February 2009

February 2009

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
Newspapers need freelancers, too [Get Started]
By Deborah Niemann-Boehle
Writing for your local newspaper won't provide the pay scale of many magazines, but it may offer many other benefits.
pg. 13
There was no quit in her on the way to publication [Breakthrough]
By Jacqueline Seewald
In getting her first novel for adults published, the writer learned the value of revisions and rewrites.
pg. 14
The reason behind the rhyme [Poet to Poet]
By Marilyn Taylor
Is rhyme out of fashion? Here's some advice on how to know if it has a place in your poem.
pg. 15
Inside advice from top agents
By Sarah Anne Johnson
In a tough publishing market, we picked the brains of five top literary agents to give you some timely tips on how to succeed—and fail.
pg. 18
Knowing when to quit [Archive]
By Lois Lowry
The best endings, says this distinguished writer, leave readers writing the rest in their heads.
pg. 22
Working the Crossword [Mystery short-story contest winner]
By W.E. Mueller
Take a trip back to the 1940s and see a private eye get more than he bargained for. It's the winning entry in The Writer's mystery short-story contest. Read about the winning writer and enjoy our judge's appreciation of the story.
pg. 24
5 ways to make your query stand out
By Kristine Hansen
A little work up front can mean landing a freelance assignment.
pg. 27
Deepen your stories today [Step by Step]
By Mary E. DeMuth
The writer learned to create more powerful fiction by harnessing emotional depth. She tells you how to write "from the inside out."
pg. 28
On the do-it-yourself trail with Bill Sullivan
By Melissa Hart
The Oregon writer and outdoorsman has built a solid career out of regional-interest books and done it in part by self-publishing.
pg. 30
How a self-published skiing book found a groove
By Allen R. Smith
The author of a book of funny stories from ski instructors learned to market his title on a shoestring budget.
pg. 32
A fresh approach to YA novels
By Sherry Shahan
Learn how the young-adult novel-in-verse offers unique opportunities for emotional insight.
pg. 34
A family-history voyage
By Jack Harpster
When our writer gave his genealogy tree a shake for what he assumed would be a small family-history project, out popped an important Pilgrim.
pg. 36
Protagonist-versus-antagonist formula was too simple [Writer at Work]
By Dominic Preziosi
Our writer didn't find success with his short story until he expanded his cast of characters.
pg. 29
Web markets come of age [Freelance Success]
By Kelly James-Enger
Opportunities abound on the Internet, with online markets, blogs and podcasts. Check out this useful survey.
pg. 41
Dive into a new experience [Market Focus]
By Larry Atkins
In "participatory journalism," you can take your readers on an adventure with you, whether it's NASCAR racing or scuba diving.
pg. 46
The Fiddlehead [Literary Spotlight]
By Melissa Hart
This month's spotlight is on the literary journal The Fiddlehead, describing its tone, preferences and contributors.
pg. 48
Departments
Letters
Letters from our readers
Take Note
Book industry looks for trends
By Chuck Leddy, others
How trend-spotting can help writers the same way it does publishers, how to star in your own romance story, plus other literary notes, an excerpt from a new writing book, and information on contests and conferences.
pg. 8
WriteStuff
Book reviews
Reviews of How to Write Like Chekhov: Advice and Inspiration, Straight From His Own Letters and Work, edited by Lena Lencek and Pietro Brunello; Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writer's Guide to the TV Business by Chad Gervich; and The Autobiographer's Handbook: The 826 Valencia Guide to Writing Your Memoir, edited by Jennifer Traig.
Market listings
Agents
By Compiled by Martha Lundin
How I write
Geoffrey Clark
By Jack Smith
Veteran fiction writer Geoffrey Clark gets his imagination engaged, then he sees where it takes him.
pg. 58
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