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May/June2013 Issue
May/June Issue
Writer's Digest Magazine
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There Are No Rules
Excerpts
Knowing When to Stop: Expectations for a Satisfying Ending
Everyone struggles with how to write an ending, regardless of whether it’s a novel or a short story. Sometimes our perfect endings come to us in a dream-like vision, and other times … Read more
Creating Emotional Frustration in Your Characters
Using emotion to create strong, emotional characters and move a plot is critical for any writer in any type of genre. Knowing what kind of emotion to use and how to use it … Read more
Writing Gender-Specific Dialogue
Writing dialogue to suit the gender of your characters is important in any genre, but it becomes even more essential in romance writing. In a romance novel, characters of opposite sexes are … Read more
Don’t Let Worry Drag You Down
Writers are often worriers. We’re plagued with indecision about the choices we make for our stories. We doubt the quality of our writing. We wonder if we’ll ever break through into the … Read more
How to Write a Reader-Friendly Essay
Powerful, surprising, and fascinating personal essays are also “reader-friendly essays” that keep the reader squarely in focus. So how do you go about writing one? In this excerpt from Crafting the Personal … Read more
4 Ways to Revise as You Write
Writers differ in their opinions of the revision process. Some balk at it–they see it as the “no fun” part of writing, and much prefer drafting and creation to fixing and rethinking. … Read more
Writing 21st Century Fiction: A Sneak Peek
Donald Maass, bestselling author of Writing the Breakout Novel and The Fire in Fiction, now takes an in-depth, comprehensive look at the craft and method of writing 21st century fiction. You might … Read more
Create Powerful Imagery in Your Writing
We’ve heard the old montage “Show, don’t tell” so many times that it’s become stale–and what does it mean, anyway? It’s an easy phrase to utter, but how do you achieve resonant, … Read more
Showing vs. Telling in Your Writing
Show, don’t tell. Most writers have heard this maxim at some point, whether from a teacher, an editor or an agent. But what does this writing advice mean, in practical terms? While … Read more
How to Find Great Writing Ideas
In the search for story-worthy ideas, most writers are sidelined by occasional bouts of creative myopia. When it sets in—when your field of inspiration narrows—it’s easy to convince yourself that your luck … Read more
Top 10 Blogging Tips: How to Turn Your Blog Into a Book
If you’d like to quickly amass content for a book—without the pressure of actually having to work on one—consider blogging a book. Blogging is a fast and simple way to generate a … Read more
How to Write Effective Dialogue
Dialogue serves several key functions in your fiction: It reveals your characters’ personalities and beliefs, heightens tension, provides an alternative to lengthy descriptive passages and, most importantly, advances your plot. The key … Read more
How to Start a Book Project
March seems like a good checkpoint for New Year’s writing goals: Two months into the New Year, you probably have a sense of whether a resolution made in January will become … Read more
The Writing Process: Step One
Prewriting. Freewriting. Mind Mapping. Clustering. If you’ve taken a creative writing or English composition class, you’ve likely encountered these terms. They represent an important step in the writing process and, in my … Read more
How to Find Your Narrative Voice
A strong narrative voice gives your fiction a distinctive flavor and makes it stand out in a slush pile. But many beginning novelists struggle with finding their narrative voice, and some opt … Read more
Expert Tips for Writing Action Scenes
Think “action scene,” and you probably think of the Hollywood version: A character is thrust into high-stakes, physical drama (a gunfight, a daring rescue, a desperate escape) that changes her in some … Read more
5 Tips for Fearless Writing
Putting ideas out in the world takes courage, so playing it safe with your writing can be an appealing strategy. Faced with limited writing time and abundant competition, you figure out what … Read more
The Secret to Writing a Standout Picture Book
As any children’s picture book author will attest, writing for children is not easier than writing for adults. In fact, it’s probably more difficult, and here’s why: The story must appeal to … Read more
4 Techniques for Creating Believable Villains
The protagonist’s conflict with an opposing force—usually in the form of another character—is the essence of every novel. Read more
Be Strategic in What You Consume to Boost Productivity
Today’s guest post is from Todd Henry, founder and CEO of Accidental Creative, a consulting firm that helps organizations like P&G, Mattel, and State Farm generate creative ideas. He has one of … Read more
Creating Active Characters in YA Novels
Have you ever heard an editor or critic refer to a character as passive? Maybe, like me, you’ve found yourself frustrated by this term. What exactly does it mean, and what’s so bad about creating a passive character? Isn’t this a trait we often find in real people, especially certain teenagers, who can be prone to spending long hours watching TV or playing video games?
This guest column excerpted by K.L. Going‘s book, Writing & Selling the YA Novel. Going is the author of several YA novels and is a Michael L. Printz Honor Book winner. Read more
6 Common Plot Fixes
The following post is an excerpt from “The Ultimate Revision Checklist” by James Scott Bell, featured in the Writer’s Digest special issue, Write Your Novel in 30 Days. If you enjoy this … Read more
8 Easy Things To Do BEFORE You Start Your Novel
1. Buy a timer and place it next to you as you write. This will help you keep track of how long you’ve been working—and how much time you have to go. … Read more
Agent Scott Hoffman On: Making Sense of a Rejection Letter
1. THE FORM REJECTION The most common (and least valuable) type, a form rejection tells you only that someone—not necessarily even the agent herself—glanced over your manuscript and didn’t think it could be sold at a high enough price to justify signing you as a client. By itself, one form rejection tells you nothing. Twenty in a row, however, may serve as a pretty convincing sign that your book, or at least the beginning of it, isn’t ready to hit the shelves quite yet.
2. THE PERSONALIZED REJECTION This can be either a form letter with a personal note added or a letter obviously written directly to you. If you receive one of these, it means your manuscript is head and shoulders above the majority of submissions an agent has read. Read more
