Table of contents for November/December 2021 in Writer's Digest

JERA BROWN (JeraBrown.com) roams the country in their RV with two dogs and a bucketful of writing projects to finish. their agent is currently looking for a home for Sacred and Subversive—a multi-faith nonfiction anthology about queer perspectives on spiritual identities and faith communities. their column for Rebellious Magazine offers compassionate advice on underreported topics related to sex and relationships. they’re also writing a noir thriller with their brother, a cozy mystery with their mother, and a memoir about how the Christian value of service led them to BDSM and beyond. Jera just launched the podcast “Left-Hand Journeys,” which you can find wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow them on Twitter and Instagram @thejerabrown. Science-fiction author TOBIAS S. BUCKELL (TobiasBuckell.com) is a New York Times-bestselling writer and World Fantasy Award-winner…

POETIC FORM: THE BLITZ The Blitz is a newer invented 50-line form created by Robert Keim with the following guidelines: • Line one should be one short phrase or image (like “build a boat”)• Line two should be another short phrase or image using the same first word as in line one (like “build a house”)• Lines three and four should be short phrases or images using the last word of line two as their first words (so maybe “house for sale” for line three and “house for rent” for line four)• Continue this pattern through the first 48 lines• Line 49 should be the final word of line 48• Line 50 should be the final word of line 47• Title of the poem should be three words long and…

A lifelong New Yorker, Rebecca Scherer first stepped into publishing as intern at Jane Rotrosen Agency while still earning a bachelor of arts degree in political science, English literature, and German from the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College in 2010. After graduating in 2012, she worked in each department within the agency to gain a better understanding of the entire operation before becoming an agent. She’s been with JRA ever since, in part, she says, because of “that feeling of helping to make something happen—helping to bring a brilliant writer’s work to readers.” that and helping creative people make a living off their art and live their dreams. “It sounds a little hokey,” she says, “but it’s really what gets me up in the morning.” Scherer’s dream client is…

When I first signed with my agent, I joked that I wanted my advances to be paid in the form of solid gold toilets,1 and that’s been our code for good news ever since. When I get an email with the subject line “Gold Toilet Incoming,” I know we’ve sold something and a check is on the way.2 this was clearly the optimism of a young writer who still thought there was a lot of money in this writing game.3 But it was also representative of the way many of us writers think about this business as a zero-sum career where you’re either a bestseller or a failure, where you’re either getting a six-figure advance or it doesn’t matter. the reality is, there are different kinds of writing success. It’s…

I grew up in Detroit when big-block engines and four-on-the-floor gearboxes dominated the automobile market. One of my uncles worked for General Motors then. One day when I was about 9, he mentioned that his division had taken shipment of a dozen new cars made by competitors. He said he was looking forward to going in to work the next day. “How come?” I asked. “We’re going to start tearing them apart.” I was aghast. “Why?” He smiled. “To learn.” From my juvenile perspective, cars were simply magic. You got in, turned the starter, and off you went. How it all worked was invisible. And it occurred to me that I wouldn’t know what made one car better than another. A writer of fiction is an engineer, designer, and manufacturer,…

I believe that every writer who sets out to tell a story engages in the dirty task of world-building, no matter what genre or mode they work in. Mystery writers do it, romance writers as well, historical fiction, literary realists, fantasy and science fiction writers do it, and so do horror writers. We have to do it because in most stories, particularly in modes that are popular with paying readers these days, setting is a major component of story. And in order to evoke setting, the writer has to make decisions about what to include. they also have to either recall, make up, or research setting details, and then deploy them in a way that is easy for the reader to absorb. Very few writers get away with not having…

When I first started teaching about hybrid essay/reported pieces, they were little known, but today, editors prefer them. My Estelle’s Edge is to add reported elements (studies, quotes from experts, polls) to your essays for greater traction. Katie O’Reilly, the adventure and lifestyle editor for Sierra magazine—the quarterly print and digital storytelling arm of the Sierra Club, a 129-year-old environmental grassroots organization with 800K subscribers and 3,500 unique monthly visitors—publishes mostly hybrid pieces, as well as reported articles, narrative and literary essays, and poetry. PITCH 1 CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE? I get to handle the fun coverage at the serious environmental magazine. We go beyond nature to cover the energy grid, geo engineering, wildlife, outdoor adventure, ecosystem management, food and agriculture, climate, energy, burgeoning trends and movements, and cultural…

The thrill of watching a movie is embarking on a journey with interesting characters, being fully immersed in their world and point of view, and finally arriving at their destination. there are different types of movie endings to explore that tend to echo the theme and emotional arc. One type is a “high note,” such as When Harry Met Sally, Sabrina, and, safe to say, any Disney film. Another is one that is ambiguous, like the Shining, Lost in Translation, and the Graduate. And then there are films that end on a low point, where the main character dies or all hope is lost, like Final Destination, Bonnie and Clyde, and Chinatown. the end of your screenplay is equally as important as the first 10 pages to hook the reader.…

CONFERENCE GUIDE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 • Keep in mind that there may be more than one workshop in each of the listings.• These workshops are listed alphabetically by state, country, or continent.• Unless otherwise indicated, rates include tuition (T) only. Sometimes the rates also include airfare (AF), some or all meals (M), accommodations (AC), ground transportation (GT), materials (MT), or fees (F).• When you find workshops that interest you, be sure to call, email, or check the website of the instructor or organization for additional information.• All listings are paid advertisements. CALIFORNIA ANNUAL CALIFORNIA CREATIVE WRITERS CONFERENCE™, produced by West Coast Writers Conferences. March 2022. New Hilton Los Angeles Westside Culver City. Writers of all genres and disciplines will benefit from this educational and inspirational conference focused on the craft and business…

The Poppy War trilogy, Rebecca F. Kuang’s debut fantasy series, creates a new magic system with very old roots. the Chinese-American writer borrows Taoist and Chinese folk themes to build her own pantheon of gods, then draws on the ancient tradition of using opium as a way for her characters to commune with those gods and utilize their powers. the trilogy follows Runin Fang, or Rin, a war orphan who learns to control fire to become a key player in the empire’s latest war. the third Poppy War depicted in Kuang’s historic military fantasy draws heavily from 20th century China, including depictions of historic events such as the Nanjing Massacre. Kuang wrote the trilogy while completing a master of philosophy in Chinese studies from the University of Cambridge and a…

As a novice fisher, I’ve only caught a few fish, but I’m already thinking about better ways to hook more. Likewise, as a writer, I think a lot about how to write beginnings that will hook readers. Just as fishing advice abounds, so too does writing advice about beginnings. Immediately grab attention or you’ll lose the interest of your prospective agent, editor, or reader! Don’t start with description—especially weather! But don’t jump right into action or dialogue—not enough context! Whew. No wonder that, just as we’re about to tell our stories, our eagerness to cast our first line suddenly dissipates. GREAT BEGINNINGS COME THROUGH REVISION Let’s begin by taking some pressure off ourselves, and set aside all those “don’ts” for a moment. Openings almost always emerge in revision when the…

Juhea Kim Beasts of a Little Land (Literary historical, December, Ecco) “An epic story of love, war, and redemption set against the backdrop of the Korean independence movement.” WRITES FROM: Portland, Ore. PREBEASTS: My literary debut was a short story called “Body Language” in Granta in 2016, followed by another story in Slice. At the time, I was working full-time. I’m grateful for the financial independence that gave me, but I didn’t publish anything new for quite some time. In late 2018, I quit my job. After that, I published many shorter works in rapid succession. the shift in energy was instant because I took a risk to serve my purpose. TIME FRAME: the first time I talked to my agent, Jody Kahn, about this book, I was nervous that…

CRITIQUE SERVICES 1-Page Query Letter Short Story Manuscript Picture Book Agent Plot Critique 2-Page Synopsis Personal Essays EDITING SERVICES Line Edit Developmental Edit Proofreading SEND YOUR WORK TO WRITER’S DIGEST 2ND DRAFT CRITIQUE SERVICE! 2nd Draft provides a high-level review of your writing, pointing out reasons your work may be getting rejected or may not meet the standards of traditional publication. 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 importantly—how to fix it. WHAT CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING ABOUT 2ND DRAFT… “I was extremely pleased with the results I got from 2nd Draft. As a new writer, I was dying for some professional advice after finishing my first…

Many writers treat trope like a dirty word. In their quest for originality, they seek to avoid characters, settings, or plots that feel overused or cliche. But when they reach a place they previously believed unexplored, they find the well-worn paths of their predecessors. In the literary landscape, writing with the goal of discovering uncharted lands can lead to frustration and creative burnout. I know. I was there. Tripping Over Tropes I wanted to write something fresh and life-altering. I put so much pressure on myself to be unique I was afraid to commit to any project that didn’t meet my impossible parameters, and the stories I did begin ended up packed away in boxes of forgotten journals before they ever had a chance to develop. In short, I was…

A current event spotlighting a timeless and universal truth—that’s the sense one gets when reading Melissa Joplin Higley’s poem “Anticipatory Grief,” grand-prize winner of the 90th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. Drafted during the earliest days of the COVID-19 lockdown in the U.S., then tucked away for a year before revisions, it offers poignant scenes of a young child, Higley’s then 8-year-old son Milo, sharing his fears about dying and the techniques she helps him develop to make the worry less overwhelming. “I think part of [it] might be,” Higley said, “that if the parent worries, then the child really worries.… Those fears when the pandemic was first being talked about—and here, the earliest hotspot was a place called New Rochelle [N.Y.]… the National Guard had come in. they were…

Successful freelance writers are good at developing and pitching stories on a variety of topics, but even the most successful writers sometimes skip over obvious opportunities in their daily lives. For instance, I know more than a few writers who like to knit and/or crochet. And there are magazines that cover both activities. Like to work with wood? Multiple magazines cover that as well, including our friends at Popular Woodworking. For many writers, these crafting activities may feel like a hobby or “something done for fun.” But it’s also a freelance writing opportunity, because the act of succeeding (and even failing) at an activity provides insight that other non-crafters don’t possess. However, the opportunities don’t end with craft magazines. I’ve met many writers who like to collect various items, whether…

Reading has always seemed, to me, to be the purest form of magic. Collections of letters organized in ways our minds recognize to be words, arranged in sentences that somehow, by the amazing workings of our brains, transport us to places real or imagined. It’s a stunning thing to be able to do: Bring to life a wonderland with talking cats and a rabbit with an uncanny sense of time. Transport readers to a city that shines emerald green. Time travel to eras past or lightyears away. By extension, if reading is magic, writers are the magicians, crafting these worlds from a single overheard phrase at a coffee shop, or seeing a shape in the clouds and wondering, what if? And from that single question, creating an illusion that captures…

I was a published fantasy author before anyone asked me why I write fantasy, and I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t have an answer. I never made a conscious decision to write fantasy any more than a flamingo makes a decision to be pink—it was just in the water, baked into my childhood bookshelves. I mumbled something about escapism, mangled a Tolkien quote, and went back to work on my second novel, the Once and Future Witches. It was going poorly. I’d sold it on a three-word pitch—suffragists, but witches!—which turned out to be roughly 99,997 fewer words than I needed. I started it, stalled, and restarted it half a dozen times. I floundered. I failed. Somewhere after my second rewrite but before my third (my partner would later refer…

It can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars to produce a high-quality, self-published book that competes with its traditionally published counterparts. While some authors may be independently wealthy, most of us don’t have those funds lying around to spend on a professional developmental editor, graphic designer, and every other piece of the self-publishing puzzle. Even if you do, the lack of exposure to any readers outside family and friends will probably limit your sales. If planned and executed well, a crowdfunding campaign can provide self-published authors both the funds and exposure you need to kickstart your writing career. HOW TO LEAD A SUCCESSFUL CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Patreon remain three of the most popular crowdfunding platforms for publishing. Each site has its own benefits, but I am going to…

I sometimes wonder how many great novels are sitting in dusty drawers, half-finished, abandoned, perhaps forgotten. Novels that burst forth at the beginning, carrying their writer with them, but then hit a wall, before the writer gave up, exhausted, dispirited—perhaps not knowing that flagging energy is as much a part of novel writing as plot itself (and that there’s even a special type of creative magic to be found in such moments). Too many novels have ended up this way. Writing a novel has been compared to months of pregnancy, running a marathon, climbing a mountain, or even going to war. And it can feel like all those things in one. this is why it’s worth thinking about the novels you’ve abandoned and ask if you gave up because the…

Foreshadowing, which refers to subtle hints that allude to something that will happen in the future, is a versatile literary device. It’s been used for millennia to inspire reader curiosity, add intrigue, and heighten thematic meaning. To use it well, you need to choose which elements to foreshadow, then determine how best to layer in the references. Two Kinds of Foreshadowing: Direct & Indirect there are two kinds of foreshadowing: direct, like a prophecy spoken by the Oracle of Delphi, and indirect, like a seemingly innocuous statement whose true meaning isn’t revealed until later in the story. Direct foreshadowing is easy to spot. It’s the dream the young boy has about tomorrow’s soccer match. It’s a flashback or flash-forward that hasn’t been fully explained. Sometimes, it is even as overt…

I have enjoyed dark, spine-chilling tales of the strange from as far back as I can remember. I grew up watching everything from “the Twilight Zone” to “Tales From the Crypt” to “Tales From the Darkside,” always eager for some story of magic or the unexpected. I even carried around books by Shirley Jackson, Neil Gaiman, and Stephen King, in the event I found myself in need of something strange to read. While I loved these stories, I did notice something interesting about them: there weren’t many characters in these books that looked like me. If there were any African-American characters at all, they were normally sidekicks to European-American characters or the first people to be sacrificed to the “larger evil” (whatever that may be) or slain by the killer…

Dear FYSA, People ask you all kinds of questions here, but they all boil down to one big question, can you answer as simply as possible: How do you get a book published?Sincerely,Hunting for Blunt Hi, Blunt! I laughed out loud at this question because in this column and in my book (of the same name), I have taken years to answer this question in every way possible… but also, I totally get what you mean. I appreciate the brevity and the bluntness, so let me return the favor. For one night only, all in one place, and written in ink that will self-destruct in five seconds… here it is, the answer of how to get a book published: 1. Write a book, minimum word count 65K, maximum 115K.2. Find…

In one of my first undergraduate writing workshops, our professor informed us that she was only interested in “normal” fiction. When we asked her to specify, her response boiled down to “no orcs.” I have deep sympathy for my professors’ fears of receiving massive sci-fi epics for workshop. In a time when Game of Thrones was reaching peak popularity and many of us had entered undergraduate writing programs with dreams of being the next Neil Gaiman, it feels like a legitimate concern, in retrospect. But we were also children of catastrophe, a generation whose parents pulled us out of first-grade classrooms on September 11, 2001 and who entered adulthood facing bleaker economic prospects than the last generation. In other words, we had grown up with a cascading series of “new…

Big Sur Children’s Writers Workshops Launched in 1998, this event brings top tier professionals together with both beginner and seasoned writers to mingle and discuss their works through an all-inclusive weekend. WHEN: December 3-5, 2021. WHERE: Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa, Monterey, Calif. PRICE: $1,200 includes entire workshop, hotel, and all meals except for breakfast. WHAT MAKES THIS CONFERENCE UNIQUE: Because it is a more intimate workshop, it is different from most conferences. “the ratio of writers/attendees to mentors is 5:1; attendees get a lot of attention and interact with the mentors throughout the weekend, especially in the small critique groups that meet twice over the course of the event,” says Founder Andrea Brown. they share information and advice Friday through Sunday, providing attendees revision time on Saturday afternoon.…

CHILDREN’S BOOKS EMOJI PICTIONARY Below is a list of classic children’s books that have captured the imaginations of many generations—guess the book that the emojis depict.…