Author Andrea Uptmor discusses moving past plotlessness after learning to write beautiful sentences in MFA program.
Writing Habits and Practices
7 Habits of Successful Writers
In this article from the January/February 2026 issue of Writer’s Digest, Robert Lee Brewer compiles a list of writerly habits from the many successful authors he has interviewed.
Author Roger Carlton explores how to write place as character in nonfiction to transform setting from backdrop to narrative force.
Every Wednesday, Robert Lee Brewer shares a prompt and example poem to get things started for poets. This week, write a travel poem.
Freelance writer Matthew Adams looks at the pros and cons of writing for websites vs. writing for print—from prestige to payment.
In this interview, author Kate Eberle discusses making the romance genre take a sharp left turn in her debut romantic comedy, If Books Could Kill.
In season 5 episode 7 of “Writer’s Digest Presents,” bestselling author John Searles discusses writing about real people in his new novel, Single Girls.
Writer's Digest
Recent Articles
Writing Prompts
Every writer needs a little inspiration once in a while. For today’s prompt, write from the perspective of the sidekick.
Historical
In this interview, author Jillian Laine discusses how a film reference helped inspire her new historical fantasy, Henry Tudor Must Die.
Writing Habits and Practices
Author H.D. Carver explains what hiking taught her about writing and how it helped her focus on the right goals.
Character
Author Catherine Marshall-Smith discusses the bold choice that nearly killed her novel—but that ultimately saved it.
Settings
Author Sharon Virts discusses the process of finding stories inspired by the history of her own home and the people connected to it.
Children's
In this interview, author R.J. Palacio discusses the collaborative process between writer and illustrator with her new novel, The Haunted Playground.
Resources
Here are the top general resource websites as identified in the 28th Annual 101 Best Websites from the May/June 2026 issue of Writer’s Digest.
Resources
Jordan Rosenfeld shares how to make a character’s life harder in ways that make sense to the plot, plus more from Writer’s Digest!
Literary
In this interview, author Julie Buntin discusses how personal questions about identity helped inspire her new novel, Famous Men.
Interviews With Poets
In this interview, poet Saturn Browne discusses putting together a chapbook of poems, serving as Connecticut’s Youth Poet Laureate, and more.
Writing Techniques
Television and theatre writer Arvind Ethan David shares the unexpected challenges and triumphs of switching to novel writing.
Find a Nonfiction Agent
Agent alerts (this one features Grace P. Cho of Embolden Media Group) are great for writers because each agent is building their list.
Mystery/Thriller
In this interview, author Araminta Hall discusses the power imbalance at the core of her new thriller, Unreliable Narrator.
Writing Habits and Practices
Literary agent Jessica Berg explains how measuring self-worth by output alone can lead authors to burnout.
Literary
In this interview, author Aruni Kashyap discusses the decade that went into writing his new novel, How to Date a Fanatic.
Horror
Author Kelly McWilliams examines what climate horror is missing and makes a case for writing historical climate horror.
Character
Author Catherine Hokin discusses how and why to make historical characters meaningful in historical fiction.
Write My Query
Find a query letter to agent Katie Greenstreet (Paper Literary) for Cali Adeline’s debut novel, People Watching in the Desert.
Plot
Author Julie Carrick Dalton explores the power of chiastic storytelling, a type of story where the end circles back to the beginning.
Literary
In this interview, author Alicia Upano discusses borrowing characters from a different story for her debut novel, Everything to the Sea.
Writing Techniques
In a world where the common advice is to simplify your writing, author Marguerite Welch pens an ode to wordiness.
Wednesday Poetry Prompts
Every Wednesday, Robert Lee Brewer shares a prompt and example poem to get things started for poets. This week, write a panic poem.
Character
Author Lo Patrick discusses the troubled nature of most (and maybe all) people and how that’s fertile ground for character creation.
Writing Habits and Practices
Author Nancy West shares 10 things writers should know about all-time bestselling mystery author Agatha Christie