February 2014 Issue
February 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.
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
How to Craft a Happy Ending
Whether aspiring to become art or settling into the more modest demands of the police procedural, our stories sober us with this thought: the rules are basically the same, and – when it comes to endings – these rules are rather inflexible. Read more
7 Reasons Writing a Book Makes You a Badass
I’ve always been a big nerd. But for one shining moment, one GLORIOUS MOMENT, when I finished writing my book, OH BOY, YOU’RE HAVING A GIRL: A Dad’s Survival Guide to Raising Daughters, I felt like a complete and utter badass. Here’s why. Read more
How Can the Average Writer Make Money Self-Publishing E-Books?
Writers are constantly asking themselves the same question: How can we make money self-publishing on digital platforms? Here’s the latest on the e-book marketplace.
Read more
Breaking Out of TV and Into Novel Writing
With no algorithm or grasp of what an algorithm is, Peter Mehlman has produced a slew of oppressively precise statistics here based on nothing. Despite his mastery over a calculator being limited to subtraction, his statistics should compare favorably to the exactitude of say, the Nielsen ratings, so here it goes … Read more
Writing: Is It a Hobby or a Job?
The question many writers often face when asking themselves about their writing is: Is it a hobby or job? Let’s explore and see if we can put an end to the debate. Read more
The 8 Secrets of Great Copywriting
Forty years as a copywriter has taught Pat Fagan that copywriting is part trench work, part cliff diving, part Hemingway, a little Lewis and Clark, and all about telling the truth. During his career, he learned a lot from working with the industry’s most talented giants. Here are their best tips. Read more
5 Ways to Make the Ordinary Menacing in Your Suspense Novel
Suspense happens when a scene becomes charged with anticipation. It’s the possibility of what might happen that keeps the reader on the edge of her chair. Here’s how to add suspense to everyday scenes that appear in your novel. Read more
How to Improve Your Writing: Subplots and Subtext
Subplots and subtext are two different sub sandwiches on the story menu, and as the chef, you need to grill them up strategically. Read more
The Art of Adaptation
Here’s the funny thing about writing: Where we start is almost never where we end up. Read more
How to Weave Backstory Into Your Novel Seamlessly
Behind every well- developed novel lies an important backstory—but including too much of it too soon can halt your story’s momentum. Here’s how to know what to reveal, and when. Read more
4 Things to Consider When Researching Literary Agents
These tips will help you refine your search and put you in the best position to land the literary agent that is best suited to represent your work. Read more
4 Tips When Writing from Experience
Like many writers, Robin Palmer’s first novel was autobiographical. Also like many writers, her first novel was not published. Since that first manuscript, she’s published 10 books. Yet it wasn’t until her forthcoming novel The Corner of Bitter and Sweet—the story of a sixteen-year-old girl dealing with her mother’s alcoholism and subsequent recovery—that she decided to dip back into my own experience. Determined not to repeat the same mistakes, she made certain to keep these four tips in mind. Read more
5 Ways to Develop a Book Idea
Having an idea and developing that idea into a marketable, publishable book are two different things. I learned this early in the process when trying to decide what kind of book I wanted to write. That’s why I’m offering up these tips that I learned along the way. I hope to save you a few headaches and a little time as you develop your idea. Read more
How I Got “OH BOY” Published – A Series of Articles & Tips on Getting Published
To celebrate the nationwide release of my book, , over the next couple of weeks I’m going to walk you through the entire process, so you can get an inside peek at how getting a book published works—from idea all the way to publication. I’ll also offer tips and advice to help you along your journey. PLUS, I’m giving away five autographed copies throughout the month of June. Here’s how to win: Read more