Indice dei contenuti per January/February 2023 in Writer's Digest

“Keep an open mind about your writing. Getting too attached to a specific format, genre, or plot twist might prevent you from seeing other possibilities that could end up working out even better. If you get the opportunity to have your work critiqued, take it! The more diverse opinions you can get, the better. And if you’re just getting started on your journey to publication, it can be hard to know where to start. WDU Boot Camps are one way you can make sure your query letter or first 10 pages get in front of an agent working in the industry right now.” —Sarah Hall, Digital Content Director, Writer’s Digest University “When it comes to digital resources for writers, there are so many great options out there that they can…

I can’t connect with your characters.” I kept hearing the same feedback and was baffled. I was a character-driven writer. How could I mess up the one thing I was supposed to be good at? Like Anne of Green Gables, I sank into the depths of despair. But then I went back to the page. I was stubborn and determined to convince my agent that these characters were real. after all, I knew they were real. My protagonist Lotus had lived inside me for years. I just needed to clarify her on the page. Then readers would understand, we’d sell this book, and Lotus would finally be out in the world. I wrote and edited for a year, trying to respond to this agent’s questions and feedback. But Lotus’ personality…

When I first started submitting my stories to magazines and publications, I believed, like many, that submitting was a numbers game. The more stories I had on submission, the higher my chances of getting a yes. I had a goal of having a minimum of 20 stories out on submission at a time. My focus wasn’t on quality but on quantity. In my mind, my stories were good; they just needed to find their proper home. You know that old writing saying all it takes is one yes? I lived and died by that saying. But eventually, I realized I was dying in the slush more than I was living in the light of publication. I needed to make a change, and it had to be based on something I…

Sarah Daniels The Stranded (YA near-future thriller, January, Sourcebooks Fire) “In 2094, teenagers Esther and Nik struggle to escape the derelict cruise ship they were born on.” WRITES FROM: Lincolnshire, U.K. PRE-STRANDED: I wrote a few short stories that were published in online magazines, as well as the start of a middle-grade book that will never see daylight again. TIME FRAME: The Stranded took a really long time to finish. I started writing it while I was working as an archaeologist, and it was put aside a number of times over the past decade when trying to juggle a full-time career with a young family just became too hectic. ENTER THE AGENT: In 2017, I was accepted onto the six-month novel writing course run by Curtis Brown Creative. At the end,…

Fiction is many things: entertaining, enlightening, educational, escapist, and then some. Many of us read to be taken away from our normal, mundane realities—even wrenched away through chilling or momentous ups and downs—only to be brought back down to a trusted reality that on some level we knew, or hoped, would arrive all along. You know what I mean: despite the odds—boy gets girl; hero overcomes the villain; the best friends’ feud ends in hugs; the detective overcomes every obstacle to solve the unusual mystery and winds up a better person for it, too. These expected results are otherwise known as tropes, and each genre has its own unique blend of them. While book critics and English professors may rail about these tired and tedious tropes—many of us still yearn…

Some authors resist the idea of plotting. They prefer to be guided by inspiration, and they worry that plotting will kill the spontaneity, the creative fire fueling their writing. If that describes you, you may be tempted to skip experimenting with Jane’s Plotting Road Map. If you’ve never tried plotting, give it a whirl! While authors have to find their own writing processes, and certainly, there is no one ideal technique, how will you find what works best for you if you don’t try out various approaches? Many authors have found that plotting has multiple advantages beyond keeping them organized—it’s likely to help you write more complex stories, save you time, and increase your productivity. Here are five specific reasons to give Jane’s Plotting Road Map a try: 1. To…

Here’s something that will likely surprise you: As a kid, Neil deGrasse Tyson was not a model student. He has recounted how the majority of his teachers thought he showed little potential—and rather than sing his praises in parent-teacher conferences, they harped on the “disruptive” student for such infractions as … laughing too loudly in the classroom. Tyson, as it happens, was busy outside of it. Ever since he visited the Hayden Planetarium at age 9, he had a singular goal: to become an astrophysicist. Growing up in an apartment complex in the Bronx, he also had a dog. His neighbors had dogs—and they all needed to be walked. If he walked his dog plus two others, he could net $.50 per dog per walk. And so, after parading around…

Dear Barbara, Someone in my writing group has received an offer from an agent for a book she’s been working on for years. After we celebrated her success, I asked her what she was planning to ask the agent before she signs. She—and the others in my group—thought it was odd I’d asked that; they made it seem like that would be a total turn-off for the agent. But knowing how hard she’s worked, it’s silly to me that she wouldn’t at least try and get to know this person a little more before putting her full trust in them! Am I just paranoid? Thanks, Little Miss Always Suspicious Dear Lil’ Miss, Ooh, can we play “Let’s pretend”? Let’s pretend I am in a disguise in your writing group, wearing…

As I wrote the initial drafts of The Hollows, the second novel in my Kinship Historical Mystery series, I became stuck on how to reveal the backstory of the character who is the murder victim. Part of my challenge was that the victim, an elderly female with no identifying documentation on her and found alone in the woods, was not from the area served by Sheriff Lily Ross (inspired by Ohio’s true first female sheriff in 1925). So, no one can identify the victim. I knew that having Lily go from person to person to ask about the victim would quickly become dull and tedious. Instead, I used a technique called interstitial writing. Now, I’d love to tell you that I cleverly came up with this solution on my own,…

The very first stories to enthrall me as a child were fables and fairytales. Engaging, efficiently told, and endlessly adaptable, these narratives gave me a taste of what makes a story tick. In a very real sense, they laid the groundwork for my literacy. That’s the reason why I (along with many other authors) wished to put my own spin on one of them. But what makes for a satisfying reimagining of a classic tale? How do you strike new ground in well-trod terrain? These are questions I thought about a lot while drafting my middle-grade novel, Ravenous Things, which is a horror reimagining of the Pied Piper. One of the first things I discovered is that research is essential. If you decide to craft a retelling of a well-known…

CALIFORNIA ANNUAL CALIFORNIA CREATIVE WRITERS CONFERENCE™, produced by West Coast Writers Conferences. March 2023. New Hilton Los Angeles Westside Culver City. Writers of all genres and disciplines will benefit from this educational and inspirational conference focused on the craft and business of writing. Our 34th event will feature creative writing programs for fiction & nonfiction, as well as genre writers (from our popular Genre-LA™ event for Speculative Fiction, and an expanded track for screenwriters. CCWC will include workshops for the 3-A’s™ (Aspiring, Active, and Accomplished) writers of fiction, nonfiction, and screenplay. Topics will be presented by 40+ literary agents, editors, scouts, veteran educators, publishers, bestselling authors, and industry professionals in progressive tracks of workshops, and panels. Reserve one-on-on pitch meetings with literary agents and publishers looking for new talent with polished…

These are just a few of the books inspired by (or are retellings of) Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that I’ve read over the years—and they never get old. Sure, I know the gist of the story and exactly how it’ll turn out. But that’s the point. I love the satisfaction of reading a story with the knowledge that I’ll enjoy it. The existing framework is there; it’s the details that will be different and exciting. This brings us to this issue’s theme of Finding Success Inside the Box and why it appealed to all of us at WD. There’s the old adage about thinking outside the box, and a lot of times, that makes sense. Why do something the same way over and over again simply because that’s “the…

Early on in my career, an agent asked me for a full outline of a novel I was working on. This person wanted to know what was going to happen, in what chapter, and to whom. This request was not intended to annoy or cause anxiety, it was so the agent could see how the book might compare to other similar books in the marketplace, and perhaps to get a sense of how they might be able to offer some editorial feedback if, in their opinion, there were weak spots in the story. It was a thoroughly professional request. However, from my point of view—if I knew what was going to happen in the book, I would have little interest in writing it. The whole process would feel too prescriptive.…

Whenever someone asks me for my go-to, tried-and-true writing advice, a lump will often form in the back of my throat. I know what they’re looking for. Little nuggets of wisdom such as you must join a writing group (meh), write every day (not really), read as much as you can (true), explore books outside your preferred genres (very true), don’t be afraid to scrap the whole thing and start fresh (very true but also very hard). The thing is, none of those things are possible for me without One Big Thing. And while I am happy to chat about the nuances of MFAs, em dashes, writing workshops, or facing one’s desk east or west, I can’t do any of that without childcare. Weekly, I hear from mothers who have…

At the start of each year, we’re encouraged by nearly everyone around us to make resolutions for the new year. Often times, the resolutions are supposed to do with eating better, exercising more, or being a better person. Here at Writer’s Digest, we know writers aren’t immune from the pressure to make their own version of New Year’s resolutions. And that’s great! Trying to be better is a noble cause. But rather than just make a resolution and watch it gradually fall by the wayside as January turns to February and life takes over (guilty as charged!), we want to help you set goals and intentions with actionable steps so you can find writing success in 2023—no matter what that looks like to you. Use the following questions to journal…

Plotting with Conflicts The stories that keep people turning pages are filled with unexpected twists and turns. Each twist ratchets up the tension, intensifying the underlying conflict. Conflict is the backbone of effective storytelling. Conflicts can be external, like surviving a blizzard while alone in the forest, or internal, say, a loss of faith; they can be physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, or some combination thereof. Through the course of your story, the conflict has to deepen, your characters facing increasingly difficult obstacles. These escalations correlate to the plot twists that punctuate your storyline, adding delicious complexity while controlling the pace. Since conflict is the heart of storytelling, you need to determine the one seminal battle that drives your story. What do protagonists long for and what are they willing to…

One of the most popular questions I’ve been asked lately, as I sit at my desk in my home office, attending another virtual conference, the sound of my toddler running around the house when his school bus drops him off in the afternoon, is “how is querying going with agents and authors these days?” The stress, of course, is on these days. Sometimes I answer that question just as my kiddo bursts into the room, where he’ll play with his toy cars while I’m on a Zoom. I’ll shrug, and say, “Oh, we’re all just trying our best.” Folks laugh, knowing smiles shared across a virtual space. And then I continue, sometimes with a kid on my lap, sometimes with a new episode of “The Octonauts” playing in the background.…

1 SAGA Genre Fiction Writers’ Conference Produced by independent press Falstaff Books, this event launched in 2020 and focuses on writers of commercial fiction—thrillers, mysteries, fantasy, science fiction, horror, and romance. WHEN: March 10–12, 2023. WHERE: Winston-Salem Marriott in Winston-Salem, N.C. PRICE: $200. WHAT MAKES THIS CONFERENCE UNIQUE: “We are one of very few writers’ conferences focused on commercial and genre fiction,” says Publisher John G. Hartness. “While we have a strong craft track, everything in our curriculum is focused on writing and selling fiction. Narrowing our focus allows us to bring in some of the best genre writers in the country to share their experience.” There is a greater focus on deep dive workshops, individual presentations, and keeping costs low to make it both affordable and appealing. It’s perfect…

DERRICK CHOW (DerrickChow.ca) is a writer, comic creator, and illustrator. His debut prose novel, Ravenous Things, is out now from Disney-Hyperion. It is a middle-grade horror about grief, friendship, and the horrors lurking in the wild, uncharted subway tunnels beneath Toronto. His comic short stories have been featured in several anthologies, including Shout Out (TO Comix Press) and Rainbow Reflections: Body Image Comics for Queer Men (Ad Astra Comix). His illustrations have been published in many newspapers and magazines, including The Literary Review of Canada, This Magazine, and The Toronto Star. ZACHARY PETIT (ZacharyPetit.com) is an independent journalist and editor and a lifelong literary nerd. Previously, he served as editor-in-chief of the National Magazine Award–winning publication PRINT, managing editor of Writer’s Digest, and executive editor of several related newsstand titles.…

POETIC FORM: WORDY 30 The wordy 30 is a fun little poetic game I conceived that’s inspired by the popular game Wordle. Here are the guidelines: • Six lines• One five-letter word per line Here are a couple of examples by Poetic Asides readers: “Winter Foray,” by Lisa L Stead My favorite wordy 30s juxtapose titles with the poem. Field mouse found bread trail. Score! When done well, each line in a wordy 30 is like a breadcrumb in a poetic trail. “Cloud Burst,” by Pamela L. King Under leafy bower quiet wrens cower While not mandatory, this example managed to work in a rhyme. NOTE: There are also variations that involve other combinations of equal letter lines that add up to 30 letters total (like three lines of 10…

WHY SELF-PUBLISH? I have created many books for other companies including entire series of books with product lines and merchandise. When the recession hit, my phone stopped ringing, and it was hard to find new work. It dawned on me to create my very own line of books. I was already teaching kids in schools how to draw using numbers and letters, and a book series would only complement my school visits. HAD YOU CONSIDERED TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING? I have nothing against traditional publishing, and I would still work with traditional publishers, but I don’t focus on trying to find them or create materials to show them. Traditional publishing is a very strange animal. You’re expected to show them ideas and then wait to see if they want them or not…

Alice Tasman, who earned her bachelor of arts from Brown University and her master of fine arts from Sarah Lawrence College, has been agenting for over 20 years. She represents a wide variety of writers with an emphasis on fiction and says she loves finding debut writers and is committed to working with authors over the long term. A self-described hands-on agent, she enjoys being involved in every stage of the process, from editing manuscripts and proposals, to finding the perfect editors to pitch a project, to working with publishers on publicity and marketing. Tasman’s writers have earned many prestigious awards, honors, and fellowships. “I don’t know what my dream project is until it lands on my desk—or in my inbox,” she says. “When it does, I won’t be able…

Inspiration and voice can feel like the most elusive of the ingredients that go into both fiction and nonfiction writing. Even when we’ve managed to carve out time, find the tools that work for us, and determine the path to getting our words into the world, the heart of the story may remain a question mark. We frequently hear advice that we should “write what we know,” but how do we know what we know? without diving too deeply into the theory of knowledge frameworks, we can look at the topic we are most familiar with for the answer: ourselves. Uncovering the heart of the story can be as simple—and as difficult—as looking with in our own hearts. Exploring the different facets of what makes up your life and experience…

In a college class called “Crafting Popular Fiction: The Anatomy of Suspense,” I shared the concept of TRDs. My students were asked to identify the TRDs in their assigned readings. Interestingly enough, they often didn’t agree, demonstrating that what is unexpected to one person may well not surprise another. Likewise, what’s perceived as threatening to one person might seem benign to another. The students’ discussions about why they thought a certain incident was a T, an R, or a D helped them become more thoughtful readers. Part of learning to plot with TRDs is learning to recognize them—and to predict what your particular readers will perceive as a TRD. Select examples from your genre, current bestsellers or long-lasting favorites, and identify where the TRDs occur. Seek out patterns related to…

In 2018, after years of submitting to different competitions, something miraculous happened: I won a regional literary award. Shortly after that, I went on to win two back-to-back national awards. In my opinion, nothing had changed about my approach to writing and submitting my work, so this was simply luck, in the purest sense. Afterward, I was invited to participate as a judge for local, national, and regional competitions, and that’s when I dawned on me that there were some pretty clear differences between works that were sure to make it to the next round of a competition versus those that wouldn’t. I had stumbled onto the former in 2018 by chance when I had my breakthroughs, but I now realize that writers shouldn’t have to stumble onto anything and…

Publishing is a funny business. In many ways, it has very specific rules that writers must follow if they want to find success … that is, except for the times when they don’t follow those rules and still find success. As such, I want to share a few very common publishing rules that have helped many writers find success—but that have also been broken by several successful writers who found their own path. Each of these rules is great advice on paper, but sometimes they’re not practical for every person in the real world. Follow them, or don’t. RULE #1: READ. A LOT. I frequently ask published authors for their top piece of advice for other writers, and the most common responses are along the lines of “write every day”…

Creating an inclusive conference environment not only fosters camaraderie, but also enhances the success of your event. Most now operate with a non-discrimination policy. But many are taking diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) further with an accessibility plan—promoting the representation of people from diverse backgrounds and making sure the equitable treatment and unique needs of all in attendance are met—to attract and retain engaged attendees. Robust DEI initiatives require a strategic, intentional approach all year long, so consider these 10 tips today: 1. Arrange for diversity on your conference committee to ensure every voice is heard. Make it comfortable to take risks, and be transparent about how decisions are made. 2. Confirm that your event date does not overlap with religious or national holidays. 3. Invite speakers who…