May/June2013 Issue
May/June Issue
Writer's Digest Magazine
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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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News From Glimmer Train
The latest news about Glimmer Train contests, publications, and more! Read more
The WD Interview:
Isabel Allende
Isabel Allende found a release for her grief in the form of a memoir written to her departed daughter.
by Jordan E. Rosenfeld 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
28 Agents Who Want Your Work
Looking for an agent? Here are 28 reps willing to work with new writers and give your manuscript a fair shake. (Expanded Edition)
By Chuck Sambuchino Read more
10 Tips for Querying an Agent
Before you dive in, check out these essential tips on submitting your work to an agent.
by Chuck Sambuchino 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
Read more
Opening Scenes: An Overview
Read Chapter 2, Opening Scenes: An Overview from Hooked Read more
Face-to-Face with an Agent
You’ve got an agent. You’ve got a deal. Is it worth it to fly to New York—on your own dime—for some face time? Here’s one writer’s advice.
by Elizabeth Sims Read more
On The Edge: The Happiness Craze
A new wave of books about a timeless topic hope to help you—and their eclectic authors—live a better life.
by Linda Formichelli Read more
Lauren Baratz-Logsted and The Sisters Eight series
Prolific author Lauren Baratz-Logsted enlisted a little help from those closest to home—her family—for her new children’s series The Sisters Eight.
by Jordan E. Rosenfeld Read more
Notable Debut Authors October 2008
Check out these up-and-coming debut authors for the October issue of Writer’s Digest and the highly successful habits that helped them get published.
by Jordan E. Rosenfeld Read more
Banking on Book Clubs
What this thriving editor is looking for in her new imprint aimed at women.
by Kara Gebhart Uhl Read more
The Roeder Report:
Escaping the Slush Pile
Your novel is finished. If you’re like most writers, you put months, maybe years, into writing it and then you proofread it through the envelope on the way to the post office. But then what? What happens between the moment you send the manuscript off and the moment some intern turns a flamethrower on it? You might have heard that it sits atop a stack of nuisance submissions called a “slush pile.” But that’s not actually true—it’s probably not on top of the pile.
by Jason Roeder Read more
Red Flags for Writers
From “great clip” to “startup,” be on guard for these buzzwords.
by Linda Formichelli Read more
Surviving the Spite
Ever been torn to shreds by someone you’ve never met? You must be a writer. Don’t take it personally.
by Melissa Hart Read more
WD Profile: Amy Bloom
From prose to screenwriting and back again—here’s what short-story writer and novelist Amy Bloom learned from moving between prose writing and the all-show, no-tell world of screenwriting.
by Jordan E. Rosenfeld Read more
TOW Books: An Exciting New Sales Strategy!
Help us save TOW Books, devoted to funny books for people with good senses of humor. Read more
How to Break into Comedy Writing
Breaking into comedy writing is no laughing matter according to our distinguished panel of experts.
by Mark J. Miller Read more
Listen to an Interview With the Vermont MFA Chair
The chair of the Vermont MFA program talks about the craft of fiction, plus listen to several passages from his writing instruction book, Alone With All That Could Happen. Click here to go straight to the interview (at the Web site of "Write the Book"). Read more
Television Showrunners
Not all television executive producers are showrunners. The title isn’t even listed on credits. What does a showrunner do and how do you become one?
by Robin Rowe Read more
The 2008 WD Guide to Software for Writers
Here in our annual software round-up, we’ve tested most writing software programs to help you find the best choice for your writing needs.
by Jenna Glatzer Read more
Poetry: The Leap
One of the earmarks of Spanish poetry is the use of a leap into seemingly unrelated imaginary material. Poets such as Federico García Lorca, Pablo Neruda, César Vallejo and Antonio Machado all use this technique to great effect.
by Dorianne Laux Read more
Nonfiction: Avoid the Poison Pen
“What if I don’t want to offend anybody?" As a teacher of first-person writing who has published three provocative memoirs that my family hates, I’m often asked this question. It’s a conundrum for all authors. The great novelist E.L. Doctorow once told me there were stories he wouldn’t publish until certain relatives died—and he writes fiction!
by Susan Shapiro Read more
The Don’ts of Writing Nonfiction
When it comes to writing nonfiction, there are several rules you must follow. This "Don’t List"covers the basics.
by Susan Shapiro Read more
