July 2016

Robin Black

Unsealing Fate

By Robin Black

Don’t let your past work define your future.

Features

Told you

By Julie Krug

Celeste Ng offers advice about first books, being true to the craft and the importance of reaching readers.

Best of the best

By Jennifer Mattson

Our picks for the top ten writing conferences in America.

Ten things I learned at writing conferences

By Susan Ito

Head-earned lessons from two decades of conferences.

In nature

By Eliana Osborn

The National Parks Service's Artist in Residence programs offer writers and other artists the opportunity to find inspiration in the great outdoors.

Departments

Class Action

Required reading

By Jeff Tamarkin

Four professors share their go-to writing texts.

Writers at Work

Second degree

By Jack Smith

Should you take a chance with the most challenging POV?

Writing Essentials

A call to action

By Rachel Carrington

Define necessary and unnecessary action in fiction.

Breakthrough

Guard the hours

By Gabriel Packard

Want to make writing a career? Treat it like one.

Freelance Success

Get in the game

By Megan Kaplon

Must-know tips for rookie sports writers.

Conference Insider

Show pro

By Ryan Van Cleave

Confessions of a writing conference junkie.

Literary Spotlight

Online and on-point

By Melissa Hart

The Rumpus publishes surprising, challenging pieces of top-notch writing.

Also in Every Issue

From the Editor

Take Note

Robin Black, Terrance Hayes, blogger David Cain and more.

Markets

Conferences, retreats, festivals (July - December)

How I Write

Kirstin Valdez Quade: "I love the short story: I love its flexibility, its distillation of language, the pressure it exerts on the moment. A story demands that the reader look closely."