April 2005

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

Start out strong

By Steve Dimeo

A good opening is crucial in fiction, and one way to master it is to see how some classic authors have managed the task.

Tell a great story

By Philip Martin

"Once upon a time" remains a magical reminder that a writer's craft begins with storytelling. Here are some tips to keep your own storytelling captivating.

Flesh out your characters

By Ellen Macaulay

They may never get an Oscar, but many writers use acting techniques to develop rounded, realistic characters.

Marilynne Robinson on the power of metaphor

By Sarah Anne Johnson

The author of two much-praised novels (Housekeeping and Gilead) as well as substantial nonfiction work listens for the voice in her fictional material.

The perils and pleasures of literary marriages

By Lenore Hart, David Poyer

Two full-time writers in the same house can sometimes be a recipe for disaster. But there are also real benefits, say our married writers, who describe the hazards and rewards of literary unions.

Departments

Editor's notes

Focusing on the present

By Elfrieda Abbe

Letters

Take note

Why some classic fairy tales may not be as harmless as they seem, the most popular books you can't get, plus other literary notes, Dear Writer, and information on contests and conferences.

Get started

Getting along with editors

By Robert Bittner

Building and maintaining good relationships with editors is vital for freelance success. Here are some tips from a veteran.

Breakthrough

Find a hole in the market

By Paul Michael Peterson

When a high school teacher sought a book for his father on Chicago-area Swedish communities, he couldn't find any. So, he ended up writing it himself.

Syntax

Clear out the cringe words

By Arthur Plotnik

Whether it's "way cool" or "expresso," we all have overused and mangled words and phrases that drive us, well, around the bend. This column will make you think twice about using them.

Poet to poet

Practical advice from America's Poet Laureate

By Ted Kooser

How close observation of what's going on around you can yield the sharp details that save your poems from vague generalities.

Bottom line

Helpful information for your writing career

10 stress-free ways to meet your deadlines

By Chrystle Fiedler

Are you tired of getting hammered by deadlines? These tips can make you work more smartly and efficiently.

WriteStuff

Reviews of Sarah Harrison Smith's The Fact Checker's Bible and the Write Series of videotapes, plus some brief looks at other books.

Market focus

Make the most of your next conference workshop

By Erika Dreifus

We asked four conference directors for advice on how writers can maximize the value of a workshop--before, during and after the event. See what they had to say.

How I write

Jeff Shaara

For historical novelist Jeff Shaara, walking in the footsteps of his subjects is essential and almost mystical.