Innholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2021 i Writer's Digest

“The first story that made an impact on me was Charlotte’s Web. My mother read this to my brother and me many times over when we were very young. No matter how often I heard the story, I never failed to hold my breath as I waited to see how Charlotte’s plan would save Wilber. It was such a well-told and uplifting tale. I still smile whenever I see this tattered brown book, a treasured souvenir of my childhood. It holds an honored place on my bookshelf.”—Adrienne Drake, MD “I had to create my own virtual reality with the meager resources available to a lonely child, growing up in the 1950s. Before I could read, my portal through the looking glass were Disney movies and records. These were the audio-visuals…

For decades, Jane Yolen has been an iconic force in children’s literature—from board books like Merbaby’s Lullaby to middle-grade novels like Trash Mountain, and from picture books like Owl Moon to YA novels like Mapping the Bones, she’s done it all. And she’s done it well. In March 2021, Jane’s 400th published book—the picture book Bear Outside—reached the hands of readers. Along the way, Jane has embraced the role of mentor, role model, and friend to writers, teachers, librarians, parents, and children everywhere. Writer’s Digest talked to her about her writing process, staying prolific, and the social responsibility of writers. How often does someone ask an astonishingly specific question about a book from long, long ago? Not as much as you’d think! But when that happens, I’m truthful. I say,…

Like a good cheese, wine, or pair of well-worn blue jeans, some things get better with time. For me, Anne Lamott’s “Shitty First Drafts” can also be lumped into this category. I can still hear the collective gasp and stifled laughter when our high school English teacher referred to it over two decades ago. At first, the relevance of her nod to this classic essay was ignored in favor of the fact that the dainty, not-quite elderly leader of our learning had just slipped a swear word into her classroom lecture like it was no big deal. As she went on to explain, I absorbed her point about the writing process, but the sticking point for me—and I hope I can safely speak for the rest of my classmates—was the…

Both of my kids ran cross country in high school and as adults still run 5Ks and the occasional half-marathon. Now, I’m not a runner. Walking is more my pace. But when my kids and their coaches talked about the importance of pacing, I took note—as a writer. Start out too quickly, and you might burn out. Start out too slowly, and you could lose momentum. If you master pacing, readers will walk, jog, trot, or run alongside you for the duration of your story and not wander off your story’s path out of exhaustion or boredom. So, how to set the proper pace as a writer? GENRE MATTERS A reader of thrillers expects more edge-of-seat, action-oriented scenes than interior monologues or languid descriptions. But that same reader of a…

Alda P. Dobbs Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna (MG historical fiction, September, Sourcebooks) “Inspired by the author’s family stories and set during the bloodiest year of the Mexican Revolution in 1913, 12-year-old Petra Luna, a poor peasant girl, will stop at nothing to get her family to safety.” WRITES FROM: Montgomery, Texas. PRE-PETRA: As a child, I had a love-hate relationship with English, my second language, but I had a passion for storytelling. I studied physics in college and worked as an engineer before a move to Italy pushed me to pursue my dream of writing. After several rejections on my first novel—an anthropomorphic story—I continued to hone my craft by writing and publishing articles for Highlights and other magazines. TIME FRAME: Petra Luna started as an idea for a children’s…

Sometimes an author includes backstory to provide emotional context. For instance, author Kurt Vonnegut described a personal connection to New York City’s firefighters. His remarks appeared in the Turtle Bay Association newsletter, which was published shortly after 9/11. His essay begins: “In the entire history of the Fire Department of the City of New York, I have been told, about 700 firefighters have lost their lives in the line of duty. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. So says the Bible. After the calamity of September 11 the New York Post asked me for a comment. And I said, ‘I can think of no more stirring symbol of man’s humanity to man than a fire truck.’ I myself had…

THE CHALLENGE: Write the opening line to a story based on the photo prompt below. ❶ Time-traveling Marie Antoinette enjoyed the pizza, but when she found QVC, she reached nirvana.—Donna Mork Reed ❷ Her rumbling stomach told Diane that the pizza was in fact not gluten free and her acting performance in the upcoming scene would be challenging at best.—Scott Ginther ❸ If the queen had taken the wizard’s curses of time-traveling and body-switching seriously, she might not have had him thrown into the stockades.—Kate Landers ❹ There was a time when Marie thought little other than marrying the Viscount Hereford, but since waking up 5,000 miles and 244 years from her betrothed, Marie had to find other Friday evening diversions.—Teresa Boggs ❺ When the dragon wasn’t looking, Princess Caprice…

What do you know about the book publishing process? What needs to happen to get a book published and for it to find success? Who is involved? I love finding out what surprises other writers encounter in the publishing process, and I think through their eyes we can begin to see the story of getting a book published. “Everything has been a learning experience,” says Brian Broome, author of Punch Me Up to the Gods. “I really had no idea that so much went into it. In the beginning, I actually thought that you write a certain number of pages, and then someone makes it into a book. I did not understand how that happened. It’s a much longer and more detailed process than I’d ever imagined.” Of course, a…

My grandpa was a great storyteller. Each summer, the four granddaughters would spend one day a week at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. We’d play in the creek, practice our golf swings, learn how to garden, and make up fantastical games. At some point in the afternoon, we’d all get worn out and snuggle up together on Grandpa’s waterbed. He’d come in and regale us with stories about growing up in Soldier, Ky. We heard about him playing marbles with his brothers, how he met Grandma, and about the night a UFO landed in the yard so the aliens could give him a tour of the brightly lit spaceship. He told that last story with as much sincerity and detail as the others, so I had no reason to question it—for…

Most freelance writers wouldn’t have a career without sources—the experts and real-life individuals that make a story come alive. “I’m always surprised at how many people are willing to share their time, experience, and expertise with me,” says Elizabeth Gardner, a freelance writer based near Chicago. “It’s just amazing.” For the most part, your interactions with sources will go smoothly, but once in a while, you’re likely to run into some problems. Here’s a lowdown on practical steps that can help you tackle these issues—and best practices that will prevent them. GET PAST COMMON HICCUPS Some sources want to review their quotes or the entire draft before it reaches readers—a practice frowned upon in journalism. But rules about this vary across outlets and some editors do allow it. “That’s always…

A family of tightrope walkers with feathers growing in their hair. Five queer Latina cousins creating the lush estate gardens that reveal their shared love for the same woman. A girl appearing from an enchanted water tower. Magic is often how I write what feels impossible to put into words. The undercurrents of magical realism are a language in which my writer heart often speaks first. As writers, this is part of the work we do, finding ways to express that which may feel impossible to express. Whether it’s through magic, metaphor, or details of setting, finding your voice is woven into the process of figuring out what languages you speak in. And even when you find it, sometimes that language you think you know will show you things you…

Getting Reviews for Self-Published Authors One of the elements a traditional publisher usually takes care of for an author is getting reviews ahead of launch. Authors seem to have a love-hate relationship with book reviews, which is fair! It can be hard to put yourself out there and receive commentary. But however you feel about reviews, getting them is unavoidable if you make your work publicly available. So, how do you make the most of it? THE ROLE OF REVIEWS Humans are social beings. Many of us take cues from the opinions of those around us to tell us what we should pay attention to, like, or invest time and money into. When it comes to products, reviews serve as “social proof,” a key element of a product marketing strategy.…

Whether kidlit or adult, historical or a modern romcom, WD is here to help you find the perfect champion for your manuscripts with our ever-popular annual agent roundup. Featuring a mix of both new and established agents actively building their client lists, our roundup outlines exactly what the agents are looking for in their inboxes and how to submit to them. We’ve reached out to each agent to get the scoop on their most current tastes and dislikes, so all you need to worry about is crafting the perfect query. Pay close attention to each agent’s profile, because one agent’s advice might be another agent’s pet peeve. Analieze Cervantes Harvey Klinger Literary Agency PERRIS, CALIF. HARVEYKLINGER.COM @AUTHOR_ANALIEZE FICTION INTERESTS: Middle-grade: contemporary (something cute, out of the box, character desire that…

THE HANK TUCK Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of Her Perfect Life, explains, “My editor calls my approach ‘the Hank tucking method.’ To begin to set the backstory, I tuck in a phrase, or a memory, or a reference in the midst of something else. Phrases like ‘I wished my father was still alive to see this’ or ‘She reminded me of the poodle we had back in Indianapolis’ or ‘Since her divorce five years ago, she always…’ Those bits add up to a bigger picture.” This idea of revealing backstory slowly is echoed by Anthony D’Aries, author of the memoir, The Language of Men: “If I meet someone for the first time, it’s overwhelming if they tell me their life story in the first conversation.” THE DEVICE Epistolary novels use…

Writing a memoir requires a lot of searching for the truth—questioning what you think you know, digging up the past to ask what really happened, hauling secrets out of the back of the closet, and comparing different people’s recollections in an effort to pin down the real story. Most of the time, this digging and searching happens behind the scenes, off the page. It’s the research that allows the author to then sit down and write the truest possible version of the story. But some memoirists incorporate this process of digging and searching and questioning into the narrative of the book itself, in a style I like to call the “memoir as a detective novel.” The Form In a memoir as detective novel, the search for the heart of the…

Dear FYSA, Three months ago, I had a publicity and marketing meeting with my publishing team. The plan was six pages long, with all kinds of bells and whistles, and I was really excited. Then in the few weeks leading up to publication, it felt like none of what they said they were going to do was happening. Everything I had expected and hoped for just … didn’t happen. What is the benefit of not committing to the plan? Don’t we all want to sell the book?Signed,Great Expectations Dear Great Expectations, Once for Husband’s birthday, I spent weeks planning a trip to the coast and a sunset cruise. I had covered all of the bases leading up to it perfectly. On the day of, we arrived to the harbor early…

I recently listened to a writer read a beautiful memoir about grief and asked her how she achieved the tone of the book. She said, “It had to be poised to be real.” What a delicious paradox, inherent in all creative writing and never more so than for the memoirist, who must not only imagine life, as fiction writers do, but has the trickier goal of re-imagining it. A memoirist writes not just what happened, but what it means to them. As Vivian Gornick says in The Situation and the Story, quoting V.S. Pritchett, “You get no credit for living.” But how does one arrive at this crucial distance from the self? How do the facts become flexible, if this is our truth? How can the self be malleable? VOICE…

ACQUISITIONS EDITOR – A person who acquires book titles for a publishing house. ARC – Advanced Review Copy; a copy of the book that is sent to reviewers and influencers before publication. BLURB – Complimentary quotes from other authors and experts that appear on the cover or inside pages of a book. BOOK BUYER – A person who acquires new titles for a bookstore or bookstore chain. BOOK PROPOSAL – A document that includes helpful information about the proposed book, including what it’s about, how it fits in the market, and more. LITERARY AGENT – A person who represents an author’s best interests for a book and usually for a career. MARKETER – A person who may promote the book in email, social media, and other platforms with the goal…

Through a mix of lectures, panel discussions, and hands-on workshops designed to guide and assist, regional conferences give those at every stage of their career the opportunity to explore new topics, improve their craft, and network while making inroads into the publishing world. As we emerge from pandemic isolation, those starved for interaction will be looking for an outlet. Now may be the perfect time for your writing group to start an annual conference of your own. Are there a lack of literary events available in your area? Or can you target an underserved niche market? The provision of prompt feedback and face-to-face interaction with industry professionals (virtually or in person) draws interest and helps writers thrive. Location! Access to airports makes it easy for attendees (and talent) to get…

FRANKEN-STORY Create a story by filling in the blanks in this passage from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. First, create a list of words following the suggestions below without taking a peek at the fill-in-the-blank section. When you are finished, use your list to fill in the blanks and read your new Franken-story. 1. A time of year 2. An emotion 3. Another emotion 4. A time of day 5. A type of weather 6. An adjective 7. A color 8. A body part 9. A verb ending in-ed 10. An adjective 11. A noun 12. A verb 13. A noun 14. An adjective 15. A plural noun 16. A noun 17. An adjective 18. Plural form of an internal organ 19. Plural form of another internal organ 20. A body…

RAN WALKER (he/him) (RanWalker.com) is the author of 23 books. He is the winner of the Indie Author Project’s inaugural National Indie Author of the Year Award, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association Best Fiction E-Book Award, the 2018 Virginia Indie Author Project Award for Adult Fiction, and the Blind Corner Afrofuturism Microfiction Contest. A former practicing attorney, he now teaches on the creative writing faculty of Hampton University and lives in Virginia with his wife and better half, Lauren, and his creative little rockstar daughter, Zoë. ANNA-MARIE MCLEMORE (they/them) grew up hearing La Llorona in the Santa Ana winds and now writes books as queer, Latinx, and nonbinary as they are. They are the author of The Weight of Feathers, a 2016 William C. Morris YA Debut…

POETIC FORM: AWDL GYWYDD The awdl gywydd (pronounced “ow-dull gee-youth”) is a Welsh quatrain form with the following guidelines: • Quatrain (or four-line stanza) form• Seven syllables per line• The final syllable of the first and third lines rhymes with the third to fifth syllable of the following lines• The second and fourth lines end rhyme Here is an example by a Poetic Asides reader: “5 AM at the Metropark” by J. Furda I’m awake before the sun. An abundance of birds sing, calling their future lovers—a chorus covering spring. I’ve highlighted the internal rhymes in the first stanza to show how lines one and three rhyme in lines two and four. Branches’ shadows intertwine, phantom vines on paths leaf-strewn. Silhouettes of critters stir, dancing ghosts under the moon. Heron,…

Priya Doraswamy grew up in Bangalore, India, immigrated to the New York area, and has a background in law. For a while, she relocated to Singapore with her family, where she began a new career as a literary agent. She founded Lotus Lane Literary in the U.S. in May 2013 and now works with writers and publishers around the world. “Books not only open us up to discovery, wonder, and joy, but also help us make sense of our collective human pathos,” Doraswamy says. “I love being immersed in stories and am always curious as to what drives characters and why and how these characters make their life choices, and how these choices impact their world and others in that world. Being a literary agent allows me to work closely…

Negotiating Your Best Deal Just as good fences make good neighbors, good contracts make good working relationships. You will be faced with numerous contracts in your writing life—with publishers, of course, but possibly also with agents, co-authors, illustrators/photographers, and freelance editors. Good contracts minimize the chance for unpleasant surprises—each party knows their rights and responsibilities. Though not always legally necessary, it’s good practice to put everything in writing, signed by both parties. To some, the word contract sounds too formal and lawyer-y and they are uncomfortable with mentioning a contract to, say, a longtime associate with whom you are collaborating on a book. But contracts don’t have to be formal—just call it an agreement. Blame your lawyer (even if you don’t have one): “My lawyer recommends we put together an…

Your protagonist is pinned down, enemy laser cannons blasting into the Venusian rocks she’s hiding behind, hopes of rescuing her fellow astronauts fading toward impossibility. Her need has propelled her this far, into a pursuit outside her normal world. The storming of a planet. A price paid. And whether or not she achieves her goal, she’ll return home a changed woman. Hers is a universal story, as old as myth. Not because of the AI drones, oxygen leaks, and wormhole-time-travel (in fact, despite them), but because of the structure. The basic building blocks and the universal language of story. Twelve sci-fi novelists have come together to offer their insights into this universal language. With their experience—and your passion—you’ll be able to get your protagonist out from behind her rock and…

A poet, an aspiring chef, a healer, and a chess player: Elizabeth Acevedo writes about creative teen girls making their own way in a world that isn’t always kind. It didn’t come as too much of a surprise that Acevedo herself took up a creative hobby during the pandemic lockdown. But the way she brought it back to writing, however, was the revelation. While discussing having patience during the revision process, Acevedo noted that she had started making candles, and she learned that each candle has a curing time during which it sits untouched before it can be burned. Th is allows the fragrance to fully reveal itself. “That thinking has helped with writing for me,” she said. “Sometimes things just need time to come slowly into their own, to…

When I was a magazine editor-in-chief in the ’90s to mid-aughts, first-person pieces were often more like ruminations than carefully crafted pieces. That has changed. My Estelle’s Edge (aka pro tip) is to include heart and narrative arc (the story has a beginning, middle, and end), leaving the reader with some sort of gift, transformation, or takeaway. That leads me to Noah Michelson, head of Huff Post Personal (now part of BuzzFeed), a global publication that runs six personal essays a week and has 65 million readers in the U.S. alone. Michelson, working with Deputy Editor Emily McCombs, gets 200 pitches a week (and reads all of them). CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE? We are dedicated to telling personal stories from around the world. I evaluate pitches, assign pieces to…

Screenplays are meant to be transformed to a visual medium, such as into a movie, a television show, a web series, or a short film—at least that is the dream for us hopeful scribes. However, when it comes to writing a screenplay, less is more on the page. Generally speaking, movies have an average run time from 90 to 120 minutes. One script page is equal to one minute of screen time. With that said, a 120-page screenplay will equal to 120 minutes of screen time. How does a big blockbuster action-packed movie, a knee-slapping comedy, or sweeping romantic historical piece cram so much information into roughly 120 minutes or fewer? It is the job of the screenwriter to thoughtfully choose descriptive words to visually convey as much as possible…

Gotham Writers Conference Teaching creative writing since 1993, Gotham Writers Workshop is a creative home in New York City and online where writers develop their craft and come together in the spirit of discovery and fellowship. Their conference debuted in 2019 and was voted Best Conference in N.Y. WHEN: October 15–17, 2021. WHERE: Virtual. PRICE: $145 for panels and presentations on days one and two. $395 for pitching roundtables on day three (for which you must apply and be selected to participate). $495 for all three days. WHAT MAKES THIS CONFERENCE UNIQUE: “We founded this conference with the help of many agents. We took their advice, building one that is good for both writers and agents,” says Director of Publishing Guidance Josh Sippie. “Pitching sessions are designed for you to…

CALIFORNIA GENRE-LA™ CREATIVE WRITERS CONFERENCE, October 1–3, 2021 at the new Hilton Los Angeles West Side, Calif. For Literary and Screenwriters of Genre. This IN-PERSON/HYBRID/VIRTUAL event will feature more than 40 literary agents, publishers, editors, celebrity and bestselling authors, Hollywood veterans, industry experts, and educators. Discover the secrets for success, raise the level of your writing, author a better book, movie script, graphic novel, and more! This is a unique opportunity to learn how to brainstorm and develop new ideas, use research to develop brave new worlds of wonder, create compelling memorable characters (both human and otherwise), plot and structure amazing story lines of imagination, and develop bestselling works. In addition to the seminars, workshops, and free pitch sessions, attendees will enjoy a mixer/reception, optional Keynote Address luncheon, plus opportunities…