July 2004

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
10 ways to put the thrill in thriller
By Jay Bonansinga
A seasoned thriller writer and teacher spills the goods on how to more effectively grab your reader and suspend his disbelief, build character and setting, and--lest we forget--explode time.
Larry Watson: Master of emotional conflict
By Ronald Kovach
The author of the critically acclaimed Montana 1948 and other fine novels discusses the surprising ways his fiction takes shape, and the importance of creating rounded characters and choosing the right point of view.
Publishers discover African-American readers
By Andrea King Collier
Readers and editors are on the lookout for fresh stories about the black experience. Here are some tips on succeeding in this blossoming market.
Writing 'on spec': a risky business that can pay off
By Irene S. Levine
Many freelancers advise against ever writing "on spec," but our writer begs to differ, saying there's a time and place for this practice.
Create a worthy villain
By William G. Tapply
Don't neglect your villains, warns a veteran mystery writer, for it is they who will truly test your hero and create the suspense you need.
Get inspired: Visit these 12 literary haunts
By Chuck Leddy
Walking in the footsteps of your favorite writers offers an interesting trip and inspiration, too. Here are 12 journeys to consider.
Thoughts on rejection in the middle of the night
By Kathy Stevenson
The benign view of rejection notes the author offers her writing students gets quite a bit edgier at night, she finds.
Departments
Editor's notes
Take note
Why Ford Fiestas will be showing up in Carole Matthews' novels, contest and conference listings, Dear Writer and more.
Get started
What genre is right for you?
By Kelly James-Enger
Now that you've gotten serious about writing, what is it you're going to write about anyway? This column can help you decide.
Breakthrough
By Sharon McDonnell
Be alert to opportunity, says our writer, whose first book was purchased by the first publisher she tried and even landed a spot on Good Morning America.
Net//Working
Earn more: Teach writing online
By Moira Allen
Writers can turn their expertise into cash by becoming an online instructor. Here's a look at what you need to know.
Bottom line
The writing life goes digital
By Joyce Faulkner
A number of now-basic electronic tools can boost your productivity. Here's an overview of what they can do, and how to think about your buying decision.
Off the cuff
A poet's 'foggy muddle'
By Rachel Hadas
Our writer reflects on the "dribs and drabs"--or the sudden radiant glimpse through our mental fog--that so often seems to fuel the creative process.
WriteStuff
Reviews of Seven Steps on the Writer's Path by Nancy Pickard and Lynn Lott, Reading New York by John Tytell, and more.
Market focus
Write guidebooks and get paid to travel
By Ernest Herndon
You won't get rich writing guidebooks, but they offer writers a way to get paid to travel, boost their knowledge and advance their writing career. Besides, you never know what other doors they'll open.
How I write
For novelist Jennifer Crusie, procrastination is just part of the process.
Writers wanted
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