Get Started: 6 key steps to writing film reviews
Having an opinion about a movie is one thing. Expressing it in an informed, entertaining way to an audience is something altogether different.
By Elfrieda Abbe

Breakthrough: A cellist finds some keys to freelance writing
Musical training plus industry research proved to be a dynamic combination for this writer.
By Rebecca Hein

Off the Cuff: Writing scared
If you struggle with committing to the craft, don’t be afraid to join a critique group.
By Natalia M. Sylvester

Interview: A writer of many parts
Ridley Pearson’s diverse career has included success with thrillers, young-adult novels, collaborations with Dave Barry, and even a bestselling tie-in to a Stephen King TV series.
By Jeff Ayers

Archive: Build a solid story around a strong character
The bestselling author of Mystic River and Shutter Island advises you to begin working on plot and other narrative elements only after you know your protagonist to the core.
By Dennis Lehane

Step by Step: The 007 way to write a thriller
The author of six official James Bond novels offers a process for building a compelling tale.
By Raymond Benson

Niche MFAs
Here are 10 programs with a specialty focus. You’d never guess some of them.
By Erika Dreifus

COVER STORY
25 tips to sharpen your writing
Want to learn some ways to strengthen, energize, clarify and trim your words? Here are a few tricks of the trade from a Writer editor.
By Ronald Kovach

Do a book tour from home
Follow these six steps to “hitting the road” online—and in your pajamas, if you wish.
By Karen Leland

3 rules for successful co-writing
Here’s some practical advice for making a collaboration work from the late William G. Tapply and others. Plus, see Leigh Anne Jasheway’s sidebar on why collaboration might be right for you—and how to size up a potential writing partner.
By Matt Hudson

Living his dream as a travel writer
Our intrepid writer builds his freelance credentials with a grueling, 4,000-mile solo motorcycle trip in southern Africa.
By Adam Jeske

Writer at Work: Finding a voice that fits
A Random House author describes how a new point of view brought his novel to life.
By Justin Kramon

Business Freelancing: A copywriter's guide to social media
Will blogging and social networking help grow your business? Here’s a balanced view.
By Robert W. Bly

Market Focus: Say 'I do" to the bridal market
To write about weddings successfully, develop relationships with editors and vendors.
By Susan Hart Hellman

Literary Spotlight: The Los Angeles Review
This month’s spotlight is on the literary journal The Los Angeles Review, describing its tone, preferences and contributors.
By Melissa Hart

Editor's Notes

Letters
Letters from our readers

Take Note
• Typo hunt lands 'grammar police' in federal court
   By Chuck Leddy

• Festival to celebrate playwrite with writing contests
   By Jeremy Bonfiglio

• A new West Coast book review readies for its launch
   By Erika Dreifus

• Remembering Leo Tolstoy
   By Joni Rendon

• Are you looking for an affordable e-reader?
   By Michael A. Banks

• The 30-Second Commute: How to get away from work when you work from home
   By Stephanie Dickison

WriteStuff: Book reviews
• It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences: A Writer's Guide to Crafting Killer Sentences by June Casagrande.
• The Accidents of Style: Good Advice on How Not to Write Badly by Charles Harrington Elster.
• The Writer's Portable Mentor: A Guide to Art, Craft, and the Writing Life by Priscilla Long
   By Chuck Leddy and Melissa Hart

Markets
This month, our annual list of MFA programs; helpful tips from administrators at two MFA programs, the Whidbey Writers Workshop and the University of British Columbia; and information on contests and conferences.
Compiled by Martha Lundin

How I Write: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
For novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, some characters are inspired by real people, some grow from a tiny seed as she writes, and others just surprise her.
By Elfrieda Abbe