April 2020

The Writer

Advice and inspiration for today’s writer

The Writer3 min read
Freefall
Once upon a time, I was a child prodigy of bad fiction. And I mean bad fiction. Awful, wretched, bore-you-to-tears fiction. My characters were all jaw-droppingly beautiful, with waist-length hair, striking features, and the personality of limp cardbo
The Writer4 min read
Last Typo Standing
Dear Typo, You win. You always win. No matter what we writers do; no matter how many times we scrutinize our final drafts, you always manage to sneak into the published version of our books, essays, articles, emails…You even managed to weasel (or is
The Writer1 min read
Want To Read More Poetry This Year? Here’s How.
The Academy of American Poets runs the original daily poetry series, which features more than 250 brand-new poems each year. Each poem also is accompanied by commentary about the piece by the author. On weekends, the series highlights classic works f
The Writer5 min read
Objects in Mirror are Closer Than They Appear
I grew up in Southern California, where cars are king. Our traffic problems are the stuff of legend because of it; the very air smog we breathe is proof of it. When I moved to New York City after graduation from college, though, it became obvious to
The Writer4 min read
The Risk-free Freelancer
Several months ago, I interviewed Dave Blazek, who draws and writes the Loose Parts comic strip. As someone who draws a nationally syndicated strip, Blazek receives his fair share of criticism. He’s not bothered by it. Anybody can make an accurate cr
The Writer12 min read
Crossing the finish line
AS any veteran novelist can tell you, a standard-length novel of 80,000 to 100,000 words calls for a gargantuan effort. It’s a heavy lift to get your characters fully developed, your plot humming, your language riveting – and all elements seamlessly
The Writer1 min read
Tips From The Pros
Every novel is a quest: “Novels are not about what you know but about what you learn and what you want to learn about a subject that interests you. Every novel, for the author, even one based on the author’s intimate lived experience, is a quest and
The Writer9 min read
Treasure HUNT
Research is fundamental for nonfiction writing, but it’s also important for fiction – from anchoring a story accurately in a time period to providing a realistic or even true-to-life setting. National organizations like the Library of Congress, Natio
The Writer2 min readInternet & Web
Helpful Tips For Researching At National Institutions
Know what you want. The better the information you provide, the more helpful the staff can be in accessing relevant information. “It’s not helpful to say ‘I’m interested in Leonardo da Vinci,’” says Mattie M. Schloetzer, program administrator for int
The Writer7 min read
Words As medicine
It’s early morning in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District, misty and cold. Hypodermic needles and food wrappers litter the streets. Two men in ragged clothing scream at each other on a corner across from an outdoor vegetable market, and one flashes a
The Writer9 min read
Announcing The winners Of Our FLASH CONTEST
I sever the first two fingers of my left hand on a Tuesday. They fall to the ground at my feet, causing a momentary confusion as I wonder what tree has dropped this odd fruit. Then I see the crescent scar left behind by a fish hook and know that thes
The Writer4 min read
Kaleidoscope
A man with dementia struggles to remember the process of filling and hanging a hummingbird feeder while dealing with rage and then sudden salvation as his wife looks on. A woman navigates a romantic relationship with a man baffled by behaviors brough
The Writer4 min read
Bouchercon World Mystery Convention
Anthony Boucher (1911-1968) demonstrated such an allegiance to mystery fiction writers as an author, editor, and critic that after his death, colleagues founded an annual international mystery convention and named it “Bouchercon” in his honor. Now in
The Writer14 min read
Literary Agents
Information in this section is provided to The Writer by the individual markets and events; for more information, contact those entities directly. F = Fiction N = Nonfiction P = Poetry C = Children’s Y = Young adult O = Other F N C Y 3 SEAS LITERARY
The Writer3 min read
Richard Blanco
Award-winning poet Richard Blanco was launched into the public eye after reading his poem “One Today” at President Obama’s second inauguration. Following this life-changing event, Blanco took on an increasingly public role – one he continues with his

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