Publications / 323 posts found
12 Best Self-Publishing Companies [UPDATED]: Guide to Self-Publishing Companies
Know the best self-publishing companies of 2022 to stay ahead of the curve as an aspiring author. No two self-publishing companies are the same, so don’t rely on trial and error when it comes to working with publishing companies as an author. In a world of scammy vanity companies eager to take an author’s money, you have every reason to be cautious. It’s more important to do your research and understand which self-publishing companies can actually help you publish a book that’s high quality, without running your investment dry and selling you empty promises. You’ve worked hard learning how to […]
2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 5
I hope this challenge is serving you well! I’ve been finding some of the prompts a little bit difficult, but hopefully the further we go, the easier the stories will come! For today’s prompt, let’s get mysterious! Whether it’s a mystery about to be solved, one that will never be solved, or one that’s just beginning, let’s dive right in. 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 […]
Choosing a Setting for Your Fight Scene: FightWrite™
In my last post I said that this month we would look at how to start a fight. But then the WD Blog made a special request for another subject, and I could hardly turn them down. (They gave me donuts.) So, in this installment of FightWrite on the WDB, we will be looking at where a fight takes place. Which, you wouldn’t imagine that where a fight happens would be so important, but it absolutely is. In fact, where a fight takes place is more important than who is fighting. Think about it like this: would you rather fight […]
Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Trying to Control Everything
Everyone makes mistakes—even writers—but that’s OK because each mistake is a great learning opportunity. The Writer’s Digest team has witnessed many mistakes over the years, so we started this series to help identify them early in the process. Note: The mistakes in this series aren’t focused on grammar rules, though we offer help in that area as well. (Grammar rules for writers.) Rather, we’re looking at bigger picture mistakes and mishaps, including the error of using too much exposition, hiding your pitch, or chasing trends. This week’s writing mistake writers make is tying to control everything. Writing Mistakes Writers Make: […]
Tilus: Poetic Forms
This week’s poetic form is concise: 10 syllables in three lines. The tilus (pronounced “tee-loo-hz”) was invented by Kelvin S. Mangundayao. Here are the guidelines: Two stanzas First stanza two lines; second stanza one line Six syllables in first line, three syllables in second line, and one syllable for final line So 10 syllables total Poem should be focused on nature opening up the world for subject I found an explanation from Kelvin on the nature component on the dVerse site: “The main focus of Tilus is on the world of Nature, and how it can open a new door […]
Mastering Vivid Descriptions: Draw Upon the Backdrops of Your Life to Reimagine Your Descriptions
Without a sense of place, your dialogue exists on a black movie screen. Without a backdrop, your characters and their actions are floating in space. Without specific details, that setting of yours can pass beyond the familiar and into the territory of cliché. (The Four Doorways Into Story and How to Use Them to Create a Bestselling Novel) But you can be better than that. You already have all the tools you need to be a maestro of settings. Give yourself credit, writer. You’ve lived a life. You’ve seen some things—and more important to this conversation, you’ve seen some places. […]
2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 4
As always, if you’re on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram (or anywhere else), don’t forget to use the #FlashFictionFeb hashtag. For today’s prompt, let’s write about a dream coming true. 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 making dreams come true: Ever After Jay paused in the doorway, the takeout bags bumping gently against […]
Swan Huntley: On the Chaos in Decluttering
Swan Huntley is the author of Getting Clean with Stevie Green, The Goddesses, and We Could Be Beautiful. She earned her MFA at Columbia University and has received fellowships from MacDowell and Yaddo. Her writings have appeared on Salon, The Rumpus, GO Magazine, and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, among others. She lives in Los Angeles. Swan Huntley Photo by Jen Rosenstein In this post, Swan discusses the process of writing and rewriting her new novel, Getting Clean With Stevie Green, how COVID meant more time to change things up, and more! Name: Swan HuntleyLiterary agent: Liz Parker of Verve Talent & […]
How to Make Tough Topics for Adults Into Experiences for Children
Here’s the thing about tough topics: they may feel tough for you, but for someone else they are just life. In Alphabet Rockers, we write and create for children, from two Grammy-nominated albums about racial justice and gender justice to our first published picture book, You Are Not Alone, which is about empathy and inclusion. Our work invites us all—adults and children—to create the world of belonging and equity we need. Our writing is not just for kids, but inclusive for generations. We’re here to build a new cultural foundation, and it’s our responsibility to evolve and do the work […]
2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 3
Let’s keep this going! If you’re on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram (or anywhere else), be sure use the #FlashFictionFeb hashtag. For today’s prompt, write something based on the dialogue “Where does this lead?” “Nowhere good.” 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 writing based on a snippet of dialogue: Place Your Bets When […]