Writer's Digest May/June 2011 (PDF)

FOOD, WINE & TRAVEL WRITING

Food Writing With Flavor
Use these 5 steps to transform any meal or day in the kitchen into a written experience that will leave readers hungry for more. By Dianne Jacob

Wish You Were Here
The best travel writing transports readers far from their armchairs. Pack these essentials into every piece, and soon you'll be filling both your passport and your portfolio. By L. Peat O'Neil

Eating Your Words
The non-foodie's guide to writing restaurant reviews. By Art Spikol

The Best of Both Worlds
By writing for consumer and trade publications, you can maximize your markets—and reap twice as many benefits. Use this savvy strategy to take your travel, wine and food writing to destinations you've only dreamed of. By Roger Morris

101 Best Websites for Writers
Our most popular annual roundup of resources is back—and better than ever. By Brian A. Klems & the Writer's Digest staff

Long Story Short
The results of WD's 11th Annual Short Short Story Competition are in—and our grand-prize winner packed a novel's worth of emotional weight into fewer than 1,500 words. PLUS: The Complete Winners List. By Melissa Wuske

The WD Interview:
Pat Conroy & Cassandra King
For literary fixture Pat Conroy and fellow novelist Cassandra King, the writing life is an integral part of the married life—and they wouldn't have it any other way. By Lynn Seldon


INKWELL
Zen & the Science of Effortless Prose
Battling writer's block? Relax. Research suggests inspiration will find you. By Sarah Maurer

PLUS:

• Rediscovering Mr. Vonnegut
  
• Top Shelf
  
• A Travel Writer's Oath
  
• 5-Minute Memoir: Promises, Promises
  
• Poetic Asides
  
• The Fact-Check Checklist

COLUMNS
Ask the Agent:
Jason Allen Ashlock, Movable Type Literary Group
By Jane Friedman

Breaking In:
Debut Author Spotlight
By Chuck Sambuchino

Questions & Quandaries:
"More Than" vs. "Over"; Web Image Rights; Word-Count Confusion
By Brian A. Klems

Your Story:
First Things First, Contest #30

Standout Markets:
Brew Your Own; Alimentum: The Literature of Food; The Feminist Press
By Adria Haley & Vanessa Wieland

Conference Scene:
Events for Niche Writers
By Linda Formichelli

Reject a Hit: The Elements of Style Spoof-Rejected By Wayne Mattox


WRITER'S WORKBOOK: Building Backstory
Why Backstory is Essential
By Larry Brooks

6 Ways to Layer in Backstory
By Hallie Ephron

How to Build Suspense with Backstory
By Leigh Michaels


PLUS:

• CONTRIBUTORS
  
• EDITOR'S LETTER
  
• ONLINE EXCLUSIVES
  
• READER MAIL