Grab the book, magazine, or newspaper nearest you and open up to a random page. Start your story with the first line at the top of the page and end your story with the last line at the bottom of the page.
Author Archives: Brian A. Klems
The Anatomy of a Query Letter – Webinar with Kate McKean
In this live 90-minute webinar — titled “The Anatomy of a Query Letter: What to Put Where, When, and Why” — instructor and literary agent Kate McKean will show you how to catch a reader's eye with a clean, precise, and interesting query letter.
Rude Awakening
“Get up. That’s right you, with the face. GET UP.” After the boot roughly hits your side you groggily wake up. You remember the bomb, yes the bomb you had to deactivate. That would be your top priority but your captor has a knife and your hands are bound. What do you do next?
Writer’s Digest Article Index 2014
All feature articles and columns published in Writer’s Digest during 2014 are indexed by topic. Abbreviations for regular columns: Inkwell—IW; Meet the Agent—MTA; Breaking In—BI; Questions & Quandaries—QQ; Your Story—YS; Standout Markets—SM; Conference Scene—CS; Reject A Hit—RAH Writer’s Digest Article Index 2014 Conferences “Conference Scene (Create Something Magical Writers & Readers Conference; Mount Hermon...
The Story Building Collection + 40% OFF Sale Today Only
Today we’re having a One-Day-Only 40% OFF Sale on nearly everything in our shop using the code TAKE40MORE. That's on top of other discounts. I highly recommend using it on our Story Building Collection. Here's why.
Create an Author Website in 24 Hours or Less – Webinar with Jane Friedman
In this two-hour intensive live webinar — titled “Create an Author Website in 24 Hours or Less” — publishing expert Jane Friedman focuses on the simplest, most robust, and FREE tools to get a site up and running in a day or less—often in one evening!
Writing the Classic Picture Book – Webinar with Jodell Sadler and Allison Moore
In this live 90-minute webinar instructor (and literary agent) Jodell Sadler and instructor (and editor) Allison Moore, Assistant Editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, share their tips on preparing your manuscript for publication. BONUS: Get your picture book manuscript critiqued!
Creation Simulator
As you close your eyes you feel as if you’re being lifted. Yes, higher and higher until you decide to open your eyes. You see a vast world before, one new to your eyes. A voice booms out: “This is yours now, craft it well.” How do you shape this world? What inhabits it?...
4 Tips on Balancing Your Writing Life vs. Your Personal Life
Choosing writing as a career provides one of the most important keys to achieving work-life balance: flexibility. For the most part, writers decide when to write, what to write, where to write, and how much to write. Though we may work the same amount of hours as those in traditional office/commute/matchy suit/lunch break jobs,...
The Center of Things
Ah the freedom of flight, the weightlessness of free-fall. Doesn’t it feel wonderful? Well it would if you weren’t launching at maximum velocity towards a gaping hole that leads to the center of the earth. Why are you going there? What’s going on?
7 Reasons Writing a Book Makes You a Badass
I've always been a big nerd. But for one shining moment, one GLORIOUS MOMENT, when I finished writing my book, OH BOY, YOU'RE HAVING A GIRL: A Dad's Survival Guide to Raising Daughters, I felt like a complete and utter badass. Here's why.
WD Editors Are Writers Too: Meet Baihley Grandison, Assistant Editor of Writer’s Digest
All the editors on Writer’s Digest staff aren’t just 9-5 editors, we are also writers and storytellers—which is why we are so passionate about writing and publishing. “WD Editors Are Writers Too” is a column on this blog to give you a sneak peek at the folks who lead the WD community—including their quirks,...
Be Careful Out There
"Be careful out there," your mom said as you grabbed your duffel bag and headed on a camping trip with friends. "You know that tonight is the anniversary, don't you?" You nodded, then shut the door behind you before getting in the car and taking off.
A Karaoke Love Story
A promotion at work has you head out with coworkers to celebrate. While at the bar, you decide to sing karaoke. As you belt your way through the song (fill in the blank), another member of the crowd starts harmonizing with you. Is it someone you know? Is it not? Either way, this is...
BIG SALE: Friends & Family Summer Sale – Get 40% Off
From now through Sunday we’re hosting a HUGE Friends & Family of Writer’s Digest Summer sale in our shop, allowing you to save 40% on all the writing resources you’ll need to have a productive summer! Really, I haven’t seen a sale like this in a long, long time (and probably won’t again for...
WD Annual Competition Deadline Is Today!
No matter what you are writing, chances are there's a spot for it in our 84st Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. And now there's even greater incentive to enter as we've upped the ante ...
Writing and Selling Children’s Books – Webinar with Jennifer Laughran
In this live 90-minute webinar — titled “Writing and Selling Children's Books” — instructor and senior literary agent Jennifer Laughran will reveal "trade secrets" of the kids book biz and critique your work.
Childhood Piece of Clothing
You're rummaging through an old tub of clothes from your childhood that your parents had stored away in their attic. As you search you find one particular piece that you remember as your favorite. When you hold it in your hands, you're magically transported back to the moment you got that piece of clothing...
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Short Short Fiction FB Chat with Grant Faulkner on Friday, May 1
To celebrate National Short Story Month, Grant will join us this Friday, May 1, on our Facebook page and answer your questions about short story writing from 9 a.m - 11 a.m. Eastern Time. Here's how it will work ...
Anyone But Me
You've had a rough day at work. You head home and go straight to bed, mumbling, "I wish I'd wake up tomorrow and be anyone but me," before dozing off. When you wake up in the morning, your dream has come true, as you quickly realize that you are not you—you are someone else...
Writing the Memoir that Can Sell – Webinar With Regina Brooks
In this live 90-minute webinar — titled “Writing the Memoir that Can Sell: How to Attract Agents & Editors to Your Story” — instructor and literary agent Regina Brooks will explain what sells (and why) and how you can get your memoir published.
Private Eye
You're a private investigator who is down on his or her luck and hasn't had a client in months. Suddenly the phone rings. It's a kid. The kid proposes a silly case to you. Normally you wouldn't take such a ridiculous job (from a kid, no less), but you need the work, so you...
April Showers Bring a Murder
Start your story with "April showers bring May flowers, at least, that's what my ______ used to tell me." Then end your story with story with, "And that, officer, is why I had to murder my ______."
It’s You — But It Isn’t
You're a regular commenter on a website about a hobby you are passionate about. You've been posting for years and have made many friends. Suddenly one day, you hop on the site and notice there are several comments from you—but you didn't write them! You attempt to delete them, but you can't. Worse yet,...
Submission Tools that Get an Agent Response: Query Letters, Synopses & First Pages – Webinar with Marisa Corvisiero
In this live 90-minute webinar, instructor and literary agent Marisa Corvisiero will brief authors on how to submit their work and show them how to carefully prepare the best submission package that will get the attention of reviewing agents and editors.