September 2014 Issue
September Issue
Writer's Digest Magazine
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Is Your Manuscript Ready for Publication?
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2nd Draft provides a high-level review of your writing, pointing out reasons your work may be getting rejected, or may not meet the standards of traditional publication.
Your Story Competition
Every other month, Writer’s Digest presents a creative challenge for fun and prizes. We’ll provide a short, open-ended prompt. In turn, you’ll submit a short story based on that prompt. The winner will receive publication in an upcoming issue of Writer’s Digest.
The Rules:
- Judging criteria are inventiveness, creativity and—where appropriate—humor.
- One entry per person.
- WD retains first-time rights to run the winner (and finalists) in the magazine and/or on our website, after which all rights return to the author.
- WD editors will select the top entries and post them on our Writer’s Forum. Readers will vote on their favorite to determine the winner.
- The decisions of its editors are final.
- Winners will be published in a future issue of Writer’s Digest and on the Your Story winners page at WritersDigest.com.
- For past winners, visit the Your Story forum. (You must be a forum member to read entries.)
Read the official rules | Your Story Frequently Asked Questions
Your Story 60: Submit Now!
Prompt: A man opens his mailbox to find an envelope containing a set of instructions. Read more
Your Story 59: CLOSED
Write the opening sentence (25 words or fewer) to a story based on the photo to the left. Read more
Your Story 58 Winner: Commit This to Memory
Prompt: You come home from a relaxing vacation and realize you have the wrong suitcase. Read more
Your Story 57: Winners!
Prompt: Write the opening sentence (25 words or fewer) to a story based on the photo to the left. Read more
Your Story 56 Winner: Pa & Me at Sea
Prompt: “If you can guess what I have in my pocket, you can have it.” Read more
Your Story 55: The Winners!
Prompt: Write the opening sentence (25 words or fewer) to a story based on the photo to the left. Read more
Your Story 54: The Winners!
Prompt: Write the opening sentence (25 words or fewer) to a story based on the photo to the left. Thanks to everyone who entered and voted in Your Story 54! Here are … Read more
Your Story 53 Winner: Sausage, Peppers, and Ice Cream
Prompt: A girl puts a quarter in a gumball machine and a human tooth comes out. Read more
Your Story 52: The Winners!
Prompt: Write the opening sentence (25 words or fewer) to a story based on the photo to the left. Read more
Your Story 51 Winner: Stray Lust
Prompt: Begin your story with the following line of dialogue: “Heads, we get married; tails, we break up.” Read more
Your Story 50: The Winners!
Prompt: Write the opening sentence (25 words or fewer) to a story based on the photo to the left. Read more
Your Story 49 Winner: Defining Home
Prompt: You’re stranded on a desert island with three items: a coconut, a mask and a dictionary. Read more
Your Story 48: The Winners!
Prompt: Write the opening sentence (25 words or fewer) to a story based on the photo to the left. Read more
Writing challenge! Can you write an opening sentence to a story incorporating these 3 words? (Winners will be published in WD)
Looking for a little Friday procrastination in the form of a writing challenge? Close that Excel spreadsheet you’re working on, minimize your boss’ emails or postpone your daily chores (come on, nobody … Read more
Your Story 47 Winner: The Ticker
Prompt: A man who lives alone sees a set of footprints leading away from his house the morning after a heavy snowfall. Read more
Your Story 46: The Winners
Prompt: Write the opening sentence (25 words or fewer) to a story incorporating these three words: fresh, hair and tangled. Read more
Your Story 45: Winners!
Prompt: Write the opening sentence (25 words or fewer) to a story based on the photo to the left. Read more
Your Story 44: Winners!
Prompt: A nosy man eavesdrops on his co-workers and immediately regrets it. Read more
Your Story 43: Winners!
Prompt: Write the opening sentence to a story (25 words or fewer) based on the photo prompt to the left. Read more
Your Story 42 Winner: The Safe Zone
Prompt: Begin your story with the following line of dialogue: “I’ve got to get out of these clothes—fast.” Read more
Last call! Can you write an opening sentence to this story? (Chance to get published in Writer’s Digest)
From hardboiled detectives to murderers, leprechauns, spies and even giraffe narrators, when it comes to the diverse and unique entries in our free Your Story contest, the gang’s all here. If … Read more
Your Story 41: Winners!
Prompt: Write the opening sentence to a story (25 words or fewer) incorporating these three words: Cinderella, midnight and behave. Read more
Your Story 40 – Winners!
Prompt: Write the opening sentence to a story (25 words or fewer) based on the photo prompt to the left. Read more
Your Story 39 Winner: Homecoming
Prompt: You return to the house where you grew up, only to learn it has been condemned. Read more
Your Story 38 – Winners!
Prompt: Write the opening sentence to a story (25 words or fewer) based on the photo prompt to the left.Official Rules Thanks to everyone for your votes. Here are the results of … Read more
