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.
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.
3 Writing Tips From Bestseller Sloane Crosley
Sloane Crosley can coax humor from the unlikeliest of depths, whether it’s a good line from your locksmith or avenging a childhood slight during a pride parade.
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.
How to Create a Protagonist Who is Very Different From You
How does a writer create a character unlike themselves and give it a living, breathing personality? I’ll walk through these six steps that worked for me--and perhaps they’ll work for you.
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.
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.
How to Write From the Opposite Gender’s Point Of View
Every fiction writer has to write across gender lines. I should know. I’m a fantasy / science fiction writer, and though my stories are populated with vampires, robots, and space squids, there tend to be more than a few humans in the mix. Many of those humans end up being women....
10 Ways To Hook Your Reader (and Reel Them in for Good)
When I wanted to write an essay about my difficult relationship with my brother I had to figure out a way to make it interesting to other people so I turned to these 10 elements to keep the story rolling.
The 5 Biggest Fiction Writing Mistakes (& How to Fix Them)
Start your revision by addressing these, and you'll immediately change your story for the better.
What Every Writer Needs to Know about Keeping a Personal Diary
Put aside any thought of a little pink diary with Hello Kitty on the cover, secured by a lock that can be jimmied with a toothpick. I’m here to talk about why keeping diary may hold the key to achieving a meaningful adult life. It’s a realization I came to not...
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.
How to Write a Reader-Friendly Essay
Powerful, surprising, and fascinating personal essays are also “reader-friendly essays” that keep the reader squarely in focus. So how do you go about writing one? In this excerpt from Crafting the Personal Essay, author Dinty W. Moore shares a variety of methods for crafting an essay that keeps the reader’s desires...
How (& Where) to Get a Short Story Published
Fiction publishing creds are a great way to build your bio and propel your career. Here’s how—and where—to get them.
How to Submit Short Stories
The most important thing when when understanding how to publish short stories is to follow the publisher's writing guidelines carefully. Here are some general rules.
How to Resurrect a Stalled Manuscript
Is your manuscript stuck? Take a break from completing your fiction project and diagnose it. Here's how to take your manuscript into its next phase: completion.
Crafting Novels & Short Stories Exclusive
Download a free PDF with interviews with novelists like Stephen King, Kurt Vonnegut, Anne Tyler, Margaret Atwood, and more. Find out more ways to make your fiction stand out with Crafting Novels & Stories by the Editors of Writer’s Digest. You might also like:No Related PostsYou might also like:No Related Posts
Crafting Novels & Short Stories
Crafting Novels & Short Stories by The Editors of Writer’s Digest Books Writer’s Digest Books, 2011 ISBN-13: 978-1-59963-571-2 ISBN-10: 1-59963-571-2 $19.99 paperback, 368 pages Buy the Book at WritersDigestShop.com! Online Exclusive Download interviews with fiction masters like Stephen King, Kurt Vonnegut, Anne Tyler, Margaret Atwood, and more. About the Book Learn...
3 Tips for Consistent Tone
If you find yourself having a difficult time sustaining one tone over a long work, try these three tricks.
How to Bring Your Voice to Life in Personal Essays
It’s not what happens to us in our lives that makes us into writers; it’s what we make out of what happens to us. It’s our distinctive point of view.
Literary Journal Submissions 101
To submit your latest short story, essay or poem, you’ll need a cover letter—which is much different from a query. Use these tips from inside a creative writing program to help your letter make the grade.