EMOTION ON THE PAGE: HOW TO MOVE READERS FROM TEARS TO JOY, P.

53

THE

ISSUE
•
5  SUBTLE SECRETS FOR
ROMANCING THE READER
• GET BACK IN THE GAME!
LIFE AFTER REJECTION

•
6 WAYS TO RECOMMIT TO
YOUR CREATIVE MUSE
T H E W D I N T E RV I E W

• HEARTS OF DARKNESS: Kristin

Hannah
TIPS FOR CREATING
FLAWED RELATIONSHIPS

CAPTIVATE AUDIENCES
THE WOMEN’S FICTION PHENOM
ON THE NIGHTINGALE AND
KNOWING WHEN TO LET GO

WITH FLIRTATION & FOREPLAY:

MASTERING THE ART OF SEDUCTION

FEBRUARY 2018 writersdigest.com

 Rutgers–New Brunswick

Writers’ Conference
June 2-3, 2018
Featuring keynote speakers:
• Alice Hoffman, Author of Practical Magic
• Chris Bohjalian, Author of Midwives

ruwriterscon.rutgers.edu/18
Special Opening Event June 1, 2018
An Evening With Stephen Sondheim
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FEATUR ES

PAGE 21

THE
issue
22 34
YOU’RE JUST TOO MORE THAN WORDS
GOOD TO BE TRUE No matter the genre, developing realistic
relationships between characters takes time
In crafting fiction across genres, a perfect
and a deft touch. Here are 10 tricks to build
love interest is a tempting trap—and a trope.
authentic romances without saying “love.”
Here’s how to make the object of your
BY JEFF SOMERS
character’s affection lovable, flaws and all.
BY MINDY M C GINNIS

26 37
WHISPER SWEET KINDLING
SOMETHINGS THE MUSE
In the hands of a savvy writer, subtle sounds and
silences can speak far louder than any shout.
Use these delicate techniques to draw your
readers in, one murmur at a time.
BY JANE K. CLELAND
Plots and characters will come and go, but for
successful writers, passion for the process burns on.
Use these 6 questions to transform your creative
method from craft into art.
BY BOB MAYER

30 40
“I JUST DIDN’T THE ART OF
FALL IN LOVE” SEDUCTION
For every match made in publishing heaven, there’s no
shortage of heartbreak along the way. Here’s how to
call upon love when it counts—and leave it out of the
equation when things don’t end up the way we’d like.
BY DAVID CORBETT
Riveting stories create suspense through an author’s
loving flirtations—hints and titillations designed
to captivate. Here’s how to wrap readers around
your finger.
BY GRANT FAULKNER

2 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018

 FEBRUA RY 2 018 | VOLU ME 98 | NO. 2

INK W ELL

44 8 CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM: One writer’s 2-star

review is another’s opportunity for enlightenment.
THE WD INTERVIEW: Here’s how to glean tips from the trolls to sharpen
Kristin Hannah your story.
BY MARK BOSS
Where great stories lead, the best writers follow—
unbound by genre, time, place or convention. 10 PLUS: Picture This • 5-Minute Memoir: Smoke
BY JESSICA STRAWSER Signals • Poetic Asides: Curtal Sonnet • Literary
Megaphone • On the (Loving) Record • Worth a
Thousand Words

C O LU M NS

17
7 MEET THE AGENT: Kimberly Brower,
Brower Literary & Management
BY KARA GEBHART UHL

18
8 BREAKING IN: Debut Author Spotlight
BY BAIHLEY GRANDISON

4 8 FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK: Behind the Literary-

Agenting Curtain
BY BARBARA POELLE

5 0 YOUR STORY: Contest #84, First Things First

6 0 STANDOUT MARKETS: Belt Magazine; The

Missouri Review; Mother Jones; Avon Impulse
BY TYLER MOSS & BAIHLEY GRANDISON

6 2 CONFERENCE SCENE: San Miguel Writers’

Conference; Winter Writers’ Weekend; The Write
W RI
R I TER’S
T ER S W
WOR
OR KB
KBOO
KBOOK
OO K
Stuff Writers Conference
BY DON VAUGHAN

Co n 7 2 POTPOURRI FOR THE PEN

53 EVOKING SURFACE & SUBSET EMOTIONS

BY JORDAN ROSENFELD ON THE COVER
5 3 Emotion on the Page
5 6 TREAT THE WORLD AS YOUR CLASSROOM 3 0 Get Back in the Game! Life After Rejection
BY CHERYL ST. JOHN 2 6 5 Subtle Secrets for Romancing the Reader
3 7 6 Ways to Recommit to Your Creative Muse
5 7 SCALING EMOTIONAL IMPACT 2 2 Tips for Creating Flawed Relationships
BY DONALD MAASS 4 0 Captivate Audiences With Flirtation & Foreplay
COVER PHOTO © KEVIN LYNCH STUDIOS

4 4 The WD Interview: Kristin Hannah

PLUS: 4 online exclusives 5 editor’s letter 6 contributors

Writer’s Digest (ISSN 0043-9525) is published monthly, except bimonthly issues in March/April, May/June, July/August and November/December, by F+W Media Inc., 10151 Carver Road, Ste. 300, Cincinnati,
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WritersDigest.com I 3
Right Now at

Outside the Margins

The latest from bestselling The Nightingale author
Kristin Hannah (WD Interview, Page 44) transports
readers to remote 1970s Alaska. In these outtakes, Hannah
discusses the real-life influences that inspired The Great
Alone, and preaches the power of a tight-knit writing circle.

For the Love of Writing

With the hashtag #WhyWeWrite, we asked you to share
the motivations behind your wondrous words. From
hundreds of heartfelt responses, we sprinkled some
throughout this issue (Pages 25, 33, 35)—
but saved even more to share online!

BLOG ILLUSTRATION © FOTOLIA.COM: BLOSSOMSTAR; AERIAL HEART © GETTY IMAGES: HIROSHI WATANABE; VINTAGE COUPLE © GETTY IMAGES: KIRN VINTAGE STOCK
Love Letters
After learning how to spark romance in a story
without ever writing the “L” word (“More Than Words,”
Page 34), see how the masters make it seem natural
in these five examples from classic favorites
and modern bestsellers.

To find all of the above online companions to this issue in

one handy spot, visit writersdigest.com/feb-18.

PLUS: Peruse pro tips and techniques every day on the WD blogs!

ORDINARY HEROES OPEN ARMS

We think of heroes as being forged in
the throes of a crisis. But what makes
them tick when disaster isn’t imminent?
Lt. Col. John Mangan shares how to
scratch beyond the valiant veneer.
bit.ly/ordinaryheroesWD
Even in fiction, preventing your per-
sonal life from influencing your writing
is pretty much impossible. So what’s a
writer to do? Author Danielle M. Wong
offers a novel notion: Embrace it.
bit.ly/embracingimpactWD

SCREEN TEST
So you sold your book to Hollywood, and subsequently adapted a screenplay.
Congrats! The next hurdle: Understanding your role in the movie’s production pro-
cess. Die Hard 2 and Bad Boys writer Doug Richardson provides an inside look.
bit.ly/screentestWD

4 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018


FEBRUARY 2018 | VOLUME 98 | NO. 2
INTERIM EDITOR
Tyler Moss
ART DIRECTOR
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EDITOR’SLETTER
Love Stories
When did you first know that you wanted to be
a writer?
Maybe it was while reading Charlotte’s Web
to your daughter before bed, seeing her hang on
every word. Or as a kid at summer camp, when a
creepy tale you told in the dark made your cabin
mates wet their bunks. Perhaps it was in college,
when you took a professor’s critique of your flash
fiction as a personal challenge, or decades later,
on the brink of retirement, when a well-meaning
colleague asked what you planned to do with all your free time.
Chances are it was a touch of this and a stroke of that—a mosaic of moments
provoking a fondness for story craft. That’s how my own memories manifest:
I’m 6, stapling scribbled pages into a family newspaper (“New Report: Dad’s
Hairline Receding at Shocking Rate”). I’m 10, penning my own addition to K.A.
Applegate’s Animorphs series in the backyard tree house, writing all the neigh-
bors in as characters. (In retrospect, 22 was too many protagonists, even for fan
fiction.) I’m 16, plotting out a prequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of
the Black Pearl and mailing it to Johnny Depp’s agent. (Still waiting to hear back
on that, by the way—guess I should’ve included an SASE.)
Becoming a writer was not, for me, a formal decision incited by a single,
definitive event, but a passion I followed without ever thinking to look back.
The question was less, “To be or not to be” a writer, and more, “I think, therefore
I am” a writer. It was for me, as it was for so many of us, innate. I have blue eyes.
I’m right-handed. I’m a writer. Telling stories is in our blood. It’s a need, a com-
pulsion, a deep and abiding love that bewitches the soul—and therein lies the key.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we’ve dubbed this edition “The Love Issue,”
soliciting responses to the hashtag #WhyWeWrite on Twitter, Facebook and
beyond. The answers—varied as the genres we write, powerful as the words we
conjure—are folded into this month’s features. Our objective: to stimulate your
affection for the craft in all its myriad forms. You’ll learn how to light a fire under
your creative process (Page 37), to seduce readers so they hang on to your every
word (Page 40), to draw them in with ominous insinuations and strategic
silences (Page 26). Tackle love literally with tips for kindling romance while
evading clichés (Page 22), and find tricks for coupling characters without ever
invoking the word “love” (Page 34). And of course, we’d be remiss to publish
such an issue without a piece on how to cope with the raw realities behind our
infatuation (Page 30).
Make this magazine your manual for a lifelong relationship. You and your
words are the perfect pair, but happily ever after isn’t about one grand gesture or
dramatic moment. It’s a bond forged in the highs of creative epiphany and lows
of grueling revision. It’s gritty and real—it’s love.
WritersDigest.com I 5
C ON TR IB UTOR S F+W, A CONTENT + ECOMMERCE
COMPANY
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Thomas FX Beusse
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Joe Seibert

JANE K. CLELAND (“Whisper Sweet Somethings,” CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Jennifer Graham
Page 26) writes the award-winning, bestselling
CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER
Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series, published Steve Madden
by Minotaur Books and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
Magazine. Jane’s bestseller about the craft of writing,  Joe Romello

Mastering Suspense, Structure & Plot, from WD SVP, GENERAL MANAGER -

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DAVID CORBETT (“I Just Didn’t Fall in Love,”
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Page 30) is the award-winning author of the writing Phil Graham
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Elizabeth Brundage) and six novels, including The ADVERTISING
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him online at davidcorbett.com.
julie.dillon@fwmedia.com

MINDY M C GINNIS (“You’re Just Too Good to Be
True,” Page 22) is an Edgar Award–winning author
who writes across genres, including post-apocalyptic,
mystery, historical, contemporary and fantasy. Her
short fiction recently won the Katherine Paterson
Prize from Hunger Mountain, a publication of the
Vermont College of Fine Arts. McGinnis also runs
a blog for aspiring writers at writerwriterpantsonfire.
blogspot.com and produces a podcast of the
same name.
JEFF SOMERS (“More Than Words,” Page 34)
writes to steer his creative impulses away from engi-
neering genetic grotesqueries. He has published
nine novels, provides approximately 44 percent of
all book-related content on the internet and is a
contributing editor at WD. His WD Books debut,
Writing Without Rules, will publish in 2018. He lives
in Hoboken with his wife, The Duchess, and their
cats. He considers pants to always be optional.
CLELAND PHOTO © CHRISTIAN OTH; CORBETT PHOTO © PAT MAZZARA; MCGINNIS PHOTO © AMY PARRISH; SOMERS PHOTO © BARBARA NITKE
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READY TO WRITE YOUR SUCCESS? IT ALL STARTS WHEN YOU ENTER TODAY!

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Constructive Criticism
One writer’s 2-star review is another's opportunity for enlightenment.
Here's how to glean tips from the trolls to sharpen your story.
BY MARK BOSS

I
f you write stories with the goal of
publishing them, you must con-
sider your readers.
Some write purely to satisfy
an insatiable itch to tell a tale, and
that’s fine. But if your goal is to pub-
lish, then your audience’s reaction to
your work must be a consideration
throughout the process: when first
formulating your plot, in the throes
of writing and editing and even after
the book is released.
Allow me to explain. While some
writers insist they don’t read reviews
of their work, most of us do scroll
through them, cringing at each criti-
cism or lamenting the overall lack of
feedback. However, scrutinizing these
critiques doesn’t need to be an act of
self-flagellation—doing so can, in fact, novelists, and we see the effusive reviews, but no more than 300. (That
be instructive: You may just learn blurbs adorning their book jackets. range indicates the book has prob-
something that will help you improve. We scan their reviews online, which ably grown beyond the “friends and
For most authors, the real prob- usually number in the hundreds or family zone” and has begun to receive
lem isn’t bad reviews; it’s no reviews— thousands. Yet how much do compli- reviews from strangers, but isn’t a
PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES: PM IMAGES

or a handful of 5-stars from family
members and friends. So, how can we
improve our stories if we don’t know
what to fix?
As writers, we often study success.
We read interviews with bestselling
mentary reviews really teach us? Is it
possible to learn more from failure?
Try the following exercise. Go to
Goodreads, Amazon or the Barnes &
Noble website and search for a book
in your genre that has at least 50
bestseller steeped in praise.) As the
number of reviews increases, you’ll
notice more negative reviews. These
are the gold mines we want to dig.
Skip the 5-stars and pick out 1- and
2-star reviews that include comments.

8 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018

Readers know what they like and don’t
like, but sometimes struggle to explain
why. If you delve into those reviews,
you’ll notice trends, similarities and
moments of real insight. Search for
recurring words in the criticism.
Here are four repeated descrip-
tors I came across while performing
this examination and the takeaways I
managed to glean.
1. LACK OF CLARITY. Scan a few dozen
negative reviews from a variety of
books, and you’ll often see the words
confusing or confused pop up.
This isn’t because readers are slow.
If there are sections in which readers
cannot follow your story, your novel
has a problem. When the writing isn’t
clear, readers struggle to figure out
the very basics: Where are we? Who is
speaking? What time period is this? Is
that a talking goat?
Fiction that seeks a broad audi-
ence needs to be lean, simple and
glass-in-a-Windex-commercial clear.
If communicating basic exposition is
difficult, then communicating com-
plexity is that much harder.
Strive for clarity.
A friend recently recommended a
thriller she’d read about the politics
of the Middle East, the war in Syria,
and the challenge of terrorism. She
described the novel as “complex.” Yet
the book is part of a commercially
successful series, so I told her the
whole plot could probably be boiled
down to one sentence.
“No way,” she said. “This is a really
complicated book.”
“A spy hunts a mysterious terror-
ist,” I suggested. She paused, then
nodded. That was it. Sure, it had a
cast of characters and a plot that
spanned the globe. But the main
idea is straightforward, and read-
ers can follow that thread through
because the author made every chap-
ter crystal clear. Try to distill your
own premise. That kind of writing is
harder than it looks, but remember:
Clarity prevents confusion.
2. DID NOT MEET EXPECTATIONS.
Readers post negative reviews because
a book failed to live up to their hopes.
If your book is a mystery, it better
begin with a body. Some may dismiss
this advice as trite and cliché, but the
reader wants a body. There must also
be a sleuth to solve the crime, whether
Readers know what they like and don’t like, but
sometimes struggle to explain why. If you delve into
those reviews, you’ll notice moments of real insight.
a cop or an emotionally damaged
private eye or an anthropomorphic cat
with a keen sense of deduction. The
story must feature a denouement.
The ending must resolve who commit-
ted the crime and why.
Most genres employ certain con-
ventions for a reason. Readers expect
specific elements. Fail to deliver those,
and they’ll be disappointed.
In that same vein, one review I
read stated, “The beginning was bet-
ter than the end,” and other reviews
echoed variations of the same. Clearly
the novel started with a compelling
premise, but ultimately delivered an
unsatisfying payoff. If you insist on
shirking convention, consider this:
Unfulfilled expectations equal reader
disappointment. Make clear what
you’re offering and deliver it.
3. CHARACTERS DON’T RESONATE. A
frequent complaint I came across was,
“I didn’t like the characters. I didn’t
care what happened to them.”
If the reader doesn’t care, why
should they keep reading?
A sympathetic character can make
a reader forgive almost everything—
even subpar writing. Give them
a protagonist without redeeming
traits and chances are your story is
doomed. Even antiheroes have hid-
den qualities and their stories usually
involve redemption. As with anything,
there are the occasional outliers—
Lolita, The Stranger, “grim-dark”
fantasy books—but those are the
exceptions that prove the rule.
Give a reader someone they can root
for, and they’ll follow you anywhere.
4. LACK OF FOCUS. What comes to
mind when you read the words slow
or boring in a review?
In such instances, pace may be
the culprit. If the story moved at a
faster tempo, it might’ve held the
reader’s interest. Yet pace may not
be the primary villain. Such words
could also indicate a dearth of
scenes that further the main plot.
When a reader finishes a passage and
wonders what it had to do with the
story, there’s a problem.
Anything not directly related to
the plot or subplot risks slowing
down the story. Keep your lens on
the pieces of plot that drive your nar-
rative forward. That focus will main-
tain your momentum.
Critical comments are an author’s
bane—but their blunt reviews can
prove instructive to others. Plunder
them and see what wisdom you
might extract.
Mark Boss (markboss.net) writes fantasy,
science fiction and thrillers.
WritersDigest.com I 9
Picture This
Photographer Sharona Jacobs teases out the essence of authors’ works
through their headshots.
BY JACK CHENG

I
once asked Sebastian Junger’s pub-
lisher about the headshot on The
Perfect Storm book jacket. Is it true
Junger’s cheekbones sold the book?
Far from being offended, he clutched
my arm and told me that Junger’s first
book tour was like a rock concert, full of
fans eager to meet the handsome author.
Author photos matter.
“The author’s headshot is the
equivalent of that handshake you
make when you meet someone and
say, ‘Nice to meet you,’ ” photographer
Sharona Jacobs says.
You don’t need to look like a model
to sell a book, but readers want a
sense of the person they’ll be spend- KELLY LINK HEADSHOT
ing so much time with. Does the
writer look like she has a sense of first via phone call, and then through FRAMING FOR SCALE
humor? Is he approachable? dedicated research. “I tell people that On most book jackets, there isn’t room
Jacobs has found a niche taking anything they want to send me, I will for much more than a tight headshot.
portraits of writers for their books absorb,” she says. “I have had people “The visual real estate on the back of
and publicity materials. She’s send me photographs [of themselves] the book is often not very big, so you
been deemed “Boston’s Literary that they’ve loved or they hated; I’ve generally distill the essence of the per-
Photographer” by the acclaimed cre- had people send photographs of a son into a close-cropped shot,” Jacobs
ative writing center GrubStreet, but random place that evokes a mood says. She remembers historian Vincent
the former therapist thinks of her similar to the plot [of their novel].” Brown as “a friendly, intellectual lion”
job in more casual terms—taking She doesn’t have time to read every who didn’t need any framing beyond
photos while talking to interesting manuscript through, but she’ll always his own dreadlocks.
people. She makes countless tech- skim the book, noting passages that Alternatively, for publicity mate-
nical decisions on lighting, angles, convey a particular mood. She then rials, photos are printed at a larger
aperture—ultimately wanting her seeks to evoke that tone in the portrait. scale, allowing for more elements in
images to portray their subjects as For instance, the way Jacobs describes the image. Rita Zoey Chin’s memoir
they might look “on their best day.” her photograph of Kelly Link—“The Let the Tornado Come tells the story
PHOTOS © SHARONA JACOBS

Here’s a peek at her process.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Jacobs spends time acquainting her-
self with each client prior to a shoot:
light was beautiful, the angle was
lovely to her face, and she looked
warm and engaged but with a bit of
quirky edge”—could be a description
of one of Link’s short stories.
of her troubled childhood and a par-
allel story of Claret, a skittish horse.
In that instance, it made sense for
Jacobs to trek out to Claret’s barn and
capture both protagonists together.

10 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018

 VINCENT BROWN HEADSHOT
SETTING THE GROUNDWORK
Jacobs advises authors to wear solid
colors, but nothing too bright or dis-
tracting. Unless, of course, that’s part
of your personal branding: “If some-
one says, ‘I only wear white shirts,’
then wear a white shirt,” she says. In
other words, Tom Wolfe gets a pass.
She gives her female clients a list
of makeup artists who have worked
with photographers and understand
how makeup will look under intense
lighting. For men, she keeps powder
on hand because her bright lights
tend to shine off of noses and tops
of heads—especially where hair is
thinning or gone.
And she offers a forewarning:
“Don’t get a haircut two days before.”
Even if it’s with the same hairdresser
you’ve had for years, Jacobs recom-
mends caution: You don’t want to
be surprised.
TACKLING THE SHOOT
On the day of the shoot, Jacobs enjoys
a cup of tea with her subject before
any cameras appear. While talking,
she watches how light plays on the
author’s face, and notices any signa-
ture, subconscious gestures they might
RITA ZOEY CHIN HEADSHOT
make: How do they sit? What is their
body language? When they’re thinking,
do they always have their hand under
their chin? Is there a physical quirk
that’s unique to who they are?
Once the photography starts, she
acknowledges that it takes a while
for authors to get acclimated to the
lights and camera. That’s only exac-
erbated by the fact that many writers
are introverts, as Jacobs jokes: “I only
photograph people who don’t want to
be photographed.”
In terms of positioning, Jacobs
doesn’t expect her subjects to strike a
pose on their own. Instead, she walks
them through exactly what to do and
how to sit, all while making conversa-
tion and trying to capture how they
react. “Sometimes I get the shot in
the first two minutes,” she says, but
she keeps shooting because “maybe
there’s something better coming along.”
Sessions usually take about two hours.
POST-PRODUCTION
POLISHING
After the shoot, Jacobs sends about
15–20 shots to the writer, including
a mix of both black-and-white
and color images. She says that
STEVE ALMOND HEADSHOT
black-and-white portraits express
a classic, timeless quality that many
people prefer; however, there are
some authors, such as fantasy novelist
Holly Black, who possess “a certain
vividness it would be a crime not to
have [in color].”
Once the client chooses a photo
(or multiple photos, depending
on their budget and need), Jacobs
removes stray hairs from the final
selection, fine-tunes the image and
sizes it appropriately for print or
online use.
Looking at the large prints hang-
ing in Jacobs’ studio, what jumps
out isn’t just the way in which the
portrait precisely captures the writ-
ing tenor of the author, but also the
unexpected details that bring the
composition together—like the vinyl
records in her photo of essayist Steve
Almond.
“I think it’s appropriate that if
you’re photographing authors, there
should always be a little bit more to
unfurl,” she says.
Jack Cheng (jackchengphd.com) is an
archaeologist and writer living in the
Boston area.
WritersDigest.com I 11
 5-MINUTE MEMOIR

Smoke Signals
BY PAMELA JANE

W
hen I got married, my husband said he wanted to go to divinity
school and become a minister. Billy had studied the Christian
mystics in college, and was dazzled by the romance of a life
filled with religious revelations and ecstatic visions. I was
dazzled by the romance of becoming a minister’s wife. I’d give teas and write
children’s books while our own children roamed through the sunlit orchards of
our country parsonage (of course we’d live in a parsonage, and of course it would
have sunlit orchards—all my ideas about that sort of life came from fiction).
As it turned out, Billy did not go to divinity school or become a minister.
A thunderous blast shook the ground
Instead, he became a radical. Rather than give sermons, he wanted to build bombs
as flames ignited the propane tank.
to protest the Vietnam War, which was quickly escalating.
Standing at the edge of the pasture,
“There’s no such thing as a passive radical,” he said. “Either you’re building
we watched, stunned, as the cabin
bombs or you’re not.”
exploded in a ball of fire. We were
Over time, he became increasingly bitter and cynical about the war and human-
safe, but everything we owned evapo-
ity in general. He said he didn’t want to bring a child into such a violent world.
rated in a single flash, including my
“Well, it won’t get any less violent if you set off a bomb,” I pointed out.
sprawling novel, and the dream of a
He also told me I didn’t have the talent to be a writer. Building bombs was bad
solitary winter in the woods, writing.
enough—but how dare he attack my ambitions, my most cherished dream?
It would take years to understand
Our last and most bitter fight, though, was about brownies. I wanted to bake
why all my dreams (and writing) went
the traditional kind, made with butter, sugar and chocolate. Billy wanted brown-
up in smoke that day. Ultimately, I
ies made with pot.
realized it was because I was not pay-
You can disagree vehemently about a lot of things, but not something as sim-
ing attention. I wasn’t paying attention
ple as brownies. We decided to separate.
to myself, or how far I’d drifted from
It was November, and Billy planned to depart our rustic wilderness cabin the
who I was; I wasn’t paying attention to
day after Thanksgiving. I would stay there through the winter, pulling together
hundreds of pages I’d scrawled into the novel my husband said I wasn’t capable of how explosive my conflicts with Billy
writing. All I needed was a new wood stove to warm the cabin through the long, had become; and most importantly, I
cold months. wasn’t paying attention to my husband
The solution was sitting in my friend Betty’s barn. when he installed the new wood stove.
“Fifty bucks, including delivery,” she said. And you should always pay atten-
Betty single-handedly hoisted the 200-pound stove into her pickup truck and tion when someone is installing a
bumped through the pasture to our cabin. Billy installed the new stove, and we lit wood stove in your house. Especially if
it for the first time on Thanksgiving Eve—our final evening together. you’re a writer.
PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES: OMAR DAKHANE

The next morning we loaded up the grate with fuel and went out for a walk in
Pamela Jane (pamelajane.com) is an
the woods. In contrast to our fiery clashes of the past, our mood was somber. This, essayist and the author of 30 books,
we knew, was our last walk. including her recent memoir, An Incredible
We were on our way home when we spotted the blaze on the roof. Talent for Existing: A Writer’s Story.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Submit your own 600-word essay reflection on the writing life by emailing it to wdsubmissions@fwmedia.com with
“5-Minute Memoir” in the subject line.

12 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018

 No matter what you write, a bit of poetic license can be a
valuable asset to any writer’s arsenal.
BY ROBERT LEE BREWER

P O E T I C F O R M : C U RTA L S O N N E T
Funny thing is, I often think I know all the rules (and rule variations) for a cer-
tain poetic form, only to learn another poet flipped them in a new direction.
Such is the case with the sonnet. There are, of course, several different rhyme
schemes for the sonnet—and I’ve even seen nonrhyming versions—but one rule
has held them all together: A sonnet always has 14 lines. Right?
Enter the curtal sonnet, invented by Gerard Manley Hopkins in the 19th
century. The poem consists of 10 lines written in iambic pentameter and a
final, 11th line consisting of a single spondee (or foot consisting of two long or
stressed syllables) with the following end rhymes for each line: abcabcdbcdc.
Here’s an example by a Poetic Asides reader.

Under the Rainbow, by Jane Shlensky While the rules ask for
iambic pentameter, if
a I watch a child at play after a rain— worrying about meter is
b galoshes red, cap blue, umbrella black— intimidating, just focus
c the puddles like small mirrors beckoning. on 10 syllables per line.

a His mother calls him but he can’t restrain

One way to make any poem
b himself from handsome splashes, calling back stand out is to include fun,
c “Just watch me!” My, his joy has made him king new words like “rainscapes”
d of puddles, lord of rainscapes, rainbow knight. and “mudlushiousness.”

b He celebrates mudlushiousness, each track

c enveloped by sky’s spectrum hovering.
d We lift our eyes delighted by the sight
c and sing.
Think of the final line as the
exclamation point on the poem—
or the place where literary
gymnasts stick their landing.

POETIC PROMPT
Write a short event poem. For instance, the curtal sonnet above deals with a child
splashing in puddles. Write a similar poem about a job interview, waiting in line or
BREWER ILLUSTRATION © TONY CAPURRO

observing something that others may not have noticed.

Robert Lee Brewer is the editor of Poet’s Market and author of Solving the World’s Problems.

SHARE YOUR POETIC VOICE: If you’d like to see your own poem in the pages of
Writer’s Digest, check out the Poetic Asides blog (writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/
poetic-asides) and search for the most recent WD Poetic Form Challenge.

WritersDigest.com I 13
Literary Megaphone
Author Nic Stone’s bestselling debut sparks
conversation—and provokes social change.
BY J.D. MYALL
N
ovels have long been
a powerful vehicle for
addressing race rela-
tions in America, from
Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes
Were Watching God to Ralph Ellison’s
Invisible Man and Alice Walker’s
The Color Purple. Recent years have
given rise to a new generation of tal-
ented storytellers documenting the
African-American experience, spe-
cifically in the realm of young adult
fiction, with bestsellers like Angie
Thomas’ The Hate U Give and Jason
Reynolds’ (with co-writer Brendan
Kiely) All American Boys becoming
bookshelf staples. And now, author
Nic Stone joins their ranks.
Stone’s poignant and timely Dear
Martin debuted at No. 4 on The New
York Times bestseller list, also trend-
ing at No. 1 on Amazon in the YA
literature category. Loosely based
on events surrounding the shooting
14 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
deaths of unarmed black teens, Dear
Martin is “the book we need at this
moment,” says award-winning author
Jodi Picoult: “The way we start to
dismantle racism is by talking about
it, openly and honestly. This is one
of those rare, wonderful books that
starts a conversation.” The story fol-
lows a young black man who, after
being racially profiled one night by
police as he tries to help his drunk
ex-girlfriend get home safely, begins a
journal of letters to the late Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. The ensuing tale stirs
emotions and conversation in light of
today’s contentious political land-
scape. Here, we ask Stone about the
origins of her influential novel and
delve into her creative process.
HOW DID DEAR MARTIN
COME TO BE?
I was in Israel when Trayvon Martin
was killed. I heard about it, but
geographical distance made an emo-
tional distance. I came back shortly
after the death of Jordan Davis, who
was killed in the parking lot of a
convenience store, basically after an
argument over loud music. That story
hit me hard, because at the time I
had a 5-month-old little boy. All of it
together just got under my skin.
My father was a police officer. I saw
them as heroes, as somebody there
to protect me. So for a police officer
to kill a child who was unarmed was
really jarring. Then, the Black Lives
Matter protests kicked off. I kept seeing
all these misused or misappropri-
ated quotes [by] Dr. King used to
put him in opposition to Black Lives
Matter. That didn’t sit well with me.
I started to wonder, What would Dr.
King have to say now? and I started to
explore these questions. After all of
Dr. King’s hard work and the work of
John Lewis, Rosa Parks and some of
the lesser-known heroes of the Civil
Rights movement, I wondered, What
would they have to say now? I have
a son, so I tried to imagine what he
may face in his future. I made this
character that asked the question,
“What would Dr. King do if he was
alive in the 21st century?”
HOW LONG DID DEAR
MARTIN TAKE TO WRITE?
It sold on proposal. I had the first
draft done in seven weeks. I spent
nearly two months almost sobbing,
in tears or raging as I researched
and wrote. Then we worked it and
reworked it. Overall, from the time it
sold to the time we got it completely
finished, it was about two years.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE
PIECE OF WRITING ADVICE?
In high school, a teacher told me to
write like a reader and read like a
writer. I also love this Toni Morrison
quote: “The ability of writers to imag-
ine what is not the self, to familiarize
the strange and mystify the familiar,
is the test of their power.”

DO YOU THINK YA BOOKS CAN

HOLD REAL-WORLD AGENCY?
YA fiction has the power to change the
world because it reaches young people
while their views are still forming.

WHAT TIPS WOULD

YOU GIVE TO OTHER
ASPIRING WRITERS?
Keep writing. Hone your skill. Figure
out how you work best. Most people
didn’t get their first books published.
Some didn’t get their first four books
published. You have to keep writing if
your goal is to be novelist. Even while
you’re on submission, or even while
you’re getting rejections, keep writing.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?

Dear Martin [was released on] Oct. 17.
[Now] I am writing a middle-grade
novel about a little black boy on a road
trip with his white grandmother, but
the road trip isn’t what he thinks it is.
It’s going to be a great read. I also have
a trilogy of novellas coming out a year
from now. It’s about three friends try-
ing to grapple with sexuality, romance,
friendship and things like that. It’s
about two girls and a boy, but it’s not
your typical love triangle—the girls are
trying to figure out how they feel about
each other, too. That book will be out
next year, but we haven’t released the
title. It’s super messy, and I love it.

J.D. Myall earned her bachelor of science

in criminal justice from West Chester
University, and has worked as a counselor
for crime victims, addicts and the mentally ill.
She is currently co-writing Crimson Reign, an
exploration of race and class tucked neatly
inside a feminist fairy tale for the modern age.

WritersDigest.com I 15
 GET

ON THE (LOVING) RECORD

DIGITALLY!
“Nobody has ever measured, not even
poets, how much the heart can hold.”
—Zelda Fitzgerald

“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you

look like, so long as somebody loves you.”
—Roald Dahl

“I fell in love the way you fall asleep:

slowly, and then all at once.”
—John Green

“Love does not begin and end the way

we seem to think it does. Love is a battle,
love is a war; love is a growing up.”
—James Baldwin

Worth a Thousand Words

Bob Eckstein is a writer and cartoonist for The New Yorker and The New York Times.
His latest book is Footnotes From the World’s Greatest Bookstores.

16 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018

 MEET THEAGENT
BY KARA GEBHART UHL

Kimberly
Brower Jenna Rainey, Mia Sheridan, Brianna Wolfson,
BROWER LITERARY & MANAGEMENT author of author of author of Rosie
Everyday Most of All You Colored Glasses
Watercolor (Grand Central (Mira/Harlequin/

B orn and raised in central New Jersey, Kimberly Brower

moved to the West Coast to study at California State
University–Northridge and, later, Loyola Law School. Brower
(Ten Speed
Press/
PRH, 2017)
Publishing/
Hachette, 2017)
HarperCollins,
2018)

credits a university professor with encouraging her eventual

career as a literary agent. “She really inspired me to find a “Book club fiction, women’s
path that I enjoyed, rather than settling for a [position] just CLIENTS fiction and/or general
fiction that deals with
because it would lead to a good job,” Brower says. moral ambiguities, familial
Brower worked for two years at Rebecca Friedman Literary relationships, friendships and/
before starting her own agency in 2016. After living in or romantic relationships.”
California for 13 years, she found her way to New York City. “I
know a lot of people aren’t lucky [enough to have a profession SEEKING
they love],” she says, “but I genuinely love my job.”
Visit Brower online at browerliterary.com or on “Obvious form
letter queries.”
Twitter @KimberlyBrower.

QUERY PET
PEEVES “Calling me by
DEAD AUTHOR:
the wrong name
Harper Lee or shortening my
FAVORITE name to ‘Kim.’”

PITCH TIPS “Know who you

BLOG:
are pitching.”
Aestas Book Blog
(aestasbookblog.com)
DREAM
POPCORN © GETTY IMAGES: ANDY CRAWFORD; NAME BADGE © GETTY IMAGES: EHSTOCK

“Know your story.”

PROJECT
“A suspense/thriller that
delves into the lives of
everyday people and
different circumstances
[and] has them grapple
with moral ambiguities;
think Fatal Attraction.”
WHY SHE
FUN FACTS DOES WHAT
SHE DOES
“Don’t be nervous.”
“I’m really good
at movie trivia.”
“I love helping authors
“I love to bake achieve their career
but hate to cook.” goals. Watching an
author see their book on
a bookshelf for the first
time never gets old.”

Kara Gebhart Uhl (pleiadesbee.com) writes and edits from Fort Thomas, Ky.

WritersDigest.com I 17
BREAKINGIN
Debut authors: How they did it, what they learned and why you can do it, too.
Tomi Adeyemi
Children of
Blood and Bone
(young adult fantasy,
March, Henry Holt)
“A 17-year-old girl fights to bring
magic back to her people in this
epic West African allegory for the
modern black experience.”
WRITES FROM: San Diego. PRE-
CHILDREN: In 2011, I decided I
wanted to publish a book [and]
started the long process of learning
how to write, revise and publish.
[That] took roughly four years, and
after receiving helpful and encour-
aging rejections on my first serious
publishing attempt, I started work-
ing on [a new project that became]
Children of Blood and Bone. TIME
FRAME: I began outlining in May. In
June I knocked out the first draft;
in July [I finished] a heavily revised
second draft and submitted that
to Pitch Wars. Then I revised like
crazy again for two months before
signing with my agents. After that,
revision, revision, revision, revi-
sion and then more revision—for
almost 16 straight months! ENTER
THE AGENT: My agents are Hillary
Jacobson and Alexandra Machinist
of ICM Partners. I found them
through Pitch Wars. When [we] got
on the phone, I knew that these were
the fierce women I wanted to work
18 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
with. WHAT I LEARNED: Nothing is
wasted. You can make something out
of every unfinished story and every
rejection if you work at it. WHAT I
WOULD’VE DONE DIFFERENT: I was
coming from a place of despera-
tion when I queried my first book.
Every partial/full request sent me to
the moon and every rejection sent
me crashing back to Earth. It was
a very emotional roller-coaster. If I
could go back, I would [tell] myself
that it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
ADVICE FOR WRITERS: Find one per-
son who’s going to believe in you
when you don’t believe in yourself,
because you’re going to need them a
lot. NEXT UP: The sequel to Children
of Blood and Bone. WEBSITE:
tomiadeyemi.com.
Lexie Elliott
The French Girl
(psychological suspense,
February, Berkley)
“An English woman
becomes entangled in a murder
investigation after a body is found
in the French farmhouse where she
vacationed with university friends a
decade prior.”
BY BAIHLEY GRANDISON
WRITES FROM: Putney, London,
England. PRE-FRENCH GIRL: I had
some success with short stories in
competitions. Like most authors, I
have incomplete drafts of a couple of
other novels in a dusty corner of my
hard drive. TIME FRAME: I refuse to
calculate the time it took me to write
this book; it’s too distressing. Suffice
it to say, actual writing time was lon-
ger than the gestation period of an
elephant, though perhaps not as long
as that of the frilled shark. (Google
it. It’s long.) The idea had been with
me ever since I went on holiday to
a farmhouse in France with friends
from university 10 years ago when
I was studying for my Ph.D. ENTER
ADEYEMI PHOTO © ELENA SEIBERT; ELLIOTT PHOTO © NICK JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY
THE AGENT: My agent is the wonder-
ful Marcy Posner of Folio Literary
Management. I met her on the train
to a writer’s festival in York. WHAT I
DID RIGHT: The best thing I ever did
was take my writing seriously. The
point at which I was spending hard-
earned money on my writing
career was [when] I recognized how
important it was to me, and how I
needed to work hard to ring-fence
my writing time and find opportu-
nities to learn. ADVICE FOR WRITERS:
 Write, and do it professionally:
Schedule it into your life rather than
waiting for inspiration to strike.
Modern life is so very busy, it will
always get in the way if you let it.
NEXT UP: I’m working on my second
book, a psychological suspense novel
set in Scotland (where I grew up).
WEBSITE: lexieelliott.com.
Anna Quinn
internet. PRE-NIGHT CHILD: As a
middle-school language arts teacher,
I was mostly writing lesson plans,
along with collaborating on a refer-
ence book for teachers. At the same
time, I was writing a memoir, which
eventually became the seed for my
novel. TIME FRAME: I completed The
Night Child in less than a year. It
then took another year to edit, and
another to gather the courage to
NATURAL SELECTION
Quinn discusses the evolution of story
forms—and its effect on inspiration—
at bit.ly/WDBreakingIn.
times—begin another novel. I also
used the waiting time to strengthen
my platform and submit an essay or
story a week to various publications.
WHAT I WOULD’VE DONE DIFFERENT:

The Night Child
(literary fiction, January,
Blackstone Publishing)
“Nora Brown is a
young mother and high school
English teacher whose unremem-
QUINN PHOTO © ISABEL GATES
query an agent. ENTER THE AGENT:
I used agentquery.com. Gordon
Warnock from Fuse Literary offered
me representation first; he said my
ending was one of the best he’d ever
read in his life. WHAT I LEARNED: I
I wish I’d submitted more of my
writing earlier—I think that might
have given publishers greater confi-
dence that I was a writer to the bone.
ADVICE FOR WRITERS: Write what
you want and write without apol-

bered childhood trauma returns to
threaten her sanity in the form of a
child named Margaret.”
WRITES FROM: Port Townsend, Wash.
My writing studio is a tugboat without
learned to make good use of “wait-
ing” time. I’m terrible at waiting
and there’s so much of it during
the publication process. I followed
the advice we’ve all heard many
ogy. NEXT UP: I’m working on a new
novel set in the Pacific Northwest.
WEBSITE : annamquinn.com. WD
Baihley Grandison is the associate editor
of Writer’s Digest.

“Revision is the spiritual practice of

transformation—of seeing text, and
therefore the world, with new eyes.
Done well, revision returns us to our
original love.”

In Living Revision, award-winning

author and teacher Elizabeth Jarrett
Andrew guides writers through the
writing and revision process. With
insight and grace, Andrew asks writers
to flex their spiritual muscles, helping
them to transform their writing as they
in turn transform into more curious
and reflective human beings. Her
expertly honed techniques, exercises,
and personal examples will help writers
invigorate their work and themselves
as they engage the human heart within
and across the page.

SKINNER HOUSE BOOKS

WritersDigest.com I 19
 Become a VIP
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THE ISSUE

22 26 30
PAGE PAGE PAGE

BRING SPEAK VOLUMES ENDURE

AUTHENTICITY TO WITHOUT SAYING THROUGH
LOVE INTERESTS A WORD HEARTBREAK

34 37
PAGE PAGE

PLANT SEEDS REINVIGORATE

FOR PASSIONATE YOUR WRITING
RELATIONSHIPS

40
PAGE

SEDUCE THE
READER

WritersDigest.com I 21
 You’re Just

to Be True ...
TOO GOOD
In crafting fiction across genres, a perfect love
interest is a tempting trap—and a trope. Here’s
how to make the object of your character’s
affection lovable, flaws and all.

BY MINDY M C GINNIS

L
ove interests aren’t restricted to the realm of
romance. Most books—regardless of genre—
have an attraction somewhere in the pages,
be it a subplot or a subtle nod. What readers
find attractive can vary widely, from the sensitive type to
someone you’d want beside you in a dark alley. Fiction
gives us the chance to explore all kinds of romantic leads,
but writers often fall into the trap of writing the too-
perfect love interest.
What’s the harm in that, you may say? Well, plenty.
Our job as fiction writers is to make people care about
things that never actually happened to people that don’t
really exist. It’s a tough metric. Characters need to feel like
real people in order for the reader to be invested in them
enough to continue turning pages to see what unfolds.
And—spoiler alert—perfect people are a myth. Just
ask my ex-husband, who would often throw up his
hands in frustration and say, “I’m sure Jamie Fraser
could have done it better.” To which I would respond,
“Yes, he could have!”

22 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018

 Whether you’re writing a male or female love inter-
est, there are tropes and traps that are easy for them to
fall into, and tempting for you to write. The first weapon
against writing clichés is being able to identify them.
And when it comes to love interests, they tend to be split
down gender lines.
THE MANIC PIXIE
DREAM GIRL
You might have heard that moniker before. But what
exactly does it mean?
“Manic Pixie Dream Girl” (MPDG) is a term coined
by film critic Nathan Rabin in 2007 to describe an
increasingly common “bubbly, shallow cinematic crea-
ture that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of
sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful
young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries
and adventures.”
The MPDG is always attractive, quirky and adven-
turesome, often the possessor of some great life-truth
and usually there to guide the main character to a better,
more full realization of himself. Sounds great, right? Or
maybe … too good to be true?
There are endless examples of MPDGs in pop cul-
ture, but to illustrate this trope more fully, let’s build
our own, and then do some retooling to create a fully
fleshed-out character.
Our MPDG changes her hair color every month—
once her natural roots start to show, it’s time to change.
She unfailingly paints her bicycle to match her hair-of-
the-month, pedals everywhere, listens solely to swing
music and only on her Walkman … the cassette-tape
kind. Which she found in a Salvation Army store while
getting her new wardrobe—that she’s going to tear
apart and creatively piece back together to create a
brand-new collection of distinctly unique outfits. Her
two dogs—named Dog and Cat—were adopted into her
loving arms after they followed her home the night she
stopped by a side alley to put all the cash she had into
a random stranger’s mailbox. Her life is great without
money, and she figures they probably need it more than
she does anyway.
MPDG is always there for her significant other, even if
it means biking across the city in the middle of the night
after noticing a missed text saying he had a bad day. Bad
days have to be fixed face-to-face, after all, and she’s here
to help with homemade tomato soup and a comforter
she just finished making from airbrushed squares featur-
ing the album art of all her lover’s favorite bands. She has
an important meeting in the morning that her career as
an organic wedding-cake baker hinges on, but it’s more
important to her that the one she cares for knows exactly
where he stands—at the very top of her list.
Riiight. Before we get ahead of ourselves and cast
Zooey Deschanel or Zoe Kazan to play her in the film
adaptation, how do we take this Manic Pixie Dream Girl
and turn her into just … a girl?
The first weapon against
writing clichés is being
able to identify them.
And when it comes to love
interests, they tend to be
split down gender lines.
A Little Less Pixie
• LET HER ROOTS SHOW: Literally, and figuratively.
Color fades over time, as does the sparkle and shine
of a new relationship. What’s going to be the cause of
their first fight (which will happen)? How will both
partners navigate the fallout?
• GIVE HER LEGS BY GIVING HER SOME WHEELS:
Vehicles are becoming greener every day, and she
might need one when it’s time to take Dog and Cat to
the vet. It probably has a decent stereo system in it, too,
because who listens to swing quietly? Hmm … I won-
der if her partner makes the tragic mistake of touching
the dial? Or what if her bike gets stolen, and she has to
ride the subway? Make sure her personality is intact,
even without the transportation to match her hair.
• KEEP KINDNESS BELIEVABLE: Shopping at Salvation
Army shows that she’s thrifty, but maybe instead of
giving all her cash to a stranger, she puts the change
from her shopping spree in the tip jar at the counter.
WritersDigest.com I 23
 (It’s illegal to put anything other than postage-paid
mail in a mailbox, anyway.)
• MAKE HER A PARTNER, NOT A PARENT: The tomato
soup and favorite playlist comforter might be a little
(or a lot) overkill. Is she being a grandmother or a
lover? Make room for some humor with a nice ges-
ture gone wrong. Maybe Cat always comforts MPDG
when she’s under the weather, so she thinks a pet-
ride-along visit will be just the thing … unaware that
her new beau is allergic. Will he react with grace to a
good deed gone awry? Or is it going to take an anti-
histamine or two before the dust settles?
• LET SHIT HAPPEN: Her organic wedding cake busi-
ness is taking off, but it’s hard to sift gluten-free flour
while composing sympathetic responses to the third
self-pitying text from her significant other. Maybe
instead of rushing over with food and blankets she
texts back a quick, Suck it up. How will that first terse
text land?
But—you insist—there are quirky, giving, caring people
in the world. Why can’t I write her that way? You can, as
long as you’re not committing the biggest offense of the
MPDG: lacking agency.
If you want your readers
to relate, you’re going
to have to put some cracks
in that veneer.
Author Emery Lord found a terrific way to upend
this trope when writing her character Vivi in the young
adult novel When We Collided. Vivi has all the hall-
marks of an MPDG—she likes to deck herself out in
retro-Hollywood clothes, works in a paint-it-yourself
pottery store, insists on wearing only red lipstick, and
loves inviting Jonah’s little siblings along—all three of
them—on their outings.
Vivi’s perfect … at least when we are seeing her
from Jonah’s point of view. In her own chapters, Vivi
sometimes struggles getting out of bed and spends each
24 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
morning tossing what’s supposed to be her daily medi-
cation into the ocean—convinced she no longer needs
it now that Jonah is in her life. Not all her smiles are
manufactured, but when she’s with her new boyfriend,
she increasingly finds herself stamping them on, deter-
mined to be the ray of light he needs to illuminate his
own life.
Vivi’s attempt to be a MPDG for someone else’s ben-
efit backfires magnificently, turning her into something
new—the Manic Depressive Pixie Dream Girl. And while
that might not be as dreamy, it is most definitely real.
THE SENSITIVE
INTELLIGENT ALPHA MALE
No, you haven’t heard of the SIAM. That’s because
I made it up. The acronym, not the concept—crack
any book.
The SIAM is the MPDG’s counterpart. He’s physi-
cally impressive, sexually gifted, kind, smart, sensitive,
and never displays attraction or interest in anyone other
than his intended. You’ve seen him around … on book
covers, anyway.
Much like the MPDG, the SIAM exists in every genre,
not just in the pages of the books where plot happens
between the sheets. And as with our Pixie Dream, we’re
going to make our own Sensitive Alpha, then get him
down to real-world proportions. Probably literally.
Our SIAM is well-built, and he knows how to show it
without sporting a mesh tank. It’s easy to spot the lines
of his muscles through the T-shirt promoting the camp
where he works with underprivileged youth. It’s clear
he doesn’t skip leg day, either: That’s evident when he’s
climbing a tree to rescue a kitten.
That kitty is, of course, going to be a gift for his signifi-
cant other, along with the book of poetry he wrote himself,
inspired by the object of his affection. He’ll deliver it with
a gleam in his eye that promises more later … a lot more,
because he’s got a healthy appetite.
Speaking of which, he brought dinner. Those profes-
sional cooking classes he’s been slipping in after work
and before his nightly run have been paying off, and his
lover can rest assured that the cute gourmand instructor
can flirt all she wants—this guy is off the market.
Not a bad deal, right? Also, not a real person. Let’s
make this oh-so-dreamy fella the kind of guy you can
expect to bump into on the corner.
A Little More Human
• PUT ON A FEW POUNDS—OR TAKE THEM OFF: That
body probably isn’t perfect, because that would
require spending every minute in the gym—not at
the camp where he works, or with the object of his
affection. Besides, a chiseled fella might make his
love interest feel insecure by comparison. Does his
significant other have a weakness for good arms?
Give him those, and when she overlooks his chicken
legs it’ll be because she knows she isn’t perfect, either.
• TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH: Cooking classes might be
a little pricey for our guy, since he works at a camp
for the underprivileged. That doesn’t mean he can’t
splurge for her favorite pizza, and if he chooses to
rescue a kitten on the way to his destination, that’s
basic human decency. But first he should check that
it doesn’t belong to someone, rather than popping a
bow on its neck and gifting it to his beloved. Maybe
this detour will make him late for their rendezvous,
and he invites the object of his affection along for a
ride to the animal shelter, only to discover she’s more
of a dog person. What might be their take on this
age-old problem?
• SET SOME BEDROOM BOUNDARIES: Consider that a
bellyful of pizza could put some limits on the bedroom
calisthenics. That doesn’t mean fun can’t be had, but
perhaps not into the wee hours. He might be training
for a marathon, but it’s the kind you wear clothes for.
While pounding the pavement for those 26 miles on the
weekend, his eyes might drift to the runner who is pac-
ing him. How will his pillow-mate feel to see those eyes
sliding over someone else, when the only thing they
did in bed last night was flicker in deep REM sleep?
• EMPLOY POETIC JUSTICE: The poetry? Write on,
brother. We’ll forgive you if it rhymes. Or, maybe his
counterpart has a Master of Fine Arts degree and
returns his missive of love with a few red pen marks …
One sensitive alpha male who is far from perfect is
Robert Galbraith’s (aka J.K. Rowling’s) private detective,
Cormoran Strike. Strike admits to being a little overweight.
He’s a hulking presence, and more than once the hair on
his head is compared to hair that grows … elsewhere.
An amputee with chronic pain issues, a bit of a temper
and a fondness for pubs, Strike can’t even show his new
secretary, Robin, the courtesy of remembering her name
#WhyWeWrite
“I write because that is when I am most myself and least
myself. I pick the subject from my mind and heart, I
gather the words from my mind and ear, but I write
from a stream that flows from beyond me or deep
within me. I may hate to begin writing, I may love to
have written, but I definitely live in the space between
the two.” —Douglas E. Baker
“I love writing because, after I write, I can then read the
story that I want to read.” —@EidolonRowe  
“I write not only to prove I was here, but so I can look
back and see a book in my life.” —@LauraPerri13
“I feel like I am creating something entertaining, impor-
tant, educational, lovely, fun, scary, depending on what
I write at the time. I remember when I was in junior
high, I let a classmate read the beginning of my murder
mystery and her eyes got big as saucers as she read it
… awesome! Fast forward many decades, and now I am
working on two different books that I hope one day my
grandkids and sons will read and say, ‘Grammie wrote
this!’ What a legacy! I hope to leave behind some
words of wisdom or a story that will help somebody
with their life.” —Chrystal Braden
upon their first meeting. But sensitivity lurks beneath, and
he—believably—beds a supermodel in the series’ first book.
Women flock to Strike despite his shortcomings, some-
thing that the engaged Robin finds herself oddly irked by.
Now, these examples may seem specific, but they’re meant
to prove a point. The perfect love interest might seem like
a good idea while crafting your novel, but if you want your
readers to relate, you’re going to have to put some cracks in
that veneer. Don’t forget, your readers probably have some-
one that they care for in real life—someone who, being an
actual human, has some rough edges. Giving your love
interest a few as well might just appeal to your characters,
and your readers, even more than the irresistibly unattain-
able figure from your wildest dreams. WD
Mindy McGinnis is an Edgar Award–winning author who writes
across genres, including sci-fi, fantasy, historical and contemporary.
Her most recent title, This Darkness Mine, is a psychological thriller
with highly imperfect—maybe downright unlikable—love interests.
WritersDigest.com I 25
Whisper
SWEET
Somethings
BY JANE K. CLELAND
P
icture a man standing on a grassy knoll near an
old Revolutionary War fort. He’s looking up at
the battlement imagining what it must’ve been
like to crouch at a crenel, scanning the water
for British ships, when he sees a woman tottering on the
parapet, about to jump. He screams and runs toward the
fort, then, realizing that he can’t save her single-handedly,
he calls 911. While he waits for the police, he leaps up and
down, screaming, “Look! Look! Look!” Groups of tourists
stare at him or hurry away, thinking he’s a nut.
Now, picture this: A man standing on a grassy knoll
near an old Revolutionary War fort is looking up at the
battlement imagining what it must have been like to
crouch at a crenel, scanning the water for British ships,
when he sees a woman tottering on the parapet, about to
jump. He screams and runs toward the fort, then, real-
izing that he can’t save her single-handedly, he calls 911.
While he waits for the police, he lifts his arm, and with a
trembling hand, he points to the woman. Groups of tour-
ists pause to follow his gaze.
26 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
In the hands of a savvy writer,
subtle sounds and silences can
speak far louder than any shout.
Use these delicate techniques to
draw your readers in, one murmur
at a time.
In the first scenario, his screams and crazed, wild
jumping led people to think he was insane. In the second,
his silence led people to understand his fear.
Drawing your readers in—quietly—creates more sus-
penseful, authentic moments than hammering them with
overly brash reveals. Having a character shout, “There’s
a knife!” will never be as effective as letting your readers
hear the scrape as the dagger is drawn from its sheath.
Let’s look at some of the most effective ways you can
whisper into readers’ ears, inviting them to lean closer,
eager to hear everything your story has to say.
THE SOUND OF SILENCE
Quiet can, in fact, change the course of history. In his
1975 book Crystal Lee: A Woman of Inheritance, which
inspired the award-winning movie Norma Rae, The New
York Times reporter Henry P. Leifermann described how
Crystal Lee won the mill hands’ support to unionize. After
weeks of failed efforts trying to persuade them to join the
union, she took a different tack. Standing on the factory
floor, she used a black marker on stiff paper to write the
word “UNION.” She climbed onto a worktable, held the
sign high over her head, and slowly pivoted 360 degrees.
One by one, the mill hands switched off their machines,
stilling the thunderous roar.
Having a character shout,
“There’s a knife!” will
never be as effective as
letting your readers hear
the scrape as the dagger
is drawn from its sheath.
Crystal Lee won their support through silence—and
one written word.
Strident shrieking gets noticed; calm quiet gets results.
VOICES FROM THE PAST
Hearing the voice of someone you love—especially after
an absence—can trigger a set of physical, mental and
spiritual responses. Even just speaking to your beloved
on the phone brings an image of them to mind. You smile.
You relax. Likewise, if you hear the voice of someone you
don’t like or with whom there’s been bad blood, negativity
infuses your being. Perhaps you tense up, grind your
teeth or feel as if you’ve been punched in the gut. Since
many of our reactions to sounds lurk in the dark corners
of our unconscious, we may be unaware of them, let
alone understand their meaning or significance. Illumin-
ating them enables readers to reflect on these previously
hidden gems.
Sensory experiences of any kind cause memories to
flood our brains, but some scientists believe that sound
is the most compelling of them all. Brown University
neuroscientist Seth Horowitz, for example, champions
the unseen power of hearing in his 2013 book, The
Universal Sense: How Hearing Shapes the Mind. He
discusses the myriad sounds we don’t notice—not only
ambient noises, but also those sounds we create our-
selves: the low hum of the air conditioner, the soft shush
of our footsteps as we pad across the carpet.
PAVLOVIAN RESPONSES
Just as the sound of a person’s voice can evoke positive or
negative reactions, you can produce predictable responses
in your readers by using Pavlovian conditioning (named
for the 19th-century Russian physiologist, Ivan Pavlov) to
generate certain specific expectations. Pavlovian condi-
tioning occurs when a neutral sound is associated with a
specific result; over time that sound will always be linked
to that outcome. This linkage can breed calmness or chaos,
delight or despair, love or loathing, depending on how the
subject views the outcome.
Consider Melinda, who endured a difficult lifelong
relationship with her mother, Anna. Anna drank—a
lot—and when she got drunk, she played Elvis Presley
songs endlessly, all while sniping at Melinda, calling her
fat and stupid and lazy. If I plant Melinda’s association
between Elvis’ singing and her mother’s demoralizing
torment early in my novel, later in the book when “Don’t
Be Cruel” comes on the air and Melinda has a meltdown,
Hearing Aids
There are scores of sound-oriented words that
can help your readers become immersed in your
stories. Onomatopoeia refers to words that are,
essentially, sound effects: meow, baaa, moo. Other
words don’t mimic sounds, but precisely describe
a particular sound. Flynn Berry wrote in Under the
Harrow of “the sound of the elms soughing in the
wind.” Georgette Heyer wrote in The Reluctant
Widow of “the scroop of the panel sliding back,”
and “the scutter of a mouse across the floor.”
Figurative language also can be artful when
applied to sound, as in Lou Berney’s The Long and
Faraway Gone, where he writes: “Donald laughed,
a sound like bare winter tree branches scraping
against a roof.” Later in the paragraph, the refer-
ence surfaces again: “His laughing had turned
into crying. The sound was basically the same, just
branches on a different roof.”
WritersDigest.com I 27
my readers will empathize with her reaction and share
her pain.
Likewise, let’s say I show a man named Eddie having
a blast in a casino early on in my book. Slot machines
chime. Ice clinks in glasses. People cheer and laugh when
they win. Eddie loves the atmosphere, the camaraderie
and, most of all, the action. Sometimes, though, Eddie
feels trapped—he wants to leave, but the pull to stay and
play grips him like a fever. On those occasions, the chim-
ing and clinking and laughter pound against his temples
like a migraine. Midway through the story, Eddie suc-
ceeds in overcoming his out-of-control gambling. Fifty
pages further on, he’s at a charity fundraiser, a casino
night, and he hears the slot machines delivering their
good-news message to the lucky winners, the ice jingling
like sleigh bells at Christmas, and the effervescent buzz
of the crowd. The Pavlovian response has been estab-
lished, even foreshadowed—self-control goes out the
window as compulsion rushes in.
Noise in the midst of
silence builds suspense.
Silence in the midst of
noise breeds terror.
Paying more attention to the unconscious power of
sound adds richness to your work. To succeed, though,
you need to show people’s reactions to what they hear,
not merely label them.
SHOWING WHAT
IS UNSEEN
It’s one thing to say you understand the concept of showing
versus telling; it’s another thing altogether to execute
it. Anton Chekov explained, “Don’t tell me the moon is
shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” The
same principle applies to sounds. Don’t tell me the sirens
are loud, show me people covering their ears and wincing.
One way to quickly improve your writing is to avoid flag-
ging sounds with “telling” words. Consider revising any
sentence that contains a labeling word, such as:
28 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
• Hear
• Listen
• Sense
• Notice
• Recognize
• Know
• Realize
• Understand
When you find these words in your work, see if it reveals
an observation. If so, use description, action and dialogue
to bring the sound (or silence) to life, as in these examples:
ORIGINAL:
I listened hard, hoping to understand.
BETTER:
My eyes never wavered from his face. I didn’t want
to miss a word or signal or hint.
Likewise, expressing the listener’s reaction as a real-time
thought creates intimacy and relatability.
ORIGINAL:
As soon as I heard his message, I realized he didn’t
love me anymore.
BETTER:
I blinked away tears as I punched the delete button
and slammed down the phone. Oh, God, I thought,
as despondency replaced anger, he doesn’t love
me anymore.
Watch for out-of-sequence action statements, too.
Your goal is to keep your reader in the moment with
the characters.
ORIGINAL:
I heard him unsnap his holster when he leaned over to
tie his shoelace. I stepped back, aware he had a gun.
BETTER:
He leaned over to tie his shoelace, and with one
flick of his thumb, he unsnapped his holster—click.
I gasped and stumbled back, my eyes fixed on his
shiny silver pistol.
Don’t pull your punches. Show what you mean and you’ll
power up your descriptions, action scenes and dialogue.
SOUND EFFECTS
Opportunities abound to add references to sound. For
example, consider this weak paragraph:
 The Sounds of Suspense
By juxtaposing quiet and noise, you can add menace to
the mundane.
Imagine, for instance, that Charlotte is lying on her
sofa, reading a novel. It’s quiet except for the chirr of
crickets and her dog’s soft, rhythmic breathing. The
mood is broken at the snick of a door closing, a small
sound that shatters the silence. Charlotte is so startled,
she sits up with a gasp. She hears nothing else. Terror
creeps into her veins.
Perhaps that telltale snick represents good news—
Charlotte’s husband has come back early from a busi-
ness trip to surprise her for Valentine’s Day. Of course,
it could be bad news—the first sign of an intruder.
Such sounds (and silences) tap into the power of the
unknown and the unexpected.
Now picture Greg hiking in the forest. He’s enjoy-
ing the companionship of nature, the rustling as small
creatures pad through the blanket of leaves, the buzz-
ing of insects high overhead and the calls and chirping
of birds saying hello when, all at once, everything
goes still. Greg is certain a predator is nearby. He scans
the trees seeking out places to hide, finding none.
Matt pushed Kyra against the wall and she real-
ized he was going to hit her. She screamed. He
slapped her, and she screamed again. He laughed
in her face.
Can you spot weak words or phrases in that 29-word para-
graph? What about clichés? Take a minute and study the
paragraph before reviewing the bulleted list that follows.
• “Pushed” isn’t weak per se, but it isn’t specific. A
push can be soft or hard. Can you think of a way
to unambiguously describe the aggression by
employing sound?
• “She realized” is passive. What about the push alerted
her to Matt’s intention?
• “Wall” is vague. A wall might be smooth sheetrock in
a new house, a spiky rock wall in a gym, or rubber-
ized padding in a mental institution.
• Can you think of a way to add specificity to better
capture the women’s scream?
• “In her face” is cliché.
A few seconds later, a black bear ambles by, pausing
20 yards down the path to stare at him. Using slow,
precise movements that Greg hopes will keep the
bear from feeling threatened, he extracts a pair of
collapsible walking poles from his backpack. They’re
adorned with sleigh bells, and the bear cocks his head
at the unexpected jangling. Greg extends the poles
and begins walking backward, the bells tinkling with
every step. Almost immediately, the animal loses inter-
est and wanders into the woods. A moment after, the
comforting noises from his forest companions resume.
Greg chuckles, relieved.
This incident reveals something important about
Greg’s personality—he feels fear, but keeps it together
under pressure, then laughs it off. Such characterizing
events could also work as foreshadowing. The next
time the world grows still, your readers will recall how
scared Greg felt, and the tension will ratchet higher as
they wonder if this time a predator will attack.
Noise in the midst of silence builds suspense.
Silence in the midst of noise breeds terror. Interweave
the two, and you’ve got the stuff of great storytelling.
How might you write it better?
Matt shoved Kyra against the bricks. He slapped
her and she shrieked, a high-pitched, wordless wail.
He laughed.
“Shoved” implies a high level of force—you can almost
hear the thud as Kyra lands against the hard, rough
bricks, conjuring a clear, painful image. “Shrieked” sug-
gests a startled, panicky exclamation, not a generic loud
yell, and “high-pitched, wordless wail,” brings skin-
crawling authenticity to the moment. Deleting “in her
face” makes his heartless laughter seem all the more
ruthless. Note also that the paragraph is now tighter,
only 18 words long.
The more you hone in on fresh ways to express the
sounds and silences of life, the greater the impact. WD
Jane K. Cleland (janecleland.com) is the author of the award-
winning Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series, as well as
Mastering Suspense, Structure & Plot (WD Books), which won the
Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction in 2016. Her second WD Books
guide, Mastering Plot Twists, is forthcoming in June.
WritersDigest.com I 29
‘‘I Just Didn’t
FALL
IN ‘‘

For every match made in publishing heaven, there’s no

shortage of heartbreak along the way: rejections, failed
partnerships, forgotten promises. Here’s how to call upon
love when it counts—and leave it out of the equation
when things don’t end up the way we’d like.

BY DAVID CORBETT

30 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018

T
here is a quote from Saul Bellow that I return
to time and time again, not only for my own
benefit but for that of my students:
“Writers are readers inspired to emulation.”
What I most enjoy about that is the way it manages to
pack into a mere six words three instances of the love we
have of literature.
The first instance of that love is the one between read-
ers and writers—the recognition that writers are nothing
more than the latter-day incarnation of the devoted read-
ers we were at a younger age. The hunger for the next
book we could get our hands on by Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle or Agatha Christie, Anne Rice or Stephen King,
Isaac Asimov or Ursula K. Le Guin or Ray Bradbury, did
indeed create for many of us our first real experience
of passion, a passion that never quite changed but only
deepened and intensified when we moved on, whether to
Jane Austen and Gustave Flaubert or George R.R. Martin
and Diana Gabaldon.
The second instance of love Bellow invokes is that
unique brand of fascination known as inspiration. We as
writers don’t merely enjoy reading an admired author’s
work; it forces us to reconsider who we are and what we
should do with our craft. It both ennobles our ambitions
and emboldens our imaginations.
Third, this love is one that turns inspiration into
concrete action. We seek to live up to the challenge that
inspiration has awakened. It’s not enough to feel the love,
we must act upon it, fulfill its demands, prove ourselves
worthy of it.
And so we come to understand the writing life as a
many-layered duty energized at its core not by mere skill
or vision or the hope of fame or riches—but by love.
How nice.
Love-struck writer, allow me to introduce the wake-
up call known as publishing.
FOR LOVE—AND MONEY
If writing is a kind of love, then publication is its most
elaborate, ritualized, even ceremonial perversion. Don’t
be fooled by the lack of leatherwear: The power dynamic
remains much the same. If only there were safe words.
This is not to suggest that we are dealing with anything
but consenting parties. One cannot hear the complaints
of a published author without feeling a certain inner
cringing. What did you think you signed up for, pal,
wedding bells?
Now, of course, the experience I’m roughly sketching
is by no means universal. Numbers make their own rules.
A prominent author whose sales register in the tens of
millions worldwide was once asked why, with that kind
of clout, he didn’t offer up his future books for auction
and jump to the highest bidding publisher. His response:
“You go where the love is. And once you find it, you stay.”
A review of this author’s publishing history, however,
reveals that apparently he did change houses around the
one-third point of his career—right about the time he
went from star to superstar.
And so we learn at least one of the true measures of
love in publishing: dollar signs.
THE ROMANCE
OF ACQUISITION
Big publishing today is, to a great extent, part of an even
bigger phenomenon. Call it the Hollywood Effect: Go
big or go home.
The need to produce not just popular books or even
bestsellers but mega-sellers has created a mindset in edi-
torial meetings not unlike that of the investors on the TV
show “Shark Tank.” Acquiring editors have to withstand
challenges from the marketing department and justify
not just why a certain book is topical or engaging or
beautifully written, but why its sales will be significant
enough to justify the publishing house’s sniff of interest.
This need for the acquiring editor to battle dragons on
each book’s behalf has created a need for profound com-
mitment to the book on multiple levels. But the underlying
theme remains numbers, as in money.
Now there is nothing inherently wrong with money,
in any field. As a fellow author once remarked, “Money
WritersDigest.com I 31
is how we keep score.” There is even something bracing
in a rite-of-passage kind of way about all this. Though by
no means the universal view, a great many people regard
the writer who gains fame and makes a fistful of money
as someone who has figured the world out and has not
let childish innocence or sentimental illusions fog his
vision. He has grown up, gotten the memo, made his
own luck, learned how to play the game, by gum! He sits
atop his pile of cash with utter confidence that, by golly,
he really did earn it.
Which he did.
We come to understand
the writing life as a
many-layered duty
energized at its core not
by mere skill or vision
or the hope of fame or
riches—but by love.
And which, uncomfortably, returns us to perversion.
The need to find that blockbuster hit amid the
onslaught of submissions, and then defend it with all one’s
might against the numbers brigade, creates a curious
frame of mind that recognizes both the ineffable quality
known as literary merit and the hard-nosed reality of
profit. And this in turn generates a too-familiar terminol-
ogy, a way of expressing what inspires such leaps of faith
and what doesn’t, in a way that reflects what the editor
must first feel in rendering her no-nonsense verdict.
To fight so hard for something so elusive in the face of
a reality so unforgiving requires her, ironically, to … fall
in love.
“We just fell in love with [insert title] and would love
to publish it.”
What fledgling author, standing on the edge of oblivion
and anonymity after so many years of solitary, thankless
work, could resist? When you finally get to meet the folks
32 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
at the publishing house, it’s almost a shock that they do
not greet you at the door with a dozen roses and a big fat
wet one.
And then there are the others. The ones not so fortu-
nate. The ones not asked to the prom. For them, sadly,
it is also a question of elusive romance. Which explains
why the correspondence they receive reads something
like, “Despite [insert manuscript’s numerous, undeniable,
remarkable merits] I just didn’t fall in love.”
For those of us who have been down that road before
and seen how quickly the love can wane, this can be a
bit like having Madame X tell you, “No offense, but I’d
rather torture someone else.”
A TRUE LOVE STORY
My career has been characterized by considerable criti-
cal success. I have been compared to Graham Greene,
Robert Stone (a personal icon), Raymond Chandler,
Dashiell Hammett, even William Shakespeare (if he were
directed by Quentin Tarantino). I’ve been nominated
for an Edgar Award, another work of mine was a New
York Times Notable Book, and one reviewer for a major
national newspaper honored my sophomore effort by
calling it one of the best American crime novels he had
ever read.
Sales never quite lived up to the praise, however, and
so my original publisher bid me adieu after four books,
saying, “We’re sorry it didn’t work out.”
Note, again, the language borrowed from courtship.
In the ensuing years I wrote a handful of scripts,
penned a writing guide titled The Art of Character, which
has been called a “writer’s bible,” published another
novel, and become a contributing editor here at WD. My
career is solid, but a bit shy of stardom. I sensed it was
time to raise the stakes, and so I set about writing the
most ambitious project of my career.
Curiously enough, it concerned love.
Not just any love. One of my favorite stories from
American history concerns the correspondence that
gambler and gunman Doc Holliday kept up through-
out his life with his cousin Mattie. They were very close
as teenagers, and many have speculated they were, in
fact, sweethearts.
But Doc went west and never returned, and Mattie
Holliday became Sister Mary Melanie of the Sisters
of Mercy.
 Call me sentimental, but the setup fascinates me: the
gunslinger and the nun—a love story.
Unfortunately, the good sister destroyed the letters,
despite once remarking that if only people could read
Doc’s own words in such a personal context, the general
opinion of him would be greatly enhanced.
So using the age-old tool of storytellers the world over,
I asked, “What if …?” Specifically, what if the letters had
not been destroyed?
I then made them the MacGuffin in a present-day
storyline concerning their reappearance and the ensu-
ing fight for ownership—a passionate one. The final
manuscript contains two parallel love stories, one in the
letters, one in the struggle over their possession, with
each storyline echoing the other.
Although I knew all along that the concept was dif-
ficult to pigeonhole, I hoped the book would be my
long-sought breakout success: a mash-up of epistolary
novel, historical romance, legal thriller and action story.
Early readers were wowed. My agent sent it out not just
with confidence and pride, but with admiration, calling
it a “masterpiece,” convinced it would land an impres-
sive contract.
Instead, what we heard over and over was: I just didn’t
fall in love …
We of course heard other, less amorous variations—
and one exceedingly nasty one—but that was the gist.
Admirable effort, but no thanks. Not for us. We’re abso-
lutely sure it will find a home but we wouldn’t be able to
do it justice in-house because we just don’t feel that spe-
cial je ne sais quoi.
Rejection is never fun. It stings all the worse when
you’ve gussied yourself up like never before, had the
highest expectations of your life, your heart pinned to
your sleeve, only to hear, “I just don’t feel the same.”
Gratefully, the story doesn’t end there. At long last,
we got our yes. And the editor who accepted said, “This
book delights me.”
Let’s be clear: Despite the endearing phrasing of
this editor’s acceptance, and the genuine warmth I feel
because of it, neither I nor the editor in question harbor
any illusions about what we’re doing. At this stage of the
process, it’s about numbers. When we speak of love, what
we mean is hope—hope that readers will embrace the
book as enthusiastically as we do.
I suppose that’s the best lesson we can take away from
this. The inevitable marriage of love with money always
poses risks, no less so with literature and publishing than
#WhyWeWrite
“I came to writing later in life and only after a big-
ticket moment that knocked everything into place.
Suddenly, I had a lot to say and couldn’t stop saying
it. All wonderful, because I’m a gonzo at heart, and
gonzo characters can get away with so much more
than I can in ‘real life.’” —A.B. Funkhauser
“Life would be empty without stories. I write to contrib-
ute to life, I write so the world never runs out of stories
to share.” —Tinka Taylor
“I can’t compose music and my dancing career is
over, but I can compose and choreograph words on
pages. When it’s good, the words dance and sing.”
—@kaufmannskrimis
“I write because I want to reach the end of my imagina-
tion and then break through it. Writing helps me lose
or find myself, depending on what I need to feel, and
when I need to feel it.” —A.J. Kidding
“Writing is like having a baby, or a German shepherd,
maybe. It just won’t let you alone. It is not a passion,
not a joy, not a ‘creative outlet.’ It is a fierce mistress
and a curse.” —Rebecca A. Doyle
elsewhere. Sometimes it feels as if love really is all we
need—and if only that were true. But it isn’t, quite. And
the attempt to make it seem perfectly natural all too
often ignores the sneaky role of luck, along with timing
and a whole host of other beyond-our-control factors.
The citation of love in a business context, perhaps
especially an artistic one, can make one doubt one’s
own merit even more than usual. Such language, while
uplifting and even affirming at its best, can be damaging
at its worst. “No” becomes not just transactional,
but personal.
For the writer, I think the best course is to put aside
the romantic rhetoric and leave love out of it, except for
where it genuinely applies, and belongs wholly to us: in
the creative phase, that part of the process when we’re
baring our hearts and souls in service to a noble calling.
The best part—when we are inspired to emulation. WD
David Corbett (davidcorbett.com) is the award-winning author of
six novels including The Long-Lost Love Letters of Doc Holliday,
the story collection Thirteen Confessions, and The Art of Character.
WritersDigest.com I 33
MORE THANWords
10 WAYS TO CONVEY LOVE
WITHOUT SAYING “LOVE”
BY JEFF SOMERS

H
ere’s an exercise: In the Harry Potter
books, when did you realize that Ron and
Hermione were in love? (If you haven’t
read the Potter series, feel free to substitute
Emma and Mr. Knightley from Jane Austen’s Emma. If
you haven’t read Emma either, you need to start asking
yourself some very difficult questions about how you’re
going about things.)
Most people answer by citing the third or fourth
book in the series, when the characters were older and
more emotionally complex—but in truth, the signs are
there from almost the very beginning, though they’re
subtle. Upon first read of Sorcerer’s Stone, Hermione
and Ron playing chess together in the common room
might not seem like much. But go back and read it a
second time with foreknowledge of their eventual rela-
tionship, and the subtext is clear—and remains clear
“I love you” on Page 2 is a whimper; an “I love you” on Page
for the hundreds of thousands of words that Rowling
spins about the two, despite the conspicuously minimal
appearance of the phrase I love you.
Which is as it should be, because love is one of the
trickiest subjects to figure out—in real life as well as in
fiction. Love is also where the irritatingly omnipresent
writing advice “show, don’t tell” really hits home for any
writer. If you want pure, heartfelt emotion to land, you
should avoid the words at all costs. In writing, as in the
real world, actions speak much louder than words.
Love is like electricity: It’s a force that prompts people
to make crazy, plot-friendly decisions, but it’s difficult to
control—and sometimes difficult to see. One of the biggest
story challenges is to convey a deep emotional relation-
ship between characters without resorting to the clumsy
and the obvious. Go too subtle and your reader might not
understand that two characters have fallen in love; too
obvious, and it gets theatrical and begins to feel inauthentic.
The trouble is those three little words. They’re melodra-
matic, they’re overused, and the only way to amplify them
on the page is to do a lot of behind-the-scenes buildup. An
LOVE LINES
To see some successful examples of authors effectively
avoiding the “L” word, visit writersdigest.com/feb-18.

34 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018

350 is a bang. In between, you have to hint at what’s going
on without coming out and saying so.
Here are 10 tricks to help you do it.
1
THE SECRET LANGUAGE
Being in love can feel like a secret club with only two
members, and every good club has a password. Think of
The Princess Bride: Westley and Buttercup use the phrase
“As you wish” as a code for “I love you,” proving that not
using the actual words is often the more powerful choice.
2 kind of shared experience speaks more to their commit-
THE WELL-WORN GROOVE
The more time you spend with someone, the more synced
up your entire existence becomes. You develop subtle
dance moves for everyday events because you’ve become
an organic part of each other’s lives—you work around
each other in the tiny bathroom, finish each other’s sen-
tences, adjust ties and pick lint off lapels.
Go too subtle and
your reader might not
understand that two
characters have fallen in
love; too obvious, and it
gets theatrical and begins
to feel inauthentic.
3 the tale my speech can never seem to capture.”
THE FIRST LOOK
The eyes really are the windows to the soul—we tend to
avert our gaze when we’re lying, and look longer at things
we find attractive. When we’re in love, whether we know it
or not, our eyes search for the object of our affection every
time we walk into a room. Having characters look for each
other is a subtle way of conveying that connection.
4
THE GOOD, THE BAD
& THE UGLY
Want to establish a lengthy personal history between two
people? References to mysterious past adventures, deba-
cles or fights establish that characters have been through
the mud and came out the other side still a team. That
ment and dedication to each other than any number of
“I love yous” in their conversation.
5
THE SUBCONSCIOUS
When characters are in denial about their love, one
way to demonstrate their feelings is to have their minds
involuntarily return to a significant moment or detail.
Throughout the classic novel Ulysses, Molly Bloom has
treated her husband, Leopold, pretty shabbily, but as she
#WhyWeWrite
“When I talk, awkward garbage spills out. When I
write (and rewrite!), I’m elegant and precise.”
—@JaniceFDyer
“I love words for the images and emotions they create
in my mind and heart. I’m bilingual since childhood so
sometimes the same word in two languages can bring
different memories, personal and literary, to its meaning.”
—Mary Ann Kasper
“When I write, truths that aren’t usually heard are given
a place, a face and a purpose.” —@lylenaestabine
“I write to discover myself. The words I put down tell
—Wassim Drissi
“It forces me to condense my thoughts and document
things most meaningful to me.” —@KatieRoseWrite
WritersDigest.com I 35
lies in bed next to him her mind keeps coming back to
the word yes, reminding her of the day he proposed to
her. Ultimately, she does realize the depth of the love
she’s come to take for granted.
In real life you can give
someone a hug or a piece
of jewelry to demonstrate
your feelings. On the
written page, you have to
work a little bit harder.
6 where seemingly every change in the weather reflects the
THE GRAND GESTURE
Want a dramatic reveal of true love? The Grand Gesture
doesn’t require any words at all. Think of Sydney Carton’s
sacrifice in A Tale of Two Cities—nothing says “I love
you” like volunteering to be beheaded, after all. Or what
the minor character Salubrity Boswell does in Patrick
O’Brian’s fifth Aubrey/Maturin novel, Desolation Island:
When her husband is convicted of a crime and shipped
to Australia, she sleeps with his brother in order to
become pregnant so they can’t hang her, then attacks the
judge who sentenced him in broad daylight—solely so
she can join him at the prison colony. Who needs words?
7 As anyone who’s been in a relationship can attest, love
THE BRYAN ADAMS
The inverse of the Grand Gesture, you’ll show that, like in
Adams’ megahit “Everything I Do, I Do For You,” just about
everything a character does they do for their beloved—
unbidden, and maybe even unacknowledged. In Fredrik
Backman’s bestseller A Man Called Ove, the protagonist is a
man of few words—but he spends decades building things
and arranging the house for his wife.
36 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
8
THE MIRROR
One of the great things about romance is the way it
often brings people from different backgrounds and
viewpoints together, creating sparks—but also inspiring
changes. Showing a character adopting the habits,
culture or worldview of her love interest is a great
way to establish an emotional bond. Start small with
catchphrases or hobbies, or swing for the fences with a
complete about-face.
9
YE OLDE PATHETIC FALLACY
You always knew these terms you learned in English class
would pay off someday! Two characters who are in love,
whether they know it or not, can have their feelings con-
veyed quite poetically by making their environment react
whenever they’re in the same space—or when they’re apart.
It can be subtle or overt, as in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre,
current state of Jane’s relationship with Mr. Rochester.
THE MOOD SWING
A beautifully subtle way of demonstrating an emotional
connection between characters—even if they them-
selves are unaware that they’re in love—is to show them
both being happy when they’re together and miserable
when they’re apart. Their miserable separation could be
the catalyst for an epiphany, of course—or it could be
left unresolved as a deep clue to the reader about what’s
really going on.
isn’t easy. In real life you can give someone a hug or a
piece of jewelry to demonstrate your feelings. On the
written page, you have to work a little bit harder, espe-
cially if you want to avoid the obvious—in the form of
those three little words that mean so much. WD
Jeff Somers (jeffreysomers.com) is the author of nine novels, the
upcoming guide Writing Without Rules (WD Books), and about 44
percent of the book-related content on the internet (or so it seems).
 KINDLING
The Muse
Plots and characters will come and go, but for successful
writers, passion for the process burns on. Use these 6 questions
to transform your creative method from craft into art.

BY BOB MAYER

D
o I love my characters? Do I love my book?
More importantly, do I love creating?
The creative process is the path from
essential elements of story craft to finished
piece of art. And passion for that work is the fuel that
propels you there.
After three decades of writing and being a writing
instructor, I believe that craft can be taught. You can
pack every bookshelf in your home with guides on
understanding plot structure, take courses on forming
complex characters, attend seminars on effectively wield-
ing poetic devices—and with each morsel of advice, your
skill set will grow.
Art is when craft is taken to the next level. We must
discuss art and establish a conscious framework from
which to move toward it. It boils down to a key ques-
tion all artists must eventually ask themselves: How do
I create?
When I wrote my first manuscript in 1988, I was
clueless. In retrospect, I was merely regurgitating all the
thrillers I’d read in order to write my own. More than 70
novels later, I’ve matured into a greater understanding of
my own working methods. Yet even with the wisdom of
experience, I’ve come to understand that the creative pro-
cess is not a defined series of steps from Point A to Point B.
It continues to evolve, just as I continue to do so as a writer.
The longer I’ve been an author, the more I examine my
process and that of my peers. Understanding how best to
approach your writing—how to kindle your passion—is as
essential to becoming a more polished craftsman and artist
as studying the craft of writing.
Successful writers observe the practices of those they
admire and employ what they learn to refine their own:
polishing the positive, admitting where they are weak
and working to improve. That requires moving our natu-
ral creativity from our subconscious into the conscious
mind—instead of taking it for granted as an inherent
trait, considering where it comes from at the source and
how to best empower it. The more we understand it on a
deeper level, the more effectively we can wield it.
Here are six questions that will help you hone your
own creative workflow:

WritersDigest.com I 37
 1
ARE YOU DRIVEN BY THE
PROCESS ITSELF OR THE
ULTIMATE RESULT?
This question causes great strife between my wife and I.
She is a process person. When she does something, she
enjoys the activity itself. In contrast, I am motivated by
the end result—the satisfaction of having completed
whatever I set my mind to. If you have trouble complet-
ing a manuscript, you are probably a process person.
Subconsciously, the prospect of actually finishing may
breed negative feelings because it means the process
is over. Console yourself with the maxim that the first
thing a writer should do when done with a manuscript
isn’t to immediately start querying or marketing, but
to start the next book and immerse in the process once
more. Tackling those business aspects will seem less fore-
boding when neck-deep in a new project.
For the results-oriented person, pursuing a profession
in which the road to the ultimate result for every book is
so long and painstaking can foment tremendous angst.
The trick is to set smaller benchmarks, such as word or
page counts, which can provide a sense of accomplish-
ment en route to the greater goal.
At its core, this question asks whether you are writing
a book or writing to finish a book.
Simply understanding your motivation can invigorate
your process.
2 underlying meaning intuitively resonates with readers,
DO YOU FOCUS ON
DETAILS OR PREFER THE
BIG PICTURE?
When my wife asks me to fetch something, she doesn’t
simply say, “Go get the potato peeler.” She says: “Go get the
potato peeler, in the second drawer down, on the right side,
behind the silverware.” And even then I won’t find it.
I’m just not into details. I’m a big-picture guy.
Except details make up the big picture. Look at an
impressionist painting. From a distance the image is
clear, yet when you get close, the likeness disappears
into thousands of details—individual brushstrokes that
together compose the whole.
How do I overcome my lack of attention to detail? I
love my wife, so I pay attention to what she says. And I
38 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
love my characters and my book, so I pay attention to
what I’m writing. More importantly, I force myself to
focus on the task at hand, rather than letting my mind
wander. On the flip side, a detail-driven person must
sometimes step back from dabbing those little strokes on
the painting and try to envision what the final product
will look like.
Use external tools to compensate. Since I’m bad with
details, I have to externalize them in a single place I can
use as a resource. For every book I’ve written, I’ve made
a spreadsheet that I call a Story Grid. The columns across
the top are labeled Chapter, Start Page, End Page, Location,
Time and Summary (where I draft a brief summary of the
action in each scene). Each row is a scene. The story grid
is not an outline—it’s a device I fill out as I write the book
to help keep me oriented. When I co-wrote novels with
author Jennifer Crusie, she made collages representing
the story we were writing. As a details person, visualizing
things helped her to grasp the big picture. So she external-
ized that in a single display she could use to ground herself
in that larger canvas of the story.
3
WHAT’S YOUR PATHOLOGICAL
NEED AS A WRITER?
Phrased differently, Why are you writing? What is the
message you are trying to communicate? Many writers
aren’t conscious of their message. If they’re fortunate, an
even though the writer didn’t deliberately incorporate it.
A pathological need is one we can’t control. It is the
core of our being. While we don’t fully control it, if we
know and understand our pathological need we can
work with it, refine it and channel it effectively.
I often say that if you are a writer you must be in ther-
apy. This provokes a good laugh at conferences … except
I’m not joking. Athletes must test their speed, endurance
and strength. Similarly, as an artist, you must experiment
with different approaches to your work in order to under-
stand what is most conducive to your creativity. We all
have blind spots in how we think. We need outside help
in order to identify and compensate for those blind spots.
Another challenge that writers must face is assuming
the point of view of others—primarily, our characters.
Can we rise above our own pathological need to fully
present someone else’s? Even if that person is a fictional
character we’ve invented who possesses a distinctly
different worldview?
Even more, do we understand the needs of readers?
Can we connect with them on an emotional level? Will
our story resonate with them? The answers to these ques-
tions will be different for each of us, and may even change
from book to book, but keeping them in mind can help
inform how we approach the process.
4 premise? A charismatic protagonist? An expansive
HAVE YOU OPENED
YOURSELF UP TO CHANGE?
In my seminars, I often explain that in order for a char-
acter to experience a fully rounded character arc, they
must pass through the three stages of change: 1) Moment
of Enlightenment, 2) Decision and 3) Sustained Action.
The Moment of Enlightenment is a revelation of some
kind—the classic “lightbulb” moment, at which point a
new perspective is gained. That’s followed by a Decision—
not necessarily a good decision—that cannot by itself be
considered change, but binds the character in a sudden
obligation, either externally imposed or internally moti-
vated. Then, through Sustained Action, over time that
Decision provokes a change in behavior.
In lectures, I ask the audience which of the three
they have the most trouble with. Most people raise their
hand for Sustained Action. After all, it’s difficult to make
a fundamental change in character seem believable. But
then I ask them to reflect on key points in their own lives
in which an event triggered a Moment of Enlightenment,
Decision and Sustained Action, and to think carefully
about the hardest part of that process. As we start to
share these instances, it slowly becomes clear that to
even get to Sustained Action, we must first realize there
is a need to change. Applying this frame of thinking to
the creative process, we can elicit our own Moment of
Enlightment: realizing that a particular action isn’t work-
ing, making a decision to try something new and train-
ing that new behavior into a habit through sustained
action. I’ve worked with thousands of writers, and only a
handful have truly accepted that their process isn’t work-
ing and a change is needed.
Most of us struggle with making decisions. And often,
it’s not because we are afraid of the decision, but that we’re
afraid of making a mistake. Of being wrong. Yet the only
way to become an artist is to risk. To accept that being
wrong is an inherent part of the process of creativity. By
testing different methods and identifying which areas you
have the most trouble with, you can figure out …
5
HOW DO YOU SABOTAGE
YOURSELF CREATIVELY?
Consider, for a moment, how the first kernel of a story
takes shape in your mind. Do you start with a terrific
world? Where you begin likely reflects your strengths
as a writer, whether you’re a proficient plotter, capable
character creator or adept world-builder. We naturally
gravitate toward our strengths, which is fine. But if we
don’t address our weaknesses, we will never become true
artists. And in order to address our weaknesses, we must
change—just like our characters.
Based on your answers to the previous questions,
you should now be able to pinpoint the elements cur-
rently holding you back from fully realizing the poten-
tial of your creative process. For example, because I am
a results-oriented person, I tend to move too fast. That
means I am apt to jump into a project before thinking
(and feeling) my way into it. I write too fast, wanting to
see that word count pile up, regardless of the quality of
work. So instead, I force myself to do what is counter-
intuitive: Slow down. Focus. Feel.
Ponder what areas of weakness hinder your work, and
implement ways to counteract their effects.
6
HOW COURAGEOUS
ARE YOU?
The opposite of love is not hate. Hate springs from fear.
We hate what we don’t understand. We hate what we’re
afraid of. Love is the power we use to overcome our
fear. The number one problem facing every artist, every
person, is fear. Essayist Anaïs Nin said, “Life shrinks or
expands in proportion to one’s courage.” So does our art.
Courage is taking action in the face of fear.
The fuel for courage is the passion channeled by
our process.
Mastering this process leads us from craft to art. WD
Bob Mayer (bobmayer.com) is a New York Times bestselling author
and former Green Beret.
WritersDigest.com I 39
 THE ART OF
Seduction Riveting stories create suspense through an
author’s loving flirtations—hints and titillations
designed to captivate. Here’s how to wrap
readers around your finger.

BY GRANT FAULKNER

I
s not the most erotic portion of a body where the
garment gapes?”
French literary critic Roland Barthes poses this
question in his 1973 The Pleasure of the Text, and I
find myself pondering it frequently—not only to under-
stand the nature of desire, but as a fiction writer who
aims to create stories full of suspense and intrigue.
Desire manifests itself around hints and signs, those
feints and teases that keep us captivated by the mere sug-
gestion of future fulfillment. Indeed, it’s like living in the
tension of a riveting story, where suspense is created by an
author’s loving flirtations—a game of seduction meant to
draw the reader in through a coil of thrills and dodges. In
a sense it’s an erotic relationship—the author calculating
just how much and when to touch or reveal.
A novel is similar to sex, in fact. Most of a novel is
essentially foreplay, and after the climax you’re left want-
ing more, sad that it has all ended (at least, if it was a
good book). Reading is a uniquely intimate relation-
ship—a melding of two, reader and writer.
That’s why every writer must learn to be a seducer
and a lover. Seduction means “to entice or beguile into a
desired state or position.” A good writer lures the reader
from the first sentence of a story. A question is posed, but
not answered. The reader is invited into another world—
a world of mystery and excitement. The lyrical allure of a
writers’ words attract like the aroma of a fine perfume. A
good author is always offering peeks into the garment, but
doesn’t strip off the clothing—or doesn’t do so until exactly
the right moment. The moment of complete seduction. 
So, how might you become a Casanova on the page?
FIND YOUR INNER SEDUCER
“Above all, a great writer is always a great enchanter,”
Vladimir Nabokov said in a 1948 lecture.

40 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018

 When I first read that quote, I had to question my iden-
tity as a writer. I knew when I put words on the page, I
certainly didn’t conceive of myself as an enchanter. Instead
I inhabited my “natural self,” as most writers do, and my
words on the page flowed from that self. As a result, my
stories lacked the tantalizing allure that spawns enchant-
ment. I considered how seducers take pleasure in the artistry
of their performance, in their flourishes and nuanced
touches. They aren’t weighed down by the limits of their
identity. They decide to be, as the famous Venetian author
and playboy Giacomo Casanova put it, “the flame, not the
moth.” I needed to transform.
There are countless ways to be enchanting—through a
riveting plot full of red herrings and cliffhangers, or by way
of complex characters who are not as they seem—but your
persona as a writer influences how you engage the reader.
Are you a siren who lures her subject with titillating teases
and a seductive pose? A rake who promises decadence,
abandon and sin? Are you a dandy whose ornamental
prose attracts? Or perhaps a combination of the above?
You can be dangerous or fanciful, vulgar or quietly alluring,
depending on the nature of your aims. The main rule:
Don’t be ordinary. As Oscar Wilde said, “A little sincerity is
a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal.”
REMEMBER WHO
YOU’RE WOOING
Don’t forget the target of your stimulations: the reader.
Readers want to be seduced. When they open a book and
read the first sentence, they’re offering themselves up to
love. They want their emotions to be touched—to be over-
whelmed, to lose themselves. How will your words pene-
trate their defenses? How can you provoke such surrender?
Casanova was a great seducer not because of his
looks, his dress or his riches, but because he focused on
the happiness of his mark. His goal wasn’t just his own
pleasure, but for his beloved to cherish their relationship
forever. He described a kiss as “an attempt to absorb the
essence of the other person”—to truly meld with them. A
writer seeks a similar oneness with the reader, a similar
immortality. The relation between writer and reader is
one of mutual yearning and desire, and in such intimacy,
the reader’s world is re-drawn.
How can you write your story as if your reader is
the object of your desire? What will move your reader
in surprising ways? What turn of phrase will spark a
smile across her face? How can your words beckon
with a tantalizing promise of fulfillment? Think of your
novel as a love letter meant to be absorbed, puzzled
over and devoured.
PRACTICE THE RULES
OF ATTRACTION
Play the coquette.
Pleasure doesn’t necessarily come from the satisfaction
of a desire so much as from its pursuit. A writer’s mate-
rials are the wiles we conjure with words—and what
we choose to omit, or subtly suggest. As Casanova said,
“Love is three quarters curiosity.” Storytellers must think
with the mischievous mind of a flirt, writing with clues
and signposts. Never tell all.
Flirting is a silent language, a way of signaling interest
and attraction in the space that exists between lover and
beloved, writer and reader. The best flirts can strike the
right balance between sending a signal and then withdraw-
ing, knowing how each gesture changes the storyline. A
smile, a lingering glance, the brush of a hand. You’re left
with the question: Did that mean what I think it meant?
How can you be open and vulnerable on the page, yet
not disclose too much?
A veil exists between writer and reader, and it’s up to
you to decide to lift it. If you reveal too much information,
you leave your readers no room for imagination. But if
you’re appropriately coy, the reader will crave more.
It’s like playing with a cat with a string. If you dangle
a piece of string in front of it, the cat will try to catch the
yarn over and over again, even as the string slides through
its paws. But when you stop, the cat loses interest and wan-
ders away. Every paragraph you write is like the string with
which you tease the cat. Every paragraph needs to have the
quality of a come-hither gaze, teasing out a question that
goes as yet unanswered.
A good storyteller has to master this “art of the bluff.”
Bluffs move through insinuations. Once an idea is planted,
we crave to find the answer, and our craving intensifies
according to the elusiveness of the hints. The best horror
writers know that monsters are scariest before they’re seen,
that their threat is most acutely felt through the noises
they make, the shadows they live in—not in the sharpness
of their teeth or claws. That’s why in Jaws, Steven Spielberg
kept the great white shark unseen for so long. The antici-
pation of horror tends to elicit a stronger reaction from
the audience than the horror itself.
WritersDigest.com I 41
 Focus on how to be suggestive, not revelatory. I often
think of the tagline from the TV show “The X-Files”: The
truth is out there. Each episode brings the main characters,
FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, closer to the
“truth,” yet as soon as the answer to the web of paranormal
phenomena seems within reach—just as the viewer begins
to feel tingles of fulfillment with the revelation of a final
puzzle piece—the story shifts, and the ever-elusive truth
slithers away. Mulder and Scully are back on the trail fol-
lowing bread crumbs.
Desire manifests itself
around hints and signs,
those feints and teases
that keep us captivated
by the mere ugge tion
of fulfillment.
Thriller author Lee Child posits that the fundamen-
tal question a writer must ask is how to cook a meal for
a reader and make them hungry at the same time. The
answer? Make them wait for hours to eat. Says Child:
“The basic narrative fuel is always the slow unveiling of
the final answer.” In other words, on the first date you
don’t say “I love you”—and maybe not even the 10th
date. The more you relinquish the air of mystery in a
story, the more you lose your power on the page.
“Once certain of arriving, why hurry on the journey so
fast?” says the seducer Valmont in Les Liaisons dangereuses.
Shine the beam of your words on the story like a flashlight
in the darkness, but then keep moving the beam along so
that the story becomes a series of luminous dots. Delight in
your story’s subterfuge.
Ratchet up the stakes.
Such a slow reveal isn’t enough, though. We need to esca-
late the tension until, at its most taut moment, a thoroughly
satiating climax wins over the reader. Love and desire exist
in a perpetual “What If?”: What if I call? What if I lean in
42 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
for a kiss? What if I ask her to marry me? A novel moves
within a similar pace of hypotheticals in the intimate col-
laboration that forms the relationship of reader and writer.
Raise the stakes by making the threat in your story
more imminent and potentially devastating. Make prom-
ises to the reader at the same time you threaten to foil
those promises. If tension doesn’t escalate, the suspense
you’ve been developing will evaporate. Consider this: If
you’re writing a romantic comedy, and the obsessively
disapproving father decides to go fishing instead of spy on
his daughter, the rivets in your riveting story will begin
to loosen. There’s a dramatic reason Romeo and Juliet
had to maneuver through several acts to truly be together.
The peaceful love they seek against the odds infuses each
scene with suspense and hope, yet, at the same time, this
anticipation is fraught with the encroaching threats of the
Montague-Capulet feud that promises to destroy all.
Ask yourself, How can you create a state of anguished
desire in the reader? How can you lead the reader into a
crisis, a moment of danger or an uncomfortable position?
How can you press your reader to cling to desperate hope
in the face of looming peril? How can you stir up taboos to
take your reader to the enticements of their dark side?
Give them your heart—in the end.
Without a rising trajectory of tension, without anxiety and
suspense, there can be no feeling of release, of true pleasure
and joy that the denouement of a story provides. It is your
task to create tension in the reader, to lead them to and fro,
so that the culmination of the story has real weight and
intensity. Help the reader climb slowly up the roller coaster,
and then, just as they feel that spike of adrenaline, let them
fly with the rushes of fulfillment you’ve been holding back
as they tip over the crest and plunge downward.
When we exist in the suspense of falling in love—
whether with a person or a novel—it eclipses our entire
world. It speaks to a greater truth, one that can be both
beautiful and terrifying, one we pursue despite its perils.
Through art we achieve an intimacy we might not be able to
attain in real life. We live in the poetics of our primal drives.
Now you’ve been schooled in the art of seduction. But
to be a truly good lover, in the end, you must give the
reader the heart of your story. After all that holding back,
you can finally say, “I love you.” You can finally tell all. WD
Grant Faulkner is the executive director of National Novel Writing
Month and the co-founder of 100 Word Story. Follow him on
Twitter @grantfaulkner.
 Improve
Your Writing
One Course at a Time.
Whether you’re writing for publication,
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 Kristin Hannah
NEW TERRITORY
Where great stories lead,
the best writers follow—
unbound by genre, time,
place or convention.
BY JESSICA STRAWSER

PHOTO © CHARLES BUSH

44 I WRI TER’S DIGEST I February 8

F
or a great many years before she was a household
name, Kristin Hannah’s fiction-writing career was
an enviable kind of steady. In search of a more
family-friendly pursuit than her law practice, as
a young mother she made her first sale (1991’s A Handful
of Heaven, now out of print) and kept on selling—roughly
a book a year, give or take a few, becoming a staple on the
women’s fiction shelves and, eventually, on the bestseller lists.
It was a slow, modest burn, the kind of “breakout” suc-
cess that is built over time and fed with ever-better writing,
increasingly complex stories, and an eye for both the
intimate and the universal. Her 2008 release, Firefly Lane,
the story of a tight but tested friendship spanning three
decades, sold more than 1.2 million copies—catching
by surprise only those who hadn’t been paying attention.
Within a few years, she became one of the first authors to
have two novels appear on five New York Times bestseller
lists simultaneously, with 2011’s Night Road (the heart-
breaking story of one bad decision’s consequences, and the
capacity to forgive) and 2012’s Home Front (illuminating
the toll of modern-day war on a military family).
And then, more than 20 novels in, Hannah blew
her deadline.
She was writing something different, something more
research-intensive, more sweeping and more in-depth than
anything she’d written before—a World War II–era tale of
two French sisters with very different approaches to living
under Nazi occupation. But halfway through the manuscript,
it became clear her usual timeline wasn’t going to cut it.
“I called my editor and told her that I thought I had
a potentially special book, but that there was no way I
could write it in the amount of time I had on my deadline,”
Hannah says. “I asked her to roll the dice with me and give
me another year to see if I couldn’t make this book as spe-
cial as I felt it could be.” The editor—Jennifer Enderlin at
St. Martin’s Press—said yes.
It was a good call.
Leaping into the No. 1 spot on bestsellers lists across
the board and making itself at home there, 2015’s The
Nightingale moved readers worldwide. It was named a
Best Book of the Year by The Wall Street Journal, Amazon,
Goodreads, Library Journal, BuzzFeed and The Week, snag-
ging the People’s Choice Award and Audiobook of the Year
Award on the way. As of this writing, the novel has more
than 35,000 customer reviews on Amazon with a full 5-star
average, and a Hollywood adaptation is in development
with TriStar Pictures.
Now comes the long-awaited follow-up. Hannah’s
February release, The Great Alone, takes readers into the
remote backcountry of Alaska in the wake of the Vietnam
War, when a former prisoner of war takes his wife and
daughter, young protagonist Leni, to restart their lives on
the homestead of a fallen comrade. Hannah spoke with
WD’s editor-at-large, fellow novelist Jessica Strawser, about
the evolution of her process, waiting for the right story,
and much more.
After a smash hit like The Nightingale, I would
imagine there’s a lot of pressure surrounding what
you’re going to write next. How did you land on
this story, and were there others you considered in
the meantime?
You know, that is an interesting thing, how you follow up
a success like The Nightingale. The one thing I can say is,
I feel so incredibly grateful that it happened two decades
into my career—but even so, even with the fact that I had
written a lot of books before and, you know, sort of learned
how to handle the writing business—it still was difficult.
And I did put a lot of pressure on myself.
My original thought was that I wanted to write some-
thing that couldn’t be compared to The Nightingale.
Something completely different, its own kind of book. That
took me down a rabbit hole, and I ended up having to
throw a book away after almost two years of working on
it. Because not only did it not live up to The Nightingale,
it just didn’t feel like it ever coalesced into a book that I
believed in 110 percent.
You never know if a book is going to succeed or fail,
so what matters ultimately is how you feel about it, and
whether you, the author, are willing to bet the farm on this
novel. And I just never quite was with that one.
So after I threw the first one away, I calmed down a bit
and decided that what I needed to do was what I always
do, which is simply take what I had learned from writing
The Nightingale, and take what I felt were better skills and
understanding of my strengths for writing powerful female
characters, and let that be my guide.
WritersDigest.com I 45
 Kristin Hannah
“You have to believe in this career, you have to believe in
yourself, and you have to move with great determination
forward. It ‘s always going to be difficult. “
I decided I wanted to sort of come home to America
and write about something I knew pretty intimately. That
led me to this novel set in the 1970s in Alaska, which is a
time and place that I know very well and is, in its way, as
much a secret world or an unusual world as anything I’ve
ever done before.
Was that a difficult conversation with your publisher
when you threw that first book away? Did you have
to call them up and say, “That’s not happening?”
Yeah [laughs], that’s really what it comes down to. I’ve
been lucky in my partnership with St. Martin’s. … I said,
“Nobody wants me to publish this book. We don’t want
this to be the next Kristin Hannah book because it’s just
not good enough. And I don’t think working another
year will make it good enough.” So I was really lucky that
they trusted me and said, “OK, take the time that you
need.” It helped, of course, that The Nightingale hadn’t
even rolled over into paperback yet. [But] the whole
team there, I just think they really care about their books
from the top of the list to the bottom. As a writer, you
can’t ask for much more than that.
You said that you knew the topic pretty well,
but even so, The Great Alone reflects so much
meticulous detail about the time period, the
homesteading life, Alaska’s seasons, the wildlife—
how did you approach the research element of this
project from the beginning?
Well, it was a lot of research. My family owns a sport
fishing lodge up there, so we’ve been going to Alaska as a
family since the early ’80s. My dad’s partner is a home-
steading family. I know the geography, I know the people,
I grew up and came of age at the same time that [Leni]
did, and that helped a great deal.
But even though I had grown up during [the ’70s],
because I was young and my parents kind of sheltered
me, I didn’t really realize until I did the research what a
turbulent time it was with the hijackings, and the kidnap-
pings, and the bombings, and all of this. The more research
I did about the ’70s, the more it felt relevant to today—like
the world was as unsettled then as it sometimes feels now.
That’s when I knew that I had a book—a fascinating look
into a world that we haven’t read about a lot.
46 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
How long did it take you to write, once you hit on
the new idea?
Well, the good news was the book that I threw away was
set in modern-day Alaska, so a lot of that original research
was able to be repurposed. But it took probably 18 months
to write this second version. And I’m a very fast writer.
That does seem fast—it’s a large book!
I know. I ran out of words very quickly. I tend to throw
literally hundreds of pages away.
What is your process for what gets left on the cut-
ting room floor? With a story that spans so many
years, I would assume it’s a challenge to decide what
to keep in and what to leave out.
I have an eye that is drawn to the intimate. I’m interested
in day-to-day happenings in my characters, and I tend to
think that every moment in their lives is important. So
in the first draft, I write a lot of scenes that are mostly me
discovering who the character is, and what this world
looks like on a very intimate level.
Then, once I’ve found the characters and found the
story, the arc, then the job is to amp everything up, so
that the conflict becomes hopefully almost unbearable,
and then to cut away everything that isn’t absolutely
necessary. That’s how I tend to find the pacing that I like,
combined with the depth of characterization that I’m
looking for. That’s the balance.
Your website says you typically do 10 drafts—is that
still true?
Probably well more than that.
And I know you write longhand. At what point does
a computer come into play? Are you revising in long-
hand too?
What happens is I write longhand on my yellow legal
pad, and then that gets entered into the computer. Then
I get a printout, and generally for the first five to seven
drafts, the changes are so extensive that I’m still using
the yellow pad. I’ll get to the end of a paragraph and say,
“insert here,” and rewrite the book on the yellow legal
pad, inserting the manuscript as it goes. When I’m get-
ting closer to the end, it’s light enough that it can all be
done on the printed pages from the computer.
Is that how you’ve always worked?
In early days when my books were simpler and more
straightforward, and I was just trying to learn the craft
of writing, no—I would not have been able to do it this
way, and I didn’t do it this way. In those days, I spent a
lot of time doing outlines and character biographies, and
escalations-of-scene kind of research, and then I sat down
and wrote the book that I intended to write. As the books
have gotten bigger and more complex, they just require a
messier process, I guess.
I have to say, I don’t find that comforting …
[Laughs.] Neither do I! I’m always saying to people, if any-
one has a new process, I am definitely looking for it.
Right! The way I work is such a mess, too—what we
all want to hear is that you can figure it out more
easily with experience.
You know what? A lot of it does get easier. The problem
is that while you become more adept at knowing what’s
going to work in the beginning, and more adept at a sen-
tence-by-sentence kind of thing and creating characters
quickly, I think that as a writer, you also grow. As you
grow, you ask more and more of yourself. And so you
end up writing novels that you never imagined you’d be
capable of writing in the beginning. It’s just sort of a one-
foot-in-front-of-the-other kind of process, where you
never stop asking yourself to do more or be more.
Aside from the stories themselves being more
ambitious, are there other things you can qualify
where you feel your craft has improved or changed?
You know, I think that the single most important thing
[has been] aging, and motherhood, and going through
life and understanding what it is I have to say. When I
started writing, I was young—my first book was pub-
lished when I was 29, I think—so the biggest thing is
knowing more about the world and being more confi-
dent, more fervent in my own opinions. I think that’s the
biggest thing.
They talk about the evolution of voice as if it’s about
sentences, and certainly it is—I believe that I’m a signifi-
cantly better writer now than I was when I started. But I
think it’s more about what I have to say now.
Everyone talks about The Nightingale being on a
whole different level, but looking back at your career
up to this point, what are the moments that stand
out most to you?
Well, there’s nothing that really ever eclipses that first
sale, that first year where you get the call. First you get an
OUTSIDE THE MARGINS
For more from Hannah on the real-life influences behind The
Great Alone, the crucial role of fellow writers in her circle,
and more, visit writersdigest.com/feb-18.
agent and then someone buys it and a year later you see
it on the shelves and you realize that it’s possible: This
job, this career, this passion can all come true. So, that
still remains probably the biggest moment.
Then: I wrote Firefly Lane about 10 years ago, and that
was probably the most personal of all of my novels. That
changed the course of my career; that’s when I began to
truly find my voice and what it was I had to say.
With The Nightingale, to see what the novel has meant
to people—especially people who have lived through this
or have family members who have lived through it and
have told me what the novel means to them—that’s been
a pretty special experience.
And it’s really still going on.
It is, yes. I guess next would be the movie—[which] is in
production, so that’ll be a pretty amazing moment.
I saw an interview where you noted that a lot of
times people don’t take newer writers seriously
because they assume you’re going to give up—
and that the important thing is just to stay with it.
Perseverance is advice that you often hear for newer
writers, but it seems like it’s good advice for any
stage in a writing career.
You know, that’s what it’s all about. You have to believe
in this career, you have to believe in yourself, and you
have to move with great determination forward, because
it doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to sell your first
book or your 50th book, or you’re trying to redefine your
career, or you’re trying to reinvent what it is you do, it’s
always going to be difficult. There are always going to be
naysayers, and it’s always going to be easier to either give
up or follow the path of least resistance or write what
appears to be the easy answer for success at that moment.
Those skills that you develop as an unpublished writer—
your discipline, your dedication—I think all of that holds
you in really good stead as you continue forward and
transition from a beginning writer to a working writer to a
career novelist. WD
Jessica Strawser (jessicastrawser.com) is editor-at-large for WD
and the author of the novels Almost Missed You (a Barnes & Noble
Best New Fiction selection upon its release) and Not That I Could
Tell (forthcoming in March 2018), both from St. Martin’s Press.
WritersDigest.com I 47
 FUNNY YOU
SHOULDASK
A literary agent’s mostly serious answers to your mostly serious questions.
BY BARBARA POELLE

Dear FYSA,
My 16-year-old daughter
aspires to become a professional
literary agent. How does one get
into the field?
Yours, Future Focused
Dear Focused,
This question has an answer as
varied and nuanced as each of our
industry’s agents. Some folks get on
track as an English major under-
grad, some by going to law school.
Others start in an entirely different
track and then hop trains to a pro-
gram like the Columbia Publishing
Course. There are summer intern-
ships, mailroom positions, friends
of friends who hear about an open
entry-level assistant position. There
are also those who think to them-
selves, Hey! I love to read and I
really love my own opinions. So they
charm and cajole—some might say
hound—an amazing literary agent
until finally she calls while they’re
on a run in Central Park and says,
“You just won’t go away, will you?
That alone means something to your
potential. Do you want the job?”
And then, Pow! You’re an agent!
Okay, okay, maybe not that last
one. That seems too crazy to be true.
[Side eye.]
The most ubiquitous trait you
can find in an agent, however, is the
story they tell when asked, “Why
books?” Sometimes books helped to
escape; sometimes they helped to
stay grounded. Sometimes books
were an only friend, or they were
the only friends you wanted. Some-
times you saw yourself in a book,
sometimes you saw someone else in
one. Sometimes they provided the
laugh you didn’t know you needed.
Sometimes they provoked the cry
you knew you did. Because you have
to love these delicious, wondrous,
marvelous things—these books. The
baseline for any agent is the love of
the story.
I believe similar characteristics
extend to editors—those invaluable
muses, those keepers of the craft—
and that might be another path for
your daughter to investigate. As an
editor, you are still working with
words and helping to shape art and
education (disguised as entertain-
ment—whee!). And not to put too
fine a point on it, because I am
usually very, very subtle, but edi-
tors receive a salary. Agents work
on commission: We get paid when
we sell a book. Basically, we only
eat what we kill, and there can be
some mighty feasts, but also some
terrible famines.
Wanna see the math? Let’s say
that on Day 1, an agent sells a book
to Putnam for $100,000. Wowie!
A six-figure deal! But before you
order the caviar, let’s unpack that
number a bit. The agent takes 15
percent, which in this make-believe
scenario comes out to $15,000. As
part of an agency, the starting rate
for an agent is usually half of that
15 percent—meaning the agent
takes home $7,500. But that $7,500
is often paid out in halves (or
smaller fractions). One half on
contract signing, the other half on
Delivery and Acceptance (D&A)
of the client manuscript. So that
is $3,750 up front, and the other
$3,750 around six months later.
Before taxes.
So, less caviar, more … fish sticks.
This peek behind the curtain
is not meant to discourage, only
to reveal one of the many aspects
that differentiate the editorial side
of publishing from the agenting
side, and both are very worthy, very
fulfilling avenues to keep books
as your passion and your voca-
tion. I’m just saying, it might make
sense for your daughter to keep
her mind open. But at age 16, the
most important education/prepara-
tion she could have—before taking
a class, enrolling in a publishing
course or targeting a Master of Fine
Arts program—is to read, read, read.
Everything. Tell your daughter to
think of the books she devours in
the context of what else is out on the
shelves, making comparisons like,
“That book is The Devil Wears Prada
PHOTO © TRAVIS POELLE

ASK FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK! Submit your own questions on the writing life, publishing or anything in between to writers.digest@
fwmedia.com with “Funny You Should Ask” in the subject line. Select questions (which may be edited for space or clarity) will be
answered in future columns, and may appear on WritersDigest.com and in other WD publications.

48 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018

 norms. But with flair! I mean obvi-
ously not your norms. Rules are
Being an agent is about rules! (Psst … hey, kid … you want

finding the path that leads to

half an hour added to your curfew?
Ask for an hour, get the “No,” coun-
everyone standing up from ter with 45 minutes and a check-in
call. They’ll settle at that extra 30.
the table feeling that their Boom.) Being an agent is about find-

needs were met—and that is

ing the path that leads to everyone
standing up from the table feeling

achieved through persistence that their needs were met—and that

and, quite frankly, panache.
meets The Martian.” (OK, whatever
that book is, I really need it.) And
make sure she’s able to substanti-
ate it. Encourage her to enter into
discussion with others about what
they are reading, and to facilitate
a genuine interest in why they’re
reading it.
And if she’s still set on the agenting
side? Tell her to start to … challenge
is achieved through persistence and,
quite frankly, panache. So, she needs
to read and persevere. Then, who
knows? Maybe your daughter will
be jogging in Central Park one day
and I’ll give her a call.
I hear that’s a thing. WD
Barbara Poelle is vice president at Irene
Goodman Literary Agency (irenegoodman.
com), where she specializes in adult and
young adult fiction.

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a damn fine story, you need to understand why and how
that caring happens. Using a mix of personal stories, pop
fiction examples and traditional storytelling terms, follow
New York Times bestselling author Chuck Wendig on
the path to internalizing the feel of powerful storytelling.

Available at WritersDigestShop.com, Amazon,

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WritersDigest.com I 49
YOURSTORY
First Things First
THE CHALLENGE: Write the opening line to a story based on the photo prompt below.
Out of more than 700 entries, Writer’s Digest editors and forum members selected the
following 10 winners.
At breakfast, when John asked
me, “One lump or two?” I didn’t
know I was picking a camel to ride
into the sunset. —Jennifer Taylor
Their camels make a careful
line, black stitches across the
sand, and she wonders how long
50 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
she has before it pulls apart.
—Rosemary Melchior
When I let my husband choose
our vacation destination this year,
I had no idea he was still upset
with me for scratching his car.
—Charles Trullinger
CONTEST #84
My mother tells me that once,
long ago, this place was the sight
of a great city called New York.
—Katrina Pollitt
Dan’s tear dissolved quickly as
it became one with the photograph
of his wife’s final safari expedition,
the last time she had been seen alive.
—Paul Blackford
It was at this point that Doris
decided saving money on a
no-frills vacation was a mistake.
—Catherine Lavarnway
I’ve always trusted MapQuest,
but now I’m not so sure …
—Robert L. Willett
It was 7 o’clock in the
morning, and already two more
from our group had been killed.
—Zachary Winters
My parents were the type to
believe that salvation always lay just
PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES: OSCAR WONG
over that next ridge. —Kelly Whitt
After five hours plodding across
the vast, roasting wilderness, I
found I’d been sitting on the missing
keys to the van. —Eileen McGowan
 ENTERYOURSTORY
THE CHALLENGE: Write the first line (one sentence only, 25 words or fewer) to a story based on the photo prompt below. You can be funny,
poignant, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.

TO ENTER: Send your story via the online

submission form at writersdigest.com/

88
CONTEST #88 your-story-competition or via email to
yourstorycontest@fwmedia.com (entries
must be pasted directly into the body of the
email; attachments will not be opened).

NOTE: WD editors will select the top

12 entries and post them on our website
(writersdigest.com/your-story-competition).
Join us online in early March, when read-
ers will vote for their favorites to help rank
PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES: ARTUR DEBAT

the top 10 winners!

The winners will be published in a future issue of Writer’s Digest.

DON’T FORGET: Your name and mailing address. One entry per person.
DEADLINE: February 19, 2018.

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DIGITALLY!

WritersDigest.com I 51
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 WRI TER’ S

EXERCISES AND TIPS FOR HONING SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF YOUR WRITING

Co n
EVOKING SURFACE & SUBSET EMOTIONS
B Y J O R DA N R O SE NFE LD

E motions are the tools you utilize to provide the

colors and shapes for every scene and to add
depth and meaning to your character’s inner life.
PHYSICAL-ACTION CUES
As I illustrated already, you can use body language and
physical actions to demonstrate a character’s emotion.
When you allow readers to understand, feel and parti- To see the technique in action, consider this example
cipate in your characters’ feelings through the clear from a scene in Neil Gaiman’s novel Anansi Boys where
use of emotion in point of view, you create deep a character wakes in a state of terror on a plane. His
reader investment in your story. Demonstrating emo- physical actions communicate his desire to get the hell
tions is also the best way to communicate the impact out of there:
of plot events without relying on tension-killing narra-
He stood up and tried to get out to the aisle, tripping
tive summary.
over people as he went past, then, when he was almost
In the realm of literature, simply having a character
at the gangway, straightening up and banging the over-
say or think what he’s feeling, or using the narrative
head locker with his forehead, which knocked open
voice to tell the reader directly, is not nearly as effec-
the locker door and tumbled someone’s hand luggage
tive as dramatizing the emotion. Consider these
down onto his head.
two examples, which convey the same emotional
message—fear—but feel markedly different. Which Gaiman’s description makes the scene fast-paced and
is more engaging? visceral. The reader becomes caught up in the action.
The man’s face in the window scared her horribly.
SENSORY CUES
At the sight of the man’s face in the window she tripped Hands down, one of the most important cues you will use
backwards over the chair and shrieked. in your fiction to convey emotion is sensory imagery:
the character’s perceptions of the world, as well as his
Similarly, you have a range of other methods at your
feelings, filtered through the senses. This type of imagery
disposal to show what a character is feeling or observing
encompasses the touch, smell, sound, look and taste of
without having to explain directly. I refer to these meth-
a character’s experiences. To convey desire, sensuality
ods as character cues. These cues provide information to
or lust, you might write, “The salt of his sweat burned
readers about the character without flat explanations or
on her tongue.” Or, if a character is keeping a terrible
bland exposition.
grief at bay, he might feel “dense and damp with tears
Depending on the point of view you’ve chosen, the
that could not fall.” Sensory imagery pulls readers inside
cues that demonstrate character emotion will vary. Try
your character’s body, sets a tone or a mood and conveys
out these basic cues to effectively demonstrate your char-
a potential feeling.
acter’s emotion and experience.

WritersDigest.com I 53
WRITER’S WORKBOOK
EXERCISE: Evoke Emotion in Subtle Ways
SCOUR THE SURFACE. Whenever you’re stuck on how
your character feels in a scene, try this exercise: Write
down the surface feeling at the top of a sheet of paper—
fear, for instance. Then think for a few minutes about
what other subset feelings are likely present; in this
example, maybe hurt, loneliness and yearning. Now ask:
What cues can you use to convey these subset feelings?
Write a paragraph that uses each cue type. What
dialogue would your character speak in this scene if
her surface feeling is fear but her subset feelings are
hurt, loneliness and yearning? What physical action cues
might she exhibit? Can you convey these emotions with
imagistic cues or reactions from other characters?
DEMONSTRATE FEELINGS. It’s typical in a manuscript
to use variations on the verb “to feel” to express
emotion: He felt mad. I feel scared. While these practical
Here’s an example from the novel The Bees by Laline
Paull, in which she gives human characteristics to bees
and dramatizes the life of one bee. In the first scene, the
bee hatches from her honeycomb:
The cell squeezed her and the air was hot and fetid. All
the joints of her body burned from her frantic twisting
against the walls, her head was pressed into her chest
and her legs shot with cramp, but her struggles had
worked—one wall felt weaker.
Notice how you feel the character’s definite sense of
panic from the sensory imagery alone.
DIALOGUE CUES
It’s most effective to allow your characters’ words to
speak their emotions and experiences, and avoid having
them make direct emotional statements (“I’m so happy
right now,” or, “This really freaks me out”). Have their
dialogue reflect a specific emotion:
“I can’t believe I fell for your crap.” He shook his head so
hard his hair fell into his eyes.
The words could convey frustration, remorse or regret.
This, coupled with the body language—the physical
action cue—of shaking his head so hard it moves his
bangs, reveals that he’s more than just a little upset. And
54 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
expressions of feelings are not necessarily bad, you can
invite your readers more deeply into the experiences of
your characters by demonstrating those feelings. Try it
now with the list of feeling prompts below (or perhaps
comb through your own manuscript for the words feel
or felt). Use one of the character cues discussed in this
article to express the feeling without using feel. (Hint:
Avoid thoughts; stick to action, dialogue and images.)
• He felt sad to hear the news.
• She felt angry when he yelled at her.
• I had never felt so embarrassed before.
• His expression made her feel afraid.
• Her words inspired a feeling of dread.
• I’d never feel joy again.
• You always feel sick.
• We never felt loved.
none of that information was flatly or directly told to the
reader (e.g., “He was really frustrated”).
Here’s an example from Jennifer Egan’s Pulitzer Prize–
winning novel, A Visit from the Goon Squad. In this
scene, Sasha has stolen a woman’s wallet, but she hasn’t
told Alex this yet:
Sasha felt the waiters eyeing her as she sidled back to
the table holding her handbag with its secret weight.
She sat down and took a sip of her Melon Madness
Martini and cocked her head at Alex. She smiled her yes/
no smile. “Hello,” she said. The yes/no smile was amaz-
ingly effective. “You’re happy,” Alex said. “I’m always
happy,” Sasha said. “Sometimes I just forget.”
The direct exclamation of Sasha’s feelings (“I’m always
happy”) is not so straightforward. It feels like she’s being
ironic, or making fun of Alex, or possibly attempting some
wishful thinking; if she says it aloud, perhaps she can make
it true. There’s a lot of subtext to this simple exchange,
which reminds us that sometimes characters convey as
much by what they don’t say as by what they do.
OTHER CHARACTERS’ REACTIONS
Other characters will react to your protagonist’s situation,
thus highlighting his emotion or experience. If you want
to show that a character has said something hurtful, let

the other character in the scene react accordingly, as in
this example:
Mary’s eyes widened to discs, and she stepped away
from me. “I can’t believe you think that.”
The effect then becomes the cue, allowing the reacting
character to signal emotion to the reader.
INTERIOR MONOLOGUE CUES
A character’s thoughts can demonstrate her state of emo-
tion for a given experience (though keep in mind that
they often read like summary and can slow down the pace
of your story). You can get away with having a character
think a direct and straightforward feeling, but it’s still
better to approach it obliquely.
Here’s an example from Caroline Leavitt’s novel Is This
Tomorrow. It’s 1956, and Jewish single mother Ava Lark
and her son, Lewis, stick out in a neighborhood full of
nuclear families and Christians. Twelve-year-old Lewis has
only a couple of friends (other fatherless children), so he
spends a lot of time with his own imagination and thoughts.
Here Leavitt shows that Ava’s anxieties are influencing her
son, which manifests in his irrational fear of a Communist
missile attack in his own suburban neighborhood:
Lewis didn’t feel like roaming the neighborhood any-
more. A plane zoomed across the sky. Lewis looked up.
He imagined Mr. Corcoran’s missile flying down from
the sky, aimed right at them, lean and silver as a needle.
Would he see it before it struck or would it happen so
fast that everything would be obliterated?
As a child, Lewis often misunderstands what he sees and
hears, and his thoughts show us these distortions in ways
that spoken words might not effectively convey.
IMAGISTIC CUES
You can craft a visual analogy—a simile or a stylized
description—to convey emotion or experience. Consider
this metaphoric one from Max Barry’s dystopian thriller
Lexicon, in which young adults on the fringes of society are
trained to use persuasive powers to force people to do their
bidding, with terrible consequences. As the book opens,
we meet a character named Wil who has clearly been
through a traumatic event, though we don’t know what:
A door opened. On the other side of it was a world of
stunted color and muted sound, as if something was
Co n
stuck in Wil’s ears, and eyes, and possibly brain. He
shook his head to clear it, but the world grew dark and
angry and would not stay upright.
Rather than rely on heavy exposition or backstory, Barry
uses imagery to create a visceral experience of Wil’s state
of mind. It generates page-turning tension that makes
you want to keep reading to find out what happens next,
and it doesn’t fall into flat, dull narrative summary.
These images, from Chuck Wendig’s YA fantasy novel
Under the Empyrean Sky use analogies to convey emotion:
His palms are slick with sweat, and his stomach has
gone as sour as a cup of vinegar. He sits in his jail cell
with that thought twisting in his mind like a worm trying
to tie itself in knots.
Sometimes you can simply use a straightforward
visual to communicate what a character is feeling. Here’s
a visual cue from Michel Faber’s The Book of Strange
New Things, in which a character shows sudden sadness
in a scene when sadness is not otherwise evident:
He turned toward her darkened face again, and was
alarmed to see teardrops twinkling on her jaw and in the
corners of her mouth.
And here’s a more metaphoric imagistic cue from Love in
the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez that uses
the sense of smell—the fumes of gold cyanide—to convey
both literal death and the death of love:
Although the air coming through the window had puri-
fied the atmosphere, there still remained for the one
who could identify it the dying embers of hapless love
in the bitter almonds.
Keep a list of character cues close at hand whenever
you sit down to write. While you might not use every cue
in every scene—sometimes you’ll need just a few—they
are a crucial shorthand code by which you communicate
to readers how your characters are feeling without
overtly stating their emotions.
Character cues will never fail to build nuance and tex-
ture in your scenes. The more subtle and layered your cues,
the more complex and rounded your characters will seem,
and the more compelling the tension will be in your story.
Excerpted from Writing the Intimate Character © 2016 by
Jordan Rosenfeld, with permission from Writer’s Digest Books.
WritersDigest.com I 55
 TREAT THE WORLD AS YOUR CLASSROOM
B Y CH E RYL ST. JO H N
G et out one of your favorite novels, one that sits on
your “keeper” shelf. It can be an all-time favorite
or one recently read. It should be a book you can thumb
through and find your favorite pages and passages.
Now take some time to think about the story. Consider
rereading the book and recapturing the feelings it created
within you, focusing specifically on the source of those feel-
ings in the story. Come up with an overall impression of
the tone of this tale. How did the writing and the charac-
ters make you feel? You may remember an impression of
intrigue or sexual tension. Perhaps a warm sense of family
permeated the pages. The mystery of secrets or the thrill
of suspense may have left an impact. If, when you think
about the book, you remember the feeling you got from
reading it, it was a tone that made an impression.
I want you to identify that tone. Open that book and
recognize the word choices, descriptions and dialogue
that left such a strong and lasting imprint. Map out the
tools the author engaged to make the book resonate. By
approaching books—and life—with a more attentive eye,
we can learn definitive ways in which to stoke distinct
feelings in our readers.
UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONS
If available, buy a second copy of the favorite book we dis-
cussed previously—a used one if need be. This study copy
will be your learning tool. I did this with many books
when I was first learning to write. Back then, I didn’t have
a network of writers or information at my fingertips. I
read a lot of outdated how-to books from the library and
did most of my studying by way of rereading the books
I loved. There is much we can learn from the books that
provoke feelings in us.
Use your extra copy like a textbook: Underline, make
notes in the margins and use highlighters to mark scenes
where you reacted emotionally. Analyze what created
those feelings: word choice, dialogue, body language and
character setup. Pinpoint the ways in which the author
constructed the scene to draw out a specific reaction from
the reader. What scenes, passages or even sentences struck
you as joyous or devastating? Why?
After analyzing the novel, begin keeping an emotion
journal. Record the ways you see emotion conveyed—
the things that make you react. Be alert during
56 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
conversations. What did your spouse say that made your
blood boil or put a smile on your face? What was the con-
text? Watch television and movies with your eyes and ears
tuned in to emotional triggers. Note your reactions and
the reactions of others. Be observant. Pay attention to
how the setting creates mood and affects emotions.
Observing what makes a good story and what triggers
reactions is a key part of learning how to create those
same triggers in your own writing. Your favorite authors
have a unique way of evoking responses in you—and in a
lot of other people. Most of those triggers are universal.
Consider making photocopies of entire pages and
scenes, keeping a binder for study so that you remember
the things that moved you. When you’re writing, revisit
the pages in your binder and assess whether any of the
strategies employed by your favorite authors could be
utilized within the world of your story.
UNIVERSAL EMOTIONS
We all know what pain feels like. We’ve all lost someone
or experienced rejection, and we’ve all laughed at inappro-
priate moments. We delve into our own emotions to write
about feelings in fictional situations. We’re human. Our
readers are human. We connect through feelings. You’re
not writing an autobiography; you’re tapping those core
emotions as a resource for your characters.
One of your most beneficial learning tools, once it’s
developed, is the ability to understand what triggers your
own strong emotions. Do you get weepy at television com-
mercials? They are works of art in themselves, considering
how few seconds the writers have to make an emotional
impression and how well they do it. If you’re a comedy
writer, what makes you laugh? If you write in the genres of
thriller, mystery or horror, what are your deepest fears?
When you know the answers to those questions, you
can attempt to recreate those emotional triggers on the
page. Every day we come across circumstances and stimuli
that provoke intense feelings inside of us. In that regard,
the world around you becomes a classroom, from which
you can extract authentic, powerful devices to then put to
use in your own works-in-progress.
Excerpted from Writing with Emotion, Tension & Conflict © 2013
by Cheryl St. John, with permission from Writer’s Digest Books.
 SCALING EMOTIONAL IMPACT
B Y DO NA LD M A A SS
G reat storytellers make emotions as compelling as
anything else on the page. They make the emo-
tional life of characters the focus rather than a sideshow.
They make familiar emotions fresh and small feelings
large. They immerse us in the emotional worlds of char-
acters without indulging in darkness or sickening us in
the sun. They stir the high human emotions that make
stories memorable.
How can you, too, accomplish this? Start by under-
standing emotional scale.
ALL THE FEELS
What was the most emotional day of your life? The
majority of people are likely to answer with a day
that involved birth, death, betrayal, trauma, marriage,
divorce, miscarriage, failure, second chance, recovery, a
dream achieved, a confession of love, a helping hand.
But those are events.
Let’s look at the emotions these events evoke, for they
are strong feelings and the ones you’d like readers to feel
as they read your fiction. We’re talking about big, primary
emotions: fear, rage, passion, glee, ecstasy, triumph, hope,
astonishment, grief, humility, joy, love.
You probably are not thinking about mild emotions like
apathy, boredom, caring, contentment, doubt, fondness,
gloom, melancholy, satisfaction or other moderate feelings.
The goal is to provoke in readers feelings so large and
memorable that they’re described as experiences.
You might think that to give readers such experiences
you need only work with primary emotions. However,
there’s a problem with that: Big emotions often fall flat on
the page. Tiptoeing down creaky stairs into a dark base-
ment doesn’t necessarily instill fear. A dozen roses don’t
automatically deliver love to the doorstep of our heart.
Flying bullets alone don’t cause our blood to pump.
Listen to genre writers talk and you’d think that their
stories are designed to evoke only one gigantic feeling—
perhaps dread, terror, joy or love. While there’s nothing
wrong with hoping readers will feel those things, mostly
they do not. Why? Partly because the scenarios meant
to evoke those feelings are often humdrum. If the story
world is dystopian, for instance, does that make you want
to stock guns and hoard food? Does a dead body on page
one shatter your sense of security? Of course not.
And yet we do feel strongly, sometimes, when we’re
reading fiction. Dread, terror, joy and love can be evoked
in readers, but not by force. They are most effectively
evoked through trickery. Stage magicians use misdirection
to take their audiences by surprise. Emotional craft is sim-
ilar. Artful fiction surprises readers with their own feelings.
Thus, creating big feelings in readers requires laying a
foundation on top of which readers build their own tower-
ing experience. What triggers readers to dredge up their own
emotional experiences? One answer is this: Small details
(reminders) used to evoke a situation are pre-loaded with
feeling. Details have the power of suggestion. Suggestion
evokes feelings in readers, drawing them out rather than
pounding them with emotional hammer blows.
Doctor Sleep is Stephen King’s sequel to The Shining.
The little boy from the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance, who
survived his father’s violent possession and breakdown,
is now, as an adult in his 40s, a drifter and a drunk. He
drinks to stave off the torment of his paranormal gift, his
Shine. Dan lands in a small New Hampshire town, joins
Alcoholics Anonymous and finds work at a hospice, where
his gift helps him comfort dying patients and usher them
to the other side. We see this gift at work one evening when
Dan is called to the bedside of 91-year-old Charlie Hayes:
“I’m pretty scared,” Charlie said. His voice was little more
than a whisper. The low, steady moan of the wind out-
side was louder. “I didn’t think I would be, but I am.”
“There’s nothing to be scared of.”
Instead of taking Charlie’s pulse—there was really no
point—he took one of the old man’s hands in his. He saw
Charlie’s twin sons at 4, on swings. He saw Charlie’s wife
pulling down a shade in the bedroom, wearing nothing
but the slip of Belgian lace he’d bought her for their
first anniversary; saw how her ponytail swung over one
shoulder when she turned to look at him, her face lit in
a smile that was all yes. He saw a Farmall tractor with a
striped umbrella raised over the seat. He smelled bacon
and heard Frank Sinatra singing “Come Fly With Me”
from a cracked Motorola radio sitting on a worktable lit-
tered with tools. He saw a hubcap full of rain reflecting a
red barn. He tasted blueberries and gutted a deer and
fished in some distant lake whose surface was dappled
by steady autumn rain. He was 60, dancing with his wife
WritersDigest.com I 57
WRITER’S WORKBOOK

A DEFT TOUCH
EXERCISE: Small Details = Big Emotions Next, let’s look at the opposite end of emotional scale:
working with small emotions. The ordinary flow of every-
• Pick a point in your manuscript in which the pre-
day feelings presents the opposite challenge. Rather than
dominant feeling is large. What are small signs
evoke big feelings with small details, you want small emo-
that indicate something big is happening? What
tions to have a big impact.
details, hints, indirect clues or visible effects have
So, how is that done?
you used?
In life, what we feel moment-by-moment matters
• What repercussions of what’s happening can the
greatly to us but little to others. To us, our days are full of
reader immediately see?
high drama—ups, downs and stomach-plunging swings.
• What does your protagonist or point-of-view
Naturally you don’t expect others to take your feelings as
character feel that is not immediate?
seriously as you do, yet on the page you’re asking readers
• What can your protagonist or POV character say
to do just that: to be rapt and fascinated by your characters’
or think that’s not obvious, but insightful, unusu-
every tiny mood swing.
ally compassionate, brutally cutting or prescient?
That won’t be the case until you make the emotional
• What is a way of looking at what’s happening that
minutiae of your characters’ lives worth your readers’ time.
scales it down to manageable size? In what way is
A monotonous pattern of action-reaction will not do that.
this outrageous event actually unsurprising? How
It’s what I call churning, or the recycling of feelings that
does it illustrate a truth? In what way is it unique?
readers have already felt. It’s easy stuff to skim. To get
• Craft a passage in which you convey not the
readers fully engaged in emotional minutiae requires,
primary emotion that your protagonist or POV
again, catching readers by surprise.
character is feeling, but the experience that she
When characters struggle with their feelings, readers
is going through. Use details, unusual feelings,
will referee. They seek to resolve characters’ inner con-
non-obvious observations, calm detachment and
flicts. They render judgments. The same is true when
wise compassion.
characters feel the unexpected. Readers hold an instant
inner debate, one of which they are largely unaware but
that nevertheless causes them to assess: Would I feel like
in the American Legion hall. He was 30, splitting wood.
that, too? That assessment is the effect you are going for.
He was 5, wearing shorts and pulling a red wagon. Then
The heartfelt and playful historical romances of Kate
the pictures blurred together, the way cards do when
Noble tend to mix cheeky, aristocratic romance with
they’re shuffled in the hands of an expert, and the wind
touches of mystery and espionage. The second novel in
was blowing big snow down from the mountains, and in
Noble’s Blue Raven series, The Summer of You, is the story
here was the silence and Azzie’s solemn watching eyes.
of Lady Jane Cummings, who also appeared in the previ-
At times like this, Dan knew what he was in for. At times
ous novel in the series.
like this he regretted none of the pain and sorrow and
Lady Jane is a lively, party-loving young duchess who
anger and horror, because they had brought him here
adores the London season but whose father, a duke, is
to this room while the wind whooped outside. Charlie
in declining health due to a dementia—that would be
Hayes had come to the border.
recognized today as a deepening stage of Alzheimer’s dis-
The moment of death. What a heavy thing to capture. Yet ease. When it’s determined that the duke’s health would
what makes it both vivid and bearable in King’s passage are benefit from residence in the countryside, Lady Jane must
the small details of a life well lived. He saw a hubcap full of accompany her father to their family’s summer estate on
rain reflecting a red barn. King works with visual and sen- Merrymere Lake, where she spent many happy childhood
sory images not to describe death but to rapidly chronicle days. Accompanying them are her father’s new nurse and
life, and thereby this imminent passing—Charlie Hayes her cranky, carousing, perpetual-student brother, Jason.
had come to the border—becomes not a dark unknown but He is even less happy than Jane to be leaving London, but
a poignant celebration of what was beautiful and light. nevertheless insists on tending to their father’s well being.

58 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018


As their party coaches northward, Jane recalls her
childhood journeys to Merrymere Lake:
Or at least, she intended to sulk. To rail against the
injustice of being taken out of the cream of society at
the height of her popularity, forced on her by a lost
old man and dunderheaded young one. But then, over
the course of the journey, days spent rambling down
familiar roads with two snoring companions, something
strange occurred.
It started with the gnarled oak tree, the one that sat
a few miles outside of Stafford, on the North Road. The
Beast, she had called it as a child. The massive growth
that rose from the ground like a boil on the earth, the
moss that covered its black hide a faded green, blend-
ing the Beast into the grass it sat upon. Its leaves fell
like wisps of hair on a bald man’s head, and the Beast
was so tall and so thick that when Jane was little and of
a frightfully macabre mind, she was certain it would eat
passersby and force them to live in its knotted innards.
But then, Jane’s mother, seeing that her daughter cow-
ered whenever they passed the tree, whispered in the
child’s ear that the tree wasn’t about to devour them
as they trotted by in the barouche. Nay, the gnarled
old tree was in fact the manor house of the Fairy Lord—
and instead of holding her breath as they passed, she
should wave hello, and the fairies would lift the limbs of
the tree, and it would wave back. …
Every year after, even when she was long past the
age of believing in Fairy Lords, she would wave to the
Beast, taking a childish delight in its rumpled visage as
it waved back, or didn’t, on the whims of the breeze. …
By the time the carriage of the Duke of Rayne
passed the Bridgedown Fell, where if one sat up very
tall, they could see the first glimpse of the blue waters
of Merrymere, the lake the Cottage was situated upon,
Jane was sitting so high in her seat she bumped her
head on the window frame of the carriage door.
“Looking at the water?” Jason yawned from his perch
aboard Midas. “I thought you weren’t excited by going
back to Reston.”
“I’m not excited,” she countered. “But I must have
something to do—these two snore too loudly for me to
hope for sleep.”
Jason harrumphed, but he could not fool his ever-
watchful sister.
He was sitting suspiciously high in his seat, too.
Co n
Small Emotions =
EXERCISE:
Large Experience
• Choose a small but meaningful moment in
your story. From whose POV are you writing
this moment? What does he feel about what
is happening?
• Write down a contrasting feeling that your POV
character also has. Make the contrast sharp,
ironic, forceful, principled, passionate or
somehow challenging.
• What’s one implication of what’s happening? What
will your POV character have to do differently now?
• What’s one way in which this character must
question herself at this moment? Go beyond
self-doubt: Render a self-judgment. Is this
character condemned? How? Is this character
exonerated? How?
• Craft a passage in which the big meaning of this
small moment is processed by your POV charac-
ter, a processing that’s unique to this character
and contrary to your reader’s feelings—maybe
even to yours.
This journey from London to the Lake District could
have been boring and flat, and would have been in lesser
hands, but Noble uses it to create an emotional passage
by enlarging a roadside sight and underplaying the all-
too-evident mutual pleasure of an otherwise bickering
brother and sister. It’s a small moment large in emotion,
because the author finds feelings where we’re not looking.
Thus remember: The trick is to give readers emotional
content that is not just easy to swallow but, rather, a feast
to savor. Any small emotional moment can then achieve
an effect larger than it might otherwise have.
We experience life as feelings, but the emotional expe-
rience of a story, both for characters and for readers, can
be far richer than it often is. By emphasizing unexpected
emotions and contrasting them with the obvious, you
can pack your scenes with a powerful emotional punch
that draws readers in. WD
Excerpted from The Emotional Craft of Fiction © 2016 by
Donald Maass, with permission from Writer’s Digest Books. Visit
writersdigestshop.com and enter the code “Workbook” for a 10
percent discount on this and other books to help you hone your craft.
WritersDigest.com I 59
STANDOUTMARKETS
An exclusive look inside the markets that can help you make your mark.
WHAT STANDS
OUT & WHY:
Heralded by The
New York Times,
Columbia Journalism Review, Publishers Weekly and
others for its dedication to longform pieces that explore
ground-level issues in cities across the post-industrial
Midwest—from Buffalo to Chicago and more—Belt
prides itself on providing stories that matter over
click-bait-y round-ups. Their audience is small but
growing, and they pay well for digital content. Plus, as
a publication funded fully by readers, Belt supports
local communities by working only with Midwestern
printers. —BG
WHAT STANDS OUT & WHY:
Deemed “quite simply, one
of the best literary journals in the
world,” by Robert Olen Butler,
w porary literary scene by offering the finest work of today’s
it’s easy to be intimidated by
The Missouri Review’s esteemed history. After all, stories
appearing in the publication have been anthologized
more than 100 times in such venues as “Best American
Short Stories,” “Best American Essays,” “Best American
Poetry,” “The O. Henry Prize Anthology,” “The Pushcart
Prize” and more. Even so, the journal isn’t limited to
those with an established résumé—and, in fact, takes
pride in featuring new and emerging writers. —TM  SUBMIT: Send a cover letter and SASE to [Genre Editor],
60 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
BY TYLER MOSS & BAIHLEY GRANDISON
FOR YOUR WEB-FRIENDLY WRITING:
Belt Magazine
ABOUT: “Belt Magazine is a nonprofit journalism website
based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our mission is to both better
inform those living inside the region and to provide greater
insight to those living in the rest of the country.”
FOUNDED: 2013. TRAFFIC: About 40,000 total visits a
month. PAYMENT: $500 for longform pieces. LENGTH:
Varies. EDITORIAL INTERESTS: Features, short articles,
commentaries and first-person essays about the Rust
Belt and Midwest. HOW TO SUBMIT: Send pitches and
submissions to Editor-in-Chief Jordan Heller at jordan@
beltmag.com. DETAILED GUIDELINES: beltmag.com/
contact-us.
FOR YOUR SHORT FICTION, NONFICTION & POETRY:
The Missouri Review
ABOUT: “The Missouri Review is a not-for-profit organiza-
tion made possible in part by the generous support of
readers and donors. We have helped shape the contem-
most important writers and by discovering the brightest
new voices in fiction, nonfiction and poetry.”
FOUNDED: 1978. CIRCULATION: About 6,500. PUBLISHES:
Quarterly. READING PERIOD: Year-round. PAYMENT:
$40 per printed page. READING FEE: $3 (only applies to
online submissions). LENGTH: No maximum for fiction
or nonfiction; for poetry, max 8–20 pages. HOW TO
The Missouri Review, 357 McReynolds Hall, University
of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211; or submit online
at submissions.missourireview.com. DETAILED
GUIDELINES:  missourireview.com/submissions/
submission-guidelines.
FOR YOUR FREELANCE WRITING:
Mother Jones
ABOUT: “A reader-supported nonprofit news organization,
Mother Jones promotes independent and investigative
reporting, covering everything from politics and climate
change to education and food (plus cat blogging).”
FOUNDED: 1976. CIRCULATION: 240,000. PUBLISHES:
Bimonthly. LENGTH: 2,000–5,000 words; less than 1,500
words for web pieces. PAYMENT: $1 per word. EDITORIAL
INTERESTS: “We’re interested in just about anything that
will raise our readers’ eyebrows, but we focus especially
on the areas of national politics, environmental issues,
corporate wrongdoing, human rights and political influ-
ence in all spheres.” HOW TO SUBMIT: Send a short query
to query@motherjones.com establishing your credibility
as a reporter. DETAILED GUIDELINES: motherjones.com/
about/writer-guidelines.
FOR YOUR ROMANCE NOVELS:
Avon Impulse
ABOUT: “Avon Impulse is the digital-first publishing imprint
of Avon Books. Each month our goal is to build an excit-
ing list of fresh voices, which means we’re always looking
for new talent! You’ll be working with some of the best in
the business: editors who spot trends and develop talent
while overseeing your manuscript and working with you to
manage your career; marketers with proven relationships
with online retailers; [and] publicists with expertise in social
media and promotional campaigns.”
FOUNDED: 2011. PUBLISHES: 400 titles per year, including
digital originals. ROYALTIES: Start at 25 percent, then
increase to 50 percent after 10,000 copies sold. ADVANCE:
None. CATEGORIES: Contemporary romances, new adult
fiction, historical romances, erotica. “Primarily, inclusive
and diverse romances that reflect our world—all sexu-
alities, races, ethnicities, religions, genders, body types,
disabilities and ages.” RESPONSE TIME: 6 months. HOW TO
SUBMIT: Fill out the form and upload your manuscript at
the link below. DETAILED GUIDELINES:  avonromance.com/
impulse.
WHAT STANDS OUT & WHY:
Mother Jones has a far-reach-
ing reputation: With more than 35
nominations for National Magazine
Awards under its belt (and seven wins, including the
coveted Magazine of the Year award in 2017) and dozens
of other accolades (from the James Beard Foundation,
Webbys and more) the magazine’s hallmark is hard-hitting
reporting. Plus, a wide audience and excellent pay make
a byline exceptionally covetable. The publication is 80
percent freelance written, and while many of its writers are
established contributors, newbies need not fear: Editors
will consider any solidly reported, groundbreaking news
story; thought-provoking, timely op-ed; or analysis piece
from a new voice. —BG
WHAT STANDS OUT & WHY:
Avon Impulse marries the
personal attention one would
expect of a boutique publisher
with the global reach of a
HarperCollins subsidiary. The
imprint is actively seeking new
writers, and Avon Imprint authors
can expect marketing plans that are personally tailored and
include e-galleys, Facebook advertising, newsletter promo-
tion and more. And e-publishing is only the beginning—
digital editions that perform well are often printed as mass
market originals, as novelists Candis Terry and Sophie
Barnes can attest. —TM
WritersDigest.com I 61
CONFERENCESCENE
Events to advance your craft, connections and career.
San Miguel Writers’
Conference and
Literary Festival
Skip out on the winter chill while
honing your craft at this sun-
drenched international soirée.
WHEN: February 14–18, 2018.
WHERE: Hotel Real de Minas, San
Miguel de Allende, Mexico. PRICE:
$575–$795, depending on package.
The “Whole Enchilada” option
includes two three-hour intensives
with the faculty member of your
choice. Single-event tickets also avail-
able. Agent pitches and individual
consultations are an additional fee.
See website for details. WHAT MAKES
THE CONFERENCE UNIQUE: “SMWC
is the largest co-cultural, bilingual
gathering in the Americas [that
attracts] writers, teachers and
other professionals from Mexico,
the United States and Canada,”
Conference Co-Director Maia
Williams says. It’s also among the
few literary conferences held at a
UNESCO World Heritage site, a
designation San Miguel de Allende
received in 2008. WHO IT’S PERFECT
FOR: Writers eager for an immer-
sive experience combined with
top-caliber instruction from well-
published professionals. HOW MANY
ATTEND: 750. “The core conference
is limited to 300 attendees for the
tracks taught in English,” Williams
says. FACULTY: Novelists Wally Lamb
62 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
(The Hour I First Believed), Jorge
Volpi (In Search of Klingsor), Joseph
Boyden (The Orenda) and Emma
Donoghue (Room); poet Rita Dove
(“Collected Poems 1974–2004”);
nonfiction writer John Vaillant (The
Golden Spruce); writing coach Jane
Friedman; and more. HIGHLIGHTS:
With seven keynote presentations
and more than 75 workshops and
panels over the course of the week-
end, attendees have plenty to keep
themselves busy day and night.
Lighter fare includes Live On Stage:
Tall Tales and Short Plays, a Mexican
fiesta, curated readings by confer-
ence faculty, and daily open-mic
sessions. IF YOU GO: Explore beau-
tiful San Miguel and beyond via
one of the many available excur-
sion opportunities, such as the
Haiku Walk through El Charco Del
Ingenio botanical garden.
BY DON VAUGHAN
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
TRACY CHEVALIER AT SAN MIGUEL WRITERS’ CONFERENCE © CHARLOTTE BELL; THE WRITE STUFF WRITERS CONFERENCE © JOAN ZACHARY
sanmiguelwritersconference.org.
Winter Writers’
Weekend
Go from procrastinator to published
writer at this boutique affair in the
city where Saul Bellow and Joyce
Carol Oates crafted classic works.
WHEN: March 2–4, 2018. WHERE:
Nassau Inn, Princeton, N.J.
PRICE: $200. WHAT MAKES THE
CONFERENCE UNIQUE: The Winter
Writers’ Weekend is a fun, friendly
gathering that promotes long-
term connections. “Many of our
participants stay in touch through-
out the year,” Conference Director
Karen Hodges Miller says. WHO
IT’S PERFECT FOR: Authors seeking
professional development, from pub-
lishing to platform. “Winter Writers’

Weekend is for authors who want
to go further, reach more people,
and sell more books,” Miller says.
HOW MANY ATTEND: 60. FACULTY:
Novelists Melissa Macfie (The Celtic
Prophecy series) and Nora Phoenix
(No Filter); marketing expert Noelle
Stary; graphic artist Eric Labacz;
website designer Lisa B. Snyder.
HIGHLIGHTS: Sessions address such
timely topics as authentic marketing,
making book reviews work for you
and building a website to boost your
platform. For those who have dif-
ficulty following through with their
projects, Miller will present a ses-
sion titled Finish Your Book: What’s
Stopping You? “Bring your laptop,
because this is an interactive confer-
ence,” she advises. IF YOU GO: The
Cloak & Dagger on Nassau Street is
a must-visit for anyone who loves
a good whodunit: The indie book-
store is located in an 100-year-old
colonial home renovated to reflect
an English-style library—the kind
one might find in an Agatha Christie
mystery. FOR MORE INFORMATION:
winterwritersweekend.com.
The Write Stuff
Writers Conference
Improve your fiction while making
lifelong connections at this long-
running event in the heart of
America’s steel country.
WHEN: March 22–24, 2018. WHERE:
Best Western Lehigh Valley Hotel
Conference Center, Bethlehem,
Pa. PRICE: $289 for members/$329
for nonmembers through Feb.
12; $319/$359 through March 4;
$339/$379 after. Daily rates also
available; see website for details. Fee
includes daily lunch. WHAT MAKES
THE CONFERENCE UNIQUE: An inti-
mate atmosphere makes it easy for
attendees and faculty to meet and
mingle. “Our conference is designed
to be inclusive by encouraging
participants to share ideas, pose
questions and make connections
with others who share the passion
[for] writing,” Conference Director
Dawn Sooy says. “The included
lunches enhance the ready exchange
of ideas and thoughts between
attendees, presenters and agents,
and the Friday reception is a great
place to relax and network.” WHO
IT’S PERFECT FOR: Writers of every
stage hungry for the most up-to-
date info and insight on penning
and publishing fiction. HOW MANY
ATTEND: 150. FACULTY: Novelists
Bob Mayer (Area 51 series), Jane
Cleland (Josie Prescott mysteries),
Ben Sobieck (Black Eye), Matt Betts
(Indelible Ink), Richard White (For A
Few Gold Pieces More), Tabitha Lord
(Infinity) and Suzanne Mattaboni
(Excuse Me, Waitress, Is That New
Jersey?). HIGHLIGHTS: Seminars
address a variety of relevant topics
and include: Mastering Suspense,
Structure and Plot; Using Metaphors
to Add Richness and Texture to Your
Work; and A Marathon, Not a Sprint:
Long-Term Marketing Strategies for
Indies. Attendees can receive imme-
diate feedback on a sample of their
work at the Friday evening Page Cuts
Critique Sessions. (Critique sessions
are free but require advance registra-
tion; see website for details.) IF YOU
GO: A visit to Bethlehem wouldn’t
be complete without a stop at the
Moravian Book Shop on Main Street.
Established in 1745, it’s the oldest
book purveyor in the U.S. FOR MORE
INFORMATION: glvwg.org. WD
Don Vaughan (donaldvaughan.com)
is a freelance writer in Raleigh, N.C.,
and founder of Triangle Association
of Freelancers.
15ʖʊ Sʃʐ Fʔʃʐʅʋʕʅʑ
Wʔʋʖʇʔʕ Cʑʐʈʇʔʇʐʅʇ
Celebration of Craft, Commerce & Community
Join us and 100+ presenters—authors,
editors, publishers & literary agents
from New York, L.A. & S.F. Bay Area!
Keynoters will include: Dana Gioia,
California Poet Laureate/former NEA Chairman;
the author of Lucky Boy, Shanthi Sekaran;
and thriller novelist Robert Dugoni.
Free ‘Open to the Public’ YA Session with
Mitali Perkins
February 15-18, 2018
Pre/Post Master Classes on Feb. 15 & 19
all at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel
$229 SFWC Attendee room rate...until sold out!
SFWC-MIL Writing Classes
year-round at Mechanics’ Institute Library
To get event updates and class details,
subscribe to the SFWC Newsletter at:

www.SFWriters.org
SFWC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization
SPEAKER!
SPEAKER!
Our editors are available to
speak at your conference or
workshop. We’re happy to talk
about technique, business or
inspirational topics. We also help
evaluate query letters or book
proposals. We won’t break your
budget, and we’re fun people!
For more information, email us at
Writers.Digest@fwmedia.com
WritersDigest.com I 63
C ON FE RE NC E GU IDE

ANNUAL GREATER LOS ANGELES 2018 SAN FRANCISCO WRITERS

CONFERENCE GUIDE
FEBRUARY 2018
• Keep in mind that there may be more
than one workshop in each listing.
• These workshops are listed alphabeti-
cally by state, country or continent.
• Unless otherwise indicated, rates include
tuition (T) only. Sometimes the rates also
include airfare (AF), some or all meals (M),
accommodations (AC), ground transpor-
tation (GT), materials (MT) or fees (F).
• When you find workshops that interest
you, be sure to call, email or check the
website of the instructor or organization
for additional information.
• All listings are paid advertisements.
CALIFORNIA
GENRE-LA™ CREATIVE WRITING
CONFERENCE, February 23–25, 2018, Los
Angeles, CA. The Conference for Literary and
Screenwriters of Genre. Take your writing to the
next level by learning the secrets of success
from published masters, literary agents, editors,
publishers, best-selling authors, industry experts,
Hollywood veterans, educators, and publishing
professionals who will share their secrets and
experiences to help guide you on the path
to success. Whether you write Speculative
Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror,
Thrillers, Suspense, Mysteries, True Crime,
Classic Romance to Urban Erotica, to Memoirs,
Biographies, New Adult (YA), Christian, New
Age, LGBT, Spiritual, Self-Help, and more, this is
a unique opportunity to learn how to brainstorm
and develop new ideas, visualize brave new
worlds of wonder, create compelling memorable
characters (both human and otherwise), plot
and structure amazing story lines of imagination,
WRITERS CONFERENCE, produced by
West Coast Writers Conferences. June 22–23,
2018 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Los Angeles
Westside near LAX. Writers of all genres and
disciplines benefit from this popular educational
and inspirational three-day event focused on the
craft and business of writing. Our 20th conference
will feature individual program tracks for what we
call the 3-A’s™ (Aspiring, Active, and Accomplished)
writers of fiction, nonfiction, and screenplays. Topics
will be presented by 40+ veteran educators, best-
selling authors, industry professionals, editors and
literary agents in progressive streams of seminars,
workshops, and panels so you are immersed in
an educational environment. Attendees can meet
with literary agents and publishers looking for new
talent with polished manuscripts. Take advantage
of an informative session with the "agents du
jour" to help prepare for your actual meeting. If
you have a work-in-progress, you can participate
in Advance Submission ProCritiques™ to have
your work reviewed/edited by professional editors
and/or literary agents. Most packages include a
Keynote Address with complimentary meals. Open
to all levels of literary and screenplay writers. Take
advantage of early-bird discount pricing with six-
months same as cash financing available.
Contact: Lillian or Tony Todaro
Ph: 310/379-2650
info@wcwriters.com
www.wcwriters.com/aglawc
CONFERENCE, February 15–18 at
the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco.
This “Celebration of Craft, Commerce and
Community“ is where writers come to meet
major names in publishing. Bestselling authors,
literary agents, editors and publishers attend
the SFWC and take personal interest in projects
discovered there. The 100+ presenters list
includes California Poet Laureate/former NEA
Chairman, Dana Gioia, Shanthi Sekaran, author
of Lucky Boy, thriller novelist Robert Dugoni
and acclaimed YA author Mitali Perkins. Writer’s
Digest is the “Speed Dating With Agents“
sponsor. SFWC Open Enrollment Classes
available on Feb. 15th & 19th. Free and open-
to-the-public sessions will be announced in the
SFWC Newsletter and posted on the SFWC
website. All levels and genres; 70+ sessions;
free editorial consultation. Main conference is
$895 (substantial early discounts available).
Contact: Barbara Santos
1029 Jones St., San Francisco, CA 94109
Ph: 415/673-0939
Barbara@SFWriters.org
www.SFWriters.org
NEVADA
15TH ANNUAL LAS VEGAS WRITER’S
CONFERENCE, to be held April 19–21,
2018 at Tuscany Suites Casino & Hotel, ½
mile off the famous Las Vegas Strip. The

MAY 20-24, 2018

and develop stand-alone award-winning novels,
screenplays and graphic novels. Learn how to
edit and polish your novels and screenplays,
then pitch to literary agents or publishers in the
right market. The conference will also feature
publishing professionals who will meet and
discuss your project. Most packages include
the Keynote Address with gourmet luncheons
where you have opportunities to network with
other attendees, celebrity authors, and faculty.
You can also schedule appointments to meet
with literary agents and publishers looking for
new talent with polished manuscripts. There is
an informative daily session with the "agents
and publishers du jour" to help prepare for your
The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference is the premier training and networking
actual meeting/pitch session. Over our past 18 event for both seasoned and aspiring writers and speakers. This event allows participants the
conferences, attendees have acquired literary ideal opportunity to interact with editors, agents, professional writers and readers, offering
representation, earned publishing contracts, and outstanding workshops and continuing classes in a wide array of creative categories. Whether
seen their books reach audiences around the you are a professional writer expanding your skills and networking contacts or a brand new
world. Special discount hotel rates and parking writer just beginning to chase your dream, this Christian Writers Conference is the ideal
on-site for attendees. Early-bird discount tuition opportunity to take your creative goals to a higher level.
pricing with six-months same as cash financing Allow the quiet serenity of the Blue Ridge Mountains at LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center,
available. See website for more details. near Asheville, North Carolina, to provide you with freshness and inspiration as you discover
Contact: Lillian or Tony Todaro unique ways to sharpen and improve your writing abilities.
Ph: 310/379-2650 RidgecrestConferenceCenter.org | Reservations: 800.588.7222
info@wcwriters.com
www.wcwriters.com/genrela

64 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018


Keynote Address by Jane Friedman. Faculty
includes Danielle Burby of the Nelson Agency,
Mary C. Moore of Kimberly-Cameron, and
Rhonda Penders, President and CEO of Wild
Rose Press. Joining them will be award-
winning author Cheree Alsop; Richard Rieman,
award-winning Audible book producer; Amy
Collins, President of New Shelves Book,
one of the best-known sales and marketing
agencies in the U.S. $425 (before 1–31–18).
Attendance is limited. For more information,
visit: www.hendersonwritersgroup.com/las-
vegas-writers-conference
FULL-DAY MASTER CLASS, with Jane
Friedman, Sunday, April 22, 2018 at Tuscany
Suites Casino & Hotel, ½ mile off the famous
Las Vegas Strip. Whether seasoned or debut
author, the information-packed workshop will
inspire and educate you on how to best share
your stories and build a career in writing. $250.
For more information, visit:
www.hendersonwritersgroup.com/las-vegas-
writers-conference
RT BOOKLOVERS CONVENTION,
sponsored by Romantic Times Inc., May 15–20,
2018 at the Peppermill Resort, Spa & Casino
Reno. Now in its 35th year, RT Booklovers
Convention is the Book Lover Event of the Year
that brings together published authors, aspiring
writers, booksellers, librarians, bloggers, readers
and industry professionals, to celebrate the
book industry. There’s something for everyone
who loves books at RT! There’s 100 informative
workshops for writers on craft, business, genre,
self-publishing and much more. A fun program
just for fans led by bestselling authors and
an additional program for booksellers and
librarians on how to thrive in a changing market.
All levels. $515.
Contact: Carol Stacy
81 Willoughby St., Ste. 701, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Ph: 718/237-1097 ext. 110
cstacy@rtbookreviews.com
www.RTConvention.com
www.facebook.com/RTBookloversConvention
NEW YORK
WRITER’S DIGEST ANNUAL
CONFERENCE, presented by Writer’s
Digest. Whether you’re a budding writer or
are well on your way to finishing a book, our
A-list speakers will empower you to take
the next step in your career. And if getting
published is on your list of goals, pitch your
work to 50+ talent-seeking agents at the
popular Pitch Slam event. We’re infusing new
life into your favorite tracks for 2018, and
now is a great time to start mapping out
your experience, happening August 10-12,
2018, at the Hilton Midtown in NYC. This
conference takes an all-inclusive approach
to learning, and you’ll hone your skills in
sessions covering craft, tips for promoting
your book and more. Lock in your best rate
when you register by February 6!
Contact:
Ph: 877/436-7764, option 2
writersdigestconference@fwmedia.com
www.WritersDigestConference.com
WYOMING
27TH JACKSON HOLE WRITERS
CONFERENCE, June 28–30, 2018. Brings
writers, editors, and agents together in Grand
Teton National Park’s backyard. Sign up to
receive three manuscript critiques. Discover
publishing opportunities. Craft-focused. Be
inspired. Peter Heller, Jewell Parker Rhodes,
Craig Welch, Nancy Pearl, Lyanda Lynn Haupt,
Jon Pineda, Nina McConigley. All levels. $375
until May 12, after $410. With support from the
Wyoming Arts Council.
Contact:
Ph: 307/413-3332
connie@blackhen.com
www.jacksonholewritersconference.com
INTERNATIONAL
MEXICO
2018 SAN MIGUEL WRITERS’
CONFERENCE AND LITERARY
FESTIVAL, February 14–18, 2018 in San
Miguel de Allende (#1 City in the World 2013,
Condé Nast Traveler). 2018 Keynote Presenters:
Wally Lamb, Jorge Volpi, Rita Dove, Emma
Donoghue, Jane Friedman, John Vaillant,
Joseph Boyden! 2005–2017: Billy Collins, Cheryl
Strayed, Gloria Steinem, Lawrence Hill, Margaret
Atwood, Richard Blanco, Barbara Kingsolver,
Luis Alberto Urrea, Naomi Klein, Mary Karr,
David Ebershoff, Joy Harjo, Alice Walker, Ellen
Bass, Sandra Cisneros, among others. Plan now
to attend the 14th annual SMWC, featuring
distinguished authors and faculty from the U.S.,
Canada, Mexico. Sunny, historic San Miguel is
known worldwide as the creative crossroads of
the Americas—a mecca for writers, artists, and
musicians. The entire town is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, ringed by mountains and thermal
springs, filled with cobblestone streets and
colorful 18th century buildings. Hotel rooms
$85+ USD, double/single. Full Package includes:
70+ (90-min.) classes—select seven—all genres,
beginning/advanced; keynotes and panels
(bilingual); open mic; spectacular Mexican
Fiesta; lunches, receptions. Optional: agent
pitches; three hour intensives; consultations;
post-conference workshops; explore San Miguel
excursions. Join the mailing list for conference
updates.
Contact: Maia Williams
220 N. Zapata Hwy. #11, Laredo, TX 78043
US: 415/324-5020 MX: 415/152-3905
director@sanmiguelwritersconference.org
www.SanMiguelWritersConference.com
BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS
CLASSIFIEDS: READING NOTICES
COACHING
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72 I WRITER’S DIGEST I February 2018
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