INKWELL
Commending chick lit modifier quiz author advice why one writer writes break writing rules write better with radio books that inspire successful habits of debut authors Your Assignment #194

WRITE BETTER
How I Did It!
Truth or Dare?
By Kirsten Lobe
Here's how the author of Paris Hangover wrote a memoir—then realized it would be better as fiction.

How I Did It!
Getting the Joke
By Jeffrey Cohen
Fiction, nonfiction, genre novels on any topic—a few touches of humor can go a long way toward connecting with readers.

Birth of a Series
By Betsy Mitchell and Naomi Novik
An author and her editor walk us through the publication of the author's debut novel—from the pitch through the editing and to its publication.

Book Buzz
By Maria Schneider
This month's selection: Alice Munros short-story collection Runaway .

Fiction Essentials
By Nancy Kress
Keep your stories lean and satisfying by knowing what to leave out of your tale.

Freelancer's Workshop
By David A. Fryxell
Streamline your prose to make powerful and succinct articles.

Writing Clinic
By Paul Bagdon
Give mystery—and other forms of fiction—an edge with pacing and a simple structure.

GET PUBLISHED
How I Did It!
To Make a Long Story Short …
By Brenda Scott Royce
You may not have considered writing abridgments of existing books for use as audiobooks. We tell you how to find these markets and take a skilled approach to paring down the prose.

WORK SMARTER
A Dozen Don'ts
By Rick Frishman and Robyn Freedman Spizman
Avoid these 12 errors to greatly improve your nonfiction book proposal's chances of a second glance.

Mind Your Business
By Debby Mayne
Use these tips to build successful relationships with editors.

Questions & Quandaries
By Brian A. Klems
Answers to your questions on using quotes and word counts.

STAY INSPIRED
WD 's Self-Published Book Awards
Up, Up and Away
By Chuck Sambuchino
Meet the winners of this one-of-a-kind competition and read an excerpt from the grand-prize-winning novel.

The WD Interview: Alice Hoffman
Modern Myth Maker
By Maria Schneider
The author of Practical Magic and Here on Earth proves that fairy tales and fables aren't just a thing of the past.

This Writer's Life
By Kevin Alexander
Having a regular column is the job you never get to leave.

The Last Word
By Jack Clemens
George Orwell's storytelling skills made 1984 an unforgettable cautionary tale, not just another political novel.

PLUS
Editors Letter
Reader Mail

MARKETS
Increase your sales (and build your clip file) by becoming a specialty writer.

Breaking In: The teen market isnt impossible to crack if you target the right ones.

5 Questions for: Claiborne Hancock, founder, publisher and editor in chief of Pegasus.


March Markets: 35 listings for book publishers, agents, contests, and consumer and trade magazines.