March/April 2014 Issue
March/April Issue
Writer's Digest Magazine
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Brian Klems’ The Writer’s Dig
Brian A. Klems is a published author and the online editor of WritersDigest.com. His blog, which covers everything writing—from grammar rules to publishing—is one of the most popular in the writing community. Follow him on Twitter @BrianKlems.
The 5 Biggest Fiction Writing Mistakes (& How to Fix Them)
Start your revision by addressing these, and you’ll immediately change your story for the better. Read more
Writer’s Digest West Pre-Conference Tip: Making Up Monikers Matters
Over the next few weeks many of the presenters of the upcoming Writer’s Digest West Conference (Sept. 27-29 in L.A.) will be dishing out pre-conference writing and publishing tips. Here’s our first installment thanks to Eva Shaw who will be teaching the workshop “Write Your Novel in 20 Minutes.” Read more
Don’t Split Infinitives – Fact or Myth?
Grammarians will often tell you not to split infinitives, but you see writers do it all the time. Is it against the grammar rules or are the grammar teachers off base? Here’s the answer. Read more
How to Think and Write like Nabokov
Learning how Russian novelist Nabokov thought might improve the way you write. Practice thinking in images to uncover the hidden details in your story. Read more
7 Reasons You Should Consider Publishing Personal Stories
Personal writing might sometimes feel too private to publish—but documenting your low points can rocket your byline to the top. Read more
Can You Copyright an Idea?
Learn the copyright rules you need to know to protect your idea from copyright infringement. Read more
How Not to Lose Assignments & Infuriate Editors
Avoid these 8 freelancing gaffes that even the sharpest pros make. Read more
How to Write the Perfect Query Letter
A literary agent shares a real-life novel pitch that ultimately led to a book deal—and shows you how to query your own work with success. Read more
How to Make Money Writing for the Web
There are thousands of online writing opportunities for freelancers, many of which pay well. Follow these best practices, and soon you’ll be turning pixels into paychecks. Read more
How to Get Your Writing Noticed
Throughout the year we bundle together several writing resources that focus on something specific—something that could really, really help you forward your writing career. Oh, and we offer the bundle up for a ridiculously discounted price. There is one catch, though: There’s only 100 bundles available, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. This month’s bundle is … Read more
How to Structure a Killer Novel Ending
Here are the principles of story structure that you need to apply to your writing in order to get the ending of your fiction right. Read more
Why Watching TV Can Actually Be Good For a Writer
Guilty that you spent some time last night watching TV instead of writing? Don’t feel too bad. As a handful of authors discussed in the “Is Reading Really Considered Working?” panel at ThrillerFest Saturday, writers can learn from more venues than just books—there’s literary merit in taking in some TV.
Read more
10 Things to Remember When Writing a Legal Thriller
“Lawyers can make brilliant heroes,” as author Meg Gardiner pointed out in her ThrillerFest panel “Boxers or Briefs? Making Your Attorney Stand Out.” With that in mind, here are some lessons we drew from the panelists to help you sharpen your protagonist, and bring your legal thriller to life for readers. Read more
9 Inspirational (and Practical) Bits of Advice From Anne Rice, Catherine Coulter, David Morrell and Others
Here’s a collection of wisdoms from the star-studded panels and sessions at ThrillerFest. Read more
EARLY BIRD DEADLINE 7/19: Join Us in LA (& Meet Agents)!
Come see many popular authors, including Tim Powers, author of 13 novels, including THE ANUBIS GATES, DECLARE, HIDE ME AMONG THE GRAVES, and ON STRANGER TIDES (which was adapted for the fourth … Read more
Free Webinar Monday @ 1:00 EDT – Learn How to Write Compelling, Authentic Dialogue
If you’ve never tried a webinar before or have been hesitant to try because you’re not sure how it works and don’t know whether it’d be a right fit for you, you … Read more
David Morrell On the Key to Settings
In his CraftFest session at ThrillerFest, “Setting: How to Make Your Novel Go Places,” David Morrell (author of First Blood) riffed on how to produce fantastic settings that become characters in their own right. Read more
Michael Connelly on the No. 1 Key to Writing a Series
Michael Connelly dishes his No. 1 secret on how to pull off a successful series. Read more
10 Things Shakespeare Can Teach Us About Writing Thrillers
Conspiracy. Murder. Politics. Love. Sex. Ghosts. Pirates. Thrillers and the works of William Shakespeare may have more in common than you’d think. And, as author A.J. Hartley proved in his session “Cues From Shakespeare, the First Thriller Writer,” there’s a lot the bard can teach scribes about storytelling. Read more
How to Write Better Heroes and Villains: Archetypes
Knowing character archetypes and their traits is key to decoding what motivates your characters—and bringing them to life for readers. Here are some of the main archetypes. Read more
3 of Michael Connelly’s Favorite Bits of Writing Advice
Michael Connelly (author of the Harry Bosch series) shares three of his favorite nuggets of advice from other writers. Read more
What to Look for When Editing Your Manuscript
What should writers do when they finish their first drafts? Author Patricia Gussin reveals how to tune your manuscript up so it’s ready for agents and editors. Read more
Here’s Bestseller T. Jefferson Parker’s Writing Process: Might It Work for You?
In his ThrillerFest session “Off on the Right Foot—When to Outline and When to Write,” T. Jefferson Parker (author of the Charlie Hood series) detailed the ins and outs of his personal writing process. Read more
How to Make Ordinary Characters Compelling
To craft fascinating characters, you have to know them inside and out, and know them so deeply that you know what motivates them—what causes them to act. Here’s how to do just that. Read more
Winners of the June “OH BOY” Giveaway
Thanks to everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, who commented, tweeted and participated in my June contest. Hope you enjoyed the articles about my path to writing and publishing. I also hope they help you on your path to writing and publishing your book. (I plan to write more over the coming months, so stay tuned.) If you missed any of the articles, here they are … and here are the winners of the OH BOY giveaway. Read more