August 2007

The Writer

The essential resource for writers

Join thousands of successful writers when you subscribe to The Writer magazine. Each month The Writer is full of features you can use to improve your writing, including before-and-after examples of improved writing, more literary markets than ever before, practical solutions for writing problems, selected literary magazine profiles, tips from famous authors and hands-on advice.

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Features
Hitting one out of the park the first time at bat
By Hallie Ephron
The 5 finalists for the Edgar Awards' best first mystery describe what it takes to craft a fresh, gripping drama
pg. 19
Archive: How I wrote Ordinary People
By Judith Guest
The author of the bestselling novel discusses how she handled the challenges of establishing a point of view, avoiding sentimentality, and finishing a piece of writing
pg. 24
May I put you on hold?
By Lois J. Peterson
If interruptions are your nemesis, then it might be time to put some strategies to work
pg. 27
Step by Step: Build a bridge to the past to bring your historical novel alive
By John Smolens
An accomplished novelist shares what he learned in developing his story about the assassination of President McKinley
pg. 28
The usual suspects
By Peter Selgin
The first of a two-part series on the 6 most common errors in fiction writing; this month's miscreants are errors of structure
pg. 32
Step by Step: How to turn a short story into a screenplay
By Jillian Abbott
The form, our writer says, is uniquely suited to adaptation
pg. 36
Freelancing: When to take a detour on the road to success
By Diana Burrell
Sometimes making counterintuitive choices can actually enhance your career
pg. 39
How to be your own publicist
By Cal Orey
A book author finds success and great benefits in do-it-yourself PR
pg. 41
Departments
Letters
Market Listings
Magazines
Contemporary culture, current events, ethnic/multicultural, gay/lesbian, regional/city and literary
pg. 55
Breakthrough
Experiences lead to a new career as military correspondent
By MyLinh Shattan
pg. 14
How I Write
Tom Perrotta
By Leslie Garisto Pfaff
pg. 66
Freelance Success
Draw on your expertise
By Kelly James-Enger
Win an assignment by pitching an article you are uniquely qualified to write
pg. 46
Get Started
Write dialogue that delivers
By Eileen Goudge
pg. 13
Literary Spotlight
Crazyhorse
By Gregg Rosenblum
A top-tier journal with room for newcomers
pg. 54
Market Focus
Tap into 'hidden markets'
By Steven Mark Adelson
Old-fashioned library research could reveal the right publisher for your article
pg. 52
Writer at Work
The right combination of POV and tense brings a lackluster short story to life
By Dominic Preziosi
A writer starts all over again and finds success with his tale of post-9/11 New York
pg. 44
Off the Cuff
Are your characters languishing?
By Margaret-Love Denman
Here's a sure way to wake them up
pg. 17
Syntax
Making it rill
By Arthur Plotnik
Let the evocative language of landscape work for you
pg. 15
WriteStuff
A scientific look at writer's block
By Chuck Leddy, Erika Dreifus, Steve Weinberg
Reviews of Write: 10 Days to Overcome Writer's Block. Period. by Karen E. Paterson, A Journey Into Flaubert's Normandy by Susannah Patton, and The Quote Verifier by Ralph Keyes
pg. 49
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