writing tips – Andrew Careaga

Friday Five: grand openings

How powerful first lines can draw your reader into your story.

One lesson the professors at journalism school drilled into my head was the importance of crafting a compelling first paragraph (aka the lede in news parlance).

The opening paragraph is the most important element of your story. It must grab readers’ attention and get them to read more, so it must be finely crafted and honed to its sharpest possible point.

The same applies to more literary writing–whether a novel, a short story, or a creative nonfiction essay. These five opening sentences from some recent stories and essays do a good job of hooking the reader. Each example below comes from The Pushcart Prize XLIX: Best of the Small Presses 2025 Edition. And while there are other notable pieces I could have pulled from this anthology, I chose these five because they are great and because you can also read them online, for free.

Video: nine great writing tips from Ray Bradbury

I enjoyed this shortish (under-14-minute) video from the Bookfox channel on summarizing nine writing tips (or “hacks,” as Bookfox calls them, because everything is a hack these days) from science fiction maestro Ray Bradbury. Give it a watch and let me know what you think.

Friday Five: Q&A with multi-genre writer Allison Field Bell

‘I write one word at a time, focusing on the lyrical potential of a sentence and how that aligns with a character’s voice’

I first discovered Allison Field Bell‘s writing via the literary magazine Fractured Lit, which published her stunning flash fiction piece “Vermillion Cliffs” last March. I started following her on Twitter (X) and soon was astounded by how frequently she would post about new pieces being accepted — not only short stories and flash fiction, but creative nonfiction and poetry as well. (This X/Twitter thread of a few of her favorites from 2024 should give you some idea of her range and diverse styles.) I consider her a writer’s writer and highly recommend her work.

Later this year, a chapbook of her creative nonfiction, Edge of the Sea, will be published by CutBank Books, and her poetry chapbook, Without Woman or Body, will be published by Finishing Line Press. Her current projects-in-progress include a book of short fiction, a collection of flash nonfiction, and a full-length collection of poetry. She is also finishing up her first novel, wrapping up a Ph.D. in Creative Writing and English Literature at the University of Utah, and offering editorial services to aid other writers.

In today’s Friday Five, Allison shares her thoughts on multi-genre writing, her writing routine, and some excellent advice for the rest of us.

Friday Five: Q&A with ‘Aristotle for Novelists’ author Douglas Vigliotti

‘… being “unbelievable” is not a good thing.’

What can we learn about writing a novel from an ancient Greek philosopher who never wrote a novel himself? Plenty, if that ancient Greek philosopher is Aristotle, according to author and podcaster Douglas Vigliotti.

In his latest book, Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story, Vigliotti draws from Aristotle’s Poetics to provide a framework for storytelling in the modern age.

“For centuries, dramatic writers have relied on Aristotelian principles to write their stories for the screen and stage — the same stories you stream and watch today,” Vigliotti writes. “But for the first time ever, the timeless principles from Aristotle’s esteemed Poetics have been adapted for novelists.”

In this Q&A, Vigliotti shares what inspired him to delve into Aristotle’s writings, discusses how these principles can benefit novelists (and other writers), and talks a bit about his podcast, Books for Men.

Friday Five: top 5 writing tips from literary experts

What some of this year’s ‘Friday Five’ participants shared with me

Over the past year, I’ve invited dozens of writers, editors, and others in the literary/writing/publishing community to take part in a “Friday Five” feature. This involves a five-question email interview with the subjects (see links to all interviews). One question I ask of all interviewees is, “What advice do you have for other writers or aspiring writers?” I do this for selfish reasons, because I’m always looking for ideas and inspiration. But I hope the responses also help others who are wanting to improve their writing.

For this end-of-year piece, I’ve selected five bits of advice from the nineteen interviews of 2024. Here they are: