May/June2013 Issue
May/June Issue
Writer's Digest Magazine
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Tip of the Day, Creative Writing Tips
Our creative writing tips are short, helpful tidbits of information that you can apply to your writing right away. Use our Tip of the Day for easy-to-apply advice that you can use to improve your writing or help you get published.
Writing a Novel: The Four Elements Of a Solid Story Concept
Do you want to write a novel? In addition to creating a solid plot, you are also going to need a strong concept for your novel. Wondering how to conceptualize your story? … Read more
Writing Strong Female Characters: Defining a Bitch
If you’re interested in breaking the mold with your character, there is no single criterion for a bitch. However, you might want to consider making several of her dominant traits negative or … Read more
Writing At Night: The Top 10 Challenges Writers Experience & How to Overcome Them
Are you someone who works full-time but dreams of becoming a published author someday? If so, today’s tip of the day is for you. Taken from Writer With a Day Job by … Read more
How To Develop a Story Idea Into a Book
The following excerpt is from The Art of War For Writers by James Scott Bell. In the book, you’ll find exercises, tactics, and strategies for fiction writers. Today’s tip of the day … Read more
Balancing Motherwood With Writing: The Benefits of Freelancing
If you are pondering whether or not you can launch a writing career and be a mom, today’s tip of the day is for you. Christina Katz, author of Writer Mama, shares … Read more
Meet Your Writing Goals With Four Time-Management Tools
In order to succeed as a professional writer, you must be able to set and meet deadlines. If you are looking for time-management tools to help you stay on track with your … Read more
4 Tips For Revising Your Work
No matter what type of writing you do–fiction, nonfiction, or freelance–you should expect to revise your work. Learn four essential tips for revising your work from Christina Katz, author of The Writer’s … Read more
Writing a Query Letter: The Best Way To Land Your Next Freelance Writing Gig
Are you new to freelance writing or perhaps having trouble selling your work to editors? Today’s tip of the day can help. Kelly James Enger, author of Writer For Hire, explains the … Read more
4 Editing & Proofreading Techniques For Your Novel
Joseph Bates, author of The Nighttime Novelist, shares tips for editing and proofreading a novel or book. Creating A System For Editing & Proofreading Revision is really about seeing your book as … Read more
5 Wrong Ways to Start A Story
Your story’s opener is your one opportunity to capture an editor’s or agent’s attention. Learn how to avoid the critical mistakes (such as providing too much backstory) that lead to rejection and … Read more
Writing Scenes: Stepping Forward, Falling Back
Author of The Breakout Novelist, Donald Maass, discusses writing scenes in today’s tip of the day. He explains the importance of setting goals for each scene with an example from George R.R. … Read more
Three Ways To Strengthen Your Writing
The path to becoming a published author is full of twists and turns. No matter what stage of the writing process you are in or how busy your schedule is, you should … Read more
What an Agent Does & Does Not Do
You’ve landed an agent. Now what? You’re probably wondering what a literary agent does and does not do and how they can help you. Discover the truth about what literary agents actually … Read more
Make Time to Write: 10 Tips for Daily Writing
Writing takes commitment, self-discipline, and desire. Don’t let other distractions get in the way of your writing goals–set aside time every day to write. When you are tempted to make up an … Read more
Discover The Basic Elements of Setting In a Story
No matter if you are just getting started or want to break into fiction writing, setting is a crucial element to any story. In order to create an imaginary world for your … Read more
Exploring Theme – A Key Component to Successful Writing
Discover one of the key components to successful writing — theme. In the following excerpt from Story Engineering, author Larry Brooks explains the difference between theme and concept. Plus, learn why theme … Read more
Learn How to Recover Your Voice When Writing
Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, or a blog–it’s important to have a unique voice in writing, or style. Your writing voice conveys to readers your personality and when writing fiction, can add … Read more
5 Things You Don’t Need To Include When Writing Summaries
One of the challenges writers face when writing a novel is balancing scene with summary. Today’s tip of the day focuses on what you should not include when summarizing a scene or … Read more
7 Tools For Pacing A Novel & Keeping Your Story Moving At The Right Pace
Pacing is a crucial component of fiction writing. After all, it’s important to keep your readers “hooked” throughout your story. Whether you are just getting started in writing or looking to break … Read more
Focus On: The Memoir Essay
If you’re interested in sharing your personal experiences through writing, consider learning more about the memoir essay. The following excerpt is taken from Crafting The Personal Essay by Dinty W. Moore. You’ll … Read more
Crafting A Crime Fiction Novel & Ways To Kill A Character
Part of crafting a crime fiction novel is knowing who your villain is and using this information to create the perfect–and plausible–crime. In this excerpt written by Hallie Ephron, you’ll learn how … Read more
Learn How To Motivate Your Characters
At some point or another, all writers will struggle with their story’s characters. If you are hitting a brick wall when it comes to developing your characters or simply need inspiration for … Read more
The Top Three Mistakes To Avoid When Writing Plot
Every writer knows crafting a great story revolves around plot–one of the essential elements of storytelling. But do you know what exactly plot is? In the following excerpt from The Nighttime Novelist, … Read more
Comedy Writing Techniques & How Clichés Are Used in Writing Humor
Explore the fundamentals of humor writing with these tips taken from Comedy Writing Secrets by Mel Helitzer with Mark Shatz. You’ll learn the different techniques used to create a play on words, what … Read more
What To Avoid When Writing A Novel: Overactive or Inactive Characters & Subplots
One of the most common plot problems writers face is mistaking minor characters and subplots for the main character and primary plot. In the following excerpt, Joseph Bates, author of The Nighttime … Read more
