September/October 2022

Writer's Digest

The World's Leading Source for Writing Inspiration, Instruction and Information

Writer's Digest2 min read
From Our Readers
“The book that has had the most impact on me as a writer is The Uninvited by Dorothy MacArdle. Written in 1941 and made into one of the best ghost movies ever in 1944, it worked its magic through not-quite-seen apparitions set in an old mansion near
Writer's Digest2 min read
It Was a Calm, Wintery Night
I slowly stepped up the last creaky stair and flipped the light switch off. There was just enough twilight left in the room as I approached the window, stepping around the boxes strewn about the centuries-old hardwood floor. I hovered close enough to
Writer's Digest7 min read
Words Always Come First
Ursula Vernon is a unique hybrid author who writes science fiction and fantasy with equal ease for both young people and adults. Her stories, regardless of audience, tend to be quirky, wonderfully engaging, and hilariously, organically funny. Even he
Writer's Digest1 min read
Writer’s Digest
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Amy Jones SENIOR EDITOR Robert Lee Brewer MANAGING EDITOR Moriah Richard EDITORS Sadie Dean Michael Woodson ART DIRECTOR Wendy Dunning EDITORS-AT-LARGE Tyler Moss Jessica Strawser CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jane K. Cleland, David Corbett, B
Writer's Digest2 min read
Contributors
ALEX R. KAHLER is a former circus artist and life-long nomad living in the PNW. Under his real name, he writes immersive fantasy for adults and teens. As K. R. Alexander, he writes creepy tales for brave kids that have inspired millions of readers ar
Writer's Digest1 min read
Worth a Thousand Words
Bob Eckstein is a New Yorker cartoonist, NY Times-bestselling author, and adjunct professor at NYU. His new book is The Complete Book of Cat Names (That Your Cat Won’t Answer to, Anyway). ■
Writer's Digest5 min read
Top 10 Survival Tips for Publishing
I know, another writing tip list, and yes, I realize how depressing publishing survival tips can sound, but that’s why I reached out to not just my wisest, but funniest friends in publishing. There is only one certainty in publishing: If you are not
Writer's Digest1 min read
Poetic Asides
The kimo is an Israeli variant of the popular three-line haiku form. Here are the guidelines: • Three lines• No rhymes• 10 syllables in first line• Seven syllables in the second line• Six syllables in the third line No rules on cutting or seasonal wo
Writer's Digest3 min read
Improvising Techniques
You are an egg waiting at an El train stop.” I’ve never been an egg before, so I wasn’t sure how to respond. Am I scrambled or sunny side up? If I am vertical, I must be hard-boiled. Another student volleyed the suggestion in the improv class. Saying
Writer's Digest5 min read
Estate Planning for Authors
What happens to your books when you die? If you create a solid estate plan, they can live forever. If you don’t, then your books will die with you. No one likes to think about death. It’s not easy to face your mortality, but it’s painfully necessary.
Writer's Digest3 min read
Jeff Adams
The Hockey Player’s Heart (co-written with my husband Will Knauss); Keeping Kyle; Somewhere on Mackinac; Dancing for Him; the Codename: Winger YA thriller series. (Gay romance, young adult with LGBTQ+ characters, Big Gay Media) WHY SELF-PUBLISH? I’d
Writer's Digest3 min read
Alex R. Kahler, AKA K. R. Alexander
I’m often amazed that I write horror. It shouldn’t be in my wheelhouse. I was absolutely terrified as a kid. I had to turn on the lights whenever I entered a room. The sight of a scary movie cover in the local rental store (remember those?) could giv
Writer's Digest5 min read
What a Copy Editor Does—and How to Find a Good One
If you’ve been writing a manuscript of any kind—whether it’s a novel, nonfiction book, article, or screenplay—at some point, you need to start thinking about copy editing. You may have heard of copy editing but only have a vague sense of what it is.
Writer's Digest1 min read
Karen Brailsford
Karen Brailsford spent more than two decades covering arts and culture, Hollywood, fashion, beauty, and human interest as a staff writer and editor with Newsweek, Elle, People, In Touch Weekly, and E! Entertainment. Her writing has also appeared in o
Writer's Digest5 min read
Breaking In
All That’s Left Unsaid (Literary fiction, September, William Morrow) “When a 17-year-old Vietnamese-Australian is murdered inside a busy restaurant, his older sister takes it upon herself to track down each witness to find out what they saw and why t
Writer's Digest24 min read
Writer’s Digest 2022 Annual Literary Agent Roundup
Finding a literary agent can be hard. Finding one who fits your needs and who is open to submissions when you’re ready to query is even harder. WD has gotten a jump start on the process to make your search a little easier. We’ve found 20+ literary ag
Writer's Digest8 min read
Is It Legit?
So, you’ve finished the manuscript, congratulations! You may think the hard part is over, but there are some challenges ahead—including not falling for a scam … and in the process, losing energy, momentum, and money. There are a number of reasons wri
Writer's Digest8 min read
It’s Not Me, it’s You
Back in my misspent youth, I published a zine—a DIY magazine I photocopied and mailed out to the misguided folks who signed up for my mailing list.1 For the zine, I adopted a persona I referred to as Zine Elvis. Zine Elvis was a bloated supervillain
Writer's Digest12 min read
Tiffany D. Jackson
If you’ve ever read a novel by Tiffany D. Jackson, you’ll know one thing: She’s a master of the plot twist. Whether it’s the did-she-or-didn’t-she of her debut, Allegedly, or the thrilling Is the house really haunted? question of her 2021 release Whi
Writer's Digest6 min read
A Much Darker Turn
By Emmett Knowlton On his 5th birthday, his grandfather gives him a book about birds. He likes books and he likes birds and unlike his brother who is 9 he does not like sports and he does not like climbing trees. Last summer when he was 4 he fell out
Writer's Digest2 min read
Aisle Six
Out of 100 entries, Writer’s Digest editors and readers selected the following 10 winners. ❶ He turned but only saw the empty aisles, canned goods stacked in neat rows, bags of chips, a cooler full of ice cream; she was gone.—William K. Elliott ❷ Lau
Writer's Digest8 min read
Writing Bite-size Horror
We have once again reached that time of year where pumpkins bear their toothy grins and scarecrows threaten to step down from their perches. We can hear the torturous buzzing of chainsaws in the distance, but we know there are no trees being cut down
Writer's Digest6 min read
Horror Fiction For Literary Writers
Today we often think of horror as a single unified genre of writing, conjuring thoughts of ghost stories and monsters. But the reality is that there are different ways to write horror, and an author’s decision about the kind of horror story they want
Writer's Digest4 min read
Funny You Should Ask
An agent requested my full manuscript, and their website says to nudge them if they haven’t responded in five weeks. I waited six weeks and then sent the nudge email. It’s been a week since then and I still haven’t heard anything. Other agents’ sites
Writer's Digest2 min read
All About The Pitch
For this issue, I spoke with Hattie Fletcher, Managing Editor of Creative Nonfiction (CreativeNonfiction .org), an independent nonprofit with an educational arm with the tagline “True Stories, Well Told.” I was delighted to speak with Hattie because
Writer's Digest4 min read
Publishing Insights
For many people, sports are a big part of life—whether it’s something they do daily, seasonally, or perhaps even just once a year (like running a 5K or taking an annual fishing trip). The nice thing about sports is that it can provide an escape from
Writer's Digest5 min read
Level Up Your Writing (life)
Confession: When I wrote my first few short stories and a full novel draft, I constructed my scenes so that they’d have only two characters each. I was terrified to write dialogue for more than two characters. As hard as it was for me to write realis
Writer's Digest5 min read
Building Better Worlds
Let’s get this out of the way first: Monsters and animals differ because their purpose in your plot is different. If your character is attacked by a bear in the woods, you wouldn’t consider it a monster—you’d say it was a bear living its normal bear
Writer's Digest4 min read
Conference Scene
Debuting in 2005, this intimate boutique conference fits the budget and offers great opportunities for networking and writer camaraderie. WHEN: Oct. 7–9, 2022. WHERE: Hotel Leger, Mokelumne Hill, Calif. PRICE: $240. Includes your selection of four wo
Writer's Digest2 min read
Conference Guide
• Keep in mind that there may be more than one workshop in each of the listings.• These workshops are listed alpha betically by state, country, or continent.• Unless otherwise indicated, rates include tuition (T) only. Sometimes the rates also inclu
Writer's Digest1 min read
Potpourri For The Pen
The editors of WD recommend these books with seriously sinister situations and tones. Published in 1935, this is widely considered to be the first great collection of African American folktales. This 1946 novel is a landmark text in Latin American li
Writer's Digest5 min read
Rhyme Time
What to do—and not do—when writing picture books. If you’re like most picture book readers, running across a terrific rhyme is awesome. So, how is it that most picture book agents and editors say they don’t want to see rhyming manuscripts? If pressed

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