Innehållsförteckning för March/April 2017 från Writer's Digest

1 Keeping It Kellerman How far back does the writing gene go in the bestselling Kellerman family (WD Interview, Page 38)? Our outtakes with this novel-writing trio—Jesse in conversation with his parents, Jonathan and Faye—dig deeper. 2 Ask an Editor Staffers acquiring fiction for top journals (“Take 3,” Page 26) further discuss what they’re looking for. 3 Short on Creativity? In “Short Training for Your Long Game” (Page 34), StoryADay founder Julie Duffy shares why both writing and reading short stories can boost the muse. This bonus short-fiction reading list will help guide you. 4 Self-Publishing Sci-Fi The winner of the 24th Annual WD Self-Published Book Awards (Page 44) shares more genre-specific tips. To find all of the above online companions to this issue in one handy spot, visit…

TAKING EXAMPLES TO HEART I know I am way behind in my reading, but I just finished the interview with author Jonathan Maberry by Tyler Moss in the July/ August 2016 issue. Of all the great articles and interviews that I have read in Writer’s Digest, I think this one was my favorite so far. Not only am I a fan of Maberry’s work, but I was more inspired by his answers than just about anything else. Eight hours per day; 2,000 to 4,000 words per day; three to five novels per year; two dozen or more short stories per year—plus comic books. If this work ethic is not inspirational, then I don’t know what is. I will take each one of these points and write them on index cards,…

POETIC FORM: DIZAIN A favorite poetic form of 15th- and 16th-century French poets, the dizain has been employed in English by the likes of Sir Philip Sidney and John Keats. The rules are fairly flexible, especially for a French form: • 10 lines per poem (or stanza) • 8–10 syllables per line • ababbccdcd rhyme scheme. Here’s an example by a Poetic Asides reader: “Firsts,” by Jane Shlensky a First frost and leaves turn yellow, red, and gold With 10 syllables per line for 10 lines, the dizain can feel like a miniature sonnet. b as trees spend shorter moments in the sun a challenging color palettes to be bold, b telling the world that winter has begun b with autumn’s leaves dropping down, one by one. c First…

“I hate first drafts, and it never gets easier. People always wonder what kind of superhero power they’d like to have. I wanted the ability for someone to just open up my brain and take out the entire first draft and lay it down in front of me so I can just focus on the second, third and fourth drafts.” —Judy Blume “I haven’t had trouble with writer’s block. I think it’s because my process involves writing very badly. My first drafts are filled with lurching, cliched writing, outright flailing around. Writing that doesn’t have a good voice or any voice. But then there will be good moments. It seems writer’s block is often a dislike of writing badly and waiting for writing better to happen.” —Jennifer Egan “This is…

1 Whitney Gardner You’re Welcome, Universe (illustrated young adult fiction, March, Knopf Books for Young Readers) “A deaf teen graffiti artist gets caught up in a graffiti war with an unknown rival who takes it a step too far.” WRITES FROM: Portland, Ore. PRE- UNIVERSE: You’re Welcome, Universe was the first novel I ever wrote, but before that I was trying to publish graphic novels. My background is in art and design, and my heart has always been drawn to stories that use words and pictures together. So when I decided to try my hand at writing a full-length novel, I still wanted to include illustrations. TIME FRAME: I wrote this book over five months, but I edited it for much longer. The first draft of your first novel…

He is heralded as a master of the psychological thriller; she is a Lifetime Achievement Award–winning crime writer. With nearly 80 books authored between the two, they’re a force for any bookcase to reckon with. We invited their son, Jesse, a bestselling novelist in his own right, to uncover the craft secrets of the family business. For more than three decades, Jonathan and Faye Kellerman have frequented the bestsellers lists, creating some of the most successful works of contemporary American crime fiction. Their respective series protagonists—psychologist Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis; husband-and-wife investigative team Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus—are among the most indelible and beloved in the genre. Between them they’ve won countless awards, enlisted legions of devoted fans, and given numerous interviews, together and individually. To which I…

Grand Prize Horizon BY TABITHA LORD ($15.95). Wise Ink Creative Publishing.tabithalordauthor.com. Children’s Picture Books FIRST PLACE Vroom-Town: The Adventure of Tim the Tipper in Quentin’s Quarry BY EMER CONLON ($18.98). Essential Marketing Ltd. vroom-town.ie. HONORABLE MENTIONS Frieda B. and the Finkledee Ink BY RENATA BOWERS AND MICHAEL CHESWORTH (illustrator) ($15). Frieda B. LLC.friedab.com. The Growing Sweater BY JASON J. MARCHI AND BEN QUESNEL (illustrator) ($16). Omicron World Entertainment LLC Fahrenheit Books. jasonjmarchi.com. Genre Fiction FIRST PLACE Impala BY ANDREW DIAMOND ($14.99). Stolen Time Press. adiamond.me. HONORABLE MENTIONS Open Source BY ANNA L. DAVIS ($15.95). Anna L. Davis.annaldavis.net. Dead on the Dock BY BETH EVERETT ($13.95). Beth Fernandez. beth-everett.com. When Doves Fly BY LAUREN GREGORY…

Experiencing the initial spark of an idea is both holy and euphoric. Who wouldn’t be addicted to the thrill of writerly inspiration? But as exhilarating as that early energy can be, its opposite—writer’s block—is incredibly demoralizing. Every block is different depending on the writer. You may struggle to find inspiration or to finish work that’s been hanging in limbo for a long time. You may think you don’t have anything to say, or you may struggle to overcome procrastination. I like to think of writer’s block as inertia, a powerful force that prevents you from doing your work. As such, this sort of block can actually serve a purpose: It gives you something to work against and forces you to set or shift goals, plunge deeper into the writing or…

FOR YOUR ESSAYS, FICTION, POETRY & MORE: New Letters ABOUT: “ New Letters is an international quarterly journal of essays, fiction, poetry, interviews, art and more, published by the University of Missouri–Kansas City. The mission of New Letters magazine is to discover, publish and promote the best and most exciting literary writing, whether from established writers or those ready and waiting to be discovered.” FOUNDED: 1934. CIRCULATION: 2,500–5,000. PUBLISHES: Quarterly. READING PERIOD: Oct. 1–May 1. PAYMENT: Typically $45–100, plus two copies of the issue. LENGTH: For prose, 3,000 words; submit no more than six poems. RIGHTS: First North American serial. HOW TO SUBMIT: Mail with an SASE to New Letters, University House, UMKC, 5101 Rockhill Rd., Kansas City, MO 64110. DETAILED GUIDELINES: newletters.org/writers-wanted/ submissions. WHAT STANDS OUT &…

Writing & Selling Your Mystery Novel, Revised & Expanded Edition by Hallie Ephron The essentials of craft and the plan to execute them are right at your fingertips with Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel. This completely revised and expanded edition features solid strategies for drafting, revising and selling an intriguing mystery novel that grips your readers and refuses to let them go. ITEM #R0871 RETAIL: $17.99 YOUR PRICE: $16.99* The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing, 3rd Edition by The Editors of Writer’s Digest Learn how to make your novel a reality with this guide. Discover techniques for plotting, characterization and finding inspiration to follow through. This new edition includes an updated marketing section for navigating the evolving literary marketplace. ITEM #R1991 RETAIL: $19.99 YOUR PRICE: $12.99* The Emotional Craft…

A Seat at the Table This morning I was getting ready for work when I heard my toddler calling, awake ahead of her normal time and sounding none too patient about it. I found her standing with her little fists wrapped tightly around the gate in her doorway. She brightened as I lifted her into a hug, but then her scowl returned. “Where’s my book?” she demanded, turning to point at her pillow, where indeed I’d removed her latest favorite late the night before so she didn’t wake to a hardcover in the eye. “It was right there!” I had to smile. Never had I been so happy to see her so irate. I think we all can appreciate just how young the love of good storytelling can start—and how…

Write a story inspired by or including one of the following, from Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions: 1. “On judgment day, when they ask me what bad things I did down here, I’m going to have to tell them, ‘Well, there was a promise I made to a man I loved, and I broke it all the time.’” 2. “I’m going to ask you to do something I have never asked you to do before. Promise me you’ll say yes.” “I promise,” she said. 3. “The fan letter came much too late. It wasn’t good news.”…

In the right hands there’s more oomph in a gram of short story than in almost any literary form,” Pulitzer Prize–winner Junot Díaz has said. When writers talk about short stories, it’s often as a stepping-stone on the way to a career in novel writing. But this vibrant, explosive form is more than something writers “graduate” from. Rather, it’s a type of storytelling all writers would do well to practice for its own sake. Even if you don’t aspire to publish short work, trying your hand at brief, complete stories can help you refresh your creativity, refine specific techniques and rediscover your love of writing for the fun of it. As the founder of the popular online short story challenge StoryADay (in which participants write a short piece every day…

Believe it or not, our hearts rise and fall with every swell and break right alongside our clients’—so, like you, we have to have some love in the game in order to keep on rowing. Dear FYSA, I am getting a lot of requests to see my full manuscript, but so far the rejections say, “While I love your writing, concept, plot, etc., I have to be 5 bajillion trillion percent in love with a project to take it on.” My question then is: Why don’t literary agents act more like Hollywood agents, who may not see you as perfect for a certain role, but believe in your talent and send you on other auditions? Why don’t literary agents say, “This project may not be for me, but I see…

1 Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference Enjoy Alaska’s natural beauty while improving your craft at this bayside retreat. WHEN: June 9–13, 2017. WHERE: Land’s End Resort, Homer, Alaska. PRICE: $395 until May 1, then $425 until June 8. $450 at the door if space is available. Manuscript reviews are $65, and a two-hour breakfast cruise on Kachemak Bay with faculty is $60. See website for details. WHAT MAKES THE CONFERENCE UNIQUE: “The mix of Alaskans and folks from ‘the lower 48’ creates a level of camaraderie and inclusiveness,” conference director Carol Swartz says. “The grandeur of Homer rejuvenates faculty and participants alike as they head back to their writing practices with fresh eyes and new skills.” WHO IT’S PERFECT FOR: Writers eager to make connections within a broader community and deepen…

BOB ECKSTEIN (“Solving the World’s Most Cliché Writing Question,” Page 10) is a writer and cartoonist for The New Yorker and The New York Times, and has also written for New York Daily News, Atlas Obscura, Reader’s Digest, GQ, MAD and others. His latest book, Footnotes From the World’s Greatest Bookstores, is a New York Times bestseller and was selected by The Wall Street Journal as one of the Most-Anticipated Books of Fall 2016. MICHAEL KARDOS (“All About Anthologies,” Page 30) is the Pushcart Prize–winning author of the novels Before He Finds Her and The Three-Day Affair, as well as the story collection One Last Good Time and the textbook The Art and Craft of Fiction: A Writer’s Guide. Originally from the Jersey shore, he currently co-directs the creative writing…

STAGE 1 : The Adrenaline Rush There it is. An email in your inbox with “Re: Submission” in the subject line. It slams you right in the solar plexus. You gasp for air. STAGE 2 : Schrödinger’s Cat There is now one click between you and knowing whether your piece has been accepted or rejected. For a final moment you dare to hope that this time it will be a yes. For some reason you don’t want it to end just yet. But you don’t want to get your hopes up, either. You talk yourself down. “Probably a no,” you mutter. But you don’t entirely believe yourself as you poise your mouse over the email and hover there, for just a minute more, before you click. STAGE 3 : Bracing…

Anna Sproul-Latimer has been with Ross Yoon Agency for her entire 12-year career. She aims to represent writers who “confront some of life’s scariest, most profound, most meaningful experiences and tell the truth about them with pathos and humor”—whether as memoirists, historians, scientists or comedians. “There is no better high in the world than the one I get when I call an author and tell them they have a book deal,” she says. “Given my client list, I’m often telling that to first-time authors and people from marginalized or progressive communities. Telling them their stories matter—and matter to the tune of hugely competitive advances—makes my heart burst with pride.” Find her at rossyoon.com and on Twitter at @annasproul. Kara Gebhart Uhl (pleiadesbee.com) writes and edits from Fort Thomas, Ky.…

QUESTION 1: What grabs your attention and makes you take notice of a short story? “A tightly controlled voice, a well-honed perspective, a distinct setting; these are all things that might make me read a submission more closely. Alternatively, hackneyed dialogue, unintentionally vague description, or misogyny on the part of the writer are all things that cause me to say, ‘Next.’” —ALLISON WRIGHT, Virginia Quarterly Review “If I feel a sense of both recognition and surprise—if a writer manages to show me something (be it a person, setting, dynamic between characters) that I have not seen on the page before but that I recognize as authentic.” —JENNIFER BATES, New England Review “I take notice of composure at the sentence level—my sense that the writer has combed over her…

Stumped on your work-in-progress? Take a break, open up a fresh document and tackle one of these short story prompts. Don’t worry about the result being polished; just see what you can do when limiting yourself to a couple of characters, one setting and a single (but big) revelation. REMOVE BUILDUP: Write a story that starts in the most interesting place in your work-in-progress protagonist’s journey—no buildup allowed. Then, experiment with cutting out the first few paragraphs. Can you add a single, powerful opening line instead? TALK THE TALK: Write a piece using only dialogue. Give each character a voice so distinctive you can dispense with “he said.” (Keeping the “cast” to two characters helps). Convey emotions through precise vocabulary choice and speech patterns (the length of sentences, for example)…

What advice would you give to other authors considering self-publishing? Don’t cut corners! Your book should be as well edited as a traditional author’s book, your cover art compelling and your business dealings professional. I firmly believe you can accomplish this within a reasonable budget. What is the worst mistake that self-publishing authors can make? To put a book into the world before it’s ready. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of making the book dream happen, and it’s tempting to rush the process. I think we all struggle to know for certain we’ve reached the final draft, and at some point, we have to just do it and stand behind our work—but that’s a really different thing than publishing an unpolished manuscript. Just because we now…

Out of more than 450 entries, Writer’s Digest editors and forum members chose this winner, submitted by Kevin Kissig of Perry, Ohio. I glare scornfully at the empty bottle of Tanqueray overturned on the kitchen counter and pray for sleep I know won’t soon come. I knew I should have bought two bottles. It’s been 10 years since my husband left me … 10 years since he found out I had been lying to him. You’d think a decade would be long enough for wounds to begin healing, but some people don’t deserve to heal. To this day I don’t know why I lied. He loved me … he would have understood. It’s just that we were fighting so hard to get by, and I couldn’t stand the thought of…

Feeling blocked? Boost your creativity with these 10-minute story starters. 1. LESSONS LEARNED: Write about a teacher or mentor you’ve had. Use as many adjectives and descriptive phrases as you can—to excess, even! Start with: Most teachers have eyes in the back of their heads, but … 2. BASEMENT: Picture a basement or cellar from your childhood. Mentally open the door, descend the stairs, feel the banister and take in the smells. Notice the quality of light and what’s on the steps, floor and walls. Hear the sound of the pipes and the noises from the rooms above. Behind a hot water heater, in the shadows, is something you never noticed before: an old wooden door. Go to it, twist the knob in your hand and pull. Now start writing!…

CONFERENCE GUIDE MARCH/APRIL 2017 • Keep in mind that there may be more than one workshop in each listing. • 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 GREATER LOS ANGELES WRITERS CONFERENCE, produced by West Coast Writers Conferences. June 16–18, 2017 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Los Angeles Westside near LAX. Writers of all genres and disciplines benefit from this popular educational…

Crafting Novels & Short Stories by The Editors of Writer’s Digest Find the tools you need to build strong characters, keep your plot moving, master the art of dialogue and more. This comprehensive resource is packed with advice from bestselling authors and writing experts including Nancy Kress, Elizabeth Sims, Hallie Ephron, N.M. Kelby, Heather Sellers and Donald Maass. ITEM #V0807 Retail: $19.99 YOUR PRICE: $11.58* Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market 2017 The Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market 2017 is the only resource you need to get your short stories, novellas and novels published. This guide offers hundreds of listings for publishers, journals, literary agents, contests and more. Each listing includes contact info, submission guidelines and other essential tips. This brand new edition also includes valuable articles with advice…