Digital Issue: Writer's Digest Write Your Novel in 30 Days

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

• You want to write a novel (or revise your draft) in 30 days
• You are writing a query letter for a novel
• You are a beginning-to-intermediate fiction writer

If you think writing a book in a month is an irrational pursuit, you’re a little bit right. Sometimes we have to do crazy things to get headed down the right path. To stop the procrastination, you need a bold goal. A 30-day challenge can motivate you to do what you’ve put off for too long: dedicating yourself to your writing.

This guide is helpful for any beginning-to-intermediate fiction writer. And—even if you don’t want to write a book in 30 days—this guide still offers essential milestones and worksheets that can help you no matter what. Buy the Writer's Digest Write Your Novel in 30 Days issue now!

In This Issue You'll Learn:

• Techniques to move your story forward
• Strategies to develop your story arc
• How to avoid cliched or ineffective story openings

What You'll Find Inside:

How You Can Write a Book in a Month
By Victoria Schmidt
It's not impossible to write a quality manuscript in 30 days. Get ready to accomplish the goal of a lifetime.

7 Tips for Time Management
By Victoria Schmidt
Stop making excuses. Everyone has time to write—as long as you have the right mindset. Here's how to get it.

How to Set Writing Goals You'll Actually Keep
By Victoria Schmidt
Don't start that manuscript without knowing what motivates you, and committing to paper what you intend to accomplish.

Uncovering Fresh Story Ideas
By Joseph Bates
Tap your daily life, as well as your imagination, for novel-worthy characters and plots.

To Outline or Not to Outline?
By James Scott Bell
It's one of the biggest questions facing every novelist. Here are the pros and cons—plus five proven outlining methods.

Word Count Basics
By Chuck Sambuchino
Know your goal so you can plan how many words you need to write each day or week to complete your book in 30 days.

GET A RUNNING START
Your 7-Day Jumpstart
By Victoria Schmidt
Say good-bye to intimidation. Here's a game plan for your first week—including essential checkpoints for long-term success.

30-Day Calendar
By Victoria Schmidt
Use these tips, reminders and steps to help you stay on track.

Your First Scenes
By Sarah Domet
You don't have much time to hook the reader. Here's what you need to accomplish in the first act of your novel.

Assemble Your Characters
By Nancy Kress
Here are four paths for building your cast of essential characters, plus the question you need to ask of each: changer or stayer?

Common Chapter One Pitfalls
By Chuck Sambuchino
What types of first scenes or story openings should you avoid? Industry insiders speak out.

BUILD OUT THE STORY
Your Three-Act Structure
By James Scott Bell
During the 30-day challenge, you should frequently re-evaluate your structure so you end up with a compelling story.

Scenes: The Building Blocks of Your Novel
By Jordan Rosenfeld
Learn how to master the scene, and you'll be assured of a strong draft that won't fall apart on you during revision.

5 Techniques to Keep Your Story Moving Forward
By Joseph Bates
It's called the "Mushy Middle" for a reason. Find out how to keep readers interested during Act II and beyond.

The Art of Closing Well
By Joseph Bates
Readers deserve a satisfying ending. Here's how to anticipate and shape a memorable climax, closing act and denouement.

EVALUATE, REVISE, SUBMIT
The Ultimate Revision Checklist
By James Scott Bell
Here's how to take your first draft to polished manuscript.

Preparing a Novel Query and Submission Package
By Karen Wiesner
After you have a polished and final draft, these steps will help you submit your work to publishers or agents.

WORKSHEETS

• Worksheet Index
• Story Tracker (Act I, Act II, Act III)
• Story Idea Map
• Scene Card
• At-A-Glance Outline
• Character Sketch
• Character-Revealing Scenes
• Climax
• Denouement & Closing Scenes

What Writer's Digest Fans Are Saying About This Issue:

"I've seen so many books on novel writing but this one issue did the trick for me. I really felt like the articles were easy to understand and very encouraging. I have already started my 30 day challenge and have high hopes that I will finish writing my novel!" —Bruce