A writing and editing advice post that encourages self-awareness during the revision process. In “What Type of Editor Are You?,” Greg Luti discusses the importance of understanding your natural editing tendencies so you can strengthen your craft more effectively. The Most Important Question Before You Edit There is always advice that you hear about improving as a writer, but I think there is a basic question that can be addressed by a writer to help them with their writing be

A reflective poem that examines the feeling of being emotionally and spiritually dead while still alive. In “Two Dead Men,” Greg Luti portrays two men sitting in a park, each lost in their own internal sense of emptiness and disconnection from life. Two men sit on a park bench, neither really looking at the other. They are speaking to each other, for no one else is there to even care. The sky is bluer than the ocean, and it would have you comment on the lack of clouds in the

A humorous flash fiction story that reimagines a pivotal moment in American history. In “United Name,” Greg Luti brings the Founding Fathers together as they debate — sometimes heatedly — what to name their new country. I would like to think that there was one conversation between the Founding Fathers about the development of our country that had more to do with its name and what exactly they would call the country than any pressing matters. As though the back and forth got t

A writing update can offer insight into the ups and downs of the creative process. In “Go with the Flow,” Greg Luti discusses his efforts to regain momentum after a period of illness and reflects on the value of adapting to circumstances while turning ideas into real projects. Getting Back Into the Flow I have been trying to get back into the flow of my writing since I kind of missed a few days there last week being sick. What is funny is that I was just talking to someone ab

A writing and editing advice post that draws on wisdom from an unexpected source. In “John Lennon’s Advice on Writing,” Greg Luti explores the idea of finishing creative work during the initial burst of inspiration instead of delaying it in pursuit of perfection. John Lennon’s Advice on Finishing Your Work There are times when a person’s advice can stay with you longer than it should. The words they say are so damn profound you hang on to them, like an old photo. I am not eve

A poem can capture the emotional weight of long-awaited victory. In “They Won,” Greg Luti reflects on the moment a lifelong sports fan experiences their team finally winning a championship — and the unexpected peace that follows years of disappointment. I guess I got so used to them losing that I never thought I would see them win. No title for them. No talks of championships. None of that. My team would lose, and for no other reason than that is what they do. I got so accust

A writing update can offer an honest look behind the curtain of the creative process. In “Being Sick,” Greg Luti discusses how a recent illness forced him to pause his work, prioritize recovery, and reflect on the unrealistic expectation that writers should always be productive. Being Sick and Falling Behind I have been sick the past week or so and have not really gotten to my writing as much as I would like. I basically did some social media stuff and then took some medicine

A flash fiction story can explore the limits of wealth and desire. In “What He Couldn’t Buy,” Greg Luti follows a man with a mysterious condition who goes on a wild shopping spree, buying everything in sight while searching for something that money can’t buy. I was talking to a buddy of mine at work one day, it was the time of the day when we are all about done with the job, but still have to be there, so we make small talk to pass the time. I was printing out some documents

A writing update often signals a meaningful shift in an author’s routine. In “Twice a Week Is Here,” Greg Luti announces that his newsletter will now be delivered twice a week — on Sundays and Thursdays — while also sharing his ongoing efforts with short stories and the small but meaningful wins he’s experiencing from reader engagement. Twice a Week Is Here I am happy to say that the newsletter is officially going to be twice a week. That is right, now I am jumping into your

Writing prompts are a popular tool, but they’re not always the best way to generate ideas. In “How and When to Use Writing Prompts,” Greg Luti takes a closer look at the common advice around using prompts and explains when they can actually be useful versus when they might limit a writer’s ability to draw from personal experience. The Common Advice About Prompts Whenever I hear about writers using a prompt, the process is quite simple in that the site, or whoever gave the pro

A poem can confront the reader directly about whether the writing is worth their time. In “These Words,” Greg Luti gives permission to stop reading if the words fail to connect, urging readers to close the page, return the book, and walk away if it simply isn’t for them. Stop reading these words if they just don’t speak to you. If you feel nothing when you come across a phrase. If the words don’t jump off the page. If there is nothing living in these words. Stop reading them.

A writing update often reveals how an author adjusts their process to match new goals. In “Refining the Routine,” Greg Luti shares how he is evolving his daily writing habits to support a twice-weekly newsletter, learning to balance patience with urgency and embracing the simple but powerful idea: “Take your time, but hurry up.” Refining the Routine I have been all about refining the routine of writing at this point. As I mentioned last time I wrote one of these updates, I am

A flash fiction story can explore the tension between personal creation and public legacy. In “The Artist,” Greg Luti follows a pupil who completes a powerful artwork only to reject his teacher’s advice to share it publicly, arguing that true fulfillment comes from creating for oneself rather than seeking fame and remembrance. A pupil finished up his artwork as his teacher walked over to check on the student’s progress. “Wow. This is good.” The teacher noted. “I mean, this is

A common piece of writing advice is to read constantly in order to improve. In “Who Did Homer Read?,” Greg Luti challenges that idea by looking at Homer, the ancient poet credited with the Iliad and the Odyssey, who may never have read a book at all — yet still became one of the most influential writers in history by drawing stories directly from the world and oral traditions around him. The Common Advice: Read More There is a bit of writing advice that I do agree with, and I

A writing update often signals a major shift in an author’s routine. In “Twice a Week Newsletter,” Greg Luti reveals his goal of reaching 5–6 blog posts per week by the end of June, his decision to move to a twice-weekly newsletter, and his plans to expand workbooks, include full chapter previews in book updates, and adopt a tighter schedule for longer writing projects. Pushing for More Blog Posts I have been trying to improve as a writer, and the way I challenged myself this

A flash fiction story can reimagine one of history’s most dramatic moments from an unexpected point of view. In “The Light,” Greg Luti takes readers into hell itself, where Satan and his demons celebrate what they believe is their greatest victory — until a powerful beam of light reveals Jesus in a triumphant confrontation. Satan sat on his throne nervously biting his fingernails. He whispered to a demon standing by his throne. “Is it done?” “Yes. All reports we have say that

A common piece of writing advice is often too vague to be useful. In “Should You Just Write?,” Greg Luti critiques the popular “just write” mantra as unhelpful for most people and offers more practical guidance: choosing a specific topic to spark ideas, writing without the pressure to publish, and maintaining consistent daily practice to build real skill and flow. The Trite Advice: “Just Write” One of the most common pieces of advice you will hear writers give you is that the

Greg Luti’s poem “I Guess I’m a Ghostbuster Now” reflects on the suspicion society places on adult men around children, the disappointment of fallen celebrity idols, and one man’s quiet resolve to be a safe, reassuring presence for kids. There is a lot of talk today about kids, and the feeling that kids are when they are with guys of my age. Adult men. And let’s not even sugarcoat this, let’s get right into the deep end. Hold your breath. There is a stigma that the average si

A writing update can show the real behind-the-scenes work of an indie author trying to grow their audience. In “SEO to Rank Higher,” Greg Luti discusses his recent push to improve the site’s Google rankings — from requesting indexing on dozens of pages and adding meta descriptions to every post, to learning the hard way about Google’s daily indexing limits. Working on SEO for the Site I have been really working on getting the SEO for the site down, and as much as I like to fo

A key piece of writing and editing advice is to focus on what works strongest in your story. In “Know What Works,” Greg Luti explains why you should identify and strengthen your best scenes, characters, and lines instead of trying to make every single part of your manuscript equally good. Not Every Part of a Story is Equally Great When I am editing someone’s novel or writing my own, there are parts of the novel that are a little bit better than others. I mean, let’s be real h