Guides
Practical guides for whatever you are writing, from essays and speeches to bios, emails, articles and books.
116 guides
Newsletters & content11 min read
How to write a content brief (template and filled-in example)
Business11 min read
Email sign-offs: 60 ways to end an email, by situation
Business9 min read
How to end an email: closing lines, sign-offs and examples
Newsletters & content11 min read
How to write a white paper: types, structure and a sample outline
Business9 min read
How to write meeting minutes: what to record, with an example
Business13 min read
Out of office message examples for every situation
Business17 min read
Professional email examples for 19 common work situations
Students10 min read
How to write a compare and contrast essay (outline and example)
Students10 min read
How to title an essay: formulas, examples and capitalization
Newsletters & content15 min read
How to write a case study (with interview questions and an example)
Faith12 min read
How to write a devotional: structure, steps and an example
Faith11 min read
How to write a sermon: preparation, structure and delivery
Students12 min read
Personal statement examples for college and grad school
Students20 min read
Scholarship essay examples for 8 common prompts
Faith11 min read
Sermon illustrations: how to find them, check them and use them
Students13 min read
Argumentative essay examples: annotated essays, theses and outlines
Academic12 min read
Dissertation acknowledgements: examples and how to write them
Students11 min read
Essay hook examples: 40 ways to open an essay
Students15 min read
Expository essay examples: one full essay and five types, annotated
Students14 min read
Narrative essay examples: a full essay and six short ones, annotated
Students12 min read
Persuasive essay examples, annotated, from middle school to college
Students14 min read
Reflective essay examples: six annotated samples and how to write one
Students14 min read
100 demonstration speech topics, with what to bring for each
Academic11 min read
How to write a conclusion for a research paper (with examples)
Academic11 min read
How to write a dissertation: a stage-by-stage guide
Newsletters & content11 min read
How to write a newsletter people open and read
Students13 min read
100 impromptu speech topics (and how to answer any of them)
Students13 min read
150 informative speech topics, each narrow enough to explain well
Students15 min read
150 persuasive speech topics for students, by theme and level
Career17 min read
About me page examples for writers and freelancers
Career12 min read
Author bio examples for books, queries and websites
Career12 min read
Author website examples: what every author site needs
Editing12 min read
How to become a proofreader: skills, tests and first clients
Editing11 min read
How to become an editor: book, copy and content editing
Career18 min read
Professional bio examples: short, long, first and third person
Career11 min read
Writing portfolio examples and how to build your own
Academic11 min read
Conference abstract examples and how to write your own
Academic13 min read
How to write an abstract (with examples from six fields)
Academic12 min read
Methodology section example: annotated samples and how to write one
Editing10 min read
Proofreading marks and editing symbols: a complete chart
Teaching21 min read
Report card comments: 150 examples by subject and situation
Academic13 min read
Research paper example: structure explained section by section
Academic13 min read
Research question examples (and how to write a good one)
Teaching11 min read
Student feedback examples for writing, effort and participation
Journalism12 min read
Feature story examples by type, and how to write one
Career12 min read
How to become a ghostwriter (and what to charge)
Journalism9 min read
How to write a headline: types, formulas and examples
Journalism10 min read
How to write a news article, with an annotated example report
Journalism11 min read
How to write a press release: format, steps and a full example
Journalism12 min read
Photo essay examples: 11 famous essays and how to plan your own
Journalism12 min read
Press kit examples: what to include for an author or business
Journalism10 min read
How to pitch an article to an editor, with an example pitch
Scriptwriting11 min read
How to write a podcast script (with a full episode example)
Poetry12 min read
How to write a sonnet: Shakespearean and Petrarchan forms
Scriptwriting12 min read
How to write a video script (with a template and an example)
Scriptwriting11 min read
How to write a YouTube script that keeps viewers watching
Journalism12 min read
How to write an op-ed: examples, structure and length
Poetry14 min read
100 poetry prompts to start a poem today
Journaling14 min read
100 gratitude journal prompts for good days and hard ones
Journaling12 min read
How to start journaling (and keep going)
Poetry11 min read
How to write a haiku: 5-7-5, season words, the cut and examples
Poetry11 min read
How to write a poem: a step-by-step guide for beginners
Journaling22 min read
300 journal prompts for every kind of day
Journaling10 min read
Morning pages: what they are, the rules, and how to start
Speeches12 min read
Rhetorical analysis example: a full essay and how to write your own
Speeches12 min read
Commencement speech examples and what makes them work
Speeches16 min read
Elevator pitch examples for job seekers, founders and writers
Speeches10 min read
How to give a TED talk: find the idea, write it, rehearse it
Speeches12 min read
How to start a presentation: 10 openings with examples
Speeches13 min read
How to write a speech: a step-by-step guide with examples
Speeches13 min read
Persuasive techniques: 15 methods with examples
Speeches12 min read
How to write a presentation script (with a slide-by-slide example)
Speeches12 min read
Valedictorian speech: how to write one, with examples
Occasions13 min read
Acceptance speech examples for awards and honors, and how to write one
Occasions14 min read
Farewell speech examples for colleagues, students and friends
Speeches10 min read
How to end a speech: 9 closings people remember, with examples
Speeches10 min read
How to memorize a speech: 8 methods and a rehearsal plan
Speeches12 min read
How to start a speech: 10 openings that hold a room
Speeches19 min read
Speech examples: persuasive, informative and motivational
Occasions13 min read
Welcome speech examples for events, meetings and ceremonies
Occasions11 min read
Best man speech: how to write one, with three full examples
Occasions17 min read
Eulogy examples for a mother, father, grandparent and friend
Occasions11 min read
Father of the bride speech: how to write it, with examples
Occasions14 min read
Graduation speech examples and how to write your own
Occasions13 min read
How to write wedding vows: structure, length and examples
Occasions12 min read
Maid of honor speech: how to write one, with three full examples
Occasions12 min read
Retirement speech examples for yourself or a colleague
Craft11 min read
How to develop characters: want, need, wound and arc
Occasions11 min read
How to write a eulogy: structure, length and what to say
Novel writing16 min read
How to write a novel: a step-by-step guide from idea to book
Craft11 min read
How to write a villain readers believe in
Occasions10 min read
How to write an obituary: a step-by-step guide with an example
Occasions12 min read
Obituary examples: short, long and for a mother or father
Craft9 min read
Pacing in writing: how to speed up and slow down a story
Craft10 min read
How to find beta readers and get feedback you can use
Novel writing9 min read
How long does it take to write a novel? The math and the timeline
Publishing14 min read
How to write a book proposal for nonfiction, with examples
Publishing12 min read
How to write a query letter, with an annotated example
Publishing8 min read
How to write a synopsis for your novel, with a full example
Craft10 min read
How to write dialogue: formatting rules, craft and examples
Craft12 min read
Point of view in writing: first, second and third person explained
Craft11 min read
How to overcome writer's block: six causes and the fix for each
Prompts14 min read
100 fantasy writing prompts and plot ideas, from quests to twists
Prompts15 min read
100 horror writing prompts and story ideas, by subgenre
Novel writing9 min read
How to outline a novel: 5 methods and a step-by-step plan
Genres12 min read
How to write a fantasy novel: worldbuilding, magic and story
Genres12 min read
How to write a horror novel: dread, pacing and the monster
Genres12 min read
How to write a romance novel: beats, tropes and the happy ending
Prompts14 min read
100 romance writing prompts and plot ideas, by trope
Craft11 min read
Character archetypes: the 12 types and how to write them
Craft12 min read
Foreshadowing examples from literature, and how to plant your own
Novel writing8 min read
How long should a chapter be? Average chapter length by genre
Novel writing7 min read
How many words is a novel? Word counts by genre
Publishing11 min read
How to get a literary agent, from finished draft to offer
Memoir & nonfiction11 min read
How to write a memoir: a step-by-step guide
Publishing9 min read
How to format a manuscript for agents and for self-publishing