WRITE BETTER
Anatomy of a Bestseller
By Michael J. Vaughn
What do books like Life of Pi, The Rule of Four and Bridget Jones's Diary have in common? Besides all being runaway bestsellers, they share techniques and traits that you can apply to your writing.

How to Write Funny
By Tim Bete
We've culled the 23 best tips from successful humor writers on making it to the top of this competitive field.

The Fine Art of Poetry
By Miriam Sagan
Learn how to compose beautiful poems based on beautiful works of art through the ekphrasis form.

Fiction Essentials
By James Scott Bell
Keep your readers turning the pages by building suspense.

Writing Clinic
By Paul Bagdon
Understand the tools of humor.

Niches: Poetry
By Miriam Sagan
Express your spiritual connections through poetry.

GET PUBLISHED
Double Identity
By Laurie Fox
Learn how one agent applies on-the-job training to her own fiction-writing career.

The Road to Syndication
By Tad Bartimus
Getting a syndicated newspaper column isn't easy, but this advice from a nationally syndicated writer can put you on the inside track.

The Six-Figure Writer
By Robert W. Bly
Lure prospective corporate clients with a convincing bait piece.

WORK SMARTER
Questions & Quandaries
By Brian A. Klems
Defining "kill fee," memoirs vs. autobiographies, finding up-to-date guidelines and more.

STAY INSPIRED
Michele Takes Manhattan
By Michele R. Bardsley
After winning WD's 2003 Annual Writing Competition, Bardsley hit the Big Apple to meet with top agents about her work. Here's how she prepared for--and what she gained from--this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. PLUS: The agent/author matchup, in their own words.

The WD Interview: John Irving
Word Pictures
By John Black
The beloved novelist shares his perspective on screenplay adaptations and how he uses raw emotion in his fiction.

The Last Word
By Jack Clemens
Judy Blume's novels deal explicitly with the fears and changes of adolescents--and her readers love her for it.

PLUS
Editor's Letter

Reader Mail

THE MARKETS
Reap the rewards of selling your parenting articles to multiple publications.

Breaking In:
Increase your earnings--and become more savvy--with gadget/personal tech magazines.

5 Questions for: Pat Walsh, Senior Editor of MacAdam/Cage.

February Markets
48 listings for book publishers, agents, and consumer and trade magazines.