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 
*Not affiliated with our 101 Best Writing Websites feature.
Promptly Blog
Writer’s Digest Managing Editor Zachary Petit helps get your creative juices flowing with Promptly, a writing prompt-driven community that aims to get your pen moving and keep it that way. Posts appear every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, offering flash-fiction prompts, activities and maybe even some Q&As—in addition to some positive reinforcement.
Ken Follett’s intense novel outlining, and his thoughts on thriller essentials
Outlines. Mine generally take the form of scatterbrained, fast-and-loose Word documents packed with ideas, and I’m always in awe of writers who flesh out intricate visions beforehand. Take Ken Follett, who does … Read more
"As an agent, I turn down 'good enough' ideas every day. The distance between 'good enough' and 'great' may not be huge, but …"
Ever whipped up a half-hearted proposal, or penned a “just-OK” chapter? Here are a few words of advice from former agent Jennifer Lawler, the latest from Promptly’s Top 20 Tips From WD … Read more
Monday Matchup Writing Challenge: Guitar, Scar, Hometown
WRITING PROMPT: Monday Matchup #12Feel free to take the following prompt home or post a response (500 words or fewer, funny, sad or stirring) in the Comments section below. By posting, you’ll … Read more
Novelist Charlaine Harris: "If it pleases you and you can write at all, it's gonna please somebody else."
The latest from Promptly’s Top 20 Tips From WD in 2010 series is not a tip, really, nor a strategy, trick, secret literary weapon, etc. But I still think it’s good to … Read more
"It makes getting out of bed so much easier" – One bestseller's trick for never getting stalled on the page
This year, we probably got the most nerdy literary joy out of creating September’s Big 10 issue of WD, for which the editor of the magazine and I had a chance to … Read more
5 Essential Tips for Meeting With Editors – Plus, what's it like to win a WD competition?
Today’s offering is a special guest post from author and journalist John Moir, the winner of the 78th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. After traveling with him to New York to meet … Read more
Memoirs: What do agents think makes the cut?
At one point or another, it seems every writer has (or has had) a memoir in the works. So what do agents think makes the grade? Here’s the latest from Promptly’s Top … Read more
"Do you love every comment your critique partners have made? Do you have to make every change they've suggested?"
Critique groups. Sometimes a source of brilliant feedback, and sometimes, well, a source of literary torture. Once you get your material workshopped and head home, how do you sort through the ink-scrawled … Read more
The Two Big Mistakes to Avoid at Writing Conferences
OK, OK. It may sound like oversimplified advice for an entire blog post, but having attended a fair share of conferences and having once fallen on the (bitter, regret-laden) sword of the … Read more
Sue Grafton on the same lesson she learns every book (plus, a Thanksgiving prompt)
When you write, it’s easy to lose the plot—forget what drew you in about writing in the first place, what kept you around, why you do this strange thing you do. Even … Read more