May/June2013 Issue
May/June Issue
Writer's Digest Magazine
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Interview with 18th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Books Award Winner Weldon Long
Weldon Long’s memoir, The Upside of Fear: How One Man Broke the Cycle of Prison, Poverty and Addiction, won the 18th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Books Awards. In this bonus coverage, Long talks about his long path toward writing success.
by Melissa Wuske
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WD Interview Bonus Q&A: Emma Donoghue
In this bonus exclusive, Emma Donoghue, author of Room, shares her thoughts on researching, plotting and writing for multiple genres.
by Jessica Strawser
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You Don't Have to Blog, Tweet, or Be on Facebook
I’m often giving many reasons for writers to start a blog, be on Twitter, or use Facebook. But the truth is, you don’t have to do any of these things to get … Read more
Confessions of a Tweetaholic
In the summer of 2009, I joined Twitter, and my life as a writer forever changed. Here’s how I came to understand the value of Twitter.
by Jeanne Veillette Bowerman
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Find an Agent and Get Published! – Premium Collection
In January, Writer’s Digest unleashed its Premium Collection kits with the Getting Started in Writing kit, which sold out before the month was half over. This month, half the Find an Agent … Read more
Listen to Full Audio of AWP Social Media Panel
As you can probably tell—due to lack of Best Tweets—I am still catching up from being away at the Association of Writers & Writing Programs conference. BUT—I have some wonderful things to … Read more
Who's Listening to You? (AWP Thoughts)
While delivering a session at the Writer’s Digest Conference (read this very kind & generous recap from George Davis!), I mentioned a few ways that writers can waste their time: By not … Read more
10 Reasons the Freelance Life is a Good Life
Writer’s block. A bad economy. Dwindling markets. Freelancing can be frustrating—but there’s still plenty of motivation to write on. Here’s why.
by Art Spikol
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How to Balance Action, Narrative and Dialogue in Your Novel
Most of the time, we want to balance our scenes using dialogue, action and narrative to engage readers at an emotional level and keep them hooked. Here’s how to do that.
by Gloria Kempton
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Novel in 30 Days Worksheet Index
To help you successfully complete your book in 30 days, here are nine worksheets to help you keep track of plot, scenes, characters and revisions. All of these worksheets originally appeared in Book in a Month by Victoria Lynn Schmidt and were also featured in the special issue Write Your Novel in 30 Days.
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Thinking Beyond the Book: What's Your Demand Curve?
At the Writer’s Digest Conference, Richard Nash delivered an inspiring keynote. Writers loved it. Deep in his talk, a slide flashed up on the screen that, to the untrained eye, might not … Read more
MASTER Recap of 2011 Writer's Digest Conference
This post is a collection of: Best tweets from the 2011 Writer’s Digest Conference Links to official live blog posts of selected sessions Best recaps of the event by attendees & presenters … Read more
Flash Fiction FAQs
No question about it, flash fiction is gaining popularity fast. Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking of taking the short way around.
by William Highsmith
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The 7 Tools of Dialogue
My neighbor John loves to work on his hot rod. He’s an automotive whiz and tells me he can hear when something is not quite right with the engine. He doesn’t hesitate … Read more
A Writer's Platform: How to Make It Natural and Happy
The following guest post is by writer Erika Robuck, who attended the Writer’s Digest Conference on Saturday and generously offered to recap the sessions she attended. “The business of writing is the … Read more
A Luddite Enters the Digital Marketplace
Today’s guest post is from author Nath Jones. In 2011, Nath Jones will finish an MFA in creative writing at Northwestern University, where she was a nominee for The Best New American … Read more
Career Patterns That Work
In this excerpt from Career Patterns That Work from Donald Maass’s The Breakout Novelist, you’ll learn:
- How to get off to a good start
- How to answer the What should I be writing? question
- The best ways to build your audience
The Breakout Novelist
From Donald Maass’s book The Breakout Novelist learn:
- Get expert craft advice (from beginner to advanced) and insider career advice
- Build your skills with over 70 exercises
- Learn from Maass’ experiences over more than three decades in the publishing industry
How to Find a Direct Line to Your Readers
On tap today we have a Q&A with author and independent publisher Patricia V. Davis, who will be a featured speaker at the Writer’s Digest Conference in NYC. I first met Patricia … Read more
The Best Conference of 2011!
The best conference of 2011–at least for writers looking to get a book published–is happening next weekend in New York City (January 21-23): The Writer’s Digest Conference. Held at the Sheraton Hotel … Read more
How to Create a Narrative Arc for Personal Essays
It’s true that all good stories have beginnings, middles and endings—but not always in that order. Find out how to organize your story and build a strong narrative arc in your personal essay that will interest readers (and agents).
by Jody Bates
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Getting Started in Writing
Beginning on January 1, Writer’s Digest offered one of its best deals ever–a limited edition of Getting Started in Writing Premium Collection bundles. Only 100 bundles are for sale, and then, … Read more
The Great Genre Debate
Can genre writers find a place to hone their craft in the literary world of writing programs? One professor weighs in.
by Mark Todd
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