January/February 2021

Writer's Digest

The World's Leading Source for Writing Inspiration, Instruction and Information

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From Our Readers
Ernest Hemingway’s writing advice gave strength to me to write. “All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” —Sayeed Anwar You have to work your writing muscles just like any other muscle in your body if you want them to get stronger and more
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Writer’s Digest US
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Amy Jones SENIOR EDITORS Jeanne Veillette Bowerman, Robert Lee Brewer MANAGING EDITOR Cassandra Lipp EDITOR Moriah Richard ART DIRECTOR Wendy Dunning ILLUSTRATOR Danielle Lowery EDITORS-AT-LARGE Ericka McIntyre Tyler Moss Jessica Stra
Writer's Digest2 min read
Contributors
RACHEL MENARD (RachelMenard.com) earned her degree in marketing from Arizona State University, during which time her work was printed in the university paper and in her own, self-published punk zine, Chelsea. Her short fiction has been featured in th
Writer's Digest5 min read
Yangsze Choo: Memories of Malaya
In her two New York Times bestselling novels, Yangsze Choo’s historical fiction about colonial Malaya is suffused with local legends, superstitions, and customs, a magical realism seamlessly interwoven with unusual plots involving mysterious murders,
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A Fresh Take
It’s that time again, the beginning of a new year. A time for saying good riddance to the disappointments and frustrations of the previous year, and the ushering in of all the potential goodness the next 365 days can bring. While this particular new
Writer's Digest6 min read
The Seven Pillars of Freelance Success
Every successful writer must make their own path. My professional journey began more than 40 years ago and continues to this day. Following stints on a local weekly newspaper and two national magazines, I quit my job in 1991 to freelance full time. O
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Poetic Asides
The viator is a form invented by poet Robin Skelton, author of The Shapes of Our Singing. Here are the basic rules: • The first line is a refrain.• The refrain appears as the second line of the second stanza, third line of the third stanza, and so on
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I Had My Daughter in Midlife and She Became My Writing Muse
My husband jokes with me that my midlife crisis was having my now 11-year-old daughter in my 40s. I started my career in publishing as Associate Beauty Editor at Woman’s World magazine in the late ’90s. Then I was a magazine editor-in-chief for five
Writer's Digest3 min readPsychology
Writers On Writing
As an academic, I have been conducting research and writing scholarly work for more than a decade. And while my first novel, His Only Wife, was published just this year, I have been writing fiction for even longer. When I was about 10, I started writ
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Indielab
A writer friend posted on Twitter: “So I’m reading scary stuff like if your book doesn’t have at least 10 reviews by the end of the first week, it will disappear into a black hole, never to return. Is this true?” This was my response: “As long as you
Writer's Digest2 min read
Zabé Ellor
Zabé Ellor grew up in Washington, D.C. He graduated from Cornell University in 2016 with bachelor’s degrees in English literature and biology. He began his agenting career as an intern at Inklings Literary, and he moved to The Jennifer De Chiara Lite
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Breaking In
The Cyborg Tinkerer (Steampunk/space opera, November, iWriterly LLC) “A circus competition. A tinkerer tasked with removing the losing cyborgs’ implants. Who is she to protect when she falls for both the handsome ringleader and the beautiful acrobat?
Writer's Digest9 min read
A New View
Congratulations! You just typed “The End” on page 300 or so of your manuscript and pressed “Save.” After months—perhaps even years—of constantly chipping away at your manuscript, you tied up the plot, the characters faced physical and emotional chall
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Foreign Rights Sales
Signing a book deal with a publisher is among the most exhilarating experiences for a writer. For some authors, it’s just the beginning, as agents and publishers may also be able to sell foreign rights to international publishers, extending a book’s
Writer's Digest10 min read
Finding the Words
When Italian astronomer Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli began mapping Mars in 1877, he described dark and light areas on the planet’s surface as “seas” and “continents.” Due to a telescopic illusion that was unknown at the time, he also marked what he
Writer's Digest8 min read
Losing the Big One
There’s a line from Mad Men that resonates with anyone who has ever worked as a freelancer: “The day you sign a client is the day you start losing them.” That uncertainty is why the freelance life isn’t for everyone; some folks prefer the stability o
Writer's Digest7 min read
Twisty Business
The clock is ticking down. The police blotter goes hot on the dash, another killing across town. Suddenly, glass shatters. Your protagonist has a knife to her throat. And … and … you slam down the screen of your laptop in frustration. You’re stuck. Y
Writer's Digest12 min read
Viet Thanh Nguyen
Persistence. It’s the theme that runs throughout Viet Thanh Nguyen’s writing career, and it has paid off. Nguyen’s debut novel, The Sympathizer, was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, an Edgar Aw
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Funny You Should Ask
I have been querying agents for my debut and have had zero requests for the manuscript. But when my critique group read my novel, they said things like “This deserves to be published.” And “This was one of the best books I’ve read all year.” I figure
Writer's Digest2 min read
First Things First
1 When Jake said they were going on a double date, the others thought dinner, maybe a movie, but raising the dead was far cheaper. —Lexi J. Lee 2 The Trans-Dimensional Conversion Device demonstrated at the National Middle School Science Fair brought
Writer's Digest6 min readPsychology
Desire Drives Story
At the outset of any story, most characters find themselves beset by the following motivational factors: • A state of LACK: Something is missing from his life. • This lack speaks to an unfulfilled YEARNING, or dream of life: the kind of person the ch
Writer's Digest5 min readMotivational
Three Mistakes Writers Make in Act I
After the euphoric moment of typing “FADE OUT” on a first draft, your story simmers in a drawer while you take a much-needed break to sort piles of dirty laundry. Now, it’s time to dive back in and explore what story elements work and where your stor
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Identifying Your Book’s Target Audience
For about two years before I became an editor, I was an English composition instructor for first-year college students. (I was not good at it.) During that time, one of the most important things I tried to drive home to the students was: Know your au
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Four Reasons Why This Can Be Your Year to Find Publishing Success
The great thing about a new year is that I can close the book on the previous year and plot out all the limitless opportunities for the next 12 months. Whatever goals I did or did not fulfill the previous year no longer matter, because I’ve got a bla
Writer's Digest4 min readPopular Culture & Media Studies
Building Community
With everything that may be on your plate right now, it’s easy to put networking and professional growth on the back burner. Because of COVID-19, working from home is the new norm for the foreseeable future. And while remote work comes with both free
Writer's Digest3 min read
Conference Guide
CALIFORNIA CREATIVE WRITERS CONFERENCE™ WITH GENRE-LA™ 2021, produced by West Coast Writers Conferences. February 26–March 6, depending on health and safety regulations at the time. Writers of all genres and disciplines will benefit from this educati
Writer's Digest2 min readPsychology
Wdu Writer's Digest University
Whether you’re writing for publication, extra money, or to tell personal stories, Writer’s Digest University can help you get your writing career underway. Our expert instructors will provide advice, specific instruction, real-world experience, exper
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Online Screenwriting Classes with Industry Professionals
The world of the feature film is booming and you are gushing with ideas. TEN WEEKS TO YOUR FEATURE FILM will give you the tools to get the ideas out of your head and into a completed screenplay by introducing you to the methods that professional scre
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Script
A division of WD WRITER'S DIGEST 5 TIPS TO TURN YOUR SCRIPT INTO A HIGH CONCEPT IDEA Studios know high concept films put people in the seats. They want a twist on an idea, something that will make it more commercial and compelling. Check out this FRE
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Potpourri For The Pen
Back by popular demand, let’s begin a story by filling in the blanks in the opening of a classic story: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. First, create a list of words following the suggestions below without taking a peek at the fill

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