Writer's Digest October 2009 (PDF)

WHAT THE WRITING COMMUNITY CAN DO FOR YOU

Good Company
Bestselling authors Steve Berry, Lee Child, Jennifer Crusie, Jerry B. Jenkins, Elizabeth Moon and Lin Oliver share how they've gotten by with a little help from their friends-and how you can, too.

Join the Crowd
COMPILED BY JESSICA STRAWSER
These online communities offer unique formats for writing better, getting noticed and staying motivated.

Make the Most of Writers' Forums
BY LINDA FORMICHELLI
They can be great support networks-or huge vacuums for time that could be better spent writing. Here's how to use online forums to hone your craft and advance your career.

How Even a Bad Conference Can Make You a Better Writer
BY ELIZABETH SIMS

[FEATURES]

THE WD INTERVIEW: MITCH ALBOM
BY MELISSA HILL
Reflecting on his career and looking ahead to the release of what he calls his most important book, Mitch Albom attributes his diverse body of work to one skill: storytelling.

Wicked Magic
BY LAUREN MOSKO
Gregory Maguire invented a genre all his own, transforming the stories of childhood into today's adult classics.

Best Writers' Websites 2009
BY BRIAN A. KLEMS
Winning writer Brian Wask proves you don't need to hire a professional to create an effective website to promote you and your work.

[EDITOR'S PICK]

The Passion in Prose
And what that really means.
BY DONALD MAASS

[COLUMNS/DEPARTMENTS]

InkWell
EDITED BY ZACHARY PETIT

• Good Read Write Now
  
• Bob, The Column
  
• Poetic Asides
  
• Superlatives
  
• Exercise Your Pen

First Impressions: From Podcast to Book Deal
BY JORDAN E. ROSENFELD

MFA Insider: Being Geniuses Together
BY MICHAEL MARTONE
Writing programs offer immersion in a thriving creative community-and daily reminders that the textbook for writing is living.

Questions & Quandaries
BY BRIAN A. KLEMS
Authorized vs. unauthorized biographies and international script formatting.

Ask the Pro: Jessica Faust, Literary Agent
BY KARA GEBHART UHL

Your Story: Contest Prompt

Nonfiction: How to Write (and Sell) Funny
BY SUSAN SHAPIRO

The Conference Scene: Scribblers' Retreat
BY LINDA FORMICHELLI
Refresh your writing on an island paradise.

Celebrating 90 Years of WD: On Writing

[WRITER'S WORKBOOK]

PLOT & STRUCTURE

Fire Up Your Fiction: Four Techniques
BY DONALD MAASS

Map Your Novel With a Reverse Outline
BY N.M. KELBY

Write Well-Crafted Scenes to Support Your Story
BY JAMES SCOTT BELL

Take a (Loving) Narrative Stance
BY STEVE ALMOND

PLUS:

• CONTRIBUTORS
  
• EDITOR'S LETTER
  
• READER MAIL