Free Writing Lessons

Introduction: A Place to Learn, Practice, and Grow

Every writer needs a place to return to—a place where ideas are tested, words are shaped, and stories slowly take form. For me, that place has always been the writing desk. Now, In this series of free writing lessons, I want to share with you much of what I have learned.

How to Use These Free Writing Lessons

There is no single right way to use this series.

The Writing Desk Foundational Lessons for Fiction and Devotional Writers was created as a series of practical writing lessons for those who want to learn the craft without feeling overwhelmed. These lessons are meant to be clear, approachable, and useful—whether you are just beginning or returning to writing after time away.

Each lesson Introduction focuses on one essential element of writing. You’ll find explanations that break down the “why” behind the craft, examples that show how it works on the page, and guidance on what to avoid. At the end of each lesson, you’ll also find exercises designed to help you apply what you’ve learned to your own work.

This series was written with both fiction writers and devotional writers in mind. While the examples may lean one direction at times, the principles remain the same: clarity, purpose, and honest storytelling.

You can read the lessons in order, building your understanding step by step. You can also jump to the topic you need most and return to the others later. Some readers will work through the exercises with a notebook beside them. Others will simply read and reflect before returning to their writing.

Take your time. Revisit lessons as often as you need. Writing is not a race, and growth happens through practice and patience.

These lessons are not meant to replace your voice or tell you what kind of writer you must be. They are meant to give you tools—tools you can use in a way that fits your calling, your style, and your season of life.

1. Getting Ideas / Genre / Goals

What kind of story am I telling?

Why this story?

Who am I writing for?

2. Plot and Structure: 3-Part vs 5-Part

How devotionals still have structure (truth → reflection → application)

Why structure frees creativity instead of limiting it

3. Characters: Backstory and Description

Why too much backstory too early stalls a story

How faith and values shape character choices

4. The Opening Scene

What an opening scene must do

Common opening mistakes

Why many writers rewrite this last

5. Point of View (POV)

What POV is

How to choose the right one

Common POV slips

6. Setting

Setting as mood

Setting as influence

Setting as silent character

7. Dialogue

What dialogue does

What dialogue should never do

Why people don’t speak in paragraphs

8. Tension

Emotional tension

Spiritual tension

Internal conflict

9. Voice

Consistency

Honesty

Perspective

10. Adverbs, Adjectives & Clichés

How to improve weak writing

11. Tying Up Loose Ends

Plot threads

Character arcs

Emotional resolution

Spiritual resolution

12. Revisions

Revision as refinement, not failure

Letting a story rest

Knowing when to stop

If these free writng lessons lessons encourage you to write with more confidence, more clarity, and a little more courage, then they’ve done what they were meant to do.

Welcome to The Writing Desk.

Click here for Lesson 1: Finding Your Story: Ideas, Genre, and Writing Goals to be published on January 6, 2026.

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Judy Vandiver – Author

Faith-filled stories with heart, hope, and a touch of Southern charm.

The Writing Desk Foundational Lessons for Fiction and Devotional Writers