Writer's Digest March/April 2012 (PDF)

You'll Love This Issue of Writer's Digest If:

• You want to know how to make your writing stand out
• You're looking for simple ways to make a good story great
• You need help improving your writing skills

Master the essentials and make your writing stand out! In this issue of WD, we focus on the basics of writing, such as grammar, finding your voice in writing, and discovering your niche. From author interviews to writing exercises, advice, and tips, you'll be armed with the knowledge you need to take your fiction story from good to great, improve your writing skills, and start your story off strong with a memorable opening. Buy the March/April issue today!

What's Inside This Issue:

5 Story Mistakes Even Good Writers Make
Sometimes it's too easy to get caught up in the so-called rules of writing and forget what's really important. Here's how to avoid the traps that can steer your story off-course. by Steven James

7 Simple Ways to Make a Good Story Great
To stand out to the gatekeepers who hold the keys to publication, it's not enough for your story to be good. Use these techniques to take your fiction to new heights. by Elizabeth Sims

Beat the Trickiest Grammar Hang-Ups
Even the best of us can stumble over rough grammar patches now and then. Grammar Girl shows you how to navigate 13 top trouble spots. by Mignon Fogarty

Research Like a Pro
Whether you write fact or fiction, a sense of authenticity can set your work apart from the rest. Use these smart techniques to enrich your stories from the start. by Charles J. Shields

Self-Pub, Serendipity and Success
The WD Self-Published Book Awards celebrate what it really takes to make it on your own: writing talent, business acumen, and a great story. by Marielle Murphy

The WD Interview: Mary Kay Andrews
Mary Kay Andrews was a successful journalist and mystery writer, but she still hadn't found her niche—until a career renovation pushed her out of her comfort zone and onto the bestseller list. by Kara Gebhart Uhl

WRITER'S WORKBOOK: Mastering Voice
Giving Nonfiction an Audible Voice
by Roger Morris

Writing With a Natural Voice
by Larry Brooks

7 Tips for Finding Your Voice in Fiction
by Steven Harper

INKWELL
EYE ON THE PRIZE: Insights and advice from Pulitzer-winning novelists Junot Díaz, Paul Harding, Jennifer Egan and Marilynne Robinson.
by Marc D. Allan

PLUS:

• Nixing the Nom de Plume
  
• Poetic Asides: Haiku
  
• 5-Minute Memoir: Artmaking
  
• Exercise Your Pen
  
• Pride & Persistence & Zombies

COLUMNS
Breaking In: Debut Author Spotlight
by Chuck Sambuchino

Ask the Agent: Brian DeFiore, DeFiore and Company
by Kara Gebhart Uhl

Questions & Quandaries Defining the Chapbook; Literary Agent Stats; Into vs. in to
by Brian A. Klems

Your Story: Anonymous
by Patti Cavaliere

Standout Markets: BUST; Kane Miller Books; The Pinch
by Tiffany Luckey

Conference Scene: Southern California; American Christian Fiction Writers; Ann Arbor
by Linda Formichelli

Reject a Hit: A Dictionary of the English Language
Spoof-rejected by Amy Ward

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