Innehållsförteckning för November/December 2017 från Writer's Digest

1 The Winning Ticket Read the grand-prize stage play that won over the 86th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition judges (Page 44)—and learn more about the winner and her clever approach to crafting a story within a story. 2 Lost in Translation Beyond his latest bestseller on the art of communication, actor-turned-author Alan Alda has plenty to say on the subject. In the outtakes from our WD Interview (Page 40), learn more about his Women in Business project and other good work for speakers and writers alike. 3 Outgoing Mail Step 2 in Mark Coker’s “Turbocharge Your e-Book Marketing” (Page 35) highlights the importance of maintaining an email list. For more guidance on how to do it, don’t miss our full tutorial by DIY MFAfounder Gabriela Pereira. To find all…

MARK COKER (“Turbocharge Your e-Book Marketing,” Page 35) founded Smashwords in 2008 to make e-book publishing fast, free and easy. Today, more than 100,000 authors publish and distribute over 400,000 e-books with Smashwords. Coker is the author of three free e-books about e-publishing best practices—Smashwords Book Marketing Guide, Smashwords Style Guide and Secrets to e-Book Publishing Success. Follow him on Twitter @markcoker or Facebook at facebook.com/markcoker. KAREN CORINNE HERCEG (“The WD Interview: Alan Alda,” Page 40) publishes poetry, prose, essays and reviews in a variety of international publications, including American Book Review and for the website Compulsive Reader. A graduate of Columbia University, she is a member of the Academy of American Poets, PEN America, the Poetry Society of America and more. Her second book of poems, Out From Calaboose,…

Once a month I sit in the drawing room of the house where Flannery O’Connor grew up. I had no idea what to expect the first time I visited the Peacock Guild Writers Salon, the writers’ group that meets in this small museum. I’d recently moved to Savannah, Ga., and knew no one. I’d practiced law early in my career and had even been published in The New York Times. Still, just thinking about the possibility of looking foolish in what I presumed would be a room full of Master of Fine Arts graduates made me queasy. I hadn’t read any of O’Connor’s short stories since college, and had spent years as a stay-at-home mom, turning to writing nonfiction only at midlife. “Have a seat,” one of the members said.…

C. Morgan Babst The Floating World (literary fiction, October, Algonquin Books ) “In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a couple returns to New Orleans to find that the daughter they left behind is now catatonic, overcome by the violent memory of a mysterious event.” WRITES FROM: I have always written from New Orleans, even during those post-storm years when I was far from [my] home [there]. PRE- FLOATING WORLD: I’ve been writing fiction since I [was] a sophomore in high school. My first published short story appeared in the Katrina issue of the New Orleans Review, and since then I’ve published short fiction and essays in Guernica, Oxford American and more. TIME FRAME: This book took me eight years to write and revise. My first draft was 750 pages…

Ten years ago print books accounted for more than 99.5 percent of all book sales. It was a time when self-published authors were shut out of bookstore distribution. The seeds of the indie e-book revolution were planted between 2007 and 2010, a period of time in which Amazon, Sony, Barnes & Noble and iBooks opened their e-bookstores to self-published e-book authors. Once the e-bookstores began carrying self-published e-books, everything changed. Indie e-books started selling. Indies started hitting the bestseller lists. In those early days of the e-book market, the rules for marketing weren’t yet written. Everyone was a clueless newbie—large publishers included. For the first time ever, the playing field wasn’t just level, it was tilted to the indie e-book author’s advantage. Unburdened by centuries of publishing dogma, these scrappy…

We’ve all read stories in which the cavalry arrives just in time to save the day, or the hero just happens to find the time machine/ray gun/ escape hatch/shark repellent right when he needs it in order to survive the climax. Although coincidences may happen in real life, they can kill believability if they appear at the wrong time or aren’t handled the right way in a story. Coincidence is necessary to get a story started, but is often deadly at the end. However, too many authors use it backward: They work hard to get readers to buy into the plausibility of the beginning, but then bring in chance or convenience at the climax—when readers’ coincidence tolerance is at its lowest. For handling coincidence deftly, follow these seven strategies to…

THE CHALLENGE: Write the opening line (one sentence only, 25 words or fewer) to a story based on the prompt below. You can be funny, poignant, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story. TO ENTER: Send your sentence via the online submission form at writersdigest.com/ your-story-competition or via email to yourstorycontest@fwmedia.com (entries must be pasted directly into the body of the email; attachments will not be opened). NOTE: WD editors will select the top 10 entries and post them on our website ( writersdigest.com/your-story-competition ). Join us online in late November, when readers will vote for their favorites to help rank the top 10 winners! The winners will be published in a future issue of Writer’s Digest . DON’T FORGET: Your name and mailing address. One entry…

FOR YOUR NONFICTION BOOK PROPOSALS: Berrett-Koehler Publishers ABOUT: “Berrett-Koehler Publishers’ mission is to publish books that support the movement toward a world that works for all. Our titles promote positive change at personal, organizational and societal levels.” FOUNDED: 1992. PUBLISHES: About 40 titles per year. ROYALTIES: 10–20 percent. ADVANCE: $5,000 flat. CATEGORIES: General nonfiction, self-help, business development, communication, happiness, creativity, leadership, management, relationship building, sustainability and more. RESPONSE TIME: 4–6 weeks. PUBLISHING PERIOD: 10 months after acceptance. HOW TO SUBMIT: Send a proposal (see website for more information on what to include), along with an outline and 2–4 sample chapters in PDF form to submissions@bkpub.com. DETAILED GUIDELINES: bkconnection.com/book-resources/static/ proposal-guidelines-for-berrett-koehler-publishers. WHAT STANDS OUT & WHY: Based in Oakland, Calif., Berrett-Koehler strives to be their authors’ best advocate. They excel in niche…

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK Writing about real-life tragedy can be cathartic, but also emotionally demanding. Memoirist Rebecca Faye Smith Galli shares 10 tips to keep your spirits up when writing about sadness. bit.ly/positivepowerWD GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! Why is the word “girl” in so many modern book titles? Girl Last Seen author Nina Laurin delves into what’s driving the trend. bit.ly/girltitleWD JUST A NUMBER Perseverance is an attribute hammered into the subconscious of every writer, but sometimes life gets in the way. Poet Rebecca Foust documents the experience of becoming a professional writer at 50, proving—once again—that it’s never too late. bit.ly/justanumberWD…

“My motto is, ‘If we can think it, then we can write it.’ We can always improve upon it later.” —Patrick Ryan GO WITH THE FLOW At one time I enjoyed sketching, even though a nervous condition hindered my progress due to shaky hands. It was only after reading the “Train Your Eye for Better Writing” article in WD’s September issue that I realized how the shakes actually contributed to a more-than-decent sketch. When control of my hands failed miserably, I found my only choice was to allow my hands to twitch while directing them in general, sweeping motions. This way required less effort, didn’t go against the grain and actually created a three-dimensional picture without me having to try so hard. We can do the same thing in our…

POETIC FORM: CLOGYRNACH The clogyrnach is a fun poetic form with an ab rhyme scheme and varying syllable counts. Though typically written with sestets (six-line stanzas), this Welsh form can also be written in quintets (five-line stanzas) by combining Lines 5 and 6. Here is the structure for the more common six-line clogyrnach: LINE 1: eight syllables with an a rhyme LINE 2: eight syllables with an a rhyme LINE 3: five syllables with a b rhyme LINE 4: five syllables with a b rhyme LINE 5: three syllables with a b rhyme LINE 6: three syllables with an a rhyme Here’s an example by a Poetic Asides reader. Premonition, by William Preston a It is a dark, unstormy night a with stars competing for the right b…

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (required by Act of August 12, 1970: Section 3685, Title 39, United States Code). 1. Writer's Digest 2. (ISSN: 0043-9525) 3. Filing date: 10/1/17. 4. Issue frequency: 8 issues annually. 5. Number of issues published annually: 8. 6. The annual subscription price is 24.96. 7. Complete mailing address of known office of publication: F+W Media, Inc., 10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242. Complete mailing address of headquarters or general business office of publisher: F+W Media, Inc., 10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242. 9. Full names and complete mailing addresses of publisher, editor, and managing editor. Publisher, David Pyle, 10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242, Editor, Jessica Strawser, 10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH…

1. Back a few projects before you launch your own. Kickstarter is a community, and some members take a dim view of projects launched by people who haven’t supported anyone else. 2. Research campaigns that have things in common with yours, and emulate successes. 3. Create attractive, appropriate graphics that will excite your target audience. 4. Offer a variety of appealing backer rewards; ideally ones that don’t need to be physically shipped. 5. Include a good video. Make your best pitch right at the start and use the rest of the video to support it. 6. Determine your basic funding need, and ask only for that. Smaller sums are easier to meet, and you can add stretch goals later. 7. Plan to spend considerable time promoting your campaign on social…

Amazon’s branded audio subscription service, Audible, both produces and distributes listener-oriented entertainment, including audiobooks. “With the ubiquity of smartphones and smart speakers, more people are listening to audiobooks at home on their sofas, in their kitchens, while gardening and exercising, and on their commute,” Audible Executive Vice President and Publisher Beth Anderson says. “In 2016, our customers around the world downloaded almost 2 billion hours of programming. On any given day, Audible listeners average about two hours of listening to Audible content.” Authors with an eye on the platform need to keep in mind how readers buy books through Audible. The most popular Audible subscription includes one credit each month that can be used toward the purchase of any book at any price. For those subscribers, additional books can be…

Public libraries represent a great sales opportunity for self-published e-books. In the U.S. alone, there are more than 9,000 public libraries. About 75 percent of public library e-book purchases are for fiction, and 25 percent for nonfiction. According to a 2015 study by Library Journal, 94 percent of public libraries offer e-book checkouts, and 39 percent of libraries in the same study either purchased or planned to purchase self-published e-books. Library patrons include plenty of avid readers who often discover their new favorite authors at libraries. Many of these patrons go on to purchase e-books at retail. Thus, it makes sense to conclude that if you want to sell more books at retail, you should sell more books to these institutions. 1. MAKE YOUR E-BOOK PURCHASABLE BY LIBRARIES. Libraries are…

WHAT’S THE SECRET TO HUMOROUS WRITING? Concentrate less on what you think people will find funny and write what you find funny. If you write with a sense of joy, it comes across. It might sound vain to laugh at your own jokes—it’s not something you want to do at a dinner party—but when you’re writing, I think it’s the best sign that you’ve got a hit. WHAT’S ONE THING YOU COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT IN YOUR WRITING LIFE? A good train ride. I’ve written my best stuff while on the train between Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario, to visit my sister. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO READ? TV scripts: When you watch the episode, you’re watching the actors and sharing in their line readings, but sometimes I like to go back…

Dear FYSA, I would like to get my agent and my editor gifts for the holidays, but don’t know what would be appropriate. Any advice? Signed, Santa’s Helper Dear Santa’s Helper, This is such a considerate and timely question! And, hmm … I keep staring at that word: appropriate. One year client Robert K. Lewis sent me a diorama of the scene from Jaws where mustachioed shark hunter Quint gets eaten by Bruce the shark, and I found that aggressively appropriate, so I think for my clients at least, that word can be taken in its broadest definition. But here is what I will say: Gift cards and food baskets and baubles and treats are never expected—but nonetheless always appreciated, so thank you for thinking of us. Everyone likes to…

Investigation is the meat and potatoes of a mystery novel. The sleuth talks to people, researches, snoops around and observes. Facts emerge. Maybe an eyewitness gives an account of what he saw. A wife has unexplained bruises on her face. The brother of a victim avoids eye contact with his questioner. A will leaves a millionaire’s estate to an obscure charity. A bloody knife is found in a laundry bin. A love letter is discovered tucked into last week’s newspaper. Some clues will eventually identify the villain. Others are red herrings—evidence that misdirects the reader and leads to false conclusions. On top of that, some of the information your sleuth gathers will turn out to be nothing more than the irrelevant minutiae of everyday life, inserted into scenes to give…

1 New Worlds, New Voices SFF Workshops Get down to business at this scifi/fantasy-centric gathering in a coastal California fishing village. WHEN: Nov. 8–12, 2017. WHERE: Harbor House Inn (with other session locations TBA), Morro Bay, Calif. PRICE: $795. WHAT MAKES THE CONFERENCE UNIQUE: “This is a no-fluff conference. Our focus is strictly on what it takes to become a published sci-fi/fantasy author,” conference sponsor Michael Neff says. “Advice comes only from professionals.” Pre-conference assignments address issues specific to attendees’ works-in-progress, and attendees can expect their writing to be thoroughly reviewed and critiqued throughout the conference. “The pre-conference assignments can make a huge difference in what you get out of the event,” Neff notes. HOW MANY ATTEND: 20. FACULTY: Novelists Jason M. Hough (The Darwin Elevator), Pierce Brown (Red Rising…

CONFERENCE GUIDE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 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 BCX™ CREATIVE WRITING CONFERENCE + THE DIGITAL AUTHOR™ & INDIE- SELF-PUBLISHING WRITERS CONFERENCE, 2 concurrent events for 1 price. October 20–22, 2017 Los Angeles, CA. Produced by West Coast Writers Conferences. Register for one and get the…

CUSTOM CLASSICS What would famous passages from literature look like with a little line editing? First, fill in the blanks below with the most creative words you can think of. Then transfer each part of speech to its corresponding numbered blank in the passage on the right. 1. Adjective _____________________ 2. Noun (thing)___________________ 3. Noun _________________________ 4. Noun (attribute)________________ 5. Noun from #3 (but made plural)__ ______________________________ 6. Adjective______________________ 7. Past Tense Verb________________ 8. Past Tense Verb________________ 9. Adverb _______________________ 10. Verb Ending in -ing_____________ SHARE A LAUGH: If your additions form a particularly funny or poetic combination, post a photo of your doctored passage with the hashtag #customclassicsWD on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram! LAUGH LINES While walking on the beach, a novelist, a journalist and a poet stumble across…

Stepping Back, Moving Forward My first day on the job at WD, I settled in at the large, U-shaped desk I’d been coveting, marveled at how bare it was (it wouldn’t stay that way for long!), and skimmed the colorful spines of the writing guides lining the shelves around me. The very molecules of the space teemed with possibility. And I realized, with equal parts excitement and terror, that with no predecessor on site and no rulebook to follow, I had not the slightest idea what to do. That was nine years ago. Finding my way at the helm has been collaboration from the start, with my staff colleagues comprising the hardest working crew I know, our talented contributor pool setting ever-higher standards, and the generous writers in our WD…

Taking a walk when your writing feels stuck has always been a tried-and-true way to clear your head and boost your creativity—but your next stroll could be extra inspiring thanks to these two nonprofits. THE TYPEWRITER PROJECT Born in 2014, The Typewriter Project is the brainchild of poets Stephanie Berger and Nicholas Adamski. Inspired by the Play Me, I’m Yours piano project, which installs pianos at outdoor locations in rotating cities throughout the globe for anyone to enjoy, The Typewriter Project encourages passers-by to write anything they wish using a manual USB typewriter that captures the words on a 100-foot scroll of paper linked to a blog at subconsciousofthecity.com , where the scrawlings are posted for the public to peruse. The aim is to channel the tactile feel of permanently…

THE STUART AGENCY Christopher Rhodes began his literary career as a teenager, working at bookstores in New Hampshire and then New York City, where he landed a job at Borders’ flagship location in the World Trade Center. Three years later, Rhodes migrated to Simon & Schuster, working in sales and marketing before becoming an executive assistant at the Carol Mann Agency, where Mann taught him the ins and outs of agent-dom. He made his first sale in 2013 and spent some time at the James Fitzgerald Agency before joining The Stuart Agency in 2015. Today, Rhodes lives in North Carolina, where in addition to agenting he serves as the facility and events coordinator for Randall Library at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Visit him online at stuartagency.com or on…

CHILDREN’S/YOUNG ADULT FICTION 1. John Buentello, “The Terrible Troll” 2. Barbara Layman, “Day Dreamer and the Sleeping Giants” 3. Brooklyn West, “The Curse of Sap River” 4. Lindsay Leslie, “Wanted: Dusk Raiders” 5. Emma Tennier-Stuart, “1558” 6. Asha Azariah-Kribbs, “The Teacup Fairy” 7. Sara Hale, “The Pride of Calhoun County” 8. James Roth, “Zoo Day” 9. Sandy Quandt, “Splintered and Shattered on the Inside” 10. Pamela Love, “A Handful of Rain?” JUDGE: Holly Alder has taught writing since 1973 and currently works both as an instructor with WD University and as a staffer at Blue Marble Books children’s bookstore. Winner of a National Society of Arts and Letters honor award, she is the author of two North Light Books and a collector of children’s literature (housing more than 6,000 titles…

1 While he thought he was snapping his money shot, Frank didn’t realize that the real action was right behind him. —Marlene Seielstad 2 In retirement, I decided to stop shooting people between the eyes and focus on shooting as a beautiful, harmless career. —Imen Jallouli 3 The forbidden box in Grandpa’s Dallas home, opened only after his funeral, contained just one roll of undeveloped film and a note: “11-22-63.” —William McIlwain 4 He mastered the camera as a social crutch, clutching it like a ticket to life’s party, hiding his face behind its enormous black lens. —Laurel Van Der Wende 5 He could have saved himself by turning to run, but instead stayed and took the photo that saved thousands of others. —Andrea van de Bruggen 6 He silently…

In 1962, Alfred Hitchcock and François Truffaut discussed their work during a marathon session that lasted for days. The two great directors and their French/English interpreter barely paused for meals. It was during this conversation that Hitchcock outlined his famous surprise versus suspense scenario—the bomb planted in the cafe. He used this example to demonstrate that, contrary to popular belief, suspense is far more engaging than surprise. Here’s how it goes: Say you have a scene where two characters are talking in a cafe, and a bomb suddenly goes off under the table. The unexpected action will make the audience experience surprise. Your readers’ emotional and physiological reactions are likely to be similar to the heart-stopping adrenaline rush a child feels the first time he opens a jack-in-the-box. Can you…