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Last Chance to Register!   If you want to get your book traditionally published in 2021-be it fiction, nonfiction, a children's book, or memoir-increase your chances by knowing how to evaluate the commercial potential of your work and learning the best way to approach editors, agents, and publishers. Book publishing is undergoing a dramatic transformation as e-book sales increase and physical bookstores decrease in number. These changes affect the traditional book deals that get made-meaning that authors have to adjust their strategies to adapt to a risk-averse and uncertain industry. This intensive and information-filled 120-minute live webinar helps you think like an industry insider who makes decisions every day on what work merits print publication. You'll get practical advice and tools to help you develop strong pitch letters and proposal materials for both fiction and nonfiction-plus back-door methods for networking with agents and editors. Avoid frustration-don't embark on the submission process in 2021 without being fully educated about how the industry works, from an impartial point of view. You will better focus your time and energy, increase your chances of success, and learn to decipher the language of industry professionals.   The tried-and-true pitch formula that gets the attention of an editor or an agent 3 of the biggest time-wasters writers should avoid when pursuing traditional publication The critical differences between pitching fiction and nonfiction, as well as differences in pitching narrative-driven works, information-driven works, and illustrated works How to evaluate how close you are to getting a traditional deal-and if you're really ready to start submitting your work to agents and editors and much more! Writers with finished novel manuscripts who are starting to consider submitting to agents and editors Nonfiction writers with a book concept who need to know the next steps to take Writers who are currently submitting their work and not getting the responses they expected or hoped for Anyone who needs a primer on how the book industry works Previously published authors who have been out of the game and need a refresher for the digital era   January 6, 1:00 PM ET   SIGN UP NOW! Instructor: Jane Friedman   Jane Friedman is the former publisher of Writer’s Digest and the former web editor for the Virginia Quarterly Review (VQR). She has been building websites using WordPress since 2006, and is the sole designer and developer of her own website at JaneFriedman.com. Her website enjoys more than 100,000 visits every month and has won multiple awards as a best website for writers. Find out more at JaneFriedman.com.     Active Interest Media 5710 Flatiron Parkway Suite A Boulder, Colorado, 80301 USA

To kick off the new year, the WD team is bringing you expert advice on avoiding common writing mistakes, how to handle fight scenes, and more! FightWrite™: Knife Fights, Part 1 "Knife fights. As someone who knows nothing, how do they work? It is a fight at all or just an attack? Defense options? What do novices need to know first? What do experts know that the rest of us don’t? Most pressing medical concerns? What can be handled with first aid and what requires the ER?" —Brenda Carroll Ooooh, knives... What a keen way to begin 2021. I can tell you right now this post will be a two-parter. I can go on for days about blades. Also, you asked a lot, Brenda. I love that. Read the full article... What's New in 2021 Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Waiting for Inspiration to Strike The Writer's Digest team has witnessed many writing mistakes over the years, so we're starting this series to help identify them for other writers (along with strategies for avoiding the mistake). This week's writing mistake writers make is waiting for inspiration to strike. Read More... What Is Flash Fiction? WD editor Moriah Richard outlines the short short form and answers the question, “What is flash fiction?” Read More... The Transformation Writer's Digest Weekly Writing Prompt Happy new year! 2021 will kick off with a prompt excerpted from Going Short, a great new guide to writing flash fiction by Nancy Stohlman. "Write a story in which something transforms into something else." Read More... Land a Book Deal in 2021 Live Today, Last Chance to Register! Join publishing expert Jane Friedman for this info-packed, 120-minute webinar. You'll get the practical advice and tools you need to make 2021 the year you finally publish your book! Sign Up Now... Meet the Reader: Summing It Up A Script Magazine Feature To kick off the new year, Ray Morton takes readers back to the basics, with lessons that new writers should learn and seasoned professionals should remember. Read More... Copyediting Certificate Program Writer's Digest University This workshop will provide training for aspiring copy editors in order to give them practical and marketable workplace skills. If you complete all the assignments and pass the comprehensive test, you will receive documentation from Writer's Digest of your completion of the Copyediting Certificate Program. Learn More... Moriah Richard Moriah Richard is an editor at Writer’s Digest with a particular interest in discussing craft and genre. As a reader, she’s most interested in horror, fantasy, and romance, although she will read just about anything with a great hook. Find Moriah on Twitter @MoriahRichard93. Active Interest Media 5710 Flatiron Parkway Suite A Boulder, Colorado, 80301 USA

This Week's Webinar   How to Get Published: Land a Book Deal in 2021 Join publishing expert Jane Friedman for this info-packed, 120-minute webinar. You'll get the practical advice and tools you need to make 2021 the year you finally publish your book! Last Chance to Register! January 6, 2021 SIGN UP NOW!   Featured Resources   January/February 2021 Issue   Getting Started in Writing Premium Collection     Outlining Your Novel   A Year of Writing Prompts Upcoming Course   Copyediting Certificate Program This workshop will provide training for aspiring copy editors in order to give them practical and marketable workplace skills. If you complete all the assignments and pass the comprehensive test, you will receive documentation from Writer's Digest of your completion. January 7 - March 18 LEARN MORE!   Upcoming Boot Camp Perfecting Submission Materials Agents get literally thousands of submissions a year, including query letters, sample pages, and synopses In this WDU boot camp, each attendee will have the opportunity to have their first ten pages critiqued by an agent along with their work in any combination: query letter, manuscript pages, and synopsis.. January 19 - January 22   LEARN MORE! Explore More Resources     Active Interest Media 5710 Flatiron Parkway Suite A Boulder, Colorado, 80301 USA   Accomplish Your 2021 Writing Goals! Save 76% on 8 Resources      If you are a first-time novelist looking for guidance, this premium collection is for you. With eight hand-picked resources, you will gain the skills you need to finally write your novel! You'll also get proven advice on how to become the business-savvy professional that agents seek and editors want to work with. Learn to create a compelling story, edit your work for the professional level, push through procrastination, and increase your chances of getting published in today's market. Embrace the writing journey and take your book from the first spark of inspiration all the way to the bestseller list. This Collection Includes:  A Year of Writing Prompts Digital Download 10 Practical Tips for More Consistent, Productive Writing OnDemand Webinar How to Write a Successful Novel: The Craft, Techniques, and Strategies You Need to Know OnDemand Webinar 8 Things First-Time Novelists Need to Avoid Video Tutorial A Rough Draft is Better Than No Draft at All Video Tutorial Becoming Persistent Conference Session Cohesive Story Building Video Tutorial How to Create Your Bestselling Author Career Plan Audio Download $367.92 $87.99   SAVE NOW!   Active Interest Media 5710 Flatiron Parkway Suite A Boulder, Colorado, 80301 USA One Big Mistake Many Writers Make Everyone makes mistakes—even writers—but that's okay, because each mistake is a great learning opportunity. The Writer's Digest team has witnessed many mistakes over the years, so we're starting this series to help identify them early in the process. Note: The mistakes in this series aren't focused on grammar rules, though we offer help in that area as well.  (75 grammar rules for writers.) Rather, we're looking at bigger picture mistakes and mishaps, including the error of using too much exposition, neglecting research, or researching too much. This week's writing mistake writers make is waiting for inspiration to strike. Read the full article... The 7 Rules of Picking Names for Characters Choosing a character name for your novel is as pressure-filled as picking a name for a baby. It has to suit the character's personality, makes sense for the era and, most important, be super awesome. Names like Harry Potter, Holden Caulfield and Stephanie Plum are memorable not just because of the amazing stories they navigate, but also because these names "fit" those characters so well. You need a name that "fits" your character too. (10 questions you need to ask your characters.) Here are seven great rules for choosing character names offered up by popular mystery writer Elizabeth Sims (the Rita Farmer Mysteries). When developing characters—no matter what sort of characters you're pursuing—heed common sense and consider each of these tips before choosing a name. Read More... This Week in Writing 1/4—Jakob Grimm born 1643 1/4—Harlan Coben born 1962 (Twist ending tips from Harlan Coben) 1/4—T.S. Eliot died 1962 1/6—Carl Sandburg born 1878 1/6—E.L. Doctorow born 1931 1/6—Elizabeth Strout born 1956 1/6—Karin Slaughter born 1971 (Excerpt from WD's Slaughter interview) 1/7—Zora Neale Hurston born 1891 1/8—Wilkie Collins born 1824 1/9—Katherine Mansfield died 1923 1/10—Robinson Jeffers born 1887 1/10—Dashiell Hammett died 1961 Robert Lee Brewer Robert Lee Brewer is a senior editor for Writer's Digest and former editor of the Writer's Market book series. He is also the author of Smash Poetry Journal and Solving the World's Problems. Find him on Twitter at @RobertLeeBrewer Active Interest Media 5710 Flatiron Parkway Suite A Boulder, Colorado, 80301 USA       Each Flashback Friday throughout 2020, we'll be sharing an article from our archives to celebrate our 100th anniversary. Tweet your favorite WD memory to us @WritersDigest using the hashtag #WritersDigest100. Thanks for celebrating with us! Trapping the Elusive Idea   By J.J. Hoffmann, Writer's Digest, December 1920 Ideas come and go at all times and to all persons. They call upon us while we work; while we play; while we rest. To the writer, ideas represent dollars—if he can catch and hold them until they are properly developed. Ideas form the foundation upon which he is to build his success. But ideas are not always preserved. They have an annoying way of popping into our heads when we are least prepared to accept or entertain them. It is not surprising, then, that having knocked at the portals of a writer's brain and receiving no response, these ideas slip quietly away to bury their heads into the limbo of things that might have been. One almost seems to hear them mutter their disappointed and sarcastic, "nobody home." The writer who would make the most of every opportunity must devise some system for trapping the ideas that call upon him. Even when he is too busy with other matters to seriously entertain the wonderful visitors, he should have some method that will hold the ideas safely in someplace where he can get at them when he does have the time to consider and develop them. One good method is to carry a small pocket notebook at all times for the express purpose of jotting down ideas as they come for future reference. The notebook may be arranged in any form most suitable to the person using it. One writer may prefer to list his ideas in a notebook arranged like a small diary, with the dates of entries carefully provided for. Another may have it arranged so that each idea may be classified by subject or under the type of work he may wish to use it for, thus: short fiction, novel, verse, photoplay, news feature, song, play, etc. The arrangement of such system, of course, depends largely upon the kind of work engaged in by the writer, his personality, temperament, and his ability to follow any system. Continue reading this article on our website. Moriah Richard Moriah Richard is an editor at Writer’s Digest with a particular interest in discussing craft and genre. As a reader, she’s most interested in horror, fantasy, and romance, although she will read just about anything with a great hook. Find Moriah on Twitter @MoriahRichard93. How to Get Published: Land a Book Deal in 2021 January 6, 2021 Join publishing expert Jane Friedman for this info-packed, 120-minute webinar. You'll get the practical advice and tools you need to make 2021 the year you finally publish your book! Learn More and Sign Up Active Interest Media 5710 Flatiron Parkway Suite A Boulder, Colorado, 80301 USA     There's Still Time to Show Us Your Shorts!   We’re looking for writing that's bold, brilliant and, most of all, brief. For over 20 years, Writer’s Digest's Short Short Story Competition has been looking for and shining the light on amazing short fiction. Send us your best stories that are 1,500 words or less. You could win $3,000 in cash, a trip to New York City for the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference 2021, and an interview for a feature article in our magazine. Ready to be the next writer we spotlight? Enter by January 15!   LEARN MORE Active Interest Media 5710 Flatiron Parkway Suite A Boulder, Colorado, 80301 USA       In this issue, check out our free 30-day challenge to build (or improve) your writing platform, 25 publishing FAQs for writers, and so much more! Improve Your Writing Platform in 30 Days A few times now, I've run 30-day platform challenges for writers to help with the difficult task of creating a writing platform (also known as an author platform). I prefer the term writing platform, because I feel the word author locks a writer into only writing books. However, today's publishing environment offers so many more opportunities. (Your Writing Platform: Letting Readers Know the Sort of Real You.) Anyway, this post collects 30 days worth of platform-building tasks into one mega-resource for writers. Use it wisely; share it widely; and prepare to find more success than you ever thought possible. Read the full article... Craft & Business of Writing 25 Publishing FAQs for Writers After more than 20 years of working with writers and other publishing professionals, I've learned a thing or two about how the industry works. But I've also learned a thing or two about which questions writers frequently have about writing and publishing. Because they ask me at live events, on social media, or via email.  (Common publishing terms.) As such, I thought it would be a great idea to start answering those questions in individual posts. Then, it occurred to me that another great idea would be to collect those posts in one spot that makes it easy for writers to find answers to common publishing questions. Read More... Writing Humor in Uncertain Times One of the most common questions asked this year on remote panels has been how to write during this time, and more specifically, how to write funny. With my writing partner, Michael Shaw, we decided to write a book on the subject of how stressful this year has been and how to laugh at it. It started with the premise: Things could not get worse, but they could get funnier. (How to Write Funny Dialogue.) Not that there's a shortage of people out there who think they're very funny. Over the summer I heard from non-writers every couple of days deciding this was finally the opportunity to write "that book," to check off "Write a Funny Book" on their bucket list. Accountants and lawyers with suddenly free time on their hands learned that what we do isn't all that easy and reached out to find someone to ghostwrite it. Read More... 25 Plot Twist Ideas for Writers Writing is a tricky craft. Sometimes getting a story started is the hardest part. Other times, it's figuring out the grand finale. And then, there are all the twists and turns between the beginning and the end. That's where this post aims to help. (25 ways to start a story.) After all, that's where a majority of the writing and the reading is done. But most fun stories don't follow a simple Point A to Point B path even if the plot is as simple as a fellowship of characters delivering a ring from one place to another. In fact, most stories worth reading take more than a few side paths and alleyways on their way to the end. Read More... Send Your Work to 2nd Draft Critique Services! No matter your style or genre, Writer's Digest Shop offers a high-level view of your writing. After an evaluation of your submission, one of the professional 2nd Draft critiquers will provide feedback and advice. You'll not only learn what's working in your writing, but what's not, and—most important—how to fix it. Gain a critique of your manuscript, query letter, synopsis, and more! Click here to learn more >> 15 Things a Writer Should Never Do Based on interviews with authors over the years, conferences, editing dozens of issues of Writer's Digest, and my own occasional literary forays and flails, here are some points of consensus and observations: 15 of them, things anyone who lives by the pen (or seeks to) might consider. Read More... Robert Lee Brewer Robert Lee Brewer is a senior editor for Writer's Digest and former editor of the Writer's Market book series. He is also the author of Smash Poetry Journal and Solving the World's Problems. Find him on Twitter at @RobertLeeBrewer Active Interest Media 5710 Flatiron Parkway Suite A Boulder, Colorado, 80301 USA       . As we wrap up 2020, we wanted to share some advice from our editors and give you a chance to respond to the From Our Readers question. Should You Stick to What You Know?: From Our Readers (Comment for a Chance at Publication) Our upcoming March/April issue is focused on the personal. So, we would love to know what you think about the age-old adage that writers should only write what they know. Read the full article... Advice From Our Editors Conscience vs. Conscious (Grammar Rules) Learn when to use conscience vs. conscious with Grammar Rules from the Writer's Digest editors, including a few examples of correct usages. Read More... Making Magic, Part 1: Defining and Selecting Magic Systems In the first of a two-part series, WD editor Moriah Richard explains how magic systems exist on a spectrum and gives you some tips on selecting a system that works for you. Read More... Food + Magical Realism Writer's Digest Weekly Writing Prompt Write a scene or story that incorporates one of the following elements: 1. A plate of nachos that talks 2. A bowl of ravioli that grants wishes 3. A pie that can tell the future with its filling Read More... Getting Started in Writing Premium Collection Get a jump on your 2021 writing goals and save 76%! If you are a first-time novelist looking for guidance, this premium collection is for you. With eight hand-picked resources, you will gain the skills you need to finally write your novel. Learn More... Screenwriting Kung Fu: The Chinese “No-Act” Screenplay Structure, Part 2 A Script Magazine Feature In the second article of this three-part series, Dimitri Vorontzov explains how structuring your story around a series of crises can really hook your audience. Read More... Build Your Novel Scene by Scene Writer's Digest University If you want to learn how to write a story, but aren’t quite ready yet to hunker down and write 10,000 words or so a week, this is the course for you. Get the impetus, the guidance, the support and the deadline you need to finally stop talking, start writing and, ultimately, complete that novel you always said you wanted to write. Learn More... Moriah Richard Moriah Richard is an editor at Writer’s Digest with a particular interest in discussing craft and genre. As a reader, she’s most interested in horror, fantasy, and romance, although she will read just about anything with a great hook. Find Moriah on Twitter @MoriahRichard93. Active Interest Media 5710 Flatiron Parkway Suite A Boulder, Colorado, 80301 USA