In this live two-hour intensive webinar — titled "Create an Author Website in 24 Hours or Less" — you'll learn the simplest, most robust, and FREE tools to get a site up and running in a day or less—often in one evening! You don't have to know any code, understand any technical jargon, or...
The wizard’s terror bolt lances overhead. You shout back to your party that you’re going in. Dagger held high and ice shard at the ready you tear towards the dastardly spell caster. How does your fight play out?
Recently a friend challenged me to, without thinking too hard, make a list of 10 books that have stayed with me in some way after reading them. Here's my list. What's on yours?
Ah, back home and time to relax. Long weeks are brutal. Is that the television you hear? Well you haven’t been home all day so you decide to check it out, thinking you left it on. As you enter the room you see the television is indeed on. And you’re already sitting there watching...
The fight has been raging for three days. The teachers on their end, toting rulers, eraser canons and textbook grenades, and the students on the other, with only school-approved items found in their bookbags. Both sides have suffered casualties and people are wondering, what happened three days ago at Winston Waters High that started...
Interested in improving your writing skills? Your blogging skills? Want to become a copywriter master to make a good living on the side (to support your creative writing)? It's time you checked out Writer's Digest University slate of online courses, designed to help you improve your technique and reach your writing goals. Here's a...
You take a sip from your drink and feel different. That may be because your torso has an extra arm protruding from it. Another sip, another arm. Then a wing. What happens if you finish the drink?
The truth is, the way you group the items determines whether it’s a singular subject or a plural subject (and whether you’d use the plural verb "have" or the singular "has"). Let me explain.
In this live 90-minute webinar — titled "Conquer the Dreaded Synopsis: Construct Your Ultimate Sales Tool" — literary agent Nephele Tempest will show you how to tackle the task head on, and to generate the right synopsis for your project—and your audience. Shake off your fear and frustration and master the art of...
As writers who receive piles of rejection letters, it only seems fair that, from time to time, we be given an opportunity to return the favor. There are many books I’d love to reject (here’s my #1 choice), if only for the satisfaction of releasing some pent up frustration and envy. Or, perhaps, just...
In this live 90-minute webinar — titled "Writing and Selling Middle Grade Fiction" — instructor and literary agent Jennifer Laughran will talk about what's happening in the exciting Middle Grade market, as well as examine some recently published titles to see what they got right. She'll also talk revision tips and tricks to...
You’re in an epic pun off; whit is spewing out of your mouth and your opponent's mouth with punishing purpose. What are some sweet puns you could use to really wipe the smile off your opponent's face? Make sure not to frown on the worst of puns either—they’re all beautiful. Write this scene and...
The October 2014 Writer’s Digest lets you in on “The Secret to a Stronger Nonfiction Book Proposal”—but if you need a refresher on how to put the whole proposal together, we’ve got that covered, too, on The Writer’s Dig blog with 8 Essential Elements of a Nonfiction Book Proposal.
I had two full manuscripts and one partial out with various interested agents when I got the email. The email that said Stacey read my manuscript and wanted to set up a time to discuss it. I’d been rejected by 14 other agents already, so I wasn’t even sure what that meant. Then I...
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 2013 Business/Legal Matters “Querying vs. Pitching,” QQ, Brian A. Klems, Feb, p....
The ocean is a vast and beautiful thing. Taking a quick peak off the side of your boat you realize something strange. The tentacles slowly creeping up the hull aren’t your imagination and the captain’s nowhere to be found. Where do we go from here?
In this live 90-minute webinar — titled "How to Plot and Structure Your Novel: Learn Important Principles, Patterns, and Practical Revision Techniques" — editor Cheryl Klein will guide you through the principles that underlie traditional narrative plotting—a framework on which you can build all sorts of variations. You'll learn about the three main types...
You had that dream again. The one where the beast with the drooping hands and wicked fangs stares you down from your window. Except the windows open this time—and you’re awake! What happens next?
During your trip to Turkey, you check into an old hotel. After settling yourself you notice a weathered chest in the corner. Upon opening it, war relics from the First World War and the Ottoman Empire lay before you. What stories do you find?
Being a famous rock star is hard. Especially when an alien invasion hits mid-concert. As lasers and abductions abound, do you think your sick beats can stop this catastrophe? Write about how you attempted to fight off the aliens and whether or not you succeeded.
You wake up in—wait this isn’t your room. Confused you step to the mirror and see that you’re famous actor Robert Downey Jr. How did you get here and what do you do?
At one time or another, all writers would probably describe themselves as "frustrated" by the writing process. With writer's block, computer malfunctions, Twitter, kids, and Tetris all clamoring for our attention, it's hard to pen a short story, let alone a novel. But if you're serious about writing you'll make it work. Here are...
You're outside cutting your grass when you come across a large hole in the ground. You've never noticed the hole before, but it looks to be some sort of tunnel to another world. You decide to peek through and see where it leads, only it leads you to a pivotal moment in your past—and...
Here’s a list of the five most crucial questions you should ask any agent before agreeing to join her client list.
Have you ever tried to write a book in a month—as part of NaNoWriMo, with a writing group, or just on your own? What was your experience? What were the challenges, and what did you learn as you worked to overcome them? What was the end result? And what’s the best advice you could...
