February 2012 Issue
February Issue
Writer's Digest Magazine
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Website of the Week
Writing Website of the Week
Andrew Jack's site not only follows the journey of this writer on his quest to get his fiction published, but also offers solid writing advice.Andrew Jack Writing 
*Not affiliated with our 101 Best Writing Websites feature.
Creative Nonfiction Writing
[description]Learn creative nonfiction writing, how to write nonfiction books, articles, and more.[/description]
[keywords]creative nonfiction writing, non fiction writing[/keywords]
[keywords]creative nonfiction writing, non fiction writing[/keywords]
Nonfiction covers everything from history and cooking to self help and travel. Here you’ll find learn how to master nonfiction writing, how to conduct good research, collect data, and convey a sense of authority in your work – no matter what you choose to write.
10 Ways to Tell if Your Story Should be a Memoir or a Novel
Should your story be fictionalized or be a true telling of your life? You have to decide. Here are 10 factors to consider. Read more
Why Julia Cameron Plays By Her Own Writing Rules
Alcoholism. A turbulent Hollywood marriage. Writer’s Block. For the author of The Artist’s Way, the path of the writer has never been a walk in the park. Read more
50 Simple Ways to Build Your Platform in 5 Minutes a Day
If you’re the kind of writer who prefers being read and selling your work as opposed to being an unknown starving writer (who doesn’t?), here are 50 quick, simple ways to launch your platform into action and climb your way to success. Read more
5-Minute Memoir: Hidden in Plain Sight
5-Minute Memoir is exactly what it sounds like—a personal essay on some facet of the writing life, be it a narrative or a reflection, pensive, touching or hilarious. Enjoy this installment from Kathleen Cleberg. Read more
5-Minute Memoir: The Beauty of Bones
5-Minute Memoir is exactly what it sounds like—a personal essay on some facet of the writing life, be it a narrative or a reflection, pensive, touching or hilarious. Enjoy this installment from N.M. Kleby. Read more
What You Really Need to Know About Memoir Writing
I’ve always thought that if I were to ever write a memoir, it’d be the most boring 80,000 words in the history of publishing (or at least a close second to this). My life has, thus far, been fun, entertaining and interesting to me, but how would that translate into an interesting story? Then I started reading the 5-Minute Memoir. Read more
5-Minute Memoir: The Art of Falling Without Hitting the Ground
5-Minute Memoir is exactly what it sounds like—a personal essay on some facet of the writing life, be it a narrative or a reflection, pensive, touching or hilarious. Enjoy this installment from Robert B Robeson. Read more
3 Tips for Consistent Tone
If you find yourself having a difficult time sustaining one tone over a long work, try these three tricks. Read more
The 4 Pet Peeves of Freelancers (and How to Tackle Them)
Here’s a quartet of freelancers’ biggest pet peeves—and how to tackle
them when they happen to you. Read more
Write-A-Thon Poster
Need a speaker? Contact Rochelle to speak by phone with your critique group, NaNoWriMo region, or book group: rochelle@writenowcoach.com Download a 26-day countdown poster with energy boosting ideas to fuel your marathon … Read more
Write-A-Thon Interview
Q&A with Rochelle Melander, author of Write-A-Thon Need a speaker? Contact Rochelle to speak by phone with your critique group, NaNoWriMo region, or book group: rochelle@writenowcoach.com How many books have you written … Read more
Write-A-Thon Excerpt
Need a speaker? Contact Rochelle to speak by phone with your critique group, NaNoWriMo region, or book group: rochelle@writenowcoach.com Avoid Overwhelm From Write-A-Thon by Rochelle Melander Being a poet is one of … Read more
Write-A-Thon
Write-A-Thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days (and Life to Tell About it) by Rochelle Melander Writer’s Digest Books, 2011 ISBN-13: 978-1-59963-391-6 ISBN-10: 1-59963-391-4 $16.99 paperback, 240 pages Buy the book! … Read more
How to Be an Online Critique Geek
Can a virtual critique group really be as good as meeting face to face? If you make the most of the format, it could be even better. Here’s how. Read more
10 Ways Writers Lose Blog Traffic and Alienate Readers
As a food and travel writer, I rely on my blog as my lifeline. It helps me connect with my readers and is a wonderful platform to make my voice heard. But … Read more
How to Craft Compelling Characters
To make characters seem real, you need to tap into what drives them. Use this foolproof method to bring the emotion of your story to life.
by David Corbett
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Finding Your Memoir’s Voice
Literary agent Paula Balzer discussed finding your voice in this excerpt from her book WRITING & SELLING YOUR MEMOIR. Read more
Q&A With Michael Larsen
Literary agent Michael Larsen shares wisdom from over four decades in the publishing industry.
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Selling the Sizzle: Your Proposal
In this excerpt from Chapter Seven: Selling the Sizzle: Your Opening and Hook from How to Write a Book Proposal, 4th Edition by Michael Larsen, you’ll:
- Find out what agents look for in a hook
- Choose the opening that fits your book
- See examples of successful openings and hooks
How to Write a Book Proposal, 4th Edition
Learn how to craft a proposal agents and editors can’t resist with How to Write a Book Proposal, 4th Edition.
Read more
The Key Elements of Writing a Good Memoir
Build your story around this foolproof framework to keep your memoir afloat.
by Adair Lara
How to “Up the Stakes” for Your Main Character
Don’t be afraid to make things hard on your characters. You should always come up with several different problems to choose from. Here are 3 ways to do that.
by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
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Quick Tip: How to Develop Your Characters
Here are 4 quick exercises to make sure your characters speak to readers (and agents).
Read more