July/August 2013 Issue
July/August 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.
Choosing a Story Idea: 4 Questions Every Romance Writer Should Ask Themselves
*Get On Writing Romance for $4.99 today! No promo code needed, while supplies last.* Today’s tip on writing comes from On Writing Romance by Leigh Michaels. In this excerpt, she discusses how … Read more
Grant Writing Tips for Writers
Are you interested in securing a grant for your writing? N.M. Kelby, author of The Constant Art of Being a Writer, shares 12 tips for making the grant writing application process easier. … Read more
A Handy Checklist to Help You Edit Your Writing
This excerpt from The Writer’s Little Helper by James V. Smith Jr., explores the common mistakes that writers make–and how to avoid them. Refer to this checklist when you’re ready to submit … Read more
One Reason Why You Should Blog a Book: To Build Your Writer Platform
Today’s tip of the day comes from How to Blog a Book by Nina Amir. A Blogged Book Gives You Exposure & Builds Platform Many writers enjoy spending time alone in their … Read more
How to Choose a Story to Write
This excerpt is from James Scott Bell’s new book, Revision and Self-Editing for Publication, 2nd Edition. For a limited time only, you can get the entire book for just $10! Which Story … Read more
How Long Should Your Story’s Opening Be?
Many writers often wonder how long or short their story’s opening should be. Read this excerpt from Hooked by Les Edgarton and find out what is the proper length for a story … Read more
Stimulate Your Mind With These Writing Exercises!
If you’re looking for ways to get out of your writing funk or challenge yourself, we have more writing exercises for you from Your First Novel by Ann Rittenberg and Laura Whitcomb. … Read more
How to Find The Moment of Truth For Your Main Character
This excerpt is from Jeff Gerke’s book, Plot versus Character. To find the moment of truth for your main character, bring to mind your hero’s knot. You’ve got her “problem” already figured … Read more
4 Left-Brain Exercises to Jumpstart Your Writing
As writers, we’re constantly on the hunt for new ideas but sometimes we may not be looking in the right places or simply need to refresh our writing routine. If you are … Read more
12 Clichés To Avoid When Beginning Your Story
Read today’s tip from Mary Kole’s new book, Writing Irresistible Kidlit. In this excerpt, she shares some examples of common story beginnings that kidlit writers make. Here are some of the most … Read more
A Writing Exercise For Engaging Your Readers
Take the first chapter of your novel, or a short story that you’re working on, and rewrite it twice. First, rework it in an effort to engage a family member, like a … Read more
13 Ways to Know You Have the Right Idea For Your Book
This excerpt comes from How to Write a Book Proposal, 4th Edition by Michael Larsen. When Michael Pietsch at Little, Brown and Company first read part of David Foster Wallace’s novel Infinite … Read more
Research vs. Observation: What’s Your Preference?
This excerpt comes from Writing 21st Century Fiction by Donald Maass. Do you research your novels to the point of obsession, or do you not research at all? Historical novelists are research … Read more
The Basics of Building a Writer’s Platform
If you want to sell more books or simply get your name out there, a writer’s platform is essential. Chuck Sambuchino, author of Create Your Writer Platform explains what a platform is … Read more
Writing Your Story’s Act I
N.M. Kelby discusses Act I and how to write the beginning of your story in today’s excerpt from The Constant Art of Being a Writer. Act I: The Beginning You lay the … Read more
Writing a Romance Novel? Try this Exercise & Develop Your Characters
If you want to write a successful story, you’ll need to know who your characters are including their personalities, goals, and desires. To help you better understand your characters, read Eric Maisel’s … Read more
Questioning the Traditional Story Structure
In today’s excerpt from Words Overflown By Stars, author David Jauss discusses and questions the traditional story structure. There’s nothing second-rate about a traditional story. Lots of people write great ones and … Read more
Horror, Mysteries and Setting: Playing on the Unexpected
Horror fiction, like its predecessor, Gothic fiction, is meant to frighten and unsettle. Gothic stories often feature mystery and the supernatural, the clash of good and evil, and a sense of doom … Read more
Scene Length: Short Scenes versus Long Scenes
This excerpt is from Make a Scene by Jordan E. Rosenfeld. It’s worth checking out if you’re writing fiction! Let’s talk about an issue that’s sure to rise up in your mind: … Read more
8 Things First-Time Novelists Need to Avoid
Do you dream about writing a novel one day? Every aspiring writer has to start somewhere. Before you start writing your novel’s first draft, it’s wise to do your research and learn … Read more
Writing a Novel: Chapter Breaks
If you are writing a novel for the first time, you’ll need to know when and how to end a chapter. Learn about chapter breaks and see examples of some from popular … Read more
Writing a Novel: Focus on Premise
Today’s tip comes from chapter one of The Breakout Novelist by Donald Maass. Learn about premise in this excerpt. A ton of craft goes into any novel, much more so, I suspect, … Read more
Freewriting: Discover Your Inner Voice & Find Inspiration to Write
At one time or another, we all find ourselves thinking the same thoughts over and over again. The more we think them, the less fresh and interesting these thoughts become. This can … Read more
Write Like a Pro! Master The Rules of Dialogue in Writing
Some of this is Grammar 101, but you’ve got to master the rules in this section for an editor to take you seriously. If these rules are elementary to you, skip them. … Read more
A Checklist for Marketing Your Travel Writing
A Checklist for Marketing 1. You can’t write for it if you haven’t read it. Go to the local library or newsstand and seek out the publications 2. No one starts at … Read more
