October 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

Discovering a life through biography

By Jeff Ayers

The authors of books about Walt Disney and Charles Schulz discuss the many challenges of researching and writing

pg. 18

Archive: 10 ways to cure the midbook blues

By Phyllis A. Whitney

A prolific author shared her tips to overcome writer fatigue in the middle of a novel

pg. 22

Writing London

By Patrick Hicks

A poet searches for inspiration and history in one of the world's great cities

pg. 24

'The Deadly Dozen' mistakes in mystery writing

By Hallie Ephron

An author steeped in the genre sets out the flaws you want to avoid

pg. 26

Step by Step: Dialogue: The lifeblood of the mystery story

By William G. Tapply

A veteran author offers tips on making the most of your talk

pg. 30

Survive the revision process

By Lisa K. Friedman

Freelancing: Experienced writers offer some true tales from the editing trenches and tips on avoiding the pitfalls

pg. 34

For telling details, go to an open house

By Dorothea N. Buckingham

Real-estate showings may offer a fiction writer some surprising benefits

pg. 37

Get real emotion onto the page (Excerpt)

By Michael Knight

2 exercises to improve your ability to make readers feel your characters' experience

pg. 38

Departments

Take Note

Lost in translation: The challenge of adapting books to film

By Chuck Leddy, others

Get started

12 ways to prepare for publishing

By Jane McBride Choate

pg. 13

Breakthrough

Writer podcasts his way to a 3-book contract

By Scott Sigler

pg. 14

WriteStuff

Book reviews

By Chuck Leddy, Erika Dreifus, Stephanie Dickison

Reviews of 'The Elements of Internet Style: The New Rules of Creating Valuable Content for Today's Readers' by the editors of EEI Press; 'How Fiction Works' by James Wood; and 'The Soul of Creative Writing' by Richard Goodman

pg. 42

Poet to poet

'Do not go gentle': Poems about loss

By Marilyn Taylor

4 strategies to express your sorrow without sentimentality

pg. 15

Freelance Success

Get the straight scoop

By Erik Sherman

Avoid getting egg on your face with these 16 tips for checking out your sources

pg. 40

Market focus

Step up to the bar

By Sally A. Kane

Get your foot in the door of the legal market with solid research and writing skills

pg. 45

Literary spotlight

The Virginia Quarterly Review

By Melissa Hart

pg. 47

Market listings

Automotive, history, literary and mystery magazines

By Compiled by Martha Lundin

pg. 48

How I write

George Pelecanos

By Norwood Holland

pg. 58

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