May/June 2012 Issue
May/June Issue
Writer's Digest Magazine
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Website of the Week
Writing Website of the Week
Published author Roz Morris' website covers a lot of topics about writing--some serious, some for fun. Either way, it's a site that's worth a few minutes of any writer's week. (I recommend following her on Twitter too.Nail Your Novel 
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Author Archives: Steve Almond
The Downside to DIY Publishing
For those of you curious about the world of do-it-yourself publishing, here are a few (humorous) questions you might want to ask yourself before you decide, as I did, to publish your own books. Read more
Put Your Fiction To The Plausibility Test
I’m afraid I’ll have to start my discussion of plausibility with a student story that remains vivid to me after some five years. The notion that a 21-year-old would even attempt to write a short story, let alone subject such work to the unpredictable blandishments of a workshop, strikes me as ridiculously courageous. I didn’t work up the nerve to write fiction until I was nearly 30.
by Steve Almond
Fiction: Point of View
How many times have you heard this around the workshop table: “Why don’t you consider a new point of view?” (Actually, the term used more often is “POV” because it sounds a lot cooler, I suspect.) Everyone then agrees that a new POV might help matters, including the writer, who knew something was wrong and is now relieved to have a likely suspect.
by Steve Almond Read more
Fiction: Titles
It happens every semester I teach fiction, usually on the day we distribute stories for the first workshop. A student will raise her hand and offer the following caveat: “So I just wanted to, like, apologize for my story not having a title. I totally hate titles.” Read more
Fiction: Attributive Clauses
Don’t drag your dialogue down with busy attributives. Here’s why "said" is the most effective way to end a quote. Read more