May/June2013 Issue
May/June Issue
Writer's Digest Magazine
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How to Write a Mystery, Writing Thrillers
Trying your hand at writing thrillers – the most exciting and suspenseful of all genres? Look no further for guidelines on crafting a compelling plot, creating incredible characters, constructing an airtight mystery, and much more.
How to Make Your Novel a Page Turner
Never underestimate the power of suspense—in any genre. Use these surefire techniques to make your book one readers won’t be able to put down.
by Elizabeth Sims
Audrey Niffenegger Explains How To Create a Good Story
How do you follow up a smash hit like The Time Traveler’s Wife? For artist and author Audrey Niffenegger, it all comes down to embracing the freedom to create—on your own terms.
by Jessica Strawser
Publishing 101: What You Need to Know
Here’s your step-by-step guide to the publishing process–how it works, why you need to know and how you can play an influential role in your book’s success.
by Jerry D. Simmons
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Anne Tyler’s Tips on Writing Strong (yet Flawed) Characters
With a body of work spanning five decades, a Pulitzer Prize and membership in the Academy of Arts and Letters, Anne Tyler is a testament to the best kind of longevity—and the purity of the written word.
by Jessica Strawser
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The 7 Biggest Myths of Publishing (Know the Truth)
A veteran author tells you, writer to writer, what getting published is really like—and confronts the seven biggest myths.
by Elizabeth Sims
How to Weave in Backstory to Reveal Character
Creating characters’ backstories before you start writing is crucial because you’ll want to determine each one’s past experiences and the repercussions these experiences will have on your story before you begin. Here’s a close look at the different ways you can introduce backstory.
by Rachel Ballon
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Creating Characters: 4 Simple Exercises
Here are 4 simple exercises to help you invent characters for your fiction.
by Nancy Kress
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How to Build a Marketing Platform
Here are 10 simple steps that will take your visibility from zero to standout in a short time, while also giving you ample opportunities to flex your expertise, carve out your niche topic and connect with your audience.
by Christina Katz
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A Writer’s Guide to Social Networking
Find out how hopping on the social networking bandwagon can actually help you stand out to agents, editors and potential readers.
by the Writer’s Digest staff
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Q&A with Pop Fiction Winner Marcy Kennedy
Here’s a Q&A with Marcy Kennedy, winner of the 2009 WD Popular Fiction Awards.
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11 Plot Pitfalls – And How to Rescue Your Story From Them
We’ve all been there: basking in the glow of a finished manuscript, only to read it over and realize something is wrong with the plot. Finding ourselves unable to identify the problem only makes matters worse. But take heart! Here are some common plot gaffes and sensible ways to revise without starting over.
by Laura Whitcomb
5 Easy Tips to Strengthen Your Scenes
Here are some simple techniques for revising scenes so your edifice will stand the test of time.
by James Scott Bell
Michael Crichton’s Top 5 Writing Lessons
Karen Dionne, author of Freezing Point, reveals what her late hero, Michael Crichton, taught her about crafting solid fiction.
The WD Interview:
Brad Thor
Brad Thor hit No. 1 with his seventh novel, The Last Patriot, but it came at a cost. Read on to find out why Thor’s passion keeps him writing—even in the face of death threats.
by Maria Schneider Read more
The Anatomy of a Writer’s Website
Whether you build it yourself or hire a designer, your website can do more than bring you into the 21st century—it can be an invaluable part of your marketing arsenal.
by Linda Formichelli Read more
10 Basic Ingredients of a Successful Thriller
At the 2008 Maui Writers Conference, bestselling thriller writer Gary Braver (Skin Deep) said that dread drives thrillers. You know who the good guys and bad guys are. Dull moments will lose an audience, and writers can’t afford to lose an audience, even for one page. To captivate an audience (and agents and publishers), Braver offers these 10 essential ingredients for a successful thriller. Read more
Steve Berry’s 8 Rules of Writing
Bestselling thriller writer Steve Berry says there are eight key rules that all writers must know and follow. Read more
The WD Interview: George Pelecanos
Having scribed detective novels and written for HBO’s “The Wire,” George Pelecanos knows what it takes to get down and dirty for his own brand of social crime fiction.
by Jordan E. Rosenfeld Read more
Don’t Use Adverbs and Adjectives to Prettify Your Prose
Learn how adjective and adverbs create redundancy and promote lazy writing and see how you can make your writing direct, vivid, and descriptive without making your readers want to get rid of your book.
by William Noble
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Opening Scenes: An Overview
Read Chapter 2, Opening Scenes: An Overview from Hooked Read more
Fiction: Point of View
How many times have you heard this around the workshop table: “Why don’t you consider a new point of view?” (Actually, the term used more often is “POV” because it sounds a lot cooler, I suspect.) Everyone then agrees that a new POV might help matters, including the writer, who knew something was wrong and is now relieved to have a likely suspect.
by Steve Almond Read more
9 Tricks to Writing Suspense Fiction
A veteran suspense-fiction author shares nine killer tricks to help you improve a genre that can be difficult to master.
by Simon Wood Read more
Principles of Building a Story
Read "Principles of Building of a Story" from From First Draft to Finished Novel. Read more
From First Draft to Finish Novel
A Writer’s Guide to Cohesive Story Building Read more
