SPECIAL: WRITE YOUR NOVEL NOW!
The Novelist's Survival Kit
By Jordan E. Rosenfeld
Take stock of these essential elements for getting your book going, and you'll be typing away in no time.

Start Me Up
By Elizabeth Sims
These three unorthodox methods can help you stop the
panic attacks and start writing.

Creative Lollygagging
By Michael J. Vaughn
Doing nothing can sometimes provide the spark you need to
overcome writer's block. PLUS: The lollygagging habits of
successful writers.

All Mapped Out
By Daniel Steven
Planning your novel doesn't have to be a chore. This simple yet detailed outline system goes beyond the term-paper
standard. PLUS: Plot point chart and outline samples.

Are You Ever Really Going to Finish That Novel?
By Kevin Alexander
We'll see—find out if you've got what it takes to reach The End.

FEATURES
WD Annual Writing Competition: A Fire Inside
By Brian A. Klems
Meet the grand-prize winner of our annual writing contest and read her gripping story. PLUS: A list of the first-place
winners and honorable mentions in each category.

Found in Translation
By Joy E. Stocke
Translators have the delicate task of making foreign prose
sing for an English-reading audience. Find out how these
fascinating partnerships work.

Poetry as Body Armor
By Michael J. Vaughn
Brian Turner, an American soldier in Iraq, found his voice—and an appreciative audience—bringing frontline imagery of war back home.

Talkin' Trash
By Amy Cook
Don't let slang get you into legal trouble.

The WD Interview: Sebastian Junger--In the Danger Zone
By Maria Schneider
This bestselling author weathered The Perfect Storm, investigated a 40-year-old murder mystery and has reported from some of the most dangerous countries in the world. So why does the idea of writing fiction send a chill up his spine? PLUS: An excerpt from his latest book, A Death in Belmont.

COULMNS
Questions & Quandaries
By Brian A. Klems
Answers to your questions on using pen names, the
difference between slander and libel, and "then" vs. "than."

First Impressions: Teen at Heart
By Maria Schneider
TV writer Aury Wallington makes her print debut with a novel for adolescent girls. PLUS: Other notable debut authors.

Book Buzz: History Mystery
By Jessa Crispin
Edgar Allen Poe's death becomes the stuff of an intriguing fictional investigation in Matthew Pearl's The Poe Shadow. PLUS: An excerpt from the book and a list of other historical mysteries.

This Writer's Life: Reality Bites
By Kevin Alexander
Will becoming a reality TV star be the ticket to literary fame and fortune?

This Writer's Life:
Literary Lust vs. Commercial Cash
By Jodi Picoult
Some think a writer can have either clout or money—not both. Our writer says: Don't you believe it.

Before & After: Dogged by Details
By Kristin D. Godsey
Weaving complicated medical information into a narrative is tricky—but it's nothing a good editor and flexible writer can't handle.

On the Edge: So Long, Superman
By Kara Gebhart Uhl
Graphic novels are sparking a renewed interest in the age-old art of blending images with words to create a story. PLUS: Markets for graphic novels.

Postscript: Answering Agatha
By Charles J. Shields
A little encouragement from the right source can launch an author's career. But not unless you take the first steps.

InkWell

• Interning for free
  
• Online job-matching
  
• Why one writer writes
  
• Author Smackdown! Mitch Albom vs. John Grogan
  
• 5 Questions for Rebekah Whitlock
  
• Your ethics cheat sheet
  
• Your Story #3 contest

• Fiction: Add drama and conflict to scenes; types of scenes; quick fixes
  
• Nonfiction: Finding your voice; a voice lesson
  
• Poetry: Why meter matters; metered forms
  
• Writing for Kids: Think like a kid; character observations