Publications / 323 posts found
Ron Franscell: On the Secret to His Writing Success
Ron Franscell is the acclaimed author of 18 books and has been hailed as one of America’s most respected narrative nonfiction writers. Although he has covered war and natural disasters abroad as a journalist, he authored the international true-crime bestsellers The Darkest Night and the 2017 Edgar finalist Morgue: A Life in Death. His debut book Angel Fire—a USA Today bestselling literary novel about two brothers’ necessary relationship and the wounds of war—was listed by the San Francisco Chronicle among the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century West. Find him on Twitter and Facebook. Ron Franscell Photo by Ashley […]
Character Development for Feature and Short Films (From Script)
In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, an exclusive interview with House of Gucci screenwriter Roberto Bentivegna. Plus, a catch all week exploring various writing approaches on character development with Mother in the Mist short film writer-director Kay Niuyue Zhang, genre-bending Big Gold Brick filmmaker Brian Petsos, and the small movie with a big purpose Butter writer-director Paul A. Kaufman. Establishing a Through Line with House of Gucci Screenwriter Roberto Bentivegna Courtesy of Metro Goldwyn Mayer House of Gucci screenwriter Roberto Bentivegna shares with Script his approach and writing process for the adaption, which characters were […]
10 Dos and Don’ts of How to Write Historical Fiction That Sells
(Disclaimer: This article is intended for ordinary mortals like myself who love writing and need to make a living from it, but aren’t perhaps literary geniuses. If you are a literary genius, or of independent means, it may not be for you.) I knew I had to do it. I’d self-published seven books, had my eighth accepted by a publisher, and been commissioned to write another by a second publisher. So I quit writing. (Research and Storytelling for Successful Historical Fiction) After years of writing nonfiction, I could no longer deny that my heart lay in writing fiction. Which meant […]
2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 28
Today is our last day writing together for this challenge! I can’t believe how fast it went; I’ve had such a joy writing with all of you this month and seeing how wonderful and creative your stories are. And for everyone who has reached out to me with kind words about this challenge, I want to tip my hats off to you as well—we’re all in this together, which is what makes it so fun! Because we’re closing out this challenge, I’m thinking of endings. But also of things that should end but don’t, and things you think are endings […]
2022 April PAD Challenge: Guidelines
It’s time to start preparing for the 2022 April PAD Challenge. In about a month, we’ll start meeting here every day to poem with poets from around the world. Past participants have included poets from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Germany, India, Japan, Australia, United Kingdom, South Africa, and several other countries. (8 Reasons Why Poetry Is Good For The Soul.) I’ve run into teachers and students who’ve used the challenge as a way to work poetry into the classroom. I’ve heard from published poets with multiple collections that contain poems inspired by the prompts in these challenges. I’ve […]
Citizen Journalism vs. Traditional Journalism
“Traditional journalism is the outside looking in. Citizen journalism is the inside looking out. In order to get the complete story, it helps to have both points of view.” Mitch Gelman, President and CEO of WCNY, was referring here to the ‘boots on the ground’ reporting of citizen journalists and bloggers in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. A CNN.com executive producer at the time, Gelman was impressed with the ‘extraordinary first-person accounts’ posted online, which took audiences into “the heart and soul of the story.” (What Is Investigative Journalism?) Almost two decades later, not only are citizen journalists sharing their […]
WD Presents: 5 WDU Courses, a Chance at Publication, 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 five WDU courses, a call for submissions to the magazine, and more! **** 5 WDU Courses Begin This Week! Getting Started in Writing When you take this online writing course, you’ll discover your voice, learn the basics of grammar and examine the different types of writing. No matter what type of writing […]
2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 27
For today’s prompt, let’s take something intangible—like an idea—and give it a physical body. Remember: As mentioned yesterday, these prompts are just starting points; you have the freedom to go wherever your flash of inspiration takes you. (Note: If you happen to run into any issues posting, please just send me an e-mail at mrichard@aimmedia.com with the subject line: Flash Fiction Challenge Commenting Issue.) Here’s my attempt at giving physical form to an idea: Our Foxes Sweat rolled down my spine and soaked into the lining of my bra. I regretted asking for an outdoor table. Moving north to Maine […]
5 Steps for Using Setting to Write Compelling Middle-Grade Narrative Fiction
Middle-grade protagonists and readers have minds hungry to define their worlds. It’s the work of this age group, after all, before they grow into young adults with the angst of determining how they fit, or do not, into the worlds they’ve defined. For this reason, setting is vital to middle-grade narrative. (Why We Should Read Middle Grade Fiction as Adults) I live in Vail, Colorado, where our inclined Rocky Mountain setting is obvious. Many people live or travel here to ski, snowboard, hike, bike, raft, hunt, kayak, Jeep, camp—to interact or recreate with nature. The surrounding peaks’ zig-zag horizons and […]
Green Herring: How to Camouflage a Villain in a Mystery Novel
I can see you frown: “Wait a minute. Green herring? Are you sure? Shouldn’t it be red herring?” Nope! There’s no mistake in the title. The herring in this case is really supposed to be green, and that’s what makes it so much fun for me to write about! But let’s start with a quick refresher on the more familiar red herring. A “red herring” is a form of misdirection, and one of the time-tested ways to create such a misdirection in a mystery story, or in a story that uses mystery elements in its plot. As you probably know, […]