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January 2010 |
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 Get Started: 6 essentials of a professional Web site By
Monica Shaw A Web site is one of the best ways to present yourself as a professional writer, but make sure you look your best. |
pg. 4 |
Breakthrough: Polish, focus and research helped open the door By
Margaret P. Cunningham After some dead ends and detours, the writer buckled down and improved the query letter and synopsis for her novel. It made a difference. |
pg. 14 |
Off the Cuff: Write to connect with readers By
Randall Silvis To craft an entertaining story, start with your heart, not your head, and work hard to make your meaning clear. |
pg. 15 |
Lee Child crafts a rootless hero who resonates By
Jeff Ayers Jack Reacher, his smash-success series character, comes into town, takes care of business and leaves--still the "mysterious stranger." Learn why millions of readers are following Reacher's every move. |
pg. 18 |
Archive: How to get out of a creative rut By
Peggy Simson Curry Are you in a fearful funk, worried that you're unable to write a thing worth publishing? Here are some simple strategies to help you climb out of the hole. |
pg. 22 |
Ode to swing dancing [Winner of the 2009 Sylvia K. Burack Award] By
Susanne Parker We asked college students competing for this scholarship to write on a subject they felt passionate about. On this point, the joyful writer left no doubt. |
pg. 24 |
Create memorable characters By
Thomas C. Renzi From Scrooge to Pecksniff, Charles Dickens was a master at creating unforgettable characters and bringing them to life. Our writer shows you some of his "secrets." Why not put some of the master's techniques to work in your own fiction? |
pg. 26 |
10 MFA programs that offer a specialty focus By
Melissa Hart Looking for a writing program that's a little different? Look no further. One of these niches may be just what you're after. |
pg. 29 |
Great Web sites for writers By
Moira Allen, Debbe Geiger, Bharti Kirchner, Chuck Leddy, Arthur Plotnik We've culled some of the best online sources of information on fiction, nonfiction, freelancing, authors, books, organizations, research, grammar, markets and more. |
pg. 30 |
Step by Step: More ways to use fiction techniques in nonfiction By
Dorothy Wall Scene, description and dialogue are already well-known tools in creative nonfiction and memoir, but here are four additional fictional techniques to consider. |
pg. 36 |
What a camera taught about interviewing By
Kristen Grieco When the writer started working on documentaries, the pressure of the camera taught her some valuable lessons. |
pg. 38 |
Business Freelancing: Print promotions in the Internet age By
Robert W. Bly With technology having changed much of the copywriting landscape, the writer summarizes how things stand these days with print assignments. |
pg. 40 |
Market Focus: Make money writing about money By
Jessica McCann Several outlets seek freelancers to pen personal-finance articles. Here's what you need to know. |
pg. 46 |
Literary Spotlight: Hayden's Ferry Review By
Melissa Hart This month's spotlight is on the literary journal 'Hayden's Ferry Review,' describing its tone, preferences and contributors. |
pg. 48 |
Departments Letters Letters from our readers Take Note Should publishers pay authors for promoting their own books? By
Chuck Leddy, others What changes in book marketing mean for authors, how to keep 'writer's stress' under control, plus other literary notes, Stephanie Dickison's regular column about the freelance life, and an excerpt from a new writing book. |
pg. 8 |
WriteStuff The history behind 'Elements of Style' By
Chuck Leddy, Erika Dreifus, Stephanie Dickison Reviews of 'Stylized: A Slightly Obsessive History of Strunk & White's The Elements of Style' by Mark Garvey; 'Against the Grain: Interviews With Maverick American Publishers,' edited by Robert Dana; and 'Booklife: Strategies and Survival Tips for the 21st-Century Writer' by Jeff VanderMeer. |
pg. 42 |
Market listings Agricultural/rural; environmental; health; and literary magazines By
Compiled by Martha Lundin |
pg. 49 |
How I write Tracy Chevalier By
Felicity Librie For Tracy Chevalier, author of 'Girl With a Pearl Earring,' it is the visual--a painting, a tapestry, a cemetery statue--that gives her ideas. |
pg. 58 |
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