I started writing personal essays more or less accidentally. I had (and still have) what began as a monthly column for the online magazine Author but soon tally. I had (and still have) what began as a monthly column for the online magazine Author but soon turned, despite my mild objections, into a daily column.
I didn't think I had enough to say about writing and publishing to fill 400 words, five days a week. And I was right! After only a month, I didn't want to pen another piece about query letters or agents or markets. So, I decided to tell a story.
While I had been telling fictional stories for years, I was not accustomed to personal narrative, at least not on the page. I told stories to my friends and family all the time, but this, I knew, would be different. Fortunately, Author was intended to be an uplifting magazine-we would publish no articles or interviews filled with any gloom and doom about the publishing world or how hard it is to write. Instead, we would always encourage.
That meant my story had to be uplifting, which helped serve as a guide, a definite target for my narrative arrow. However, I didn't appreciate until I reached the story's end, specifically the last paragraph and then the very last line, that whether the story left the reader feeling hopeful or indifferent or discouraged would be determined in these final words. What's more, when I finished it to my satisfaction, and as I pushed myself away from the desk, I noticed how peaceful and soothed I felt. It was an important lesson for a newly minted essayist: In writing it, I had left myself feeling how I hoped my readers would feel.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May - June 2023-Ausgabe von Writer’s Digest.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May - June 2023-Ausgabe von Writer’s Digest.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Writers on writing
When I wrote Daughters of Shandong, my biggest challenge was finding a way to convey, in full force, the gravity of what my characters overcame.
Writing a Great Retelling
When I say retelling, it's Sherlock Holmes who comes to mind. Just in recent film and TV, Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumber-batch stand out for their interpretations of Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved character.
Conflict Avoidance
Setting expectations early in the author-editor relationship can prevent conflict and help manage emotions when the edits come in.
Out to Sea
THE CHALLENGE: Write a drabble-a short story of exactly 100 words-based on the photo prompt below.
Alyssa Cole
In Alyssa Cole's newest thriller, One of Us Knows, the lead character Kenetria Nash is the host of what's known as a \"system,\" a group of personalities that inhabit the same body.
Escalate Conflict to Keep Readers Turning Pages
Draw readers in through physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual conflict.
Better Story Structure Through Musicals and Kung Fu Movies
Build emotion and conflict for your characters and readers by taking a note from the structure of two popular storytelling forms.
The 26" Annual 101 Best Websites for Writers
Creating this list is a yearlong project that involves an overwhelming number of bookmarked sites on our browsers. Th ere are so many great websites for writers—with more popping up practically daily—it’s no wonder this is still one of our most popular features aft er 25 years.
BREAKINGIN
Debut authors: How they did it, what they learned, and why you can do it, too.
A Long-Haul Writer’s Lament
Advice for Those at the Start