October 2019

Writer's Digest

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

Writer's Digest2 min read
The Power of Storytelling
“If my story isn’t told, it will get lost.” This was part of a conversation the author Alice Hoffman, this month’s WD interview subject, had with a woman she met at a reading (Page 42). That woman had survived the Holocaust and was afraid she wouldn’
Writer's Digest2 min read
Contributors
JESSICA KAYE is an entertainment and publishing attorney at Kaye & Mills ( KayeMills.com) and a Grammy Award-winning audiobook producer and director of hundreds of audiobooks. She serves on the boards of the Audio Publishers Association and the South
Writer's Digest3 min read
When Your Agent Isn’t a Good Fit
Finding representation is one of the biggest hurdles in the publishing process. Once you’ve signed with an agent, it’s easy to believe that it will be smooth sailing from there. But this isn’t always the case. Besides the challenge of securing a deal
Writer's Digest4 min read
How to Pitch So You Don’t Get Ghosted
Whether you want to write a first-person essay, how-to, reported piece, or profile, a good pitch letter with a great spin on a topic, timely element, newsy connection, or an unusual personal experience will capture the attention of an assigning edito
Writer's Digest1 min read
Poetic Asides
The catena rondo is a fun poetic form created by Robin Skelton, author of The Shapes of Our Singing. He took the name from catena, which means chain, and connected it with rondo, which means circle. And the poem is a bit of a “chain circle” because o
Writer's Digest7 min read
The Plotshare
Beth O’Leary captured accolades such as “the romantic comedy read of the summer” from USA Today and “Sleepless in Seattle for the 21st century” from Sunday Express for her debut novel The Flatshare. Published by Quercus in the U.K. and Flatiron Books
Writer's Digest2 min read
100 Years of Writer’s Digest
In preparation for WD’s 100th anniversary issue, WD staff has been digging through nearly a century of articles to pick out the very best writing advice WD has gleaned over the years. As a sneak peek of what awaits in the trove, here is an excerpt fr
Writer's Digest3 min read
Indie Lab
Journalists are a lot like agents—they love a good story. But convincing them to cover your book requires a unique hook that must go beyond a traditional press release. Like any good public relations strategy, there are four main steps to crafting th
Writer's Digest4 min read
Breaking In
“Hollow Kingdom is a humorous, big-hearted, and beautiful romp through the apocalypse and the world after, where even a cowardly crow can become a hero.” WRITES FROM: Seattle. PRE-KINGDOM: I had been writing a series of humorous mystery novels that
Writer's Digest22 min read
The End Is Just the Beginning
In publishing, “The End” is just a lie. Once those words appear on the page there is celebrating to be done, for sure, but also an acknowledgment that new work is just beginning. Writers are, generally, not salespeople (although you may be surprised
Writer's Digest11 min read
Love Letters To Literary
We asked five agents who love literary fiction to explain what “literary” means to them, comment on the importance of character, talk about beauty in language, and detail what makes a manuscript magic. Interested in pitching one of these agents? Turn
Writer's Digest2 min read
The Agent Roundtable
ANNIE HWANG is an agent at Folio Literary Management, where she represents literary fiction and select nonfiction. As a former journalist, she possesses a keen editorial eye, which she brings to her agenting approach, taking an active role in the car
Writer's Digest8 min read
From SCRATCH to ANTHOLOGY
In the YA literature world, anthologies are having a moment. We’ve seen a solid array of topics, both fiction and nonfiction, hit the shelves in the last few years, with even more exciting titles coming. As an anthologist and editor, it’s refreshing
Writer's Digest10 min read
THE WD INTERVIEW Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman specializes in magical writing that tells the realest of stories. She published her first novel in 1977 while still at Stanford University and has written more than 30 works of fiction since, including the novels The Marriage of Opposit
Writer's Digest6 min read
Film and Audio Rights 101
Publishing a book is a huge accomplishment. Once that’s done, though, thoughts turn to other things, such as film and audio rights. Film deals don’t come along for every book, but if you do have film/TV interest, a contract should include such inform
Writer's Digest4 min read
Funny You Should Ask
Dear FYSA, I’m trying to be more disciplined about my writing. I want to really push myself to hit that daily word count, but I don’t know what is reasonable. How do you settle on a work volume that feels both meaningful and manageable? Signed, S
Writer's Digest3 min read
Feuillemort
I will wait for them at the edge of the glade that would have been promised to them had they come of age. My russet-and-white fur does not do well to hide against the branches of the old oaks, now laden with lacelike moss and bare of any floral trapp
Writer's Digest7 min read
The Edge Of The Beginning
You know that you’ve got the right story idea when that idea energizes you. That energy is your key to completing the marathon that is writing any full-length work. Use that energy well, and it will sustain you throughout the process. Squander it, an
Writer's Digest1 min read
EXERCISE: Highlighting Your Intro
You need to go through and trim the parts of your opening that are obscuring the action so you can get to your big story idea sooner. You need to prune back your writing so that the inherent drama of your story idea is highlighted. If you’re finding
Writer's Digest10 min read
The Final Scene
The end of one thing is also the beginning of another. Final scenes are the end of one chapter in a protagonist’s life. A few protagonists will die at the end of a narrative, but in general your final scene is the conclusion of the events of your inc
Writer's Digest1 min read
FROM THE WD EDITORS: Our favourite Beginnings and Endings
The best beginnings toss readers into the whirlwind that is going to be your story right as the action begins, giving them no choice but to read further. The best endings stick with readers for years after they’ve closed the book. WD editors got toge
Writer's Digest5 min read
Take Two
When you’re a screenwriter living outside of Los Angeles, you’re going to need extra hustle in your step. But living in L.A. doesn’t always make breaking in easier—you need to separate yourself from every barista who has a screenplay to pimp. Succes
Writer's Digest3 min read
Conference Scene
Learn how your writing can create change in the world at this long-running conference in the City by the Bay. WHEN: Sept. 14, 2019. WHERE: First Unitarian Universalist Church & Center, San Francisco. PRICE: $199. WHAT MAKES THE CONFERENCE UNIQUE: I
Writer's Digest1 min read
Should You Be A Conference Volunteer?
Writing conferences often solicit volunteers to help out over the course of the event. Here are a few pros and cons to consider before offering your time and expertise. • Many conferences offer volunteers free or reduced registration in exchange for
Writer's Digest3 min read
Conference Guide
• Keep in mind that there may be more than one workshop in each of the listings. • These workshops are listed alphabetically by state, country, or continent. • Unless otherwise indicated, rates include tuition (T) only. Sometimes the rates also inclu
Writer's Digest2 min read
Potpourri For The Pen
For our annual agent issue, we decided to bring back the ever-popular “Reject a Hit” column that used to occupy this back page. WD editor Cassandra Lipp wrote this spoof rejection of one of her favorite stories, Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. Caution

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