July 2021

Jack Smith

Show AND tell

By Jack Smith

‘Show, don’t tell’ is great advice…in theory.

In practice, it’s not that simple.

We asked six acclaimed authors for their best advice on finding the right balance between the two elements in fiction.  

Features

2021 summer book preview

By The Writer

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

The truth about plot

By Ryan G. Van Cleave and Jamie Morris

He’s an award-winning creative writing professor.
She’s a world-class writing coach.
Together, they help novelists and memoir writers create standout stories, discuss the benefits of plotting versus pantsing, and reveal surefire ways to avoid common pitfalls and plot fails.

Reaching readers in the midst of a pandemic

By Melissa Hart

During COVID-19, writers discover inspiration and opportunity.

Congrats! You’ve gone viral. Now what?

By Toni Fitzgerald

A guide to sorting through agent offers, getting your book proposal just right, and making sure you still have more to say after a million (or more) people read your article.

Departments

From the Front Lines

The gilded cage

By Yi Shun Lai

Research can enhance your work and stifle it, too.
Here’s how to say “enough.”

Literary Spotlight

"Funny Women"

By Melissa Hart

Conference Insider

Women Writing the West

By Melissa Hart