Writer's Digest January/February 2023 Digital Edition
We often hear the phrase “think outside the box,” but tools inside the box exist for a reason. Think: happily-ever-afters in romance novels, mysteries that are solved at the end of the book, querying techniques that haven’t changed even as they moved from snail mail to email, poetic forms to guide your verse. We’ll explore proven ways to find success in 2023. This issue’s articles include:
+ The WD Interview: Neil deGrasse Tyson: The world-renowned astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium shares why storytelling is crucial to his work and the inspiration behind his new popular science book, Starry Messenger. By Zachary Petit
+ Making It Past the First Round: A writing competition winner and frequent judge offers advice to entrants to make the most of their writing competition submissions. By Ran Walker
+ Tropes and Why We Love Them: Tropes in writing are frequently maligned by those who think them unoriginal, but they exist for many reasons, including the fact that readers love them for the comfort and predictability they provide. This article breaks down why they work and how you can incorporate them into your writing. By Jordan Rosenfeld
+ Mastering Plot Twists: It isn’t just mystery novels that benefit from a compelling plot twist. This article by Agatha Award-winning author Jane Cleland shares how to write plot twists that keep your readers turning the pages, no matter what genre you write. By Jane K. Cleland
+ Writing Captivating Queries: P.S. Literary agent and novelist Eric Smith shares tips for writing query letters that will help your novel catch the eye of literary agents in 2023. By Eric Smith
+ Writing What You Know—Yourself: The writing advice “write what you know” has existed for ages, but what does that really mean? This article explores ways to mine your life for the sake of your writing. By Whitney Hill
+ Intention Setting for 2023: The editors of Writer’s Digest have compiled a list of 25 prompts and questions to help you home in on your goals for 2023 and create an action plan for achieving them. By The Editors of Writer’s Digest
Plus, articles about the age-old question of whether or not to plot your books, how to choose what marketing strategies will work for you, and an illustrated recap of the 2022 Writer’s Digest Annual Conference. And all of your favorite columns: Meet the Agent, Breaking In, Publishing Insights, Writers on Writing (with poet Kate Baer), Level Up Your Writing (Life), and For All Ages.
