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This Week's
Virtual Conference:
7th Annual Mystery
and Thriller Virtual Conference
with 7
Award-Winning Authors
March 26-28, 2021
Gain 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 pitch
your novel via query letter to a literary agent specifically looking
for material in the mystery or thriller genre.
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Courses
Starting This Week:
Build Your Novel
Scene by Scene
Instructor:
Mark Spencer
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.
Social
Media 101
Instructor: Dan
Blank
Social media is a large part of our world today and it's growing by the
minute. Discover how to use social media to your advantage in this
workshop. You’ll learn how to create a profile on social networks,
decide which platforms are right for you, and build a sense of
community with others online.
Writing
Historical Fiction
Instructor: Donna
Russo Morin
In this workshop, you'll learn everything you need to know about
writing a historical novel. This includes how to find the facts you
need, how to organize those facts, how to write scenes utilizing
historical markers, and more!
Writing
the Personal Essay 101: Fundamentals
Instructors:
Estelle Erasmus
An excellent way to get your first byline, this course guides writers
through elements of how to write a personal essay, helping them
identify values expressed in their stories and bring readers into the
experiences described.
Creativity
& Expression
Instructor: G.
Miki Hayden
When you take this online workshop, you’ll explore creative writing
topics and learn how descriptive writing can breathe life into your
characters, setting, and plot. Learn creative writing techniques to
launch your writing and transform your ideas into your next story.
Marketing
Your Magazine Articles
Instructor:
Jack Adler
Do you have a great idea for an article but don’t know what publication
would be the best fit? Develop the skills you need to market your
writing through this online writing workshop. Take a chance and pitch
your writing to editors—you might just see your work in print and get
paid too!
Revision
& Self Editing
Instructor:
Terri Valentine
Every writer knows that the journey to publication is a long and hard
road. Once you finish your first draft, it’s time to start the arduous
process of self-editing and revision. In this workshop, you will learn
methods of self-editing for fiction writers to ensure your writing is
free of errors.
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Upcoming
Webinars:
The Picture Book
Puzzle: Writing, Revising, and Querying Your Picture Book Manuscript
with Maria
Vicente
April 1, 1:00 PM EDT
Join Maria Vicente and get your picture book on the
shelves. This webinar includes a live presentation, a Q&A session,
and a critique of your children's picture book manuscript that will
help you write, revise, and pitch your picture book long after the webinar
is over.
Writing & Selling
the Historical Novel: From Idea to Publication
with Gina
Panettieri
April 29, 1:00 PM EDT
Writing and Selling the Historical Novel is a crash
course jam-packed with advice from the start of your novel to the
finish, from picking a concept with immediate appeal to pitching your
finished product to the agents and editors who will take it to
publication.
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Upcoming Boot
Camp:
How to Craft Query
Letters & Other Submission Materials That Get Noticed
with Kimberley
Cameron and Associates
April 20-23, 2021
When your submission materials – a query letter,
synopsis, manuscript, or book proposal – arrive in an agent's inbox,
they land among hundreds of others. This WDU Boot Camp is designed to
help you streamline your submission materials to stand out in a good
way. Get valuable agent feedback on your submission materials and more!
Seating is limited so sign up today.
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EXPERT INSTRUCTORS | CONVENIENT ACCESS
INVALUABLE FEEDBACK
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If you're feeling stuck, don't be afraid to
lean on the writing community for support. This week, we
have tips for events, co-authoring, and a writing challenge
announcement.
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(Editor's
Note: Curious about the event with WD
Editor-at-Large Jessica Strawser and WD columnist
Barbara Poelle? Read the
full article on our site to find out more!)
Maybe you’re
booking a tour event—virtually or, as public health
permits, in person—via a bookstore, library, or other
venue to promote your book, and are wondering if two
authors are better than one.
Maybe you’re struggling to prepare a talk about your
book that smoothly touches on all the aspects you want
to discuss, or feeling awkward in a virtual format
where you can’t see and hear your audience.
Maybe you’ve been invited to join another author on a
book festival stage as an “in conversation” host and
aren’t sure whether to accept. Read the full article...
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7th Annual Mystery and Thriller Virtual
Conference
This Weekend!
Gain 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 pitch your novel via
query letter to a literary agent specifically looking for
material in the mystery or thriller genre.
Learn More & Register
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Revision &
Self Editing
Writer's
Digest University
Every writer knows that the journey to
publication is a long and hard road. Once you finish your
first draft, it’s time to start the arduous process of
self-editing and revision. In this workshop, you will learn
methods of self-editing for fiction writers to ensure your
writing is free of errors. Learn More...
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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.
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Writer's Digest
University is pleased to present an exclusive online event for mystery
& thriller writers! On March
27 and March 28, our 7th Annual Mystery &
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.
See schedule of session below with
Hallie Ephron, Chris Mooney, David Heska Wanbli Weiden, and others!
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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Starts Friday!
March 26-28, 2021
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Mystery, Suspense, or Thriller? How to Know What You're
About
with Hallie Ephron
What makes one novel a thriller,
another a mystery, and another suspense, and where does your novel fit
in? Learn the differences among crime fiction genres, what makes them
tick. Discover examples to illustrate, and exercises to see how your
ideas fit into which category. In this session, writers will learn
techniques for making the most of each, as well as what agents and
editors are looking for.
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How to Write a Great Beginning for Your Mystery/Thriller
Novel
Instructor: Hank Phillippi Ryan
You know the great opening lines:
Ishmael, Manderley, the last camel. Why do those work? And how can you
create one for your own novel? And then--what about that crucial first
paragraph? And a first page that will entice editors and enchant
readers? How can you set the proper expectations for the story to
come—and make every word work? In this session, suitable for any genre,
we will dissect and analyze acclaimed first lines and opening
paragraphs, and reveal the writing secrets these brilliant examples offer.
If you are brave enough--Please bring your own first line! Hank and the
class will offer advice and guidance—to set you and your book off in
the right direction.
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The Logic of Longing: The Four Conflicting Forces
Motivating Your Character
Instructor: David Corbett
Compelling characters are complex,
and their complexity emerges by how they have reconciled the competing
forces of promise and self-protection in their lives—and how that
reconciliation gets challenged by events in your story. In this
presentation, David Corbett (The
Art of Character, The
Compass of Character) will lead participants in an
exploration of the four conflicting motivational forces at the heart of
every character—Lack, Yearning, Resistance, Desire—with an eye toward
how they dictate behavior, action, and meaning. Special emphasis will
be placed on how these factors influence the hero’s will to justice and
the villain’s will to power in the mystery-crime genre.
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Strategies for Writing Compelling Dialogue
Instructor: David Heska Wanbli Weiden
In this session, writers will study
the techniques for writing great dialogue that develops both plot and
character. Crime fiction presents unique challenges and opportunities
for writers, and this session will show how to effectively use subtext,
dialect, and action to accentuate tension. Techniques for avoiding the
dialogue "tennis match" and concentrating meaning will be
explored as well.
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How to Tell a Story Readers Will Love
Instructor: Chris Mooney
In this session, writers will learn
everything they need to know to write a story that will appeal to
readers. Mooney will lead participants through the process of breaking
down the storytelling elements into their basic parts to use them as
building blocks for writing effective scenes and chapters that readers
will love.
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Solving the Mystery of Authentic Characters and
Relationships
Instructor: Jennifer J. Chow
This session will first explore the
elements needed to create authentic characters. It'll delve into ways
to make a character come alive to the reader and also how to craft a
multidimensional personality. Methods discussed will include research
and unique personal experience. The presentation will also dive into
the relationships shown in mystery novels and how to make them
compelling. Writing devices used to examine the interplay among
characters will include revelatory behavior, snappy dialogue, and sensory
details. Examples from recent novels will be used to highlight the
various concepts.
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How to Write Satisfying Endings
Instructor: David Bell
In the movie Adaptation, the
screenwriting guru played by Brian Cox says, "You can have flaws,
problems, but wow them in the end, and you've got a hit." But how
does a novelist figure out and write toward an ending that wows their
readers? In this session led by bestselling suspense novelist David
Bell, you will learn how to put the pieces in place throughout your
book--the characters, the plot, the setting--so that you can write the
most satisfying ending for your novel and send your readers away happy.
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In this issue, hear from a writer who
hates pitching (and tips for overcoming this problem),
find a new agent alert, learn what a slush pile is (and
is not), and so much more!
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Help! I'm a Writer Who Hates Pitching
Hi, I'm Alison and
I'm a writer who hates pitching. If there was a 12-step
program for freelancers with an aversion to querying
editors, I'd be the first to sign up.
(How to Pitch
Articles and Get Published: An Effective 4-Step
Strategy)
I've
produced and hosted TV shows, talked on live radio,
filmed US presidents, interviewed celebrities, and once
even went undercover with an alleged cult, all without
batting an eye. Yet the prospect of writing a pitch
fills me with dread.
Read the full article...
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Craft & Business of Writing
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New Agent Alert: Isabel Kaufman of Fox
Literary
Isabel is actively
looking to build her list in fantasy and science
fiction, adult literary fiction, upmarket horror,
historical fiction, contemporary commercial fiction,
and young adult literature. She is looking for smart,
inventive, ambitious storytelling and welcomes
speculative elements across all genres. She is also
interested in creative nonfiction and microhistories,
particularly related to the fields of travel, food, and
luxury goods. Read More...
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The Art of the Multi-Author Event
Here's what I've
learned about when multi-author events are a smart
strategy, and how to make yours a success—for all
involved. Read More...
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What Is the Slush Pile?
If you've read even a
little about the process of writing and getting
published, you've probably come up against the term
"slush pile." However, you may have different
ideas about what it means, including connotations for
whether it's a good or bad thing for writers. So
let's unpack what a slush pile is, whether it's good or
bad, and what it all means for writers.
Read More...
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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.
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 >>
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Writing a Book With a Friend
Our friendship went
from two women who talked about writing to two writers
who created a book together. Read More...
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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
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When your submission
materials – a query letter, synopsis, manuscript, or book proposal –
arrive in an agent's inbox, they land among hundreds of others. This
WDU Boot Camp is designed to help you streamline your submission
materials to stand out in a good way. Get valuable agent feedback on
your submission materials and more! Seating is limited so sign up
today.
Work directly with
an agent from the comfort of your home!
Your
Registration Includes:
- 60-minute
online tutorial presented by agents at Kimberley Cameron &
Associates
- Online
Q&A session hosted by Kimberley Cameron & Associates
- Networking
opportunities with your peers
- Feedback
from an agent on up to ten pages or submission materials
Get personalized
feedback from agents with Kimberley Cameron &
Associates! If your submission shows promise, they may ask you for
additional pages.
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