The Writer’s Digest Podcast, Episode 3: Writing and Publishing Short Stories and Essays — Interview with Windy Lynn Harris
In this episode of the Writer’s Digest Podcast, Gabriela Pereira talks with Windy Lynn Harris about writing and publishing short stories, personal essays and nonfiction articles.
Short Training for Your Long Game: How Writing Short Stories Can Help You Hone Your Novel-Writing Skills
Even if you’re focused on writing a novel, writing short stories can be a wonderful creativity tool to help you strengthen elements of your fiction, experiment with characters and simply stay loose.
Reprints for Creative Shorts: How and Where to Sell a Poem, Personal Essay or Short Story a Second Time
The reprint market isn’t just for nonfiction articles. If you're looking to sell a short story, personal essay or a poem that's already been published, there’s a good chance you can sell it again. Learn how.
Transforming a Short Story Into a Novel
When I first wrote my short story, “Escaping Time,” I intended for it to be a standalone piece about a teenage girl attempting to escape from a military brothel during World War II. I was satisfied with the final draft and even submitted it for publication in my creative writing program’s...
Submitting Your Short Fiction and Poetry: 5 FAQs from a Magazine Editor
For writers of short form literature, submitting your work can mean a variety of positive things. Here are important questions (and answers) you need to know about the process.
Get Discovered by Writing Short
Windy Lynn Harris, author of Writing & Selling Short Stories & Personal Essays, shares ten ways that writing short stories and personal essays can help your writing career.
17th Annual Short Short Story Competition Winners List
Writer’s Digest would like to congratulate the winners of the 17th Annual Short Short Story Competition, where writers submit their very best short stories of less than 1,500 words. Please join us in congratulating our winners! For complete coverage of the 17th Annual Short Short Story Competition, see the July/August 2017 issue of Writer’s Digest....
Extended Q&A with WD’s Short Short Story Competition Winner
“The Removal” by Lauren Schenkman is the grand-prize winning story in the 17th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Fiction Competition. It bested more than 5,200 entries to win $3,000 and a trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City, among other prizes. For complete coverage of this year’s awards, check out...
17th Annual Short Short Story Competition Winner: The Removal
[Enter the current Short Short Story Competition today!] “The Removal,” by Lauren Schenkman, is the winning story for the 17th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition. For complete coverage of this year’s awards, including an interview with Schenkman, check out the July/August 2017 issue of Writer’s Digest. You can also view a complete list of...
Writing, Compiling, and Arranging Short Stories in a Collection
Ronna Wineberg, founding fiction editor of the Bellevue Literary Review, shares her thoughts on compiling and arranging a short story collection—and the inherent difficulties and differences between that and simply writing a story.
4 Short Lessons on the Subject of Short Stories
What do short fiction editors really look for? What's the secret to great flash fiction? Are anthologies the most overlooked markets around? The answers may just jump-start your career.
New Literary Agent Alert: Michael Caligaris of Holloway Literary
Reminder: New literary agents (with this spotlight featuring Michael Caligaris of Holloway Literary) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list. About Michael: Michael Caligaris has been working in publishing since 2013. After earning an MFA in Creative Writing from St. Mary’s...
Breaking In: Josh Barkan
Josh Barkan is the author of Mexico (January 24, 2017; Hogarth/Crown Books), a collection of short stories that capture the beauty, strangeness, and brutality of life in modern Mexico. He’s also published two other books: a novel, Blind Speed, and a collection of stories, Before Hiroshima. His writing has appeared in...
The Strategic Use of Short Fiction
The new world of self-publishing options calls to mind the golden age of the pulp magazines. During that era, roughly 1920–1950, writers could earn decent money pounding out stories and novellas for a penny a word. Later, the 1950s boom in mass-market paperbacks provided another source of lettuce for the enterprising...
4 Free Extras From the New Writer’s Digest
Did you know every single issue of Writer’s Digest includes bonus online exclusives? And they’re not just for subscribers—they’re for everyone! We must have been feeling extra inspired when we put together the November/December 2016 Writer’s Digest, because we rounded up even more extras than usual. Learn what really drives Robert...
Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction Awards: Behind the Scenes of a Writing Competition with Thriller Judge Jodie Renner
Today, as part of our Behind the Scenes of a Writing Competition series, Thriller judge Jodie Renner discusses how to avoid common mistakes and take your submission to the top. Meet the Judge: Jodie Renner is a freelance fiction editor and the award-winning author of three craft-of-writing guides in her series...
How to Submit to Literary Journals
You’ve revised your story more times than you can count and you’re ready for quick and easy publication. But what you may not realize is the submissions process should be taken as seriously as the story. Find Your Journals If you’re new to submissions, you may be unsure of where to find...
How a Fiction Anthology Is Made
I’m an avid reader of Writer Unboxed, which has been one of our 101 Best Websites for Writers for several years running now—and when I had the pleasure of moderating the WU panel at last year’s Writer’s Digest Conference, one of my personal highlights was the chance to chat at length...
Why Your Story is Getting Rejected: Language
As a former reader for a literary journal, I first learned to watch for language. I looked for creative, rhythmic prose that engaged the senses and provided a clear voice. But it took time to recognize and appreciate these qualities, and even longer to apply them in my own work. Now,...
Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition: Behind the Scenes of a Writing Competition
Today, as part of our Behind the Scenes of a Writing Competition series, Short Short Story Competition judges Debby Mayne and Michael Vaughn discuss common mistakes and crafting compelling short fiction. Meet the Judges: Debby Mayne has written and published more than 50 books and novellas through traditional publishers and on...
Online Exclusive: Q&A with Lish Troha
“Parting Gift,” by Lish Troha, is the Grand Prize winning story for the 15th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Fiction Competition. For complete coverage of this year’s awards, including an exclusive feature on Troha, check out the July/August 2015 issue of Writer’s Digest. In this bonus online exclusive, Troha talks about where she gets her...
Tips for Writing and Selling Short Stories
“We are generally taught to build our stories with more words,” “100 Word Story” co-founder Grant Faulkner points out in the May/June 2015 Writer’s Digest article on writing flash, the shortest of short fiction. And he’s right. When studying the fiction writer’s craft, so much emphasis is on developing characters with...
How to Develop a Writing Plan
Sometimes, as a writer, it’s difficult to think about large, overarching goals when you’re working on a project or planning to start on something new. Thinking, “I’m going to write a novel and have it completed by XX date,” is ambitious. And maybe it’s too much of a reach. Instead, develop...
How to Become a Kick-Ass Writer
If you haven’t yet read, met, or followed the career of Chuck Wendig, you’re in for a treat. I’ve had the great pleasure of following Chuck’s blog at terribleminds.com for a couple of years now, and the writing advice he offers is some of the best—as well as some of the...