great advice in three- to five-minute videos on topics like the writing life, sending out queries and editing your work, all delivered in a positive and encouraging (yet totally honest) voice.

Be sure to check out: How to Choose Scene Perspective   

7. Rachael Stephen

Scottish novelist and self-described “hellbitch,” Stephen is funny, quirky and offers non-filtered advice that’s a lovely combination of frank and empathetic. Plus, her tips are super-useful (see her The Plot Embryo playlist  for tips that make a big, scary process seem entirely doable).

She’s kind of like that accountability buddy who nods understandingly when you talk about the trouble you’re having with writer’s block, then delivers the tail-kicking you need to get moving again.

Be sure to check out: the daily rituals of great writers 

8. Robert McKee

Screenwriting guru and “story doctor” McKee’s former students include Academy Award Winners, Emmy Award Winners and Writers of Guild of America Winners numbering in the hundreds (nominees number in the thousands).

His renowned seminars on the art of storytelling were even portrayed in the film “Adaptation.” But you don’t need to be a screenwriter to learn from him; his advice on story structure and design applies to literature, too.

As bestseller Steven Pressfield has said, “McKee is not only the best teacher of writing I’ve ever had, but the best teacher of anything.”

Don’t just visit McKee’s own YouTube channel, but also browse the plethora of great videos featuring him on other channels to get the most from his wisdom.

Be sure to check out: Dialogue: The Hidden Story in Subtext 

9. Chris Fox

You know the bestselling author of books like “5,000 Words Per Hour” and “Write to Market: Deliver a Book That Sells” knows how to get the job done. And in his YouTube videos, Fox delves into how you can become a productive and business-minded writer yourself. 

Whether you’re editing your writing, prepping to launch or just need some motivation, he’ll help you get your work out the door and into the hands of an audience that will appreciate it.

Be sure to check out: Quick Tip: How to Instantly Improve Your Prose  

10. Mark Dawson 

As a USA Today  bestselling author with more than 40 books published, Dawson offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to self-publish a book.

What’s unique about this channel is its inclusion of other indie authors who’ve empowered their careers through social media advertising, so you’ll hear from a range of experts offering tried-and-true methods to help you succeed as a self-published author. Dawson and others talk about things like running an indie author business, the cost of self-publishing and whether you should write a sequel or series, all with an approachable, refreshing genuineness that reminds us successful authors really are just like us.

Be sure to check out: How to Print Your Book All Over the World 

11. Kristen Martin

Those of you pursuing writing while holding down a day job will find a kindred spirit in Martin, who wrote YA, sci-fi and fantasy novels while also working full-time in the supply chain industry before transitioning to being a full-time author. (How’s that for a varied career?)

In addition to providing tons of useful tips on how to write, market and self-publish your book, she also gives plenty of peeks into her real life that are both inspiring and comforting to those of us also trying to “do it all.”

Be sure to check out: The NEW Way to OUTLINE Your Book 💡 STEP-BY-STEP STORYBOARD 

12. ShaelinWrites

Only in her early 20s,  creative writing student Shaelin Bishop has written 10 novels and garnered a following on YouTube that regularly lands on her on lists alongside bigger-name vloggers.

Her videos are casual and don’t feel scripted; they’re also a bit on the long side (averaging 10-25 minutes while other vloggers’ are closer to 5-10). But writers of all ages will appreciate her candor and realness, whether she’s discussing her outlining process or flipping out over getting her first physical copy of her book.

Be sure to check out: Writing Experimental Fiction | Using Form in Your Writing  

13. WordNerds

With eight “WordNerds” producing more than 1,500 videos to date, this channel has a little bit of everything.

Various topics are posted on different days of the week, so you’ll find everything from inspiration to interviews to book recommendations to writing tips. Follow your favorite vloggers’ updates or peruse them all; it’s sort of like a writers’ roundtable whose sessions you can pop into at any time.

Be sure to check out: So, You Want to Write an Immortal?  

14. J.P. Beaubien

As a member of the Knoxville Writers’ Guild and author of the time travel fiction series “Aeon Legion,” J.P. Beaubien imparts crucial advice to writers by pointing out what not to do.

Beaubien’s Terrible Writing Advice channel is filled with punchy videos that are packed with creativity, great advice and a touch of sarcasm. If you’re into animation, then you’ll love these illustrated videos that feature characters acting out his lessons. He covers topics like character development, nailing post apocalyptic plots and everything in between.

Be sure to check out: Traditional Vs Self Publishing 

15. Sarah Turner Agency

Full-time freelance copywriter Sarah Turner’s YouTube channel shares advice on how you can free yourself from your 9-to-5 by betting on your writing chops. 

Whether you’d like to learn how to get clients, write productively or find a freelance writing niche, Turner’s step-by-step guidance is sure to help you break into self-employment. Plus, she offers a free course playlist on how to earn six figures in six months. 

Be sure to check out: The FIRST Step To Becoming A Freelance Copywriter ✍️

16. Tamara Woods

YouTuber Tamara Woods is a writer of poetry, blogs and more. She uses her channel to host writing sprints anyone can join, as well as dive deeper into writing topics like grammar, NaNoWriMo, blogging, being an authorpreneur, productivity and books.

If you’ve been looking for an interactive channel to inspire your creativity, Woods and her writing workshops, tips and creative approach to getting the job done (like this coffee shop simulation!) might be what you’re looking for. 

Be sure to check out: Writers Workshop Season 3 Episode 1: Author Business Plan

17. Hello Future Me

Self-proclaimed nerd, Tolkien and bread connoisseur Tim Hickson leads this YouTube channel for writers, where he “talks about The Last Airbender probably a little too much.” If you’re a fantasy and sci-fi writer, you’ll enjoy Hickson’s lessons on word-building, storytelling and writing fight scenes, all through the lens of popular fantasy fiction. 

Be sure to check out: Writing Great Side Characters | Avatar: The Last Airbender

18. BooksAndBigHair

Need a new booktuber to follow? Check out India Hill Brown, “a girl who loves to read and write,” and author of ‘The Forgotten Girl’ and ‘The Drowned Girl.’ 

On her Youtube channel, she shares videos about book hauls, reviews and unboxings, and even 24-hour read-a-thons. However, you’ll also learn how to land a literary agent and set writing goals, plus how to revise a novel through videos where she uses her work and author journey as an example.  

Be sure to check out: WRITING AND MOM VLOG | A Day in the Life of a New Mom and Author!

19. Alexa Donne

This traditionally published YA author of three sci-fi and thriller books uses her YouTube Channel to offer insight into writing, the YA genre and the publishing industry. She publishes two to three new videos per week, so you’ll find plenty of content to help you grow as a writer.

On Donne’s channel, you’ll  find drafting and editing vlogs, interviews with authors, book reviews, book tropes (good and bad), advice about querying and beyond. Plus, if you’ve needed some harsh writing advice to get your head in the game, you’re in the right place. 

Be sure to check out: How To Write A Fiction Book Proposal

20. Overly Sarcastic Productions

Learning is fun — especially when you’re learning about classic and not-so-classic myths and literature and major historical events through engaging animated videos. Oh, and the sarcastic part? That’s the tone of the videos you can expect.

While informative and easy-to-follow, this YouTube channel can get pretty gory, as it depicts violence, assault, murder and NSFW language in its lessons. In fact, it warns: “Treat us as a TV-14 show and don’t show us to your kids.” However, if you’re a writer interested in the right way to depict history and myths, this channel is worth hiding out in a closet to watch it.

Be sure to check out: Trope Talk: Tragedy

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

Photo via Daxiao Productions / Shutterstock 

From collaboration to easily checking word count in Google docs to its Suggest Edits feature, many writers rave about this free word processing software. (Here at The Write Life, we’re big fans of Google docs!)

Since its emergence in 2014, Google Docs’ Suggest Edits feature has had editors everywhere rejoicing because of its almost-seamless ability to make content collaboration a whole lot easier. 

That wasn’t the case at first, though. Initially, Google Docs dropped a track changes add-on that came with a few quirks and kinks that needed to be ironed out, making the editing process more clunky than desired. 

Within the last few years, however, the process of tracking changes in Google Docs has immensely improved. It’s since been a great way for multiple people to access and revise the same document in real-time without the frustration of wondering if you’ve got the “latest” version or if someone’s working off a different draft than you — I’m looking at you, Microsoft Word. 

If you haven’t taken the ever-evolving Suggest Edits feature for a ride to see how it’s been updated, we’ve taken several trips for you, and here’s what we found.

How to track changes in Google Docs

While Google’s new editing collaboration tool is called Suggest Edits, many writers still refer to it as Track Changes, and not just because that was the name of Google Doc’s previous editing tool. “Track Changes” is the name of Microsoft Word’s editing tracker, which many writers used long before transitioning to the more collaborative Docs.

Unlike Google Doc’s old Track Changes, which was somewhat clunky in that it required the installation of an add-on, Suggest Edits is now a built-in feature in Google Docs. That means you can use it immediately, whether you’re working on a new doc or you’ve created one from scratch.

It’s simple and easy to use. When you’re in a doc, you’ll see a pencil icon button on the upper right-hand corner of the screen. (It’s underneath the “Comments” and “Share” buttons.)

Click this button and you’ll see a drop-down menu that allows you to switch between several modes:

• Editing, or straight-up working on the doc, where your changes are not tracked
• Suggesting, whereby revisions are visible via tracked changes and
• Viewing, which allows you to see what the doc will look like in its final state

The mode you’re currently in will appear next to the pencil icon.

To suggest an edit, simply select Suggesting mode and make changes in the text of the doc — add words, change fonts, add subheadings, delete paragraphs, etc. Your changes will be highlighted and a revision box (that looks just like a comment box) will pop up next to them showing the date and time you made these changes and what specific changes were made.

If you want to add an explanation or further notes to your changes, you can “reply” to the revision box just like you’d reply to a regular Google Docs comment.

For more information on this feature, check out Google’s help page.

Pros of Google Docs’ Suggest Edits tool

Overall, I’m a huge fan of using this new tool to track changes in Google Docs. Here’s why:

Huge improvement over revision history

Before Track Changes and Suggest Edits came along, the only way you could tell which changes had been made to a Google Doc was via the less-than-stellar “revision history” setting. This allowed you to see everything that was different between your current doc and its previous versions, but you had to play compare-and-contrast to guess which specific changes had been made between versions, a tedious and imperfect process. Now all the changes are highlighted individually and you can see them all at a glance.

Eas(ier) to use

Like most Google tools, Suggest Edits is super simple to use. Once you know where to find Suggesting mode on the navigation bar, you’re good to go. And Suggest Edits’ in-text revision boxes are much easier to scan and work with than the old Track Changes add-on, which displayed all revisions that had been made to a doc in one long sidebar you were forced to scroll through.

“Accept all” option

This long-awaited feature is finally here, and it’s as useful as it was anticipated to be. If you’re working on a Doc with numerous changes and you want to accept or reject everything a previous user suggested, hit the “Tools” button on your toolbar, then select “Review Suggested Edits” from the drop-down menu. From there, you can either accept or reject all, or even make your selections individually from the neat pop-up box without having to scroll through the page.

Ability to preview your suggested changes

Remember when Google Docs Track Changes required you to accept/reject each individual change if you wanted to see the final product? Those days are long gone. While you’re in “Tools” > “Review Suggested Edits,” you have three options you’ll see in a drop-down menu: “Show Suggested Edits,” “Preview ‘Accept All’,” or “Preview ‘Reject All’.” Preview the accepted version and edit a clean page that doesn’t contain highlighted or crossed out text everywhere. Your eyes will thank you.

Easy to share and collaborate

With Word’s track changes, you still have to trade documents back and forth, updating them as you go and hoping everyone is working off the same draft. This Google Docs feature allows you to work in the same document as your peers and view changes as they happen, keeping everyone on the same page and storing that page conveniently in the cloud where anyone can access it at any time.

Ability to differentiate editors

Track Changes didn’t demarcate which revisions had been made by which users, which could prove troublesome if you were working with a team of people and needed to know who’d done what to your doc. Thankfully the comment-like format of Suggested Edits addressed that issue and it’s now clear to see who’s made which changes.

Manage your suggestions

Sometimes you need to share a document with multiple clients or other users, but only some of them have editing privileges. You can update document users and permission levels as often as you’d like and at any time as you see fit — users you’ve given “can comment” permission can suggest edits but not approve or reject them; those with “can edit” permission can do both; and the “can view” permission prohibits users from making any changes to the document.

Added dialogue potential

Sometimes you need to explain why you’ve made a certain change, or you want to add extra comments or questions for your team to see when they’re considering your revisions. With Suggest Edits, you can make these notes right underneath your revision box, making dialogue and discussion much easier than in the old static sidebar.

Synchronization with Word docs

Still got that one guy on your team who hasn’t gotten on board with Google Docs and insists on sending you his revisions via Word attachment? Now when you convert a Word file to a Google Doc, any track changes in the Word doc will automatically be converted to suggested edits on the Google Doc.

And when that same guy takes your Google Doc and converts it back into Word? Any suggested edits are automatically converted back to tracked changes.

Mobile access

It used to be that you needed an actual computer to take advantage of prevalent Doc functions, but not anymore. Gotta edit and track changes on-the-go? No problem! Whether you’re #TeamAndroid or #TeamiPhone, all you need is the Google Docs app to suggest edits, accept/reject edits, add comments, share the document with others and more. At the top right-hand corner of your screen, you’ll see three black dots. When you click that option, a drop-down menu will reveal all of the editing options you can access.

Cons of Google Docs’ track changes

While there are many pros to using Google doc’ track changes feature, there are a few minor cons to consider.

You need to plan ahead for offline use

A big difference between Microsoft Word and Google Docs is accessibility. If it’s installed on your computer, you can access and edit a Word document just about anywhere. Google, on the other hand, requires a bit more finagling. Working on a Google Doc without setting up offline access means your work won’t save automatically and you’ll lose all of it. To avoid this sticky situation, set up your offline access beforehand, or only set it up for certain Drive files. 

You lose access to edits once you accept them

Before you reject or accept all suggested edits, make sure you’re absolutely sure, because there’s no going back (…ish). Once you implement changes into your document, they’ll disappear from your revision history and you won’t be able to access them under “Review Suggested Edits.” Though, all hope is not lost. Here are two silver linings that weren’t available with Google Docs Track Changes:

1. Alternatively, you can click the comment box icon (next to “Share”) to see all the suggested edits and comments in one place. It’s not the greatest view, but it’s better than losing access to all the suggested edits entirely.
2. Say you’re doing a final edit of a document whose owner has already edited the copy under the “Suggesting” mode, and you go through accepting/rejecting each one. While the edits disappear from your revision history, it doesn’t from theirs! Since you’re not the document owner, your final decision isn’t so… well, final. 

The verdict on tracking changes in Google Docs

Google Docs’ first attempt at offering an editing feature with its Track Changes add-on had a decent amount of pros and just a few cons.

But the product keeps improving, and has even more pros and two cons that come with solutions. In other words, it’s a serious step up, and a feature many editors now can’t imagine living without.

Whether you’re working with an editor on your ebook, collaborating with another writer on a series of case studies or working with a blog management team to get content ready for publication, Suggest Edits is definitely worth checking out.

Have you used Google Docs’ Suggest Edits feature? What do you think about it? Share your thoughts in the comments!

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

Photo via Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock 

I remember trekking through hall after hall of science museums, art history museums and space museums as a student, many of them full of fun, interactive features and exhibits that helped draw you into the topic in a new way.

But the only writing-focused museums I’ve experienced were always musty, antiquated ordeals — typically the old houses of one writer or another, displaying vintage furniture, clothing and bric-a-brac that, while historically interesting, hardly made me feel invigorated or inspired.

Well, listen up, word nerds, because our time has finally come.

The wholly original American Writers Museum, opened back in 2017 in Chicago, Illinois, and it’s everything you ever wanted a writing museum to be.

Here’s why you’ll want to include it in your next travel plans.

Writing presented in a whole new way at the American Writers Museum

The first museum of its kind, the American Writers Museum’s mission is to “engage the public in celebrating American writers and exploring their influence on our history, our identity, our culture, and our daily lives.”

It accomplishes this through unique exhibits and modern multimedia installations designed to not only educate visitors, but also inspire them, surprise them and challenge them to consider writing as not just an end product, but a way of living and approaching the world. It divides its focus smoothly between honoring noteworthy American writers and works and exploring the actual experience of writing.

Whether you’ve completed NaNoWriMo every year since its inception or you’ve been struggling with writer’s block for longer than you’d like to admit, the American Writers Museum is sure to excite and motivate you.

You may even find the non-writerly friends and family you convince to come along have a new appreciation for how awesome (and challenging, and maddening) you’ve always known writing is.

As museum president Carey Cranston told Chicago magazine, “It’s not about books under glass.”

What you’ll find inside this Chicago writers museum

Nestled in the heart of downtown Chicago, The American Writers Museum is only one floor at the moment, but it hopes to expand in time — and its opening offerings are more than enough to keep any scribe or book lover occupied for days.

From A Nation of Writers, a timeline of American writers, to the colorful Children’s Literature Gallery , the museum covers 400 years of American authors and literature in a way even the most avid of English majors never encountered. (Think: a “Surprise Bookshelf” that allows you to immerse your senses in things like the woodsy scent of Walden or Julia Child’s fresh-baked cookies.)

You’ll also find displays dedicated to the craft of writing and the writing process itself. Even the role of readers of American literature is celebrated and explored in the interpretative exhibits in Readers Hall, the museum’s primary event space, where visitors can “get a glimpse of what everyday Americans were reading throughout history, and weigh in on their favorite reading material.”

In addition to the permanent installations, there are currently three spaces for rotating exhibits. The first two feature the celebration of work created by immigrant and refugee writers and the examination of the history of writing, including “the tools that have made writing possible over the years.” If you’re in Chicago in the near future, be sure to stop by to check out the fascinating Bob Dylan exhibit that illuminates his musical and literary contributions over the course of his impactful career spanning more than 55 years.    

Interactive exhibits like a mesmerizing video “Word Waterfall,” digital magnetic poetry and a famous first lines guessing game keep visitors engaged from start to finish. If you’re inspired to set your own words to paper, daily prompts are available and you can clip your masterpiece to the wall for others to enjoy.

They also offer a varied calendar of events like workshops, readings, children’s’ storytimes and more, most of which are free to the public.

Visitors’ information

The American Writers Museum in Chicago is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for students and seniors 65 or older, and free for kids 12 and under. Group tours and field trips can be arranged in advance by visiting this page. For parking and directions, see here.

And for those who still have an interest in author-specific museums, 70 of them across the U.S. are now affiliates of the American Writer’s Museum, with more to be added in the future. Plus, each author home is “dedicated to preserving and celebrating American authors and inspiring the future of American writing.” You’ll find a map of their locations and a bookmark with information for each one at the museum.

Do you plan to visit the American Writers Museum in Chicago?

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

When I was starting out as a freelance writer, side hustling allowed me to test the waters and build my business while still having the safety net of a day job. Now that I’ve been forced to return to the 9-to-5 (freelancing doesn’t always pay the bills), side hustling allows me to continue to pursue my writing in the hours around my job.

But side hustles can also be challenging.

It takes a certain blend of ambitious insanity to take on a second job that requires so much of your brain power. Exhaustion, frustration and occasional panic are very real side effects of the side hustle.

To combat these symptoms, we recommend these five tips.

1. Manage your energy

All work and no break makes your writing a dull thing.

The secret to producing consistent, quality work isn’t cramming your hours so full they could burst; it’s about working with your body’s natural rhythms to use your hours as wisely as possible.

Concentration, clarity and creativity ebb and flow.  

There are times your reserves are dry, and trying to push yourself through that will only result in burnout (and some pretty crappy writing). Figure out your peaks and dips, and you can use that knowledge to make sure you’re working smarter.

If you’re a morning person, use those quiet early hours to focus on your writing before the day gets away from you. If you hit a patch of low energy, use your writing time to do a task that requires less creativity, like proofreading or researching new publications to pitch.

Of course there are times you have no choice but to push through a low patch, but whenever possible, try to plan your work to match the times you’re at your best. See your side hustle as a series of sprints, not a marathon, and you’re much more likely to cross the finish line.

2. Be picky about what you say “yes” to

When freelancing is a side hustle, you only have a limited amount of time to spend on it. Which means you must be deliberate about which projects you accept.

Ideally, you’d be able to only take on the gigs that speak to you creatively — but if you don’t have that luxury, you should at least ensure you only accept gigs that will prove worthwhile.

What “worthwhile” means is up to you. You may choose to focus on a specific topic area you find interesting. Or on the jobs that give you the highest ROI money-wise. Or on the ones that give you the most exposure, even if they don’t pay quite as much. Know what matters to you, and refuse to waste your time and energy on anything else.

Oh, and watch out for red flags when considering a new client. An awful client can significantly decrease how much a project winds up being worth.

3. Don’t blur the lines between your day job and your freelancing

This tip has an ethical component as well as a practical one.

Ethically, you owe it to your day job boss to work only on the work he hired you for when you’re on his clock. Sneaking in some writing time when no one’s looking could get you in trouble — and, morally, it’s kind of shady.

Practically, keeping a solid boundary between day job work and freelance work will help keep you sane.

Your day job becomes a reprieve from deadline stress and client drama; your freelancing becomes a creative outlet. Try to multitask both jobs at once, and you’ll end up stressed, distracted and prone to mistakes.

4. Insist on work/life balance

Finding time for friends, family, hobbies and all the other stuff that makes up a “life” can seem nearly impossible when you’re working two jobs. So make a point of scheduling these thing in just like you would a client meeting or other event you can’t miss.

It’s all too easy to fill your days with work when you don’t have anything specific on the calendar. Make a point of peppering your weeks with things that bring you joy and relaxation, and you’ll find yourself planning to work around them like you would any other appointment.

Also, do not (I repeat, do NOT) allow yourself to feel guilty for taking this time for yourself. You’re a much better writer when you have a life outside of work. And, you know, you also deserve it.

Freelancing in addition to a day job is a serious undertaking. And like any ambitious goal, pursuing this path forces you to prioritize.

Your house will most likely be messier than you’d like. PJs could become your go-to outfit when you’re home. You might make friends with your local food delivery people. Being a successful modern adult doesn’t mean having a perfect, Pinterest-worthy life; it means going after the things you love and rocking the living daylights out of them. If you’re holding down a day job and a side hustle, you are already killing it. Learn to let go of the rest and you’ll be much happier.

AND CO, creator of a productivity app for independent workers, recently surveyed hundreds of freelancers for their study “The Slash Workers.” Only seven percent of respondents said their main reason for going off on their own was financial. Much more prevalent were the desire for personal growth (40 percent of respondents) and greater flexibility (27 percent).

Financial stability is hardly a guarantee when you’re a freelancer writer. The vast majority of study respondents said things had not gotten much better for them money-wise since going solo: 34 percent had seen no significant change, while 43 percent were actually worse off.

That said, freelancers, for the most part, seem happy with their situations: 68 percent reported an increase in “quality of life” since going independent. Clearly there are factors beyond the financial that fulfill freelancers.

If you’re wondering whether freelancing is right for you, here are some of the biggest trade-offs you can expect to make.

Say goodbye to:

1. Stability

Long-time clients can cut and run without warning. Promising opportunities can peter into nothing. You may have more work than you can handle one month, and next to nothing the following month.

Getting comfortable with a feast-or-famine cycle is essential, at least until you build up a more reliable client base.

2. A steady paycheck

One positive of working for someone else is the ability to collect a regular paycheck every week (or every other week). You know exactly what your monthly income will be, so you can budget, plan ahead and have the security of knowing your hard work will pay off in a predictable fashion.

When you’re a freelancer, timely payment isn’t a given. Some clients drag their feet after you’ve turned in a project; others need to be chased down.

It’s critical to build up a savings buffer before going full-time so you can cover the lean months.

3. Benefits

Working as an independent contractor means you’re responsible for your own health insurance, 401K plan and other benefits.

If you don’t factor these extra costs in when determining how much money you’ll need to bring in, you could find yourself facing other unpleasant trade-offs — like whether to save for retirement or buy groceries.

4. Working on someone else’s schedule

No set hours means you can work whenever, and wherever, you like.  

If you’re a night owl, you can plug away until the wee hours of the morning and then sleep in till noon. If you’re sick, you can take a day off or schedule a last-minute doctor’s appointment without anyone tallying up your away time. You can also enjoy activities normally unavailable to 9-to-5 employees, like going to your kid’s afternoon recital or taking a mid-morning yoga class on a whim.

5. Having a boss

Your clients are, in a way, your “bosses,” but they don’t get involved in the minutiae of your daily routine. (At least, not if they’re good clients.) You’ll have specific deliverables to meet by a certain deadline, but no one will be peering over your shoulder telling you how to make it happen.

6. That awful commute

Never again will you be forced to endure gridlock as half your town’s population heads to and from work at the same arbitrary time. You can also say goodbye to added fuel costs, parking expenses and transit passes.

7. Being around people on a daily basis

Freelancing can be a lonely career. Sixty-one percent of survey respondents said they miss “the feeling of community that a traditional workplace offers.” You may not be a huge fan of water cooler chitchat or forced birthday lunches, but spending day after day alone in your PJs isn’t always fun, either.

8. Clocking out

The downside of having no set schedule is that the lines between work and home can easily become blurred. When you could be doing work at any time, it can be hard to take time for yourself without feeling guilty about wasting a billable opportunity.

Say hello to:

1. Freedom

Want to take a week’s vacation? As long as you make sure your deadlines are met, that’s your prerogative. Not feeling the new project you’ve been sent? You have every right to only choose the ones you love.

As your own boss, you make the rules — which can be simultaneously thrilling and paralyzing.

2. Higher earning potential

Unlike a regular job, which is capped at a certain salary per year, freelancing offers the possibility to earn as much as your talent and marketing skills allow. That’s not to say freelancers are rolling in the dough; according to AND CO’s study, 43 percent of freelancers interviewed make $24,999 a year or under.

3. Location independence

You can travel without worrying about falling behind in your work. You can pick up and move to a whole new city if the spirit grabs you. You can also work from different locations, like a cafe or a park, to keep the inspiration fresh.

4. Being the boss

From marketing to tax prep to crisis management, everything is on your shoulders when you’re a business of one. You’ll need to learn to be an entrepreneur — or explore other ways to put your talents to use.

5. Creative outlet

From pitching new ideas to covering a wide range of topics, freelancing gives you plenty of scope for the imagination. If creating is essential to your happiness, freelancing is a great way to turn that drive into income.

6. Work/life balance

If you’re smart, organized and disciplined enough, freelancing can be a great way to pay the bills and still enjoy the life you have outside of work. With no set schedule to adhere to, you can work with your natural rhythms and make time for the things that are a priority to you.

7. Variety

As the name of the study indicates, many freelancers are “slash workers” — taking on a variety of projects in different areas to get the most buck for their bang. With 95 percent of respondents working as slashers, you can look forward to work that continually challenges and interests you.

As with any career, freelancing has its pros and cons. What’s important is being aware of those pros and cons and determining whether they’ll be the right fit for your personality and personal goals.

Freelancers: What other tradeoffs have you found you’ve had to make for your career, and do you think they’ve been “worth it”?

Kelly Gurnett is a freelance blogger, writer and editor; follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.

But another debate rages on in the halls of academia and the forums of word nerds: the great cursive debate.

Common Core standards removed cursive instruction as a requirement, which means that in 41 states, teachers aren’t obligated to teach it…so many of them don’t.

But states like Tennessee, Louisiana and California have fought back, making cursive a statewide standard.

To some, this gradual phasing out is inevitable, if not overdue. Others lament the loss of what they see as an art form and a necessary part of childhood education.

So are the connections, curlicues and flourishes most of us grew up with still relevant, or not?

Here’s a look at both sides of the debate.

Pros of cursive instruction

1. It’s good for your brain

According to science, the visceral experience of cursive writing can help students in more ways than being able to pen a pretty thank you note.

Since it engages both the right and left hemispheres of the brain, it can actually aid in reading comprehension, idea generation, spelling, brain development and memory.

2. It helps with dyslexia

Studies also suggest learning cursive can help students who suffer from forms of dyslexia, a disorder in which people have difficulty reading and writing words.

Typing, printing and cursive all stimulate different parts of the brain, and something about the circuits cursive activates, as well as the fine motor skills it hones, may help those who have difficulty forming written letters in the right order.

3. It bridges generations

Children who never learn cursive could have trouble doing things like deciphering a birthday note from Grandma or recognizing the words John Hancock signed his name under on the Declaration of Independence.

Just like knowing Latin can help you understand new languages, knowing cursive can help you unlock a wealth of historical knowledge and connect with past generations.

“Cursive writing is a long-held cultural tradition in this country and should continue to be taught,” says Jimmy Bryant, director of archives and special collections at the University of Central Arkansas; “not just for the sake of tradition, but also to preserve the history of our nation.”

4. It’s a form of creativity

From art classes to music programs, the chances for students to exercise creativity in school have been on the decline for decades. If cursive writing is phased out altogether, supporters argue, it will be one more form of artistic self-expression missing from today’s curriculums.

“I believe that cursive handwriting is the creative canary in the coal mine — and it’s slowly, almost imperceptibly dying,” says cursive advocate Carew Papritz in an interview with The Good Men Project. “In our 24/7, technology-drenched, social-media drowning world, we are too busy to notice and too busy to care that we are losing the ability to learn how to self-express — by developing and harnessing the creative side of our nature.”

Cons of cursive instruction

1. It’s gone the way of the typewriter

In our digital age of laptops and texting, some argue cursive has become obsolete.

How many times have you penned a letter, written a check or drafted a story out longhand lately? (If the latter, you’re in good company — it’s the preferred method of wordsmiths like George R. R. Martin and Joyce Carol Oates ). Legal signatures don’t need to be in cursive; in fact, electronic signatures are often acceptable.

“As we have done with the abacus and the slide rule, it is time to retire the teaching of cursive. The writing is on the wall,” writes Morgan Polikoff, assistant education professor at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education, in a New York Times opinion piece titled, “Let Cursive Writing Die.”

2. It wastes valuable learning time

Teachers are already hard-pressed to cram everything they’re supposed to into the school day, especially in an educational atmosphere heavily geared towards meet testing requirements.

With big expectations to live up and not much time to do it in, teachers are forced to be selective — and sometimes, cursive writing just doesn’t make the cut.

“One of the things we heard from teachers around the country…was that sometimes cursive writing takes an enormous amount of instructional time,” Sue Pimentel, one of the people in charge of setting Common Core’s English/language standards, told PBS NewsHour. “You could be spending time on other things rather than students practicing cursive writing. It’s really a matter of emphasis.”

3. You can get the benefits of handwriting without writing in cursive

You don’t have to know how to write cursive in order to be able to read it.

There are no studies that show, definitely, that writing in cursive is more efficient than printing. Opponents argue that holding onto cursive as the last bastion of the art of handwriting misses the mark.

As handwriting author Kate Gladstone puts it in an opinion piece on The New York Times, “Mandating cursive to preserve handwriting resembles mandating stovepipe hats and crinolines to preserve the art of tailoring.”

4. Most people abandon it anyway

Even those who learn cursive as children usually end up scrapping the practice as they get older.

A survey conducted by Zane-Bloser, a cursive textbook publisher, found that even handwriting teachers rarely used cursive regularly. The majority of them used an amalgam of print and cursive writing, something I myself do after a lifetime of tinkering with my personal style and learning what felt most efficient for me.

That said, would I go back in time and remove cursive from my lessons if I could, in order to focus on whatever might better serve me in 2017? I was the sort of kid who asked for a calligraphy set for Christmas, so I recuse myself from passing judgment.

Where do you fall in the great cursive debate? Yay or nay?