Innholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2025 i Writer's Digest

5 WAYS TO USE RESEARCH TO INSPIRE POETRY I can’t put myself in the heads of nonpoets (nor would I want to), but I’ve divined some insights into what I think they think poets do. For instance, many nonpoets think poets are all into Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Charles Bukowski, Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, and/or Maya Angelou (nothing against these poets, but there are so many other incredible living and dead poets to experience). Also, a very odd percentage seem to think poets like to wear berets (I don’t even know where to begin). Finally, many nonpoets think that poets sit around for hours and hours (and hours) staring into the void waiting for inspiration, like some kind of weird electricity, to strike and send pens scribbling furiously…

Scaremail, Insanitorium, Not Okay, and 20+ more (Horror; The Nightmare Engine, LLC) WRITE FROM: Just outside of Austin, Texas. WHY SELF-PUBLISH? I’m an entrepreneur at heart, and I need flexibility with the ability to move quickly in the market. Self-publishing and traditional publishing both allow entry into the market but at different speeds, and I like to move quickly. HAD YOU CONSIDERED TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING? Absolutely, but from a different angle. I love the idea of partnerships and businesses working together to bring new, innovative products to the market, whether they be books or Scaremail or other entertainment for readers. I wanted to show a traditional publisher a track record of sales and what I bring the table as a partner. This mitigates a lot of the unknowns for the publisher and…

Whenever I visit the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation, I feel like an outsider, and I am in many ways. Yet I will always have an irrevocable connection to the place. My family’s roots are still deep, and as a citizen of that nation, I’m a stakeholder in the decisions of our tribal government. Most importantly, the reservation is the source of my spiritual identity. I’ve often written about the reservation before, and I assumed that my first novel would be set in that world. I was always interested in the political machinery of the reservation. I couldn’t help but recognize the rich dramatic potential in the deceptively smallstakes world of tribal politics, but my unwritten novel remained just that—potential—because while I had a setting, I lacked the story to…

Even before social media, publishers assessed “author platform.” Did the writer have existing recognition from celebrity, journalism, or their career that would help sell books? But as local newspapers and nationwide print book reviews have diminished, it’s become harder for publishers to create word of mouth. They’ve turned to authors to make up the difference, telling us “You need a platform.” And yes, we do. Nonfiction and memoir writers with an established audience have more appeal to agents and publishers, and can better support sales after publication. For novelists, the writing and story sell most manuscripts—but reaching readers before and after publication still matters. For self-publishers, platform is even more important: Who is your audience, and how will you reach them? Writing what we love feels good—knowing we’ve changed someone…

Out of more than 230 entries, Writer’s Digest editors and readers chose these three winners. Untitled By Joseph Putrone of Ancaster, Ontario “Here it is,” John muttered, pushing aside the leaves. “X always marks the spot.” In his right hand, John held the map he for years had promised his father never to touch. Supposedly, buried under the X was a family secret that must never be dug up. John got down on one knee and began shoveling aside the soil beneath him, his heart racing as his lifelong questions would soon be answered. Finally, in front of him, a box. Elated, he popped its lid. A note. It read: “Haha, I was just kidding! But here’s a fiver for your dedication!” Untitled By Karin Kydland of Taunton, Mass. Moshe…

Idon’t know about you, but I like to set goals when I’m taking on a new project. As such, I like to have a general idea of how long it takes to accomplish tasks that help me achieve my goals. If I have a goal of running a 10K, I know I need at least a few weeks of running under my belt to run a competent time—and a few months if I want to run a competitive time. But what about writing (and publishing) a book? It’s actually one of my favorite questions to ask in my author spotlight series on WritersDigest.com. Over the years, I’ve noticed some trends—like that debuts tend to take longer from idea to publication than later books in a series, and that one author’s…

Years ago, I was doing a school visit in Kissimmee, Fla. It was a grade school, and I was there because a book I’d written was on the Sunshine State Young Readers Award list, a recommended reading list for Florida students grades 3–8. For us middlegrade authors, school visits are a unique opportunity to connect with our little peeps. We want to know how they feel and what they think. The media specialist gave me this big introduction and build-up, so I was standing there feeling as puffed up as Foghorn Leghorn. As kids are wont to do, one child gave me a quick chest deflation when she said: “Miss Lady, is your book burring?” She pronounced boring like “burring.” Little mama talked like she was 10 years of I’m-not-having-it…

Every year, literally—pun intended—hundreds of workshop proposals are submitted to writing conferences. As reviewers of presentation submissions, we’ve seen it all—the good, the bad, and the following. Hopefully, you will agree with our decision to reject these proposals. ARE YOUR CHARACTERS PLOTTING AGAINST YOU? Think about it. Why has finishing your books been so difficult? It’s not you. It’s them! IT’S LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO OVERUSE LITERALLY A linguistic exploration of how to use literally in literally every sentence. But not figuratively. MEET THE AUTHOR, BUT MAKE IT ABOUT YOU A masterclass in hijacking author Q & A sessions to pitch your book ideas. HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOK BY GETTING ARRESTED Whether it’s outright plagiarism or just plain old breaking into Barnes & Noble, this session shows you how to…

I may be in the minority on this, but when I hear research, I get excited because the next word that pops in my head is possibilities. That wasn’t always the case. When I was in high school and even undergrad, research often meant looking up a topic assigned by a teacher and late evenings in the library trying not to doze off from boredom in a study carrel. It was tedious. Sure, I learned important things, but there was rarely satisfaction in it. But then in grad school, I got to experience the excitement and inspiration that came from researching something that interested me, often related to creative people whose work I admired. I got to experience research beyond simply checking out stacks of books from the library (though…

If punctuation were a party, the exclamation point would be the life of it. Loud! Full of energy! While the exclamation point can amplify emotion and add intensity, overuse risks making your writing feel melodramatic or exhausting. So, when should you use it? SHOUT, DON’T WHISPER The exclamation point excels in moments of heightened emotion. Action scenes, surprises, or revelations are prime places to deploy it. For example: • “Watch out!” Helen screamed as the car skidded toward the curb. • The rocket blasted into the sky, leaving a trail of fire and smoke! See how the exclamation point enhances the stakes or urgency, pulling the reader into the moment? Similarly, it can punctuate joy, excitement, or shock. • After years of searching, he’d finally found it—the lost artifact! The…

A shley Hong grew up in California. In 2013, she moved to New York to study and work in journalism. She got her start at media outlets, including CNN, WNET, and Truthdig. “Working in journalism helped me practice the editorial work of chasing and sharpening the story,” Hong says. “Being an editor helped me as an agent because I now have a mini ed board committee that lives rent-free in my head, grilling me to identify and evaluate the promise and commercial hook of each project I encounter.” In 2017, Hong began working on the editorial team for the Convergent, Forum, Currency, and Image imprints, then under Crown, which eventually merged with Random House. In 2023, she pivoted to the agenting side of the business. Hong says she’d love to…

If you’ve ever hesitated to share your work, you’re not alone. Every writer, at some point, faces the same terrifying question: What if someone steals my idea? Maybe you’ve heard the stories—writers blindsided when a “friend” releases a book with an eerily similar premise or critique partners who borrow a unique twist. But here’s what most writers don’t realize: The right people aren’t here to steal your work—they’re here to make it stronger. And when you find them, sharing your writing won’t just feel safe—it’ll be transformative. WHY SHARING YOUR WORK MATTERS It’s tempting to keep your work close, to believe that isolation protects your ideas. But writing in a vacuum has its own risks. Without trusted collaborators, you’re left second-guessing in the dark. Think about the writers you admire.…

Because I write historical novels, when I visit book clubs or writing groups, I frequently field questions about how I research my projects. As many writers do, I find research to be both an enjoyable element of my creative process—and, at times, one of the most frustrating. Inevitably, I stumble upon some odd or little-known fact that both delights me and serves to enrich my story world—wonderful! But sometimes, I mentally stumble while researching: I’m unsure where to begin my fact-seeking quest, or I spend too much time researching as a way of procrastinating on my writing itself, or I lose track of where I discovered a particular item. Over the years, I’ve developed several techniques to keep my research efforts both manageable and productive: 1. RESEARCH IS REQUIRED FOR…

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JESSICA BERG is the principal agent and founder of Rosecliff Literary, an agency dedicated to championing writers who feel like they don’t belong elsewhere. She specializes in bold, boundary-pushing fiction and nonfiction that reveals untold history. A multi-nominated writer and MFA graduate from Spalding University, Jessica is a member of AALA and EFA. Represented by Amy Collins of Talcott Notch, she brings expertise, vision, and deep industry knowledge to her work, advocating for authors with stories that demand to be told. JON HICKEY’s debut novel is Big Chief (Simon & Schuster, April 2025). He earned an MFA from Cornell University and a Stegner Fellowship in fiction at Stanford University. His short stories have appeared in Virginia Quarterly Review, Gulf Coast, and The Massachusetts Review, among other journals. Originally from Minnesota…

DEAR SIMON,  I am having a couple of issues with my YA epic fantasy. I have been working on this same story, world, characters for years, and I have such a desire to stay away from the many tropes and common elements of this genre that I get paralyzed. The other challenge is how to get past the blockage of writing the outline so that it’s not coming across as episodic and instead builds to a rousing finale. —Sarah Kimball Dear Sarah, Anyone who writes in the fantasy genre will know the importance of world-building. Every beloved fantasy epic features a world that is as important and enjoyable for the reader as anything happening in the plot. Keep in mind, then, that setting can also be viewed as a character…

Tamla T. Young Ready, Set, Mango! (Picture book, April, Owlkids) “Two competitive cousins are in for a surprise as they fight to find the perfect fruit.” WRITES FROM: Toronto, Canada. PRE-MANGO: My family and I had taken a trip to Portugal for Christmas and New Year’s in 2016. At the stroke of midnight, while floating along the Tagus River, keeping with Portuguese tradition, I ate 12 raisins, drank 12 sips (maybe more) of champagne, and made 12 wishes. One was to have a baby, and another was to become an author of books for children. When my son was born on the last day of 2017, I took it as a sign. TIME FRAME: Ready, Set, Mango!, (formerly Beautiful Pebbles) was written during a one week intensive course at University of…

Story is king when it comes to freelance writing, and supporting details beyond the basic facts help keep story on the throne. Specifics bring life to prose, add color and context, and inform the reader along the way, enhancing the reading experience. The use of specifics to enhance an article may sound like Freelance Writing 101, but it can be problematic for many writers. A reliance on generalities is both a cheat and disrespectful to the reader, who is denied the factual tidbits that can turn a good read into a great one. I became a writer because I have a strong interest in the world around me. I want to know everything about everything, well beyond the basics. If something is really old, I want to know exactly how…

As a long-time World of Warcraft player, when I first started playing, I was ignorant of the blatant racism and appropriation of the fantasy races. The Humans were only white people with English accents; the fantasy races like Trolls had Jamaican accents and engaged in voodoo. Looking back, the message was obvious: Black is the other. While WoW has taken steps to correct this (like adding a wide variety of skin tones and hairstyles for every race in the game), it’s a perfect example of how dangerous worldbuilding can be. The game designers probably didn’t mean to hurt their Black players, but the reality is that a reader cannot erase their lived experience when they come to a story. Even if you didn’t intend it, there can be subtext in…