May 2008

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.

Features
Making behavior speak
By Patrick McGilligan
In developing his writing, top filmmaker-screenwriter Barry Levinson learned how to 'become all the characters' in his head
pg. 18
Archive: How to become a writer
By Sloan Wilson
Live fully and record your experiences to describe not only yourself but humanity
pg. 22
The junk we carry
By Thomas E. Kennedy
How an accomplished fiction writer found some of his best stories in notes, scraps and souvenirs
pg. 25
How to craft winning queries
5 savvy writers show you--word for word--what worked for them
pg. 28
Step by Step: A fresh eye and busy feet make a travel writer
By John Smolens
Learn to be a good hunter-gatherer and avoid the bland prose of a brochure
pg. 32
Find a glimmer of a story in everyday events
By Sharon McDonnell
Your best ideas may be the ones that come to you when you aren't sitting at a desk
pg. 36
Departments
Letters
Another Dickens tip
pg. 7
Take Note
The 'alarming' state of reading in America
By Chuck Leddy, others
pg. 8
Get started
Get it done: Tips on completing your first screenplay
By M.J. Huang
pg. 13
Breakthrough
A writer’s success story
A freelancer follows the pyramid approach to career building
By Barry Michaels
pg. 14
Off the cuff
Connecting with writers past
By Mary Curran Hackett
To literally walk in the footsteps of famous writers is like coming home
pg. 15
Writer at work
A new premise brings a story to life
By Brandi Reissenweber
How a writer learned the benefits of patience and going in the opposite direction from her original plan
pg. 39
Freelance Success
25 tips to boost your freelance sales
By Ligaya Figueras
How to stay on top of all aspects of your writing--and make it more profitable
pg. 41
WriteStuff
Mosely gives no-nonsense fiction tips
By Chuck Leddy
Review of This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley
pg. 43
Market focus
Make your future out of the past
By Sean McLachlan
Here's how to break into the burgeoning history market
pg. 45
Literary spotlight
Chattahoochee Review
By Melissa Hart
A regional name belies its cosmopolitan nature
pg. 47
Market listings
Contests
By Compiled by Martha Lundin
pg. 48
How I write
Richard Conniff
By Kate Campbell
pg. 58
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