Writer's Digest July/August 2018 Digital Edition

Writer's Digest, July/August 2018, Volume 98, No. 5

The July/August 2018 issue of Writer's Digest is themed: The Comedy Issue,our first humor-centric edition in more than two decades, with features covering how writers can elicit laughs across genre and category. The hearty feature package includes:

FEATURES: The Comedy Issue

Joke's on You Four veteran comedians share serious insight on what writers can glean from stand-up by Don Vaughan

Funny People From jester to jackass, comedic characters can lend a story some much-needed levity. Find out which classic type best suits your fiction,no matter the genre. by Elizabeth Sims

Modern Times Given the award-winning power of shows like “Last Week Tonight" and “SNL," it's clear satire is as relevant today as it was for Chaplin and Chaucer. Here, the co-founder of The Onion shares how you, too, can add layers of meaning with humor. by Scott Dikkers

True Wit Truth may be stranger than fiction, but it can also be funnier. Employ these 6 techniques in memoir and personal essay to cue readers' chuckles. by Dinty W. Moore

Laugh Track Improv can bring a burst of energy to your creative endeavors. Learn the basics with these 14 principles,then put them into practice with some playful exercises. by Jorjeana Marie

OTHER FEATURES

The WD Interview: George Saunders The short-form master dishes on inventive structure, reveals why he's wary of outlines and talks novel-length success with Lincoln in the Bardo. by Tyler Moss

Dialed In The winner of the 18th Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition reveals the understated power of daily life's simple interactions in “Beneath the Cracks." by Karen Krumpak

WRITER'S WORKBOOK: Show, Don't Tell

Show and Tell in Short Nonfiction by Susan Shapiro

Show, Tell and Suggest in Fiction by Steven James

INKWELL

Girl Talk Formerly applied to TV and film, the Bechdel Test is now being used by some lit agents as a baseline for stronger female representation in stories. by Laura Zats

PLUS:

• 5-Minute Memoir: The Jailhouse Rock
• Expert Express
• Winners of the 2017 WD Poetry Awards
• Backstory
• 7 Scathing Insults From Literature
• Worth a Thousand Words

COLUMNS:

MEET THE AGENT: Rick Pascocello, Glass Literary Management. by Kara Gebhart Uhl

BREAKING IN: Debut author spotlight. by Baihley Gentry

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK: The Reason for Word Counts; The Importance of a Clear Genreby Barbara Poelle

YOUR STORY “Eyes Like Mine" by Rob Snyder

STANDOUT MARKETS:Atlas Obscura, Hemispheres, Bellevue Literary Review, Baen Publishing. by Tyler Moss & Baihley Gentry

CONFERENCE SCENE: Realm Makers; Steamboat Springs “A Day for Writers"

PLUS:8 Tips for Better Conference-Going by Don Vaughan

POTPOURRI FOR THE PEN