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...
The 87th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition Winners
Writer’s Digest would like to congratulate our 87th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition winners!
Eliot Stein’s “The Last Surviving Sea Silk Seamstress”
Read Eliot Stein’s grand prize-winning piece, “The Last Surviving Sea Silk Seamstress” from the 87th Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition.
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.
Total Recall: The Road Not Taken
The Potpourri for the Pen column in the October 2018 Writer’s Digest challenged readers to remember the words of the famous Robert Frost poem “The Road Not Taken.” Below is a full version of the poem, with the missing words from Potpourri for the Pen indicated in bold.
Curtis Sittenfeld on Choosing Beta Readers, Outlining and Creating Complex Characters
Bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld (Eligible) explains how her characters keep it “real,” and why plumbing the awkward and uncomfortable can lead to the richest social commentary.
Breaking In: Debut Author Lyra Selene on Perseverance
In our Breaking In column in Writer’s Digest magazine, we talk with debut authors—such as Lyra Selene, author of Amber & Dusk—about how they did it, what they learned and why you can do it, too. Here, Selene discusses the importance of perseverance when the going gets tough.
Masters of Suspense: Thriller Agents on Querying & the Best Books in the Genre
Our panel of thriller agents provide their thoughts on the state of the thriller and suspense subgenres and share their own favorite thrillers and what makes them work, along with some crucial advice for querying.
Sage Advice: 8 Literary Agents Share Their Best Tips for Getting Published Today
There wasn’t enough space in print to include every pearl of wisdom our literary agents shared in this year’s annual agent round-up. Find useful advice for getting published in this online feature.
Unlikable Characters: A Case Study
David Corbett offers a case study of the concept of pathos, a moral argument in which an everyman employs immoral means to pursue something he considers invaluable in the face of an overwhelmingly powerful person or system.
Quick Tip: Ask This Question When You Have No Idea What to Write Next
The simple act of writing can sometimes reinvigorate your creativity. With this quick writing tip from Jane K. Cleland, you can unlock a world of new opportunities within your story.
Fortune Favors the Bold: Inside the September 2018 Issue of Writer’s Digest
The theme of the September 2018 Writer’s Digest is “Writing Boldly.” Here, Editor-in-Chief Tyler Moss explains what that means for writers today.
Risky Business: Taking Big Risks in Your Writing Career—and How They Can Pay Off
Here, we talk with writers who have taken big writing career risks and how those risks paid off—along with what they learned along the way.
Day Job Jumble Quiz: Can You Guess the Day Jobs of These Famous Authors?
The Potpourri for the Pen column in the September 2018 issue of Writer’s Digest featured a game in which you had to match the famous authors to their unexpected day jobs. Take the quiz here (and find the answers from the magazine).
The WD Interview: Bestseller Jacqueline Woodson on Confronting Controversial Subjects & Writing Across Age Categories
In this exclusive extended interview with National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jacqueline Woodson, the Newberry Honored author talks character building, diversity movements, and the real-world importance of books for kids and teens.
3 Steps to Social Media Domination for Writers
Author and social media afficionado Jeff Somers shares his three steps for social-media success.
Debut Author Interview: Helen Hoang, Author of The Kiss Quotient
We spoke to Helen Hoang about her debut romance, The Kiss Quotient, in our September issue and since the novel’s release, it’s generated buzz from The New York Times, Bustle, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly and more. Read an interview with Hoang.
On Writing and Skinny Dipping: The Importance of Writing Personal and Realistic Fiction
Debut novelist Helen Hoang discusses the importance of writing personal and realistic fiction.
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.