Greg Luti

A flash fiction story that captures a quiet domestic moment filled with quiet contrast. In “Letter Of The Day,” Greg Luti places a toddler’s simple play against the backdrop of adult conversations about war, celebrities, and the weight of the wider world. A child of no more than two years old and a grandma sit in the living room, getting ready for the afternoon they are going to spend together. On the floor, the child is playing with his toy cars, as the grandma is watching t

A writing and editing advice post that explores one of the most important questions a writer can ask. In “What Does The Audience Know?,” Greg Luti discusses how deciding what readers know versus what characters know can shape tension, humor, and the overall effectiveness of a story. Superman and What the Audience Knows There is a question regarding one of pop culture’s iconic heroes that a writer can use in order to better understand their own story. The knowledge that Superm

A writing update that offers insight into the final stages of preparing a book. In “Proofreading,” Greg Luti discusses refining his flash fiction collection *Little Fires*, adapting covers for different formats, and balancing personal creative work with the realities of publishing. Proofreading Little Fires I have been proofreading my recent book, Little Fires, for the past few days before I publish it. The thing that always gets me with proofreading is not the minor errors i

A writing update that offers insight into a busy creative period. In “A Few Projects Now,” Greg Luti discusses juggling several book projects at once, including finalizing one collection and starting new work, while reflecting on the excitement of moving deeper into publishing. A Few Projects Now In my writing update last week, I had no idea what I was doing, and I even had to take a second to ask about the very question. Now, I am not asking myself the question but wondering

A writing update that offers a candid look behind the scenes of the creative process. In “What Have I Been Doing?,” Greg Luti shares his established blogging routine, his tendency to start new projects, and how he navigates both creative impulses and everyday life. What Have I Been Doing? There is always a question each week that I ask myself: “What have I been doing?” Now, most times, the answer is obvious, in that I can tell the reader whatever it is that has been on my min

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