Publications / 323 posts found
2022 April PAD Challenge: Day 11
For today’s prompt, write a power poem. Your poem could somehow involve electricity, solar power, fossil fuels, wind, or water. It could illustrate a power play or someone exerting their power over someone else. Of course, you could also write about a power outage. You alone have the power to poem your way through this prompt. Remember: These prompts are springboards to creativity. Use them to expand your possibilities, not limit them. Note on commenting: If you wish to comment on the site, go to Disqus to create a free new account, verify your account on this site below (one-time […]
Dolen Perkins-Valdez: On History’s Untold Stories
Dolen Perkins-Valdez is the New York Times bestselling author of Wench and Balm. She was a finalist for two NAACP Image Awards and the Hurston-Wright Legacy Award for fiction, and was awarded the First Novelist Award by the Black Caucus of the ALA. Find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Dolen Perkins-Valdez Photo by Norman E. Jones In this post, Dolen discusses how a personal curiosity evolved into a fervent need to share in her new historical fiction novel, Take My Hand, her hope for other writers, and more! Name: Dolen Perkins-ValdezLiterary agent: Stephanie Cabot, Susanna Lea AssociatesBook title: Take […]
A Visit to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (From Script)
In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, TV and film reviews from Script contributor Tom Stempel, interviews with independent filmmakers, and Script contributor Sonya Alexander visits the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and speaks with Chief Artistic and Programming Officer Jacqueline Stewart. UNDERSTANDING SCREENWRITING: Variety is the Spice of Life A24 Script contributor Tom Stempel deals with two disappointments Being the Ricardos and “The Gilded Age,” two OK pieces The Tender Bar and “Around the World in 80 Days,” and one brilliant miniature On the Rocks. Click to continue. INDIE SPOTLIGHT: An Interview with SXSW Short […]
Using Real-Life Details to Ground Your Thriller Novel
If you are a writer or even an aspiring writer, you’ve almost certainly heard the phrase, “Write what you know.” And while I’m here to support that phrase, I’d also like to wallop it upside the head so it can stop being misinterpreted and overthought. (10 Myths of Writing About Crime) “Write what you know” is way too freaking broad, and it results in aspiring authors delving into extended detail of specific workplaces or unique life actions that people simply don’t want to read about. I don’t think “write what you know” should apply to your job. Very few readers […]
2022 April PAD Challenge: Day 10
After we get through today’s poem, we’ll be a third of the way finished with this challenge. Keep the poems coming! For today’s prompt, write a taste poem. Back on day three, we wrote a smell poem; let’s write about the sense of taste today. Of course, I’m thinking about tasting wine or cheese or chocolate. But feel free to indulge in a person’s taste in fashion, cars, or whatever else requires real taste. Remember: These prompts are springboards to creativity. Use them to expand your possibilities, not limit them. Note on commenting: If you wish to comment on the […]
WD Presents: 6 WDU Courses, a Children’s Book Boot Camp, and More!
There’s always so much happening in the Writer’s Digest universe that even staff members have trouble keeping up. As a result, we decided to start collecting what’s on the horizon to make it easier for everyone to know what’s happening and when. This week, we’re excited to announce six WDU courses starting, a new children’s book boot camp, and more! **** Six WDU Courses Begin This Week! Fearless Writing Live! How To Create Boldly and Write With Confidence If you love to write and have a story you want to tell, the only thing that can truly stand between you […]
WD Poetic Form Challenge: Chanso Winner
Here are the results of the Writer’s Digest Poetic Form Challenge for the chanso along with a Top 10 list. You can check out all the chanso entries in the comments on this post. Click here at any time to see what current WD Poetic Form Challenge we’re running. We’re currently running one for the kimo. Here is the winning chanso: “The Waking of a Tree,” by R. E. Wu The woods were still in slumberWhen I took a winter tryst,With powder-dusted umberTwining through the snowy mistOf scattered snowflakes falling,Falling slowly through their midst. Above, the somber branchesStretched and murmured, all […]
Writing to End Stigmas Associated With Mental Illness and Disorders
(Editor’s Note and Trigger Warning: As the title suggests, this piece delves into the topic of mental illness, disorders, and treatment. It’s inspired by Liisa Jorgensen’s research on writing her nonfiction book Far Side of the Moon and is hopefully another step on the path to understanding how to write about a subject many people still have trouble discussing.) Mental illness is one of the most sinister diseases for an individual to face. You can’t see it. There is no physical manifestation to alert anyone to its presence unless you take the time to look deep into someone’s eyes who […]
Artificial Intelligence Writing Lacks The Human Touch
Artificial intelligence writing, more commonly called AI writing, is everywhere on the Internet. If you are starting a new blog, it is very tempting. It’s so easy to generate blog posts and articles in just a few seconds. All you need to do is provide a few topic sentences or paragraph headings. Then an AI tool will write a full-length article for you. But how well can an algorithm write, and how do readers react to it? Artificial intelligence writing and AI tools AI writing tools and services abound online today. You can find literally hundreds of both free and […]
2022 April PAD Challenge: Day 9
If you want an extra challenge this month, try participating in our current WD Poetic Form Challenge for the kimo. For today’s prompt, write a breaking poem. The poem could be about breaking down walls, break dancing, breaking up, or breaking stuff. However you’d like to break it down and then write your poem. Remember: These prompts are springboards to creativity. Use them to expand your possibilities, not limit them. Note on commenting: If you wish to comment on the site, go to Disqus to create a free new account, verify your account on this site below (one-time thing), and […]