• Effective Writing Strategies & Motivation- Be Productive!

    Updated: 2012-01-31 18:07:02
    Whether you are seeking inspiration for writing or want to know how to get motivation to write, today’s tip, provided by The Productive Writer, will give you effective writing techniques to be … Read more

  • Not Your Average Bar Fight

    Updated: 2012-01-31 14:42:57
    After getting into an argument with another patron at a local bar, the person challenges you to a fight out back. Because you've never been in a fight before (and don't want this to be your first time), you come up with a more creative way to settle your dispute. Read more

  • 5 Ways to Write a Poem

    Updated: 2012-01-31 13:26:33
    Okay, so there are probably about a million ways to write a poem, but the five methods below help me when I’ve been stuck in a rut. If you have other ways to … Read more

  • 10 Tips to Bypass Cliché and Melodrama

    Updated: 2012-01-31 08:00:30
    It’s not enough to love our story ideas. We need to weigh their suitability as subjects for fiction, and then figure out how to go about making use of them. This means steering clear of cliché and its sappy cousin—melodrama. Here are 10 tips to help you do just that. Read more

  • Ian Livingstone to release a new Fighting Fantasy book involving zombies (the book, not the release)

    Updated: 2012-01-31 06:06:00
    : , Lloyd of Gamebooks A blog about writing gamebooks . My musings on how to write a gamebook and what makes a good . gamebook Tuesday , January 31, 2012 Ian Livingstone to release a new Fighting Fantasy book involving zombies the book , not the release So Ian Livingstone is releasing a new Fighting Fantasy book in August to coincide with the 30th Anniversary of the beginning of Fighting Fantasy . However , much to my surprise , it's going to have nothing to do with Titan and instead it will be set in the modern world with zombies . You can even vote on the name if you go here I'm interested to see the end result and I'm wondering if any more new Fighting Fantasy books will be released by Ian or anyone else . To discuss the new book , or to suggest alternative titles , you could go here or

  • Use These Writing Prompts (& Get Feedback on Your Writing)

    Updated: 2012-01-30 19:31:02
    As the first month of 2012 winds down, so does the fight to stay strong in keeping up with New Year's resolutions. It's so easy to fall off the horse for a few days, then a few more days, then a few more—and we do this without considering how much falling off a horse actually hurts! (Even falling off a figurative horse hurts our writing career in the long run.) So with month two creeping up on us, I'd like to offer up some writing prompt exercises to rekindle your creative spirit. Read more

  • Pay What You Want for My Write for Magazines Basic E-Course!*

    Updated: 2012-01-30 18:00:34
    Looking to get your career as a writer started — or to boost your freelance writing income in 2012? My next Write for Magazines 8-week e-course starts on Monday, February 27. And if you’ve been holding off due to the price, you’ll love this: For this session only, I’m letting students pay what they want for the Basic version of the e-course with no e-mail support (*well, kinda: minimum $30). The Basic version normally costs $120, so you can get as much as a 75% discount. I’m really excited about… Click here to keep reading...

  • Messages from Sponsors — January 2012

    Updated: 2012-01-30 15:06:06
    Below are a few messages from my blog’s sponsors. Check them out and see if any interest you. Many of them have upcoming webinars. News from Madcap MadCap Software is pleased to present free live webinars from industry experts covering a variety of topics essential for today’s technical writers.  Sign up today to advance your professional skills and learn about the latest trends in technical ... more »

  • You Ask, I Answer: How Should I Organize My Article?

    Updated: 2012-01-30 11:00:41
    , : The Renegade Writer About Us Free Query Packet E-Courses E-Books Phone Mentoring Query Critiques Free Teleclasses Guest Posting Contact Us Tweet Jump to Comments You Ask , I Answer : How Should I Organize My Article I recently critiqued a list article for a client . A list article can be any collection of tips , products , and so on five ways to lose weight , profiles of four entrepreneurs in a certain industry , a top-10 list , a round-up of several vacation spots , a bunch of product reviews , and so on . In this case , it was a round-up of five or six different resources that catered to a certain . demographic My client’s editor had supplied her with one of the resources she wanted the writer to include , so my client put that one first in the . list The bad news was , that product

  • New Agent Alert: Erin Harris of Skolnick Literary

    Updated: 2012-01-29 08:41:40
    About Erin: Erin Harris is an agent at the Irene Skolnick Literary Agency. A graduate of the MFA program in creative writing at The New School, Erin received her B.A. in English from Trinity College (Hartford, CT), where she was Presidential Fellow of the English Department and inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She is seeking: literary novels with compelling plots and international settings; literary thrillers and mysteries (She'd love to find the next Tana French!); noirs (especially starring headstrong female protagonists); and YA and middle grade novels that transport her to magical places. Read more

  • Conference Spotlight: 2012 San Francisco Writers Conference (Feb. 18, 2012)

    Updated: 2012-01-29 05:46:09
    One of the largest writing conferences on the west coast is approaching quickly: the 2012 San Francisco Writers Conference, happening Feb. 16-19, 2012 (President's Day weekend). This event typically sells out every year and attracts more than 20 agents, to say nothing of the large amount of authors and editors who are also part of the program. Keep reading to learn more. Read more

  • Tips to Make Selling Your Fiction a Reality

    Updated: 2012-01-27 21:09:15
    Guest Post by Rob Eagar Earlier this year, I heard a publishing executive say, “The best way to market your fiction is to write more fiction.” I disagree with this idea, because … Read more

  • WD Poetic Form Challenge: Tritina

    Updated: 2012-01-27 19:20:11
    I’m so excited for this WD Poetic Form Challenge, because it’s like the sestina, but it’s much shorter. For some, this may make it easier; for others, maybe not. So what are … Read more

  • How I Got My Agent: Robin Mellom

    Updated: 2012-01-26 19:14:06
    : WritersDigest.com Skip to content Home Writing Articles By Writing Genre Literary Fiction Young Adult Childrens Science Fiction Fantasy Short Story Essay Articles Freelance Memoir Nonfiction Mystery Thriller Romance Horror Spiritual Humor Poetry Script Writing By Writing Goal Get Published Sell Your Work Write 1st Chapter Get Started Complete 1st Draft Build a Platform Start Blogging Improve My Writing Write An Article Beat Writer’s Block Business Legal Matters Marketing Your Work By Writing Level Haven’t Written Anything Yet At Work on First Draft Completed Multiple Manuscripts Published Author Community Forum About StoryFriday Daily Writing Prompts The WD Community Writing Groups Editor Blogs Guide to Literary Agents There Are No Rules Questions Quandaries Poetic Asides Competitions

  • What science blog networks do you visit – an update

    Updated: 2012-01-25 20:15:35
    Two weeks ago I posted a survey asking people to rank the 3 science blog networks they visit most frequently.  The responses (23 in total) are probably not representative, given that most of the traffic to the post came from people clicking on my tweet or on those of other former Sciencebloggers (and current Scientopioids).…

  • Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 163

    Updated: 2012-01-25 14:43:09
    For this week’s prompt, write a friend of a friend poem. This poem would be one in which you write about or in the voice of a friend of a friend. Why … Read more

  • 4 Techniques for Creating Believable Villains

    Updated: 2012-01-25 14:14:34
    The protagonist's conflict with an opposing force—usually in the form of another character—is the essence of every novel. Read more

  • Keys to a Million

    Updated: 2012-01-25 08:03:58
    Home Humanities Culture Literature Keys to a Million By Blogging Authors 5 hours ago Read more : social media Publicity Writing Writing Publishing debut novel selling a book Guest Post by Douglas Misquita When I received sample copies of my debut novel and held the first book in my hands , I realized the implications of the sentence over a million copies sold” . I realized that a million people had to buy what I was holding in my hand for me to get that branding on my books . At that point I could not fathom how other authors had reached that staggering as-far-as-the-moon-is-from-the-earth figure But there had to be a way and I began to think about how to attain that end goal . No easy task because I was going to have to fund all this on my . own The easiest and quickest thing to do was

  • Agent Advice: Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Agency

    Updated: 2012-01-25 01:34:03
    “Agent Advice” is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else. This installment features Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Agency. Nicole is a member of AAR, ACFW, RWA, and Mensa. She holds degrees in biology, psychology, and behavioral neuroscience. She also Tweets. She is seeking: romance, mainstream suspense, thrillers, mysteries, young adult, inspirational, science fiction/fantasy, and action/adventure. Read more

  • Best Advice for Getting Your Fiction Published

    Updated: 2012-01-24 21:51:51
    Seeking publication for your fiction? Start by making sure your writing is top notch. Read more

  • What Are the Guidelines for Formatting a Manuscript?

    Updated: 2012-01-24 19:27:40
    Before sending your novel out to potential agents and publishers, be sure to follow these important formatting guidelines. Read more

  • Reject a Hit: Romeo & Juliet

    Updated: 2012-01-24 02:58:43
    Let’s step once again into the role of the unconvinced, perhaps even curmudgeonly or fool-hearted editor: What harsh rejection letters might the authors of some of our favorite hits have had to endure? For this special edition of Reject a Hit, WD readers took our online challenge to rebuff Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet—in just one line. Here are 10 of our favorite faux editorial snubs. Read more

  • 10 Ways to Tell if Your Story Should be a Memoir or a Novel

    Updated: 2012-01-24 02:48:43
    Should your story be fictionalized or be a true telling of your life? You have to decide. Here are 10 factors to consider. Read more

  • Interview with Ugur Akinci about Technical Communication

    Updated: 2012-01-23 22:41:39
    The following is an interview with Ugur Akinci, a technical writer for Honeywell Corporation. Ugur asked me these same questions for an interview on this site. After answering them, I was curious about how he would answer the same questions, so I asked Ugur to respond to the questions for my site as well. (1)   How long you’ve been a technical communicator? Where do you ... more »

  • Top Tips From the Writer’s Digest Conference

    Updated: 2012-01-23 19:42:09
    The staying power of events like this weekend’s Writer’s Digest Conference comes down to one thing: Momentum. It’s energizing being in the company of so many like-minded people—the solidarity is encouraging, and … Read more

  • Submitting for Publication

    Updated: 2012-01-23 19:41:21
    In the February issue - now available online and on the newsstand - the editors of Writer's Digest consulted experts in major genres to give their best advice on how to submit your work for publication. Read more

  • What Writers Need to Know About Formatting (FAQs)

    Updated: 2012-01-23 19:35:37
    When writing your future bestseller you don't want to have to waste too much time wondering if you should be leaving one space or two between sentences or worried that you're committing other style faux pas. Here I’ve collected a writer’s set of FAQs about formatting issues that will help you navigate the basics. Read more

  • Upcoming Webinar: Designing Quick Reference Guides

    Updated: 2012-01-23 15:31:14
    I’m giving an STC webinar this week on designing quick reference guides. Here are the details: Designing Quick Reference Guides Date: Wednesday, 25 January | 1:00–2:00 PM EST (GMT-5) Condensing a manual into an attractive quick reference guide requires a poet’s precision with language, but it also requires you to exercise skill with visual design and page layout. These short guides blend marketing with instruction, ... more »

  • Renegade Q&A with Jacquie Jordan, Author of Heartfelt Marketing: Allowing the Universe to be Your Business Partner

    Updated: 2012-01-23 11:00:09
    , : The Renegade Writer About Us Free Query Packet E-Courses E-Books Phone Mentoring Query Critiques Free Teleclasses Guest Posting Contact Us Tweet Jump to Comments Renegade Q A with Jacquie Jordan , Author of Heartfelt Marketing : Allowing the Universe to be Your Business Partner Jacquie Jordan is the author of Heartfelt Marketing : Allowing the Universe to be Your Business Partner She’s also a TV producer and the owner of TVGuestpert.com where producers go to book TV . experts I interviewed Jacquie about the similarities between pitching producers and editors , how to market from the heart instead of the mind , and how to avoid what Jacquie calls energetic tackiness” in your . pitches Renegade Writer : I know that you’re a producer and that as a producer you get pitches , much like a

  • The 2012 Writer’s Digest Conference — a Recap

    Updated: 2012-01-23 00:58:47
    I just got back from our writers conference in New York, and, as expected, it was extremely busy yet extremely great. It was our second year hosting it in Manhattan, and, besides a snowstorm that hit on Saturday, everything went very smoothly -- including the gigantic Agent Pitch Slam, which is my big focus in terms of planning. (If you couldn't make the conference this year, stayed tuned to the conference website. I expect we will be back in mid to late January 2013 for more awesomeness.) Read more

  • Graduate Research Findings about Technical Communication and Blogs in the Workplace

    Updated: 2012-01-22 19:07:30
    The following is a guest post by Michelle Tompkins. Earlier this year she asked me to post a survey about technical communication and blogging. I posted it here, and then asked if she would follow up to share her findings. This guest post shares her findings. Earlier in December, Tom Johnson was nice enough to help me with my graduate research on how blogs are ... more »

  • The Drive to Write

    Updated: 2012-01-22 17:49:45
    Chris Baty, founder of National Novel Writing Month, gives the closing address of the 2012 Writer's Digest Conference. Read more

  • How to Make Your Novel’s First 50 Pages Stand Out

    Updated: 2012-01-22 16:54:07
    Jeff Gerke gives tips to aspiring novelists on how to improve their first fifty pages. Read more

  • Opportunity for Romance Writers: Adams Media Seeking Submissions for new E-book Line

    Updated: 2012-01-21 00:34:55
    My good buddy Jennifer Lawler was asked to launch and manage Adams Media’s new line of romance e-books. Jennifer is looking for romantic suspense, contemporary, paranormal, historical, and erotic romance — full-length (around 60-80K) plus shorts and novellas. If you have a manuscript you’d like to pitch, you can send your pitch letter (no attachments, please) to jennifer@jenniferlawler.com. Good luck! [lf]

  • Using JIRA to Track Writing Assignments

    Updated: 2012-01-18 14:57:28
    We had a couple of writing interns join our group this month. To track writing assignments for the technology blog, I’ve been using JIRA. JIRA is a bug tracking tool from Atlassian (the same company that makes Confluence). It’s typically used by software teams to track bugs during software development projects. You can add comments to items, assign items to team members, assign the items ... more »

  • A Lifetime of Reading Versus a Lifetime of Writing

    Updated: 2012-01-13 15:46:31
    This past week I traveled to Florida to help clear out my dad’s house. He recently fell and hit his head, and now he’s in a rehabilitation center while his memory recovers. It may take him months to return to his normal self. When he does, we want him to live closer to my sister in Tampa. I spent an entire day clearing out his ... more »

  • Best Graphic Design for Book Covers

    Updated: 2012-01-11 19:43:16
    Home FREE Templates Get Published My 1 Recommendation 200+ Free Tools Book Marketing Best Graphic Design for Book Covers by Tim New York I am putting the finsishing touches on my book and need to create a front and back cover . I saw new books in the store with what looked like computer generated pictures on the front and back covers . I know how I want the design to look , but my question is how can I get the graphic design , or computer generated image to build the picture on the cover with designs like what I have seen on the books in the stores , and will it cost me an arm and a leg Comments for Best Graphic Design for Book Covers Average Rating Click here to add your own comments Rating Graphic design NEW by : Shelley Hitz Tim , There are several options for graphic design for your

  • My Most Successful Book Marketing Strategy

    Updated: 2012-01-11 19:41:38
    Home FREE Templates Get Published My 1 Recommendation 200+ Free Tools Book Marketing My Most Successful Book Marketing Strategy by Deborah H . Bateman Lexington , SC , USA Deborah H . Bateman-Author The Book of Ruth-A Story of Love and Redemption I have tried several different things for marketing my eBook online . My most successful strategy thus far is my book launch . I think one of the reasons it was so successful was I had a team of partners working with me to help promote my book launch . I am going to share with you some of the things I did to prepare for and promote my book . launch Here are some of the things you need to do to prepare for your book : launch Set up a website for your book , or an author website blog . I used WordPress because you can have either static pages ,

  • What science blog networks do you visit most frequently?

    Updated: 2012-01-11 03:44:01
    It’s no secret that the science blogosphere has undergone massive changes in the past 18 months.  There have been new networks (Scientopia, PLoS BLoGs), dramatically expanded/revamped networks (Scientific American, The Guardian, Wired), and networks that are under new management (Scienceblogs). There are even networks that have stuck around through it all, largely unchanged (Nature Network).…

  • Find a Ton of Reviewers Using Google Alerts

    Updated: 2012-01-10 09:43:38
    Home Humanities Culture Literature Find a Ton of Reviewers Using Google Alerts By Blogging Authors 10 hours ago Read more : Book Reviews get book review google alert Publicity Writing Writing Publishing google search for reviewers Guest Post by Dane Batty How many book review blogs and websites do you know of My list has grown leaps and bounds , in the hundreds , and I’m sure I haven’t even touched the surface . When they say , It’s a big ocean out there and I’m a little fish boy do they mean it Most times I can’t even begin to see the land or the bottom , and it looks dark as night . I wonder how to find all the possible reviewers that would be happy to give me some publicity in exchange for a copy of my book . Then I get a buzz in my . pants The new buzz that I’ve found that works is my

  • Phony Book Reviews and How to Avoid Them

    Updated: 2012-01-08 18:30:16
    Home Humanities Culture Literature Phony Book Reviews and How to Avoid Them By Blogging Authors 16 hours ago Read more : Book Reviews get book review Publicity Writing Writing Publishing phony book reviews Guest Post by Irene Watson Authors need book reviews to sell books , and readers like book reviews that help them make informed buying decisions about what books to read . However , many fake book reviews and reviewers are out there , and when authors hire people to write reviews , not knowing the reviewer will not actually read the book , or when readers buy books based on fake reviews , the result can be displeased readers who might then be angry enough to post their own negative reviews about the . book Print publications continue to discontinue running book reviews and are even going

  • Temporary Blog Break

    Updated: 2012-01-07 03:42:00
    , home Blog About Forums Nathan Bransford San Francisco , CA United States Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW , a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space , break the universe , and have to find their way back home , which was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd . but is now a publishing civilian working in the tech industry . He lives in San Francisco . View my Complete Profile Contact Me Blog Directory Directory of All Posts Publishing Essentials How to Write a Novel How the Publishing Process Works What Do Literary Agents Do How to Find a Literary Agent How to Write a Query Letter The Basic Query Letter Formula Examples of Good Queries How to Format

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