May/June2013 Issue
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Writing Articles
Unleash your writing potential now with Writer’s Digest writing articles. Here, you can learn everything you need to know about virtually any writing topic and genre. Whether it’s fiction writing, how to write an article, getting published, promoting your work and much, much more. Learn from published authors and industry experts alike how to take your initial ideas and turn them into a completed story that is creative and print-worthy – from the Writer’s Digest writing articles.
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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
Make More Time for Your Writing
It’s a common lament: I could finish my novel, if only I had more hours in the day! In fact, the universal chorus of complaint from writers of all stripes seems to be … 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
5 New Year’s Resolutions for Writers
A new year, a new writerly you. New Year’s Day is a time for reflecting on the past year while thinking about the goals, wishes, and hopes for the new year ahead. … 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
Reject a Hit: Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
Let’s step once again into the role of the unconvinced, perhaps even curmudgeonly or fool-hearted editor: What harsh rejection letters might the authors of some of our favorite hit books have had to endure? This contribution comes from Chris Gay of Manchester, Conn., who found Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol to be as tedious as a bowl of plum pudding. Read more
Writing for the Young Adult Audience
There’s no question about it: The young adult (YA) audience is a hot market, one that is steadily growing in popularity and garnering attention from young readers as well as literary critics. … Read more
How to Build Your Author Platform
A major buzzword floating around the publishing world these days is “platform.” There’s a lot of question about what it means and whether or not authors really need to have one. Writer’s … Read more
5 Steps to Book Publishing
Set your goals.When it comes to indie publishing, the best place to start is at the very end. Before you dive in to the process, consider what main goals you have for … Read more
Writer’s Digest Mark of Quality
With the Writer’s Digest Mark of Quality review — included in nearly every Abbott Press publishing package — your manuscript will be evaluated by a professional Writer’s Digest editor. Titles deemed to … Read more
8 Simple Tips to Write Better
Great writing begins with an appetite for life. Try these 8 approaches to get out of your comfort zone, break rules and reap rewards. 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
Improve Your Craft and Get Published
Since the 1920s, Writer’s Digest has been providing quality resources to writers like you. Today, Writer’s Digest continues to supply top-notch advice to help you refine your writing skills, but we don’t … 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
How to Write a Romance Novel: The Keys to Conflict
Conflict is the core of any work of fiction. Here are tips to improve your romance novel’s conflict so it catches the eye of agents. Read more
Write Fiction that Grabs Readers from Page One
In your novel, the inciting incident is the first sign of trouble for your protagonist: it’s the catalyst, the chemical reaction, that sets the plot into motion. But the inciting incident isn’t … Read more
Selling Your Book’s Movie and TV Rights – What You Need to Know
If you’ve ever wondered how something gets made into a film—and how your work can be tapped for one, too—here’s the inside scoop on options. Read more
The Ideas that Inspired The Hobbit, Animal Farm & 8 Other Famous Books
Ideas often percolate and simmer over time, but every once in a while lightning strikes—and a sudden flash of creativity can alter a writer’s career forever. Take, for example, these 10 famous works inspired by unexpected bolts of inspiration. Read more
Writer’s Digest Article Index 2011
All feature articles and columns published in Writer’s Digest during 2011 are indexed by topic.. Back issues may be ordered at The Writer’s Digest Shop. Read more
Writer’s Digest Article Index 2010
All feature articles and columns published in Writer’s Digest during 2010 are indexed by topic. Back issues may be ordered at The Writer’s Digest Shop. Read more
What is the Throughline of a Novel? (And Why It’s Important You Have One)
The best way to travel the length of your story is to grab hold of the throughline—the driving force of the book—and refuse to let go. Understand the throughline of your novel by studying these examples. Read more
Namedropping: Finding Solid Names for Your Unique Characters
What’s in a character’s name? Everything. Here’s how you, the writer, can master the neglected art of moniker-making. Read more
