New Literary Agent Alert: Jennifer Grimaldi of Chalberg & Sussman
New literary agent alerts (with this spotlight featuring Jennifer Grimaldi of Chalberg & Sussman) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list.
The Glamorous and Unattainable Writing Life: 6 Common Misconceptions About Being a Writer
Now that you've published a book, you can afford that fancy NYC loft, right? Emily Bleeker clears up a few common and hilarious misconceptions about writers.
Language Arts: ‘VOX’ Author/Linguist Christina Dalcher Discusses the Power of Words
Following the release of her hit book, VOX, linguist-turned-author Christina Dalcher shares insight into the power of words spoken, written and suppressed. Learn more about Dalcher in the November/December 2018 issue of Writer’s Digest. As much as Christina Dalcher loves words—she’s a linguist by trade, having taught at universities internationally—she knows better than...
Q&A With Eliot Stein, Grand-Prize Winner of the 2018 WD Annual Writing Competition
“The Last Remaining Sea Silk Seamestress,” by Eliot Stein, is the Grand Prize–winning story for the 87th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition, besting more than 5,300 entries across nine categories. For complete coverage of the 87th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition, please check out the November/December 2018 issue of Writer’s Digest.
“Go Your Own Way”: James Patterson on Supporting Childhood Literacy, Generating Novel Ideas, and Writing with Bill Clinton
After more than four decades in publishing, record-breaking bestseller James Patterson has this to say: You can go your own way. Discover an exclusive extended interview with Patterson below.
Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 454
For today’s prompt, take the phrase “I Get (blank),” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles include: “I Get Knocked Down,” “I Get Around,” “I Get a Little Bit Genghis Khan,” and/or “I Get...
How to Sell an Essay or Article: 21 Tips for Writing a Winning Cover Letter
Wondering how to sell an essay? Writing a cover letter that's short and perfect to introduce your pages will sell a piece faster than submitting an excellent article or essay with an uninspired note.
6 Ways to Improve Writing Productivity—and Quality
From time to time, I feature guest posts on this blog, and today’s post shares six ways to improve writing productivity from Crystal Stone. My personal favorite tip is to take notes everywhere, which is why I’ve always got pen and paper on hand (just in case). Crystal Stone‘s poetry has...
5 Freelance Writing Tips
All freelance writers have to start somewhere, and I’ve collected 5 excellent freelance writing tips here from previous guests of the Writer’s Market podcast. Five freelancers who’ve spent part or all of their time freelancing share some of their wisdom below. 5 Freelance Writing Tips 1. Ask Yourself the Right Questions...
Agent Myth Busters: 5 Common Misconceptions About Literary Agents
A mother-daughter pair of agents debunks five pervasive misconceptions about literary agents and the way they do their work.
Train Your Eye for Better Writing: 3 Writing Techniques Adapted from the Visual Arts
Here are three writing techniques from traditional visual arts training that can help you find a deeper, truer and more vivid writing voice.
Insider Secrets for Indie Authors and Small Presses from Amy Collins of New Shelves Books
Amy Collins of New Shelves Books shares insider secrets about book sales and marketing tips for indie authors and small publishers, as well as small and indie publishing trends.
How to Never Be a Writing “Failure”
Dealing with rejection doesn't have to be a discouraging experience. Here, P.S. Hoffman offers five ways to fail smarter and set yourself up for success, even after you've been rejected by a publisher or an agent.
5 Things to Consider When Structuring Your Memoir
Memoir structure is as crucial as structure in fiction and no good memoir will be able to stand tall without it. Several ingredients can be used to create a structure that works for your book.
New Literary Agent Alert: Britt Siess of Martin Literary & Media Management
New literary agent alerts (with this spotlight featuring Britt Siess of Martin Literary & Media Management) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list.
Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 453
For today’s prompt, write a dream poem. I love to write these every so often. Sometimes the dream takes center stage (and it can get kind of surreal). Other times, I incorporate pieces of a dream or dreams into a larger poem. If you don’t dream, write a poem about your...
Tobias S. Buckell Discusses Successful Writing Collaborations and the Elements of Powerful Sci-Fi
We had the pleasure of talking with Tobias S. Buckell ahead of his keynote at indieLAB. Read on to discover his thoughts on what it takes to write powerful sci-fi, the process of writing with a co-author, and what's next for his career.
Why I Write Poetry: Eileen Sateriale
In 2017, I started a “Why I Write Poetry” series of guest posts. I’ve already received so many, and I hope they keep coming in (details on how to contribute below). Today’s “Why I Write Poetry” post comes from Eileen Sateriale who writes, “Writing challenges allow me see how other people...
Superhero Sauce: Blending Pop Culture & Academic Disciplines in Nonfiction (+ a Quiz!)
In his book 'Superhero Ethics,' Travis Smith blended his knowledge of political philosophy with superhero mythos. By outlining his writing process and what he learned, he demonstrates how combining pop culture topics with academic disciplines can make for fun and accessible nonfiction books.
Join Us for a Virtual MG and YA Writers Conference: 7 Live Sessions, Q&A, and the Chance to Pitch to a Literary Agent
Our upcoming virtual conference includes 7 live sessions by bestselling authors, a live Q&A with each presenter, plus a chance to pitch to a literary agent.
WD Poetic Form Challenge: Descort Winner
A new poetic form challenge should be around the corner, but here are the results of the Writer’s Digest Poetic Form Challenge for the descort along with a Top 10 list. Read all of them here. Here is the winning descort: Frost opposite, by k weber Glass is tambourine sound. She...
What a Coincidence: 7 Clever Strategies for Harnessing Coincidences in Fiction
Well-timed coincidences can catapult a story forward, but a poorly planned one can bring your readers to a dead stop. Use these 7 strategies to harness the power of this storytelling tool while steering clear of common missteps.
Bob Woodward Gets to the Bottom of Things: Timeless Investigative Journalism Techniques (from Writer’s Digest 1996)
Given the buzz surrounding the explosive book Fear: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward, we dug out a surprisingly timeless article from the August 1996 issue of Writer's Digest about Mr. Woodward's investigative journalism techniques.
Zetta Elliott on Starting Her Own Imprint & Character Development in Children’s Fiction
Zetta Elliott discusses addressing complex topics in children's fiction, starting her own imprint, Rosetta Press, and what she'll address in her upcoming keynote at indieLAB.