In this issue, learn how one author learned to plot after a plotless existence; plus, an interview with Amy Chozick, harmful tropes, test-driving jokes, and much more! |
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During the three years of my MFA, I took fiction seminars on deliciously specific topics: the history of the novella, the influence of the Somali diaspora on Nurrudin Farrah’s work, the inaccessibility of truth in modernist novels. My cohort and I spent hundreds of classroom hours describing the subtle themes and temporal space of one another’s stories, using phrases like “metaphysical claustrophobia” and “distant third.”
(The Challenges of Balancing Character With Plot.) But only one seminar in those three years focused on plot mechanics: how to make one event turn into the next. And rarely in our workshops did we ask one another, “Are you doing enough to move the story forward?” As a result, I became what many MFA alumni become: a plotless writer. Read more... |
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Test-Drive Your Jokes on Fellow Humans |
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Humor columnist Karim Shamsi-Basha shares seven ways to test your jokes on real people before it ever reaches the page.
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Amy Chozick: Writing This Novel Felt Like a Vacation for My Mind |
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"I mostly write for TV and film, and writing this novel felt like a vacation for my mind. I was surprised at how fun it was! I didn’t have to think about budgets or casting or what a focus group in Burbank would say. I could just let my imagination run wild … and it did." Read more... |
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Harmful Tropes: Token Minority |
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Harmful tropes are narrative shortcuts that reinforce negative stereotypes, justify toxic behavior, or demean marginalized groups. Here, we discuss them and give you tips for avoiding them in your work. Read more... |
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| Writing That Matters, Writing the Truth
In this issue, we’re focusing on writing what matters, because writing matters more than ever. Whether it’s advice for writing emotions that give fiction deeper life truths, writing about so-called taboo topics that deserve to be addressed, or writing about hard truths in memoir, this issue aims to give writers the courage to create writing that matters.
Click here to learn more >> |
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Exploring Trans Identity in Speculative Fiction |
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| Author Alex Ritany examines the power of speculative fiction, especially when it comes to exploring trans identity for readers and writers.
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| From Your Writer's Digest Editor: Robert Lee Brewer
Robert Lee Brewer is a senior editor for Writer’s Digest and former editor of the Writer's Market book series. He is also the author of Smash Poetry Journal and Solving the World's Problems. He had a great time at the Writer's Digest Annual Conference over the weekend. |
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