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IT ALL STARTS WHEN YOU ENTER TODAY! writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/annual-writing-competition F E AT UR E S THE 24 38 WD’s annual roundup of the top reader- and staff-nominated websites for writers shows where to go to improve all aspects of writing and learn more about the business BY JESS ZAFARRIS, WITH CASSANDRA LIPP OPERATION AMAZON Indie authors and bestsellers alike must harness the force of Amazon to maximize sales Here are covert success strategies for authors taking on the world’s largest bookseller BY ROB EAGAR 42 35 PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY DIGNIFIED DETOURS When procrastination beckons, surfing the world of wordsmithing websites ensures that your time isn’t truly wasted BY JEFF SOMERS I WRITER’S DIGEST I May/June 2019 The right online writing community can push you further along the path to success Whether you’re looking for prompts, beta readers, publishing advice or more writer friends, here are a few places to find your people BY JULIE DUFFY ILLUSTRATION © WRITER’S DIGEST: JASON WILLIAMS THE 21ST ANNUAL 101 BEST WEBSITES FOR WRITERS M AY/J UNE 019 | VOLU ME 9 | NO I NK W E LL BACK IN THE DAY: Fiction and nonfiction 46 writers alike can glean lessons about writing from the examples of industry defying, sometimes outlandish, vintage magazines and comics THE WD INTERVIEW: N.K JEMISIN BY DON VAUGHAN The master fantasy world-builder reveals her secrets to success on Patreon and speculates on how imagination might test-drive our future 10 PLUS: 5-Minute Memoir: Time to Finish • Shared Writing • Poetic Asides: Rondine • Hook, Line and Self-Publish • The Art and Craft of Wasting Time • Worth a Thousand Words BY J ERA BROWN C O LU M NS MEET THE AGENT: Stephanie Hansen Metamorphosis Literary Agency BY KARA GEBHART UHL 21 INDIELAB:The Seven Principles of Self-Publishing BY ORNA ROSS 2 BREAKING IN: Debut Author Spotlight BY CASSANDRA LIPP FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK: Agent and Editor Relationships; Trusting an Agent’s Judgment 50 BY BARBARA POELLE FANTASTICAL TRUTHS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM YOUR STORY: First Things First, Contest #94 TAKE TWO: Formatting Your Screenplay The winner of the 14th Annual Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction Awards addresses universal truths—and attempts to answer life’s big questions—through fantasy worlds BY JEANNE VEILLETTE BOWERMAN 6 CONFERENCE SCENE: Lakefly Writers Conference; Atlanta Writers Conference PLUS: That Big Conference: Should You Go? BY CASSANDRA LIPP BY DON VAUGHAN W RIT ER ’S W O R KB O O K G POTPOURRI FOR THE PEN P THE WEB SSUE PATHS TO PUBLISHING EVERYTHING AGENTS CONNECT WITH BETA READERS THE 21ST ANNUAL 57 FINDING THE NUANCES BEST W BSI E BY STEVEN JAMES + 60 EDITING FOR GRAMMAR FOR WRITERS PUNCH UP YOUR PUNCTUATION TACTICAL TIME WASTING 10 SITES THAT IMPROVE YOUR WRITING BY STEVE DUNHAM BECOME AN AMAZON BESTSELLER MAY/JUNE 2019 writersdigest com FIND YOUR PEOPLE: STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS ONLINE WR TING COMMUNITIES YOU NEED TO JOIN ON THE COVER Punch Up Your Punctuation Tactical Time Wasting Become an Amazon Bestseller Find Your People 101 Best Websites for Writers The WD Interview: N.K Jemisin N.K JEMISIN AWARD WINN NG FANTASY AUTHOR N K JEMISIN REVEALS THE PATH TO MASTERFUL WORLD BUILD NG AND PATREON SUCCESS PLUS: online exclusives editor’s letter 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, Blue Ash, OH 45242 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Writer’s Digest, P.O Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235 Subscription rates: one year, $24.96; two years, $49.92; three years, $74.88 Canadian subscriptions add $10 per year for GST/HST tax and postage via surface mail Foreign subscriptions add $10 for surface mail or $39 per year for airmail Remit in U.S funds Canadian Publications Mail Agreement No 40025316 Canadian return address: 2835 Kew Drive, Windsor, ON N8T 3B7 Writer’s Digest, Reg U.S Pat Off Vol 99, No Periodicals Postage Paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional mailing offices WritersDigest.com I Right Now at App Happy Are you happier viewing one of our 101 Best Websites (Page 24) on your tablet or phone than on a laptop? Check out our favorite apps for writers Reading for Meaning Group Insight Breaking In (Page 22) author Joanne Ramos shares secrets on how to find and make the most of your writing community To find all of the above online companions to this issue in one handy spot, visit writersdigest.com/jun-19 PLUS: Do some productive web surfing on WritersDigest.com! IMAGINATION UNCHAINED Bird Box author and multidisciplinary creative Josh Malerman shares insights into his writing process, what it’s like having a story adapted for the screen, his unique theatrical book readings and more HOW TO SET WILDLY AMBITIOUS WRITING GOALS—AND ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THEM P.S Hoffman outlines the secrets to successfully accomplishing your biggest, hairiest writing goals—including setting them and creating a sustainable routine that will enable to you to realistically attain them FROM YA TO YEAH: WAYS TO KEEP TEEN & YOUNG ADULT READERS HOOKED Many YA authors are adults, which means the generation gap between these writers and their intended audience can make it easy to miss the mark Teen writer (and avid reader) Lorena Koppel lays out four ways to make sure your YA novel meets young audiences’ expectations and interests I WRITER’S DIGEST I May/June 2019 BLOG ILLUSTRATION © FOTOLIA.COM: BLOSSOMSTAR; PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES: WESTEND61; PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES: MALORNY; PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES: DJANGO Award-winning fantasy writer N K Jemisin, this issue’s WD interview (Page 46), talks about sensitivity readers, author interpretation and more in an extended Q&A EDITOR’SLETTER MAY/JUNE 2019 | VOLUME 99 | NO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ericka McIntyre SENIOR EDITORS Jeanne Veillette Bowerman, Robert Lee Brewer, Amy Jones ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR Cassandra Lipp ART DIRECTOR Jason D Williams EDITORS-AT-LARGE Tyler Moss Jessica Strawser CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jane K Cleland, David Corbett, Bob Eckstein, Jane Friedman, Steven James, Barbara Poelle, Elizabeth Sims, Jeff Somers, Kara Gebhart Uhl, Don Vaughan DIGITAL CONTENT DIRECTOR Jess Zafarris PUBLISHER Guy LeCharles Gonzalez WRITER’S DIGEST EDITORIAL OFFICES 10151 Carver Road, Ste 300, Blue Ash, OH 45242 (513)531-2690, ext 11241; writers.digest@fwmedia.com SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE Subscription inquiries, orders and address changes can be made at Time to Begin Welcome to The Web Issue! Most of us have a love/hate relationship with the internet It’s a fantastic place to fritter away hours of good writing time obsessing over the latest celebrity breakup, taking quizzes to figure out what kind of breakfast food best represents us and arguing with strangers from across the world on Twitter It’s a place where we can be wildly misunderstood, but also a place where we can find common ground It can be the place where we find connections with others of our sort that we otherwise might not—fellow parents, science fiction fans, knitters, cat people, oh and, writers For what—to me, at least—is a startling number of years (21!), Writer’s Digest has been compiling the Best Websites for Writers feature In this year’s edition (Page 24), Jess Zafarris and Cassandra Lipp have assembled 101 sites that help writers succeed in every way, from finding an agent, to breaking a writing slump, to writing better fight scenes I am particularly fond of this month’s 5-Minute Memoir (Page 10) In a single page, it speaks volumes on the theme of having time enough to finish— to finish a book, to finish a life Becoming Editor-in-Chief of Writer’s Digest is a monumental part of my life’s work And I’m just getting started! From this issue forward, I’m hoping to connect with you, our readers, both online and here in our pages I don’t plan to “fix” anything here that isn’t broken But I will not be exactly like any previous editor—I’ll be me And who am I? I’m a writer, just like you; an avid reader like you as well I want the same thing for my writing that you come to Writer’s Digest for: to learn how to write better, to discover how the business of publishing really works, to master the secrets behind the successes of our most esteemed writers I will work doggedly to learn these things, and to share them with you I’ll also be seeking out new voices in the publishing world who can bring more representation and new ways of thinking about writing to the pages here As we look forward to our 100th anniversary in 2020, I will be reflecting on what makes Writer’s Digest the trusted resource you’ve always loved, and how we can best bring it into its second century writersdigest.com/contact-us Or call: (800)333-0133 for U.S orders, PHOTO © SARAH LAUBACHER PHOTOGRAPHY (386)246-3372 for international orders Email: writersdigest@emailcustomerservice.com BACK ISSUES Both print and digital back issues are available for purchase at writersdigestshop.com WritersDigest.com I C O N T R IB UT O R S F+W, A CONTENT + ECOMMERCE COMPANY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Gregory J Osberg ROB EAGAR (“Operation Amazon,” Page 38) is a marketing consultant who has coached more than 600 authors and helped books hit the New York Times bestseller list in three different categories He is the creator of The Author’s Guide book series and instructor of the Writer’s Digest University online course Mastering Amazon for Authors Learn more about Rob at robeagar.com SVP, GENERAL MANAGER F+W FINE ART, WRITING, OUTDOORS AND SMALL BUSINESS GROUP Ray Chelstowski MANAGING DIRECTOR F+W INTERNATIONAL James Woollam VP, CONSUMER MARKETING John Phelan VP, DIGITAL Jason Revzon VP, PRODUCT MANAGEMENT Pat Fitzgerald ADVERTISING JULIE DUFFY (“Pillar of the Community,” Page 42) is founder of StoryADay (storyaday.org), an online community and creativity challenge where she has been writing about creativity, productivity and short fiction since 2010 Her first experience of a writer’s group was the ironically named online Local Writers’ Workshop, back in 1996 After starting a family, she realized how important it was to maintain connections with other writers and founded StoryADay to create some accountability and fellowship ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVE Jill Ruesch (800)726-9966, ext 13223; fax: (715)445-4087; jill.ruesch@fwmedia.com ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR Julie Dillon (800)726-9966, ext 13311; fax: (715)445-4087; julie.dillon@fwmedia.com DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES Tony Carrini (646)859-6599 tony.carrini@fwmedia.com ATTENTION RETAILERS JESS ZAFARRIS (“101 Best Websites for Writers,” Page 24) is director of digital content and education for Writer’s Digest and Script Magazine Her eight years of experience in digital and print content direction include such roles as editor-in-chief of HOW design magazine and online content director of HOW and PRINT magazines, as well as writing for the Denver Business Journal, ABC News and Memphis’ The Commercial Appeal Follow her at @JessZafarris or @uselessety on Twitter, and sign up for her free weekly Writer’s Digest Newsletter I WRITER’S DIGEST I May/June 2019 For Newsstand Distribution, contact: Scott T Hill; scott.hill@procirc.com PRIVACY PROMISE Occasionally we make portions of our customer list available to other companies so they may contact you about products and services that may be of interest to you If you prefer we withhold your name, simply send a note with the magazine name to: List Manager, F+W Media Inc., 10151 Carver Road, Ste 300, Cincinnati, OH 45242 Printed in the USA COPYRIGHT © 2018 BY F+W MEDIA INC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WRITER’S DIGEST MAGAZINE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF F+W MEDIA INC DUFFY PHOTO © PC CHORUS PHOTOGRAPHY JERA BROWN (“The WD Interview: N K Jemisin,” Page 46) has been living her dream to be a full-time freelance writer since completing her Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction at Columbia College Chicago in 2017 She lives a block from Lake Michigan and finds inspiration walking the shoreline with her shelter mutt Jera is most proud of her sex and relationship advice column with Rebellious Magazine and her memoir-inprogress, which depicts how her sexual journey is also a spiritual one To carry Writer’s Digest in your store, please contact: Curtis Circulation Co (201)634-7400 You’ve poured your heart and soul into your 0oohĺob|Ľvঞl;|or0Ѵbv_b|_-1olr-m that is as passionate about bringing your words to life as you are ;bm]-11;r|;70|vhbu|v u;vv ;mঞ|Ѵ;vo|oĻ • Keep all rights to your book Ŏ ;7b1-|;7ķr;uvom-Ѵ support throughout the r0Ѵbv_bm]ruo1;vv Ŏ ";|ouomu;|-bѴrub1; -m7-|_ouuo-Ѵঞ;v Ŏ mfo|_;_b]_;v|ruoC| l-u]bmv-m_;u; Ŏ olru;_;mvb;0ooh l-uh;ঞm]vrrou| Poem Your Days Away Don’t wait for inspiration to strike! Whether you’re an aspiring or published poet, this book will help you get in a frame of mind to make creative writing a consistent part of your life With prompts from Robert Lee Brewer’s popular Writer’s Digest blog, Poetic Asides, you’ll find 125 ideas for writing poems along with the journaling space you need to respond to the prompt Wherever you are, your next poem is never more than a page-turn away Available at WritersDigestShop.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other fine book retailers WritersDigest.com I G P THE UNTOLD PURPOSES OF PUNCTUATION MARKS Punctuation mark What the stylebooks aren’t telling you Commas Commas are subjective One editor says this, another says that and you go back and forth; it can be exhausting In the end, it’s up to you Use them to manage the flow of your sentences Trust your instinct—but take the time to hone that instinct first (Be aware that it might need a lot of honing.) Semicolons Remove them from dialogue People don’t usually talk in semicolons unless they’re trying to hide something Most of the time, a full stop (period) rather than a semicolon will the trick Question Marks These are used to show the upward inflection at the end of a sentence When someone is coming to a conclusion rather than asking a question, use a period instead of a question mark Exclamation Points Usually, they lower the status of a character who uses them all the time, since they show loss of control In a series of commands, because of escalation, the last one might have an exclamation point, but not the first So, you might write, “Swim faster Hurry!” but not “Swim faster! Hurry.” Italics Use italics to denote thoughts and quotation marks to distinguish the speakers during dialogue Using quotation marks for thoughts confuses readers, who won’t know if someone is talking or thinking Em Dashes In dialogue, use an em dash to show someone getting cut off: “Come here.” “No, I—” “I said come here!” Ellipses Use ellipses to show that someone’s thoughts are trailing off: “Come here.” “No, I ” A pause “You what?” “Oh, sorry, I lost my train of thought.” When a character should be coming to a conclusion, don’t have her ask a question It makes her look stupid Context will determine this So, you might write: Painless Grammar by Rebecca Elliott, PhD is one of the most practical resources for writers Check the publication date of any style manual, and use the most recent edition “That’s a one-way mirror, so he can’t see us?” Fine-Tuning Your Manuscript for Punctuation “Correct All he sees is a mirror.” Consider the following when reviewing your manuscript: “It’s cracked on his side of the glass.” “That’s from the chair.” • “So, he’s been trying to break out.” Clearly the prisoner tried to break out A question mark wouldn’t be the best choice in this instance • What style manual should I use? • If you work with an established publisher, they’ll have an in-house style manual If you self-publish, you’ll want to find a contemporary one and stick to it so your punctuation is consistent Trends constantly change and many style manuals published over five years ago contain conventions that are no longer common Keep an eye on current trends, and check online grammar sites for the most current information • • If I haven’t followed current punctuation conventions, why haven’t I? Is it to remove distractions and serve readers, or is it to be “experimental”? Is my punctuation usage consistent? What mistakes I keep making? What steps will I take to address them? Where does my punctuation undermine the status of my characters? Are my punctuation choices well-informed and appropriate? Where am I following the rules so much that I’m running over my readers in my quest to follow proper punctuation? Excerpted from Troubleshooting Your Novel © 2016 by Steven James with permission from Writer’s Digest Books WritersDigest.com I 59 EDITING FOR GRAMMAR BY STE VE DU NH AM A lthough most writers and editors have received extensive training in written English, we still make mistakes—all the time The Careful Writer, Words into Type, The Elements of Style and other sources offer voluminous instruction and examples for writers and editors This article will address some problems that editors commonly encounter PARTS OF SPEECH Distinguishing Nouns and Verbs from Adjectives, Adverbs and Other Modifiers Some writers confuse adjectives with verb phrases Pickup is an adjective, as in “a pickup game of softball,” or a noun, as in “driving a pickup.” Pick up is a verb phrase, or a verb actually made up of two words—a verb and an adverb Typically, the noun and adjective forms are one word, whereas the verbs are phrases of two or more words For example: “Pickup the paper off the floor.” RIGHT: “Pick up the paper off the floor.” WRONG: In these cases, pay attention to pronunciation and word usage to determine whether it is an adjective or verb phrase When in doubt, check the dictionary Change of Person in Pronouns Take a look at this quotation from The First Salute “He slips in an interesting admission when he wonders if such action might make ‘the enemy’s thirst for peace be equal to our own,’” Barbara Tuchman wrote Here, a quotation is being used to complete a thought within a sentence He is third person, but our is first person If the first person is used in a third-person narrative, it should be in a quotation that links it directly to a speaker, not attached to a third-person pronoun The problem in the quote could have been avoided by separating the thirdperson statement from the first-person quotation: “He slips in an interesting admission Such action might make ‘the enemy’s thirst for peace be equal to our own,’ he states.” Pronouns1 People don’t like to be dismissed with a pronoun Miss Manners, for example, has said that she doesn’t care to have the pronoun nobody applied to her—as in “Nobody cares about etiquette.” Likewise, it’s unfair to write women or men out of a story through careless use of pronouns “Because language plays a central role in the way human beings think and behave, we still need to promote language that opens rather than closes possibilities for women and men,” noted the National Council of Teachers of English “Women should receive the same treatment as men in all areas of coverage,” states The Associated Press Stylebook “Physical descriptions, sexist references, demeaning stereotypes and condescending phrases should not be used.” While acknowledging that “valid and acceptable words such as mankind or humanity” may be used, the AP guide sets forth some examples for its writers “Copy should not assume maleness when both sexes are involved.” • “Copy should not express surprise that an attractive woman can be professionally accomplished.” • “Copy should not gratuitously mention family relationships when there is no relevance to the subject.” • “Use the same standards for men and women in deciding whether to include specific mention of personal appearance or marital and family situation.” • However, applying these rules causes trouble for many writers and editors, because common answers to the problem, such as he or she, are not everyday language “Start using ‘he or she’ or ‘his or her’ in a conversation and people give you strange looks,” noted editor Dave Fessenden “Sprinkling ‘him/her’ and ‘his/her’ through every paragraph is awkward and annoying and, consequently, is favored as a solution only by awkward and annoying writers,” wrote Evan Morris, author of The Word Detective The National Council of Teachers of English offered some practical alternatives Use “the same titles for men and women when naming jobs that could be held by both.” Instead of “chairman/ In 2017, AP style was updated to permit journalists to use “they” as a gender-neutral, singular pronoun 60 I WRITER’S DIGEST I May/June 2019 G chairwoman,” use “chairperson” or “chair”; use “police officer” instead of “policeman/policewoman.” Noting that “there is no one pronoun in English that can be effectively substituted for” he or his, the English teachers suggested the following “Drop the possessive form altogether” or “substitute an article.” Change “The average student is worried about his grades” to “The average student is worried about grades.” • “Use the plural instead of the singular.” Change “Give the student his grade right away” to “Give the students their grades right away.” • Substitute the second or first person for the third person Change “When a teacher asks his students for an evaluation, he is putting himself on the spot” to “When you ask your students for an evaluation, you are putting yourself on the spot.” • The pronoun one or one’s can be substituted for he or his, though it does change the tone: “He might well wonder what his response should be” could be changed to “One might well wonder what one’s response should be.” • Recast the sentence “in the passive voice or another impersonal construction”—for example, change “Each student should hand in his paper promptly” to “Papers should be handed in promptly.” • “When the subject is an indefinite pronoun,” recast the sentence to avoid it Change “When everyone contributes his own ideas, the discussion will be a success” to “When all the students contribute their own ideas, the discussion will be a success.” • Make sparing use of he or she and his or her Change “Each student can select his own topic” to “Each student can select his or her own topic.” • The English teachers also had a few things to say about occupational stereotyping Avoid “diminutive or special forms to name women” (or men), such as “stewardess,” “waitress,” or “male nurse”; use “flight attendant,” “server,” and “nurse.” • Do not represent women or men “as occupying only certain jobs or roles.” Don’t assume that a kindergarten teacher is a she • “Treat men and women in a parallel manner.” Instead of “The class interviewed Chief Justice Burger and Mrs O’Connor,” write “The class interviewed Warren • P Burger and Sandra O’Connor,” or “The class interviewed Chief Justice Burger and Justice O’Connor.” • “Seek alternatives to language that patronizes or trivializes women” or “reinforces stereotyped images,” such as “gal Friday,” “career woman,” or “man-sized job.” In addition, the teachers suggested ways to handle quotations in nonfiction that contain sexist language—without altering the quotations “Avoid the quotation altogether if it is not really necessary.” • “Paraphrase the quotation, giving the original author credit for the idea.” • “If the quotation is fairly short, recast it as an indirect quotation, substituting nonsexist words as necessary.” • Mindless avoidance of certain words will not help communication Rather, we need to examine the words we use to make sure they communicate what we want to say PARTS OF SENTENCES Distinguishing Subjects, Predicates and Objects Writers who have trouble distinguishing subjects from objects tend to confuse who and whom, and I and me Who does something Something happens to whom “Who went with you?” (Who went; who did something.) “Whom did you see?” (Whom was seen; something happened to whom.) Who and whom work in the same way as he and him, and hardly anybody mixes them up You might write, “He went with you?” but not “Him went with you?” Likewise you might write, “Him did you see?” but not with the words in that order Instead you would write, “Did you see him?” but not “Did you see he?” If you’re not sure whether to use who or whom, think of he and him, and change the order of the words if necessary The same idea applies to I and me, but people often say things like “Marlene invited Steve and I to dinner.” Wrong! Cancel Steve’s invitation and see what you have: “Marlene invited I to dinner.” Right: “Marlene invited Steve and me to dinner.” Mistaken Junction Grammatically speaking, mistaken junction occurs when the reader links the wrong words, usually because the writer arranged the words ambiguously (These are all real quotations.) WritersDigest.com I 61 WRITER’S WORKBOOK Extensive negotiation skills are need to meld the various maintenance activities into a solidified efficient repair scheme to ensure disruption to the Government Client are kept to a minimum “To ensure disruption” sounds like the task of the negotiator The reader has to reach the end of the sentence before finding out that the object of ensure is a whole clause, not one word Inserting that after ensure would have alerted the reader to the structure of the rest of the sentence: ensure that disruption to the Government client is kept to a minimum (Yes, there are other things wrong with this sentence.) And what will you find at the Treasury Department— information or exploited children? information related to … exploited children at the U.S Department of the Treasury The reader might conclude that the Department of the Treasury violates child labor laws Rewording it to say the Treasury Department’s information related to exploited children would make it clear More funny business going on at the Treasury Department: The Secret Service conducts financial crimes and counterfeiting investigations Until you get to the last word in the clause, you might think that the Secret Service conducts financial crimes Mistaken junction can also occur when a sentence is finished on a following page What would you make of these words at the end of a page? Execute Radiation Safety Officer There was a key word at the end of it: Execute Radiation Safety Officer responsibilities It would have been clearer (even if all the words were on one page) if written as Execute the responsibilities of the Radiation Safety Officer Here is a fictional example of mistaken junction that occurs from the false economy of leaving out one word Dr Jones works to ensure compliance, cohesion, categorization and other tasks beginning with a C are accomplished Not until you get to the end of the sentence you find out that everything following to was a clause; the sen- 62 I WRITER’S DIGEST I May/June 2019 tence isn’t saying that Dr Jones works to ensure compliance, etc (although she does); the sentence is saying she works to ensure that these things happen Avoid mistaken junction, as it ensures disruption Misplaced Words Only is probably the most commonly misplaced word Try moving it around in this sentence and catch the changes in meaning: Only I kicked him in the head Nonrestrictive clauses are another example of commonly misplaced words: They tend to come loose and land in the wrong place: His theories concerned donuts, which were full of holes has a different meaning than His theories, which were full of holes, concerned donuts Sometimes the order of words makes comprehension difficult Here’s an example of too many words between a verb (put) and adverb (online) The U.S Department of Transportation’s Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has put their publication that offers a shortcut through layers of government that regulate the 800,000 daily hazardous shipments in the United States online You have to read a lot before you find out where the office put the publication Also, office is singular, so it should have been its publication, not their publication Here’s an edited version The 2004 Emergency Response Guidebook [the title of the guidebook was given elsewhere] published by the U.S Department of Transportation’s Office of Hazardous Materials Safety is now online The publication offers a shortcut through layers of government that regulate the 800,000 daily hazardous shipments in the United States STYLE Style is a way of doing things In publishing, it can refer to a writer’s style—formal, for example, or breezy It also refers to a system of standardization Style makes it easier for editors to achieve consistency It establishes one way of doing things when more than one correct choice exists It is correct to spell out all numbers less than 100 It is also correct to spell out only numbers less than 10 Rather than have to choose one way or the other with every publication, style defines one way of doing things G Should commas be used before the conjunction in a series of words? Should traveling be spelled with one l or two? Should Congressional always be capitalized? A style guide answers such questions so that they not need to be answered again and again If fifteen is spelled out in some publications and not in others, then an extra degree of alertness is required to remember which style applies to the publication in question When editors and proofreaders are used to seeing things done a certain way, an alarm bell will go off in their heads when they see something different The style established by the University of Chicago Press is particularly suited to academic books Associated Press style has been developed and refined to suit the needs of newspapers, and magazines use it as well EXERCISES: P I Y rG A keen grasp on grammar is a marketable skill for all writers Not only are you able to revise and improve your own writing—which can save you on editors and proofreaders—but also there is almost always freelance work available to copy editors who can put a final polish on an article or book Here are some tips about how to up your grammar game: • BRUSH UP ON YOUR STYLE MANUALS AP and CMS make changes all the time Buy the most recent editions of each (And for daily updates, follow them on Twitter at @ChicagoManual and @APStylebook.) • TEST YOURSELF Think about the last good book What House Style Is and Why It Exists you read, and then write a short review telling a House style establishes the publisher’s way of doing things Although style guides attempt to be comprehensive, questions frequently arise that are not specifically addressed in the guide, and publishers often find some aspects of a style guide unsuited to their publications House style, therefore, often is defined as following an existing style guide, such as The Associated Press Stylebook, plus any exceptions to that guide Sometimes a publisher will use two different styles—Associated Press style for press releases, for example, and the American Psychological Association style for scientific books Major news sources, such as The New York Times and the British Broadcasting Corporation, publish their own style guides, and you can find style guides designed for a specific industry or other audience as well: The American Medical Association, the American Chemical Association, the Council of Science Editors and the Modern Language Association of America all publish style guides, and for business writing you might want to use The Gregg Reference Manual or the Franklin Covey Style Guide Proper names, titles and other words peculiar to an organization often are listed in the style guide, along with peculiarities of usage, such as whether to use the pronoun it to describe babies and avoid the clumsy construction his or her All these things are matters of style “It’s not a matter of being correct or incorrect It’s only a style,” wrote Carol Fisher Saller, host of the Subversive Copy Editor blog specific audience why that book is so good and why they should take the time to read it Write this without paying attention to sentence structure Just write it down or type it into your computer When you’re done, take a break and then get out your red pen • TAKE A WORKSHOP Our Writer’s Digest University (WritersOnlineWorkshops.com) has several instructor-guided workshops and a Copyediting Certification Course that can sharpen your grammar skills You might enjoy this online course: Grammar and Mechanics writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/ grammar-and-mechanics By Aaron Bauer, instructional designer for Writer’s Digest “Treatises like Chicago are merely suggestions, guides, if you will, to a method that enhances clarity and consistency,” wrote Rich Adin on his blog, An American Editor “The important thing is not that you use any one style over another,” said editor Dave Fessenden, “but that for any particular piece you edit, you choose one style and stick with it, for the sake of consistency.” WD Excerpted from The Editor’s Companion © 2014 by Steve Dunham with permission from Writer’s Digest Books Enter the code “Workbook” at writersdigestshop.com for a 10 percent discount on this and other books to help you hone your craft WritersDigest.com I 63 TAKET WO Lessons from the world of screenwriting to inform, inspire and incite action! BY JEANNE VEILLETTE BOWERMAN 64 I WRITER’S DIGEST I May/June 2019 ers are pulled into the story, a typo here or there won’t hurt you YOU ARE NOT THE DIRECTOR YOU ARE THE ARCHITECT When you write a screenplay that no one paid you to write, it’s called a “spec script.” Those are very different than “shooting scripts.” Most of the screenplays you read online are shooting scripts, which include camera direction and scene numbers Those details are for the director, editor and the crew on set, not the script reader Your job is to write a spec script to grip the reader, making them have to turn the page The director’s job is to bring your story to life Stay in your lane Filmmaking requires dozens of people to bring a script to screen, and that’s just in the development stage Your screenplay represents a blueprint, much like an architect creates, giving every subcontractor direction How you format your script gives clues to guide not only the director, but also the casting director, set designer, costume designer and director of photography SET THE SCENE Every scene begins with a slugline in all CAPS A slugline is the master scene heading that lets the reader know where the scene takes place We also use subheadings to mark a secondary location within the primary location For example, the following scene takes place outside a store The character Davis peeks in the window, allowing us to see what takes place inside For this, you would format using both master and subheadings EXT FRANKLIN’S DRY GOODS Vendors decorate the sidewalk as Davis thrusts past and peeks INSIDE Rotund store owner, ROBERT FRANKLIN, straddles a stool behind the counter, a SIX-POINTED SILVER STAR pinned to his chest In this example, Davis has already been established as the protagonist, but when you first introduce a new character, you must put their name in CAPS This detail assists the director and casting director to determine the roles they need to fill, as well as helps the actors (and their agents), who immediately flip to their character’s entrance (If you missed my PHOTO © JEANNE VEILLETTE BOWERMAN W homever declared not to judge a book by its cover clearly wasn’t a screenwriter The Hollywood script reader passes more judgment than Judge Judy In a split second, your hard work could be flung in the corner waste can Before your screenplay will ever be in a director’s hands, it needs to get past that script reader When a script looks professional, the reader has confidence you’re not a newbie screenwriter and keeps turning the page Poor formatting distracts the reader and immediately takes them out of your story Trust me when I tell you that the script reader holds the keys to the Hollywood gates First, the reader checks the page length With the benchmark of one page being one minute of screen time, your feature shouldn’t exceed 110 to 120 pages Anything over that gets an immediate red mark And if the first few pages are sloppy, down to the bottom of the slush pile it goes … or right into the trash See how judgmental we are? While screenplay formatting has more rules than Dungeons & Dragons, don’t worry I’ve got your back Let’s stick to the basics For starters, use Courier 12 font That’s nonnegotiable Professional screenwriters use special formatting software, like Final Draft If you’re just starting out, Celtx has a free plan Above all, don’t panic Your formatting doesn’t have to be flawless, but the first 10 pages Once read- Take Two column on the importance of character introductions, you can find it on Scriptmag.com.) If a prop or loud noise holds importance in the story, put those words in CAPS In the above example, the silver star indicates the store owner also holds the power of a sheriff The reader now understands he’s more significant, and the production design team makes note that this character needs a badge By highlighting those specifics, your words will organically guide what you want the reader and camera to focus on Some writers only use CAPS for character introductions, which is fine, as long as you’re consistent Special scene headings, such as MONTAGE, SERIES OF SHOTS or FLASHBACK, are also capitalized The beginning and end of these sequences need to be clear MONTAGE - DEFENSE WITNESSES Mayor White on the stand Grins at Pace and Fletcher Turner Davis fumes Pruitt on the witness stand His body language suggests good-ol-boy comfort Davis whispers to Sternfeld END MONTAGE As a general rule, both MONTAGES and FLASHBACKS should only be used sparingly THE FASTER, THE BETTER While proper formatting helps the reader embrace your story, the best compliment is when a reader declares your script a “fast read.” We use that expression when a screenplay reads effortlessly, uses concise, active words and has a lot of “white on the page.” White space keeps the eyes moving quickly To help, use centered dialogue and short action paragraphs Action descriptions should be three or four lines, with a new paragraph for each action Since one can’t see what happens in someone’s mind, use the characters’ actions to convey their thoughts The “fast read” evolves during the editing process The final stages of your rewrite involve wordsmithing Edit like it’s a word game Challenge yourself to hone your sentences until they’re lean and mean Turner and He»in are disgusted and whisper to each other Reese gloats and steps away from the witness stand, nodding to a satisºed Davis Pace numb LATER An uneasy Kennedy moves his trembling hand from the Bible He sits, peers out at the crowd Pace and Turner at the table with Bulger and lawyers Reese approaches REESE Mr Kennedy, will you please restate for the court, your profession your opinion, was he Jon Davis guilty of theft that crime? Pace and Turner look at each other, conºdent Kennedy glances toward the blacks in the back, catches Davis’ eye A long pause That reads faster, doesn’t it? Yet, the original meaning stays intact Screenwriting requires concise wording and no flowery prose The words you choose must only convey what can be seen or heard on screen, making every word as valuable as a piece of real estate Choose wisely FINAL TIPS Use formatting to set the scene in the reader’s mind Examine your choice of verbs Use only active verbs and avoid passive writing The more visually you can write, the quicker the read will be Show exposition and character emotion in action instead of dialogue As new technologies arise, like text messaging and video calls, new formatting rules take shape Always stay up to date on industry formatting norms David Trottier’s Dr Format Tells All always sits within my reach Formatting properly allows the reader to fully absorb your story’s world The more you can keep the reader turning the page, the better your chance of a script sale Even Judge Judy won’t argue with that WD KENNEDY I am Justice of the Peace in Tallapoosa County REESE You testiºed earlier that Jon Davis had committed the crime of theft In For more information on screenwriting, browse our sister site, Scriptmag.com Jeanne Veillette Bowerman is the editor of Script magazine She wrote the adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize–winning nonfiction title Slavery by Another Name WritersDigest.com I 65 CONFERENCESCENE Events to advance your craft, connections and career BY DON VAUGHAN Lakefly Writers Conference Enjoy some Midwestern hospitality at this intimate conference known for its regional flair Western Premier Waterfront Hotel & Convention Center, Oshkosh, Wis PRICE: $75 Fee includes Saturday lunch A special conference rate of $99.99 is available at the adjacent Premier Waterfront Hotel WHAT MAKES THE CONFERENCE UNIQUE: It offers writers an inspiring, affordable guide to publishing success “Due to our size and budget, we don’t host many well-known speakers, but all of our presenters are passionate about their topics and have rich life experiences,” Conference Director Ruth Percey says “The conference is small enough to make lasting connections yet large enough to offer a varied selection of session topics.” HOW MANY ATTEND: 120 FACULTY: Novelists Beth Amos (Mattie Winston series), David Michael Williams (If Souls Can Sleep), Shaun Harris (The Hemingway Thief), Silvia Acevedo (God Awful books); Winnebego County (Wis.) Coroner Barry Busby; others HIGHLIGHTS: With approximately 20 presenters, Lakefly is a small conference with big ambitions Topics for 2019 include world-building, continuity when writing a series, creating compelling characters, writing through grief, digital forensics, poetry and more Attendees may also 66 I WRITER’S DIGEST I May/June 2019 pitch to a regional agent/publisher at no additional charge Fun activities include a Friday night open mic at the nearby Oshkosh Public Library IF YOU GO: Visit the Paine Art Center and Gardens on Algoma Boulevard The historic estate houses a remarkable collection of art as well as various display gardens featuring thousands of plant specimens FOR MORE INFORMATION: lakeflywriters.org Atlanta Writers Conference Take a big step toward publication at this boutique conference held in the heart of the Peach State May 3–4, 2019 WHERE: Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel, Atlanta PRICE: The AWC is unique in that it offers la carte pricing A required $50 registration fee provides attendees with a one-year membership in the sponsoring Atlanta Writers Club The All Activities package is $620 and includes two manuscript critiques, two pitches, the query letter critique, author-brand workshop, the editor and agent panels and a preWHEN: conference prep critique Individual pricing: manuscript critique ($170), agent/editor pitch ($70), query critique ($70), author brand workshop ($70), acquisitions editors panel ($50), literary agents panel ($50) and pre-conference prep critique ($75) No charge for waitlists See website for details WHAT MAKES THE CONFERENCE UNIQUE: Clear communication and conscientious scheduling create a relaxed atmosphere for attendees to talk with and learn from industry professionals The conference strives to ensure that critiques with agents and editors are held in private meeting rooms rather than loud ballrooms and are closely timed for maximum efficiency, Conference Director George Weinstein says HOW MANY ATTEND: 230 FACULTY: Novelists Jenny Milchman (Cover of Snow), Christopher Swann (Shadow of the Lions: A Novel), Jennifer Springsteen (Wallace LAKEFLY WRITER’S CONFERENCE PHOTO © VICKY SCHETTL; ATLANTA WRITER’S CONFERENCE PHOTO © PHILIP FASONE WHEN: May 10–11, 2019 WHERE: Best THAT BIG CONFERENCE: SHOULD YOU GO? A writing conference can be a huge investment of time and money Like any investment, you want to make sure you get a good return Here are some questions to consider when deciding whether to take the plunge • Can you afford it? In excitement, we sometimes forget the total cost of attending a conference in another state Expenditures include registration, transportation, hotel accommodations, food, activities not included in the registration price such as agent/editor critiques and more It all adds up • What are your conference goals? This vital question should inform all of your decisions Are you looking to hone your writing skills? Fine-tune a book? Meet with editors and agents? Your answer will help determine if a conference is right for you • Does the conference address those goals? In other words, are there sufficient sessions aimed at the kind of writing you do, or the genre you hope to pursue? If the answer is no, it may not be the conference for you • Do the presenters ring a bell? It’s OK if you don’t recognize the name of every presenter, but you should be familiar with at least some of them and know what they have to teach you Research presenters thoroughly before putting your money down • Is the conference specific or broad? Some conferences explore only one genre or type of writing, while others offer a little bit of everything Beginning writers may get more out of a general conference, which exposes them to more ideas and concepts, while established writers may find greater value in a single-topic intensive Farm); editors Rebecca Brewer (Ace/Berkley Publishing Group), Jennifer Gunnels (Tor Books), Emily Hartley (Ballantine Books), Danielle Marshall (Lake Union Publishing/ Amazon Publishing), Grace Menary-Winefield (Sourcebooks); agents Caroline George (Cyle Young Literary Elite), Natalie Grazian (Martin Literary & Media Management), Julie Gwinn (The Seymour Agency), Sharon Pelletier (Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC), Michelle Richter (Fuse Literary); many others HIGHLIGHTS: Sixteen literary agents and acquisition editors will host pitch and critique meetings and participate in panels on the business of getting published In addition, Jenny Milchman will offer a “Developing Your Author Brand” workshop and two pre workshop talks, “The S’s of Suspense: Getting Readers to Turn the Page” and “Getting Published is as Easy as 1, 2, 3: Ways to Publish Today”; Christopher Swann will present “The Road to Publication” and “Write What you Know, and Make Up the Rest,” and Jennifer Springsteen will present “Unearthing the Skeleton: Structures that Create Books You Can’t Put Down” and “Take a Page from the Poet’s Notebook: Creating Tight and Succinct Prose.” IF YOU GO: Visit A Cappella Books on Haralson Avenue An Atlanta institution since 1989, the store is renowned for its focus on Atlanta and the South, music, art, politics, signed books and more FOR MORE INFORMATION: atlantawritersconference.com WD Don Vaughan (donaldvaughan.com) is a freelance writer in Raleigh, N.C., and founder of Triangle Association of Freelancers WritersDigest.com I 67 CONFEREN CE GUID E CONFERENCE GUIDE MAY/JUNE 2019 • Keep in mind that there may be more than one workshop in each listing • These workshops are listed alphabetically 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 transportation (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 ANNUAL GREATER LOS ANGELES WRITERS CONFERENCE, produced by West Coast Writers Conferences June 21–23, 2019 at Los Angeles Valley College Writers of all genres and disciplines benefit from this popular educational and inspirational threeday event focused on the craft and business of writing Our 23rd conference will feature program tracks for what we call the 3-A’s™ (Aspiring, Active and Accomplished) for writers of fiction, nonfiction and screenplays Topics will be presented by 40+ literary agents, editors, veteran educators, bestselling authors, and industry professionals in progressive streams of seminars, workshops, and panels Live critique workshops include Great Beginnings for Novels & Screenplays, Query Letters, and more There are FREE one-on-one pitch sessions with literary agents and publishers looking for new talent with polished manuscripts We also offer a unique informative session with the "agents du jour" to help prepare for your actual meeting You can also participate in Advance Submission ProCritiques™ to have a portion of your work reviewed/edited by literary agents and/or professional editors who will meet with you at the event to review Most packages include Keynote Address with complimentary meal Open to all levels of literary and screenplay writers Early-bird discount pricing with sixmonths same as cash financing available See website for program and speakers wcwriters.com/aglawc Contact: PO Box 2267 Redondo Beach, CA 90278 Ph: 310/379-2650 info@wcwriters.com WRITER’S DIGEST NOVEL WRITING CONFERENCE, presented by Writer’s Digest The premier writers’ conference devoted solely to your novel returns to the West Coast! 68 I WRITER’S DIGEST I May/June 2019 Featuring bestselling authors and publishing professionals delivering insights, inspiration and instruction through 40+ sessions, you can customize your weekend to learn everything you need to write, edit and publish your novel Register today for your best price and join us at the Westin Pasadena in Pasadena, CA from October 25–27, 2019! Contact: Ph: 877/436-7764, option writersdigestconference@fwmedia.com Novel.WritersDigestConference.com INDIANA MWW AGENT FEST, sponsored by Midwest Writers Workshop, May 10–11, 2019 at Ball State campus, Muncie, IN, Fri 1:30 pm–Sat 5:00 pm Connect with a dynamic roster of top-tier literary agents actively seeking new clients across all genres—fiction, nonfiction, young adult, and more Meet agents one-on-one and capture their attention with the basic concept of your book Attend sessions on how to write a query letter and a synopsis, what agents are looking for, agent/client relationship, what makes an agent stop reading your manuscript, and more Agents include: Noah Ballard, Elizabeth Bewley, Savannah Brooks, Brenna English-Loeb, Joanna MacKenzie, Devin Ross, JL Stermer Writers of all genres welcome Cost: $289 Contact: Jama Bigger, MWW Director Ph: 765/292-1055 midwestwriters@yahoo.com midwestwriters.org NEW YORK WRITER’S DIGEST ANNUAL CONFERENCE, presented by Writer’s Digest The Writer’s Digest Annual Conference offers everything you need to advance your writing career creatively and professionally Gain invaluable tips to improve your craft, explore publishing options and learn how to establish a sustainable career—all while being inspired by successful authors and your fellow attendees And it’s all brought to you by Writer’s Digest, the experts at nurturing and developing writers at every stage of their career for 100 years Register today for your best price and join us at the Hilton Midtown in New York City from August 23–25, 2019! Contact: Ph: 877/436-7764, option writersdigestconference@fwmedia.com WritersDigestConference.com promoting the contributions made by women to the history, culture and growth of the American West and administers the WILLA Literary Awards (submissions open November 1) WWW invites all writers to our 25th Anniversary Conference: “Writing to Remember, Remembering Why We Write.” Pitch your manuscript to an agent or editor, network with other writers, gain new insights into the art and business of writing from panelists and speakers, and enjoy the rich history of San Antonio All levels $159/night conference rate for accommodations Contact: Cynthia Massey cmassey2@satx.rr.com womenwritingthewest.org INTERNATIONAL SCOTLAND GET AWAY TO WRITE – SCOTLAND, presented by Murphy Writing of Stockton University August 1–9, 2019 at the University of Dundee in Scotland Immerse yourself in a supportive week-long writing experience that will energize and inspire you Enjoy encouraging workshops, plentiful writing time, readings by local writers and excursions to Edinburgh, the coast and more Beginning and advanced writers welcome Learn more: stockton.edu/murphywriting Contact: Peter Murphy Ph: 609/626-3594 info@murphywriting.com stockton.edu/murphywriting SPEAKER! 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