With details of the Thriller and Mystery Virtual Conference, courses starting soon and more:
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New writing
webinars, books, collections, and more!
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In this NEW live webinar, literary agent Devin Ross
discuss some changes that have been taking place over the past year, how
to make sure you are writing for the future of YA, not the past, and how
to best position your project, query, and first pages for the greatest
success.
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March 28
Critique
Included!
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In this NEW live webinar, literary agent Devin Ross
discuss some changes that have been taking place over the past year, how
to make sure you are writing for the future of YA, not the past, and how
to best position your project, query, and first pages for the greatest
success.
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April 11
Critique
Included!
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There IS a formula for writing a novel that sells! Learn
the insider secrets from agents, editors and authors for writing a novel
that hooks readers from the very first sentences. In this value pack,
you’ll find seven resources to help you write a breakout novel and get
published.
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Writing Picture Books Revised and
Expanded Edition Ebook
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How to Write a Page
Turner
Ebook
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Smash
Poetry
Journal
Ebook
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The Author's Guide to Marketing on
Amazon
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F+W, 10151
Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA
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Register to receive
a critique of your query and first 5 pages
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Writing Young Adult
(YA) in 2019 is tricky. The market is ever-changing and at times,
overcrowded. Everyone seems to have an opinion on what is NOT working, but
not on what IS working.
In this live webinar, literary agent Devin Ross will demystify the current
market. She will discuss some changes that have been taking place over the
past year, how to make sure you are writing for the future of YA, not the
past, and how to best position your project, query, and first pages for the
greatest success.
Before becoming an agent, Devin was mentored by YA agent superstars Joanna
Volpe and Suzie Townsend. For years, she has navigated the market with
world-renowned YA authors. Now she is actively seeking YA authors to grow her
client list.
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All registrants are invited to submit your
query and first 5 pages. Please wait until
after the live webinar date to submit your critique material. This allows
you to make changes to your query and first 5 pages based on the
presentation and will ensure you receive the most helpful critique
possible. All submitted queries and first 5 pages
are guaranteed a written critique by Devin Ross.
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Writing for today’s market
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YA Audience and Trends
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Tips for writing YA: Voice, character,
plotting for today’s market
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How to navigate the querying process
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Writers who are interested in learning
about the YA market
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Writers who want to learn more about YA
trends
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Writers who need tips on writing YA
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Writers who need tips for the first pages
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Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 1:00 PM EDT
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Instructor: Devin
Ross
Devin Ross earned her B.A. in English from
Lawrence University and her Publishing Certificate from the Denver Publishing
Institute. She began her publishing career as an author’s assistant, helping
authors grow their platforms and meet their deadlines. Her next career move
landed her in the Subsidiary Rights department at Crown Publishing Group
before she found her home at New Leaf Literary & Media. As an agent she
works in Adult and YA fiction.
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EXPERT INSTRUCTORS |
CONVENIENT ACCESS
INVALUABLE FEEDBACK
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F+W, 10151
Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA
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See what's new and
coming up
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Our writing online workshops cover every
aspect of writing, from how to get started all the way to getting your
writing published. Writer’s Digest University features writing classes online
for every skill level of writer and our professional instructors are
dedicated to helping you achieve your writing goals.
Click
here to view course schedule >>
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Courses Starting
This Week:
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Copyediting
Certification Course
Instructor: Kim
Catanzarite
This workshop will provide you with the practical and marketable workplace
skills you need to get ahead as an aspiring copy editor. Once you complete
all the assignments and pass the comprehensive test, you will receive documentation
of completion.
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Fearless
Writing
Instructor: William
Kenower
In this workshop we’ll look at several techniques you can you use to keep
yourself in the creative flow and out of the trouble and misery fear always
causes.
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Focus
on the Short Story
Instructor: John
DeChancie
Whether you are a writing novice or a published professional, the short story
genre is a unique and challenging medium that offers you amazing
opportunities. By the end of this workshop, you’ll improve your creative
writing skills and write two complete short stories.
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Grammar
and Mechanics
Instructor: Kelly
Boyer Sagert
Grammar is an important first-step to having a successful writing career.
After completing this course, you will become a master of the fundamentals of
grammar and mechanics.
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Outlining
Your Novel
Instructor: Elizabeth
Huergo
This course will teach you how to write an outline, including what type of
outline is right for you, brainstorm plot ideas, and discover your
characters. If you have an idea for a book but are having trouble knowing
what comes next, this is the course for you!
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Writing
Historical Fiction
Instructor: Donna
Russo Morin
Whether history is a backdrop to your story or the focus of the story itself,
this workshop will provide you with the tools to find the facts you need,
organize the data in a functional manner, and merge that data seamlessly into
your novel.
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Writing
Personal Essays
Instructor: Gloria
Kempton
This course guides beginning and intermediate writers through elements of how
to write a personal essay, helping them identify values expressed in their
stories and to bring readers into the experiences described.
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Literary
Agent Boot Camp: Perfecting Submission Materials
Dates: March 19 - 22
In this boot camp from Fuse Literary Agency, attendees will learn how to put
together a short yet effective query letter, a one- to two-page book synopsis
(fiction), and a nonfiction book proposal. They’ll also learn some best
practices for submitting their query, pages, and synopsis and/or proposal to
agents. Learn
More >>
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5th
Annual Mystery and Thriller Virtual Conference
Dates: April 12 - 14
On April 13th and 14th, our 5th Annual Mystery and Thriller Virtual
Conference will provide expert insights from SEVEN award-winning and
best-selling authors on the finer points of how to write within the mystery
and thriller genres. Join us for the live event and have a chance to get
written feedback on your query letter from a literary agent who works with
mystery or thriller authors (or both). Learn
More >>
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F+W, 10151
Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA
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Join Writer’s Digest
in NYC this August!
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The Writer’s Digest Annual Conference—August 23–25 in New York City—offers
everything you need to advance your writing career creatively and
professionally, and here are 5 reasons you should join us.
1. Get mentored &
inspired by the best
You’re ready to take your writing to the next level, right? This year’s roster of speakers is rich with
successful authors and industry insiders to help improve your craft, explore
publishing options and learn how to establish a sustainable career—including
an opening keynote from N.K. Jemisin, and the closing keynote
from Min Jin Lee.
2. Connect with fellow
writers
In addition to our insightful speakers, you’ll meet hundreds of writers like
you—at various stages in their craft and careers—sharing insights,
experiences and advice between sessions, over lunch, during the cocktail
reception and after hours exploring New York City. Plus, connect ahead of
time via our attendee-only Facebook group and keep in touch after the
conference. (2018’s group is still regularly chatting!)
3. Customize a program
that meets your specific needs
Five tracks of programming over three days will cover the fundamentals of
craft in fiction, nonfiction and screenwriting, along with the business of
being a writer, from traditional and self-publishing paths, promotion and
marketing strategies, and managing a sustainable career. Whatever your unique
goals are, we’ll have you covered.
4. Find an agent or
publisher
If you’re ready to find a publisher, more than 50 agents and editors will be
looking for new voices, eager to hear your pitch! Get immediate
feedback directly from industry professionals who are acquiring in your
chosen genre; actionable advice on improving your storyline or nonfiction
premise; and an opportunity to submit your work for consideration, land
representation, or perhaps even get a book deal.
5. Indulge yourself
New York City offers a variety of things to do while you’re in town, whether
it’s a great meal, a stroll through nearby Central Park, or more adventurous literary sightseeing. Book your room now to lock in the discounted rate!
Join us at the writing community’s must-attend conference and load up on
enough inspiration to fuel your writing all year. Seats are limited, so be sure to register before March
26th and save $150!
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F+W, 10151
Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA
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Join Jeffrey Somers
in NYC at #WDC19 this August!
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Here’s an awkward confession from a writer
trying to make a living from his work: I love a good used bookstore. Nothing
beats walking out with a stack of books for pennies apiece. One of the most
overlooked aspects of a secondhand store, however, is how it acts as a time
machine.
Every writer is admonished to read widely. This is usually interpreted to
mean that you should read outside your preferred genre—and that’s true
enough. But it also means you should read outside your current time period.
It’s easy to become locked into a chase for what’s modern and hot, the trends
that are getting published right now, today. But the books being published
today are the tail end of trends that started two years ago; the past has a
lot to teach you; and it’s all happening at the used bookstore.
Good writing wasn’t invented in the year 2000. These old novels and
collections, many of which you’ve probably never heard of, are chock-full of
writing lessons. If you want to learn how to pen a great story, you could do
a lot worse than to study old paperbacks and see what the past masters were
doing decades ago—which is exactly what I’ve done in my own career. The
following 10 paperback books were purchased in funky, dimly-lit used
bookstores over the years, and each one has taught me something vital I
employ in my own writing every single day.
Paperback: Fail-Safe by
Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler (1962).
Lesson: Good
storytelling is future-proof.
This story of accidental nuclear war (which was so similar to Stanley Kubrick’s
film Doctor Strangelove and the novel it was based on, Red Alert, that
Kubrick sued) should in theory be dated. Instead, it’s a gripping, tense
story that keeps you flipping pages even though we’re no longer as worried
about atomic Armageddon (for the most part) as we were at the height of the
Cold War. Burdick and Wheeler teach a very important lesson: Stakes matter.
Not only is the entire world in danger, but each character has something
personal at stake that weighs their actions with real gravitas—and that’s an
evergreen lesson for any writer. Read More...
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Advertisement
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WIN A FREE EVALUATION OF YOUR MANUSCRIPT’S FIRST 30 PAGES by acclaimed story coach
and bestselling author Barbara Kyle. THREE WINNERS will be drawn on Saturday,
March 23 - SO ACT NOW! Winners will have three months to send their 30
manuscript pages. No fee to enter the draw. Enter
here.
Read More
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The Writer’s Digest
Annual Conference offers everything you need to advance your writing career
creatively and professionally. Gain invaluable tips to improve your craft,
explore publishing options and learn how to establish a sustainable
career—all while being inspired by successful authors and your fellow
attendees. And it’s all brought to you by Writer’s Digest, the experts at
nurturing and developing writers at every stage of their career for 100
years. Register today for your best price and join us at the Hilton Midtown
in New York City from August 23-25, 2019!
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Please do not reply to this email.
We are happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have.
Please click
here to contact us.
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Create your story
map and start writing
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What is my novel
missing? How can I develop this single idea?
Is my story structure complete?
Sounds like you need a story map to help you with plot development and
outlining a novel. Just as a road map helps you plot your travel plans, a
story map serves as a visual outline that helps you see the direction
your story is taking and whether you’ve overlooked any major points of
interest along the way while you’re writing plot structure.
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Here are three keys
to successfully navigating your own:
INTRODUCE A STORY MAP AT ANY STAGE OF YOUR WRITING PROCESS.If you’re just
beginning your story, implementing a story map will help you see where to
start and where to spin off ideas to move your piece forward. As you map your
ideas, you’ll discover that they help to propagate more ideas. Especially if
you’re stuck at a particular point in your novel, you may want to update or
create a new map so it reflects—or creates—fresh ideas and story structure.
If you’ve already outlined or written most of your story, a story map may
point out where your structure is weak or not fully developed by what you
can’t fill in, or by what you’re struggling to answer.
BE LOOSE. You’re simply placing on a chart what you understand about your
story. Everything you write can be considered a placeholder until you develop
a stronger idea. Sometimes what you think is the beginning hook may change to
be the climax or a conflict once you better understand your story. For now,
write what you know—and put it where you think it belongs. You can always
change it once you have a clearer understanding of what you’re writing about.
Read More...
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Writers often look
upon outlines with fear and trembling. But when properly understood and
correctly used, the outline is one of the most powerful weapons in a writer's
arsenal. With the help of this
course you will learn how to write an outline, including what type of
outline is right for you, brainstorm plot ideas, and discover your
characters.
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Course Starts This Thursday
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F+W, 10151
Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA
In this week's edition of the Writer's
Digest newsletter, learn the differences between a crime, a thriller and a
mystery novel, discover the secrets to better book cover typography, and
learn what it means for MFA students to have their work stored in a digital
repository.
– Jess Zafarris
Follow @jesszafarris
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The Differences Between a Crime Novel, Mystery
Novel and Thriller Novel
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Every writer’s job is to give the reader what she wants in a
way she doesn’t expect. (And it’s wise to
remember that every agent and editor is foremost a reader, too.)
One of the first things to consider when setting out, therefore, is what
kinds of expectations your story creates, so you can go about gratifying
readers in surprising ways.
This is particularly true of writing in a genre, where conventions can seem
ironclad -- or all too often degrade into formula. And formula, by
definition, surprises no one.
The suspense genres in particular have a number of seemingly hard and fast
rules that a writer defies at his peril. And yet the most satisfying
mysteries, thrillers and crime stories find a way to create a new take on
those rules to fashion something fresh, interesting, original. In other
words, while you don’t want to mistakenly pitch your cozy mystery to an agent
who wants only high-octane thrillers, you also want to make sure that when
you connect with that cozy-loving agent, she’ll be jumping to sign you
because your cozy
stands out from the rest.
Here’s a map to help you navigate subgenre subtleties.
Mystery Novels
A crime is committed -- almost always a murder -- and the action of the story
is the solution of that crime: determining who did it and why, and obtaining
some form of justice. The best mystery stories often explore man’s unique
capacity for deceit -- especially self-deceit -- and demonstrate a humble
respect for the limits of human understanding. This is usually considered the
most cerebral (and least violent) of the suspense genres.
Thematic emphasis:
How can we come to know the
truth? (By definition, a mystery is simply something that defies
our usual understanding of the world.)
Structural distinctions:
The basic plot elements of the mystery form are:
- The
baffling crime
- The
singularly motivated investigator
- The
hidden killer
- The
cover-up (often more important than the crime itself, as the cover-up is
what conceals the killer)
- Discovery
and elimination of suspects (in which creating false suspects is often
part of the killer’s plan)
- Evaluation
of clues (sifting the true from the untrue)
- Identification
and apprehension of the killer.
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Advertisement
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WIN A FREE EVALUATION OF YOUR MANUSCRIPT’S FIRST 30 PAGES by acclaimed story
coach and bestselling author Barbara Kyle. THREE WINNERS will be drawn on
Saturday, March 23 – SO ACT NOW! Winners will have three months to send their
30 manuscript pages. No fee to enter the draw. Enter
here.
Read More
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This
post via Reedsy dives into one of the most crucial components of a book
cover. Read on to find out how to handle book cover typography -- and how
to make yours stand out and sell your book. Read More...
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Many
MFA programs require students to submit an electronic thesis into their
library's digital repository, where it's available online. How can these
students protect their work?Read more...
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With
the pursuit of a career in film, it's always important to evaluate when
it might be time to throw in the towel. Or can you? Christopher Schiller
examines the when and how to call it quits... or if you even should. Read More...
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Writer’s
Digest Books is releasing the Smash
Poetry Journal, a collection of 125 poetry prompts and other
poetic fun, later this month. Author Robert Lee Brewer gives us an inside
look. Learn more and
register...
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Spiritual
nonfiction author and professor Anthony Maranise shares a thoughtful
essay about the unique considerations of writing for audiences affected
by cancer. Read More...
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This
workshop will provide training for aspiring copy editors in order to give
them practical and marketable workplace skills. This certification course
incorporates critiqued writing assignments and tools to communicate
directly with your instructor and fellow students—to make sure that you
are grasping the content. Learn more and
register...
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F+W, 10151
Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA
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See what an agent
thinks of your mystery/thriller
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Writer's Digest
University is pleased to present an exclusive online event for mystery &
thriller writers! On April 13th and 14th, our Thriller Virtual Conference will provide
expert insights from SEVEN award-winning and best-selling authors on the
finer points of how to write within the mystery and thriller genres. Spend
the weekend learning techniques for honing your craft from seven different
published authors*, then (if you choose) pitch your novel via query letter to
a literary agent specifically looking for material in the mystery or thriller
genre. The agent will provide you with a personalized critique of your query
– and maybe ask to see more.
Experience the education, camaraderie, and opportunities provided by a live
writing conference without ever having to leave your home!
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All participants will benefit from:
- SEVEN
all-new, one-hour webinar presentations provided by award-winning and
bestselling mystery & thriller authors*,
all examining different aspects of writing novels in these genres. Each
session will include an opportunity for live Q&A with the authors!
- A
critique (with written feedback) of your query letter from an agent with
experience in the mystery and thriller genres.
- A
bonus 90-minute On
Demand webinar covering how to write a query letter so
you're prepared when pitching your novel to agents. (A $79.99 value!)
- The
ability to network
with mystery and thriller writers via discussion boards
that will be open throughout the weekend. Share ideas, and even your
work if you choose.
- Unlimited
OnDemand viewing! All conference sessions will
be made available for download in the week following the live
presentations. Even if you can't attend every session live, you will be
able to view each lecture on your own whenever you choose.
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Pitch Your Mystery
or Thriller Novel to a Literary Agent
Join us for the live event and have a chance to get written feedback on your
query letter from a literary agent who works with mystery or thriller authors
(or both).
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Thursday, April 12 - April 14, 2019
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Instructor: James
Scott Bell
JAMES SCOTT BELL is a winner of the International
Thriller Writers Award and the author of numerous bestsellers. He served as
fiction columnist for Writer's Digest magazine and has written many popular
craft books, including Plot & Structure, Conflict & Suspense, Just
Write, and Write Your Novel From the Middle. He attended the University of
California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver, and
graduated with honors from the University of Southern California law school.
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Instructor: Larry
Brooks
Larry Brooks is the author of four Writers
Digest books on fiction craft, including the bestselling STORY ENGINEERING,
named by Signaturereads.com as the third best writing book of the modern era.
He is a frequent speaker at WD events and other conferences, and his website,
www.storyfix.com, is a well-known resource
for authors at all levels of the fiction trade. His new WD book, THE
CRITERIA-DRIVEN NOVELIST, will be released Fall 2019.
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Instructor: Jane K.
Cleland
Jane K. Cleland writes the multiple
award-winning and bestselling Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries [St. Martin’s
Minotaur]. The 13th in the series, Hidden Treasure, will be published
in spring 2020. Her short stories are published by Alfred Hitchcock Mystery
Magazine. Jane also writes about the craft of writing, including the
Agatha award-nominated Mastering Plot Twists and the Agatha
Award-winning and bestselling Mastering Suspense, Structure & Plot,
both from Writer’s Digest Books. She is also a Contributing Editor for
Writer’s Digest Magazine and chairs the Wolfe Pack’s Black Orchid Novella
Award in partnership with AHMM.
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Instructor: Gar
Anthony Haywood
GAR ANTHONY HAYWOOD is the Shamus and
Anthony award-winning author of twelve crime novels, and has been called by Booklist
"a writer who has always belonged in the upper echelon of American crime
fiction." His short fiction has been included in the "Best American
Mystery Stories" and anthologies, and he has written for network
television and both the New York Times and Los Angeles Time.
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Instructor: Naomi
Hirahara
Naomi Hirahara is the Edgar Award-winning
author of two mystery series set in Southern California. Her Mas Arai series,
which features a Hiroshima survivor and gardener, ended with the publication
of HIROSHIMA BOY in 2018. The books have been translated into Japanese,
Korean and French. The first in her Officer Ellie Rush bicycle cop mystery series
received the T. Jefferson Parker Mystery Award. She has also published noir
short stories, middle-grade fiction and nonfiction history books. Her new
mystery set in Hawai’i, ICED IN PARADISE, will be released in September 2019.
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Instructor: Paula
Munier
Paula Munier is an agent and authors whose
roots in the mystery writing community run deep. As Senior Literary Agent and
Content Strategist for Talcott Notch Literary, she specializes in crime
fiction, representing many great crime writers. She’s author of the Mercy
Carr series, the first of which, A BORROWING OF BONES, was just nominated for
the Mary Higgins Clark Award. The second in the series, BLIND SEARCH, will be
published in Fall 2019. She’s also written three popular books on writing:
the bestselling Plot Perfect, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings,
and Writing with Quiet Hands.
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Instructor: Hank
Phillippi Ryan
Hank Phillippi Ryan is the on-air
investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV. She's won 34 EMMYs and dozens
more journalism honors. The nationally bestselling author of 11 mysteries,
Ryan's also an award-winner in her second profession—with five Agathas, three
Anthonys, two Macavitys, the Daphne, and for The Other Woman, the
coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award.
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EXPERT INSTRUCTORS | CONVENIENT ACCESS
INVALUABLE FEEDBACK
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F+W, 10151
Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA
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