The WD Interview: Susan Orlean on The Library Book and Finding the Red-Hot Center of the Story
Susan Orlean talks to WD about the challenges of researching and writing The Library Book, and how libraries are meeting the needs of 21st century patrons.
How to Make Yourself Look Good Without Lying
How should talented, upcoming writers present themselves to editors when pitching articles? Freelance professional Katherine Swarts has a few tips.
20 Ways to Generate Article Ideas in 20 Minutes or Less
Are you looking for new ways to generate fresh article ideas? Here are 20 you can accomplish in fewer than 20 minutes each.
Journo Jargon: "On the Record" vs. "Off the Record" vs. "On Background"
In the February 2019 Writer’s Digest, Roger Morris asks award-winning reporters how they convince sources to reveal explosive information. To add context to that piece, here he breaks down the difference between “on the record,” “off the record” and “on background” in this glossary refresher.
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.
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.
18 Ways to Write Funnier Fast
We're not all comedy writers, but many of us want to write a funny story or incorporate funny scenes into a novel. In this excerpt from The Byline Bible, Susan Shapiro offers 18 quick and easy ways to improve at eliciting laughs from your readers.
How Research Can Help Sell Your Story
Research is a key to captivating writing. Whether you’re composing a novel, a blog post, or an email, accurate facts improve authenticity and entice readers to the next sentence, paragraph, page or chapter.
Get Smart: How to Tell Good Publishing Contracts From Bad
Publishing contracts are as varied as book genres. It’s easy for an author hungry to be published to be blinded by any contract’s lure, to the potential detriment of their career and their hard-fought creative work. Here are three things to look out for.
Tune In: 23 Best Podcasts for Writers
This year, to accompany our annual list of 101 Best Websites for Writers, we decided to put together a list of what we think are the best podcasts for writers. Here are our favorites—let us know if you have any additional suggestions!
The Identity List: How to Catalog Your Written Work to Get More Freelance Writing Projects
By keeping a catalog of published pieces, freelancers can leverage future success when querying editors. Kimberly A. Edwards offers methods for organizing and structuring your list to get more freelance writing projects.
5 Reasons You Should Pitch Your Writing to Smaller Markets
Small-circulation publications are often overlooked, but they offer big perks to writers who are willing to reach out.
Freelance Writing: 10 Tips to Better Interviews
Whether you’re working on an article or researching your book, steal a page from the psychology world using these 10 methods to get the most from your interviews.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Gene Weingarten Shares his Thoughts on Writing
Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Gene Weingarten shares his thoughts on writing, reporting and how, exactly, to capture the meaning of life
5 Steps to Transform Meals into Writing Experiences
Use these 5 steps to transform any meal or day in the kitchen into a written experience that will leave readers hungry for more.
The Fact-Check Checklist
You interviewed your sources for an article, wrote it up and turned it in. Done? Not yet. Often you need to provide backup info for the publication’s fact checkers, and requirements for doing so vary. With that in mind, here’s a checklist to keep even the toughest fact checkers happy—and to pave the way for that second assignment.
How to Improve Your Researching Skills and Write Accurately
Whether or not you’re already an expert on your topic, it’s vital that you do all the necessary work to get accurate information. Here's how to guarantee you do that.
Write a How-to Article in 6 Easy Steps
If you’ve ever jotted down a recipe or shared do-it-yourself instructions with a friend, you already understand the basic structure of how-to writing. Christina Katz offers a six-step process for writing a good explainer.
Flat Fees vs. Hourly Rates
My daughters like to play bookstore at our house. They hide behind one of our beds, pull up a giant pile of books and ask me to buy them—and I'm happy to oblige because 1) I love books and 2) it costs me pretend money. And I'm willing to buy nearly anything with pretend money. When you're discussing rates for freelance projects, it can often feel like pretend money.
How to Reach Your Freelance Goals
Can a simple formula tell you exactly where you are in your freelance goals? The right equation can help you see your freelance goals more clearly—and quantify what you need to do to meet them. by Perry P. Perkins
The Secret to Paid Writing Gigs
Don't be afraid to get personal and use your connections to get writing assignments. by Chad Gervich
Publishing 101: What You Need to Know
Here's your step-by-step guide to the publishing process–how it works, why you need to know and how you can play an influential role in your book’s success. by Jerry D. Simmons
The Death of Print Magazines and Other Fairy Tales
Insiders Bob Sacks and Samir Husni square off in the magazine industry’s hottest debate: Will print magazines survive—or even thrive—in the next century?