5 Ways an Author Blog Could Kill Your Writing (and What to Do Instead)
Static author websites are great, and you’d be crazy not to have one. But starting an author blog is a different (and often tragic) story. In fact, your author blog might even kill your writing. There are hundreds of authors who started blogs, churned out posts for a year, and let...
Sitting Up With Tom Wolfe — A 1974 Interview
This extensive interview with author and journalist Tom Wolfe, who passed away on May 14, 2018, appeared in Writer's Digest in 1974, shortly before the publication of Wolfe's iconic book The Right Stuff.
Comedy Writers and Satirists of the #MeToo Movement
In this second in a series about the impact of the #MeToo movement on how and what women write, Leigh Anne Jasheway focuses on women who write and publish comedy and satire.
A Change in Perspective: Tips for Writing from Multiple Points of View
Writing from multiple POVs allows you to zip around to new settings, cut away from scenes, leave cliffhangers unresolved for longer in ways that don’t work as well if you’re following one character’s perspective through the whole thing. Here are a few tips for getting started.
Great Expectations: How Re-Evaluating Your Writing Goals Can Help You Achieve Success
Here, William Kenower relates the story of a unique writer who began her journey with no expectations. The experience demonstrated how rethinking your writing goals and asking yourself what you really want to write can help you achieve success and happiness.
Keeping the Writing Faith: Defining & Redefining Success to Mantain Your Motivation
The following article is the first in a five-part series of articles by Jennifer Haupt. In this installment, she discusses how to maintain your writing motivation by rethinking what "success" means as a writer.
The Writer’s Digest Podcast, Episode 4: Deconstructing Humor — Interview with Laurie Kilmartin
In this episode of the Writer’s Digest Podcast, author and comedian Laurie Kilmartin discusses writing comedy and jokes that keep your audience laughing, balancing the specific tug-of-war between writing for your job and writing for yourself, and combining humor and death in a way that’s both funny and poignant.
Author Interview: David Barclay Moore on Writing, Publishing and His Novel The Stars Beneath Our Feet
David Barclay Moore is an award-winning author whose novel, The Stars Beneath Our Feet, has been optioned for film, set to be brought to the screen by actor/director Michael B. Jordan and Endeavor Content. Here we talk to David Barclay Moore about writing, publishing, and the film adaptation of the novel.
Inside the Mind of a Villain: 8 Journeys and Motives Behind Evildoers, Antiheroes & Antagonists
Using fictional and human examples, Dustin Grinnell takes a deep dive into how and why evil develops in story and in real life and how you can apply these concepts when writing villains.
The WD Interview: Author George Saunders Talks Structure, Outlining and Lincoln in the Bardo
In this exclusive extended interview with short-form master George Saunders, the globally acclaimed author dishes on inventive structure, reveals why he’s wary of outlines and talks novel-length success with Lincoln in the Bardo.
Comedians Laurie Kilmartin, Andy Kindler, Gary Gulman and Nikki Glaser Share Their Best Writing Tips
The latest issue of Writer’s Digest features four veteran comedians who shared their thoughts on what writers of every genre can glean from stand-up. To explore just a few of their comedy writing tips and see their joke-telling acumen in action, we’ve included some of their advice here, plus a video clip...
The Winners of the 18th Annual Short Short Story Competition
Writer’s Digest would like to congratulate the winners of the 18th Annual Short Short Story Competition. Each year, writers submit their very best short stories of 1,500 words or fewer.
Extended Q&A with WD’s 2017 Short Short Story Competition Winner
Writer’s Digest would like to congratulate the winners of the 18th Annual Short Short Fiction Competition. Each year, writers submit their very best short stories of 1,500 words or fewer. This year, “Beneath the Cracks” by Nicole Disney bested more than 3,000 entries. Read a Q&A with her here.
18th Annual WD’s Short Short Story Competition Winner: “Beneath the Cracks”
Writer’s Digest would like to congratulate the winners of the 18th Annual Short Short Story Competition. Each year, writers submit their very best short stories of 1,500 words or fewer. This year, “Beneath the Cracks” by Nicole Disney bested more than 3,000 entries. Read the story here.
American Psychos: The Onion Founder Scott Dikkers Discusses Writing Satire During Dark Times
Scott Dikkers, founder of the satirical news publication The Onion, is the master of writing satire. Here, he discusses the role of in today's challenging sociopolitical atmosphere.
Picture This: Photographer Sharona Jacobs Teases Out the Essence of Authors’ Works Through Headshots
Author headshots might be more important than you think. Photographer Sharona Jacobs explains the importance and process of creating exceptional author photos that can even improve the performance of the book.
Get Smart: How to Tell Good Publishing Contracts From Bad
Publishing contracts are as varied as book genres. It’s easy for an author hungry to be published to be blinded by any contract’s lure, to the potential detriment of their career and their hard-fought creative work. Here are three things to look out for.
Insider’s Guides to Navigating 3 Online Resources for Writers
In our May/June 2018 issue of Writer's Digest, check out our annual 101 Best Websites for Writers! Here, in this online exclusive, we take a deep dive into three handy online resources for writers.
5 Tips for Writing About Politics in Fiction
Politics can be a contentious topic to address in any scenario these days—but that doesn't mean you should avoid including politics in fiction if the story warrants it. Here, Aimee Agresti offers her best tips for writing about politics in a novel.
Alex Segura Discusses Crime Fiction, Comic Book Writing, and His New Book Blackout
Not only has Alex Segura's book Blackout earned attention from the crime fiction community far and wide, but his Pete Fernandez Miami Mystery novels—which include Silent City, Down the Darkest Street and Dangerous Ends—have recently been optioned for TV.
Shifting Gears: Publishing a Book Outside Your Usual Genre
No matter how varied we try to make a career, how much we try to think outside the box, the marketplace will seek to pigeonhole us. Here, Tim Wendel offers tips for publishing outside your usual genre.
How Young Girls’ and Women’s Issues Have Evolved in Young Adult Literature Today
There has been an impressive build-up in Young Adult literature to present-day concerns. Camilla chance discusses in light of her own work.
3 Writing Tips From Bestseller Sloane Crosley
Sloane Crosley can coax humor from the unlikeliest of depths, whether it’s a good line from your locksmith or avenging a childhood slight during a pride parade.
5 Lessons Studying Sleight-of-Hand Can Teach You About Writing Suspense
Learning magic taught Michael Kardos several important lessons about performance and technique that have served him well when writing suspense.