Episodes
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Fight scenes in fiction aren't just physical—they can be psychological, emotional, and often setting our characters up for any kind of fight helps us understand them better. Why they walk the way they do, what guards they have up, their weaknesses, their strengths.
In this episode of "Writer's Digest Presents," trained fighter and author Carla Hoch shares all of her knowledge about writing fight scenes, why writing fight scenes is a good writing skill to have, and more. -
In 2021, author Zenda Walker won grand prize in Writer's Digest's 29th Annual Self-Published Book Awards for her picture book, Zara's Wash Day. Since then, she landed a two-book traditional book deal, republishing her award-winning book with a new foreword from Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o, plus a follow-up book, Zion's Crown.
Editor-in-chief Amy Jones and content editor Michael Woodson sit down with Zenda to discuss transitioning from self-publishing author to traditionally published author, what she has coming up next, and more! -
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The prevalence of book influencers on social media has taken the publishing industry by storm. What is the role of a Bookstagrammer or BookToker? Has is their influence impacting publishing? And should writers and authors build relationships and friendships with these social media influencers?
Content editor Michael Woodson sits down to chat with three book influencers about the work they do, the pros and cons of social media influencing, and more! -
Writer's Digest is headed to Italy! Join editor-in-chief Amy Jones and senior editor Robert Lee Brewer this September 26 – October 3, 2024, for an Italian getaway to inspire your stories, learn from writers, and finish that manuscript!
Listen as Amy and Robert discuss the itinerary, what to expect, what to look forward to, and more! -
You've heard the old adage: Don't judge a book by its cover. Well, we all know that a gorgeous cover is hard to pass by, and those of us in the publishing industry know that a good book cover can be the difference between a reader picking it up or leaving it behind.
In this episode of "Writer's Digest Presents," editor-in-chief Amy Jones and content editor Michael Woodson are joined by designer Charlotte Strick and writer Zachary Petit to discuss all things book design and book covers! -
When you think of "emotion" with regards to your writing, what comes to mind? Is it your own emotion when you're writing, the emotional quality of the work itself, or is it the emotion you hope readers feel as they read? In this episode of "Writer's Digest Presents," content editor Michael Woodson leads a roundtable with editor-in-chief Amy Jones, managing editor Moriah Richard, and senior editor Robert Lee Brewer about emotion and conflict in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry—plus stick around for book recommendations at the end of the episode!
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In Waubgeshig Rice's series of novels Moon of the Crusted Snow and Moon of the Turning Leaves, the author sets up a world in the midst of the apocalypse and more than a decade after the end. But readers are left with the lingering question: What exactly happened? Editor-in-chief Amy Jones and content editor Michael Woodson sit down for a chat with the author about his journey with these stories, the speculative quality of unanswered questions, and more.
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In March 2022, managing editor Moriah Richard held a roundtable with three debut authors in our debut authors episode—one of those authors was Mazey Eddings. Now, Eddings is set to publish Late Bloomer, her fifth book in two years; an impressive feat for any author!
Here, editor-in-chief Amy Jones and managing editor Moriah Richard catch up with Eddings two years into her publishing career to discuss how her writing has changed, how her perspective on publishing has changed, and her advice for other authors! -
More than half of what we see in the theaters or watch on TV are adapted from books, graphic novels, video games, and more. Which begs the question: What makes an adaptation good? Is it being 100% faithful to the source material? Is it making necessary updates to literary classics? Is it including the author in the adapting process?
In this episode, WD's editor-in-chief Amy Jones and content editor Michael Woodson sit down for a chat with Script magazine's editor-in-chief Sadie Dean about what makes a good adaptation, what makes a bad one, and the times when the adaptation was better than the book. -
New year, new goals! With the start of the new year, people across the world have stated new resolutions and goals for themselves. Writers are no different, and often we set lofty goals at the start of the year in the hopes that they come to fruition by the end of the year. We want to help you on the right track by looking back at some of the best writing advice we received from authors, editors, and publishing experts last year.
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How to write a dramedy is more than simply mixing jokes with the tear-jerking moments. Combining comedy and drama is a tight-rope act that, if done wrong, can lead to tonal disparity within your story. But done right and you'll have your readers going from crying to laughing (and crying laughing) page after page.
Editor-in-chief Amy Jones and content editor Michael Woodson sit down with bestselling author Byron Lane (A Star Is Bored, Big Gay Wedding) to chat all about how to write a dramedy. -
Do you know how to self-edit your novel? If your answer is "no," you're not alone. While creative writers know a thing or two about building worlds and imagination, self-editing our work—and editing in general—is an art form we don't spend enough time understanding.
In this episode of "Writer's Digest Presents," content editor Michael Woodson sits down with professional editor, author, and instructor Tiffany Yates Martin to discuss self-editing, how to self-editing your novel, when to seek outside advice, and more. -
Writers: curious about how to combine genres? Want to know what it's like to incorporate elements of mystery, science fiction, espionage, and romance? Look no further than the curious mind of author Rob Hart. In this interview with Writer's Digest, editor-in-chief Amy Jones and content editor Michael Woodson sit down with Rob to discuss his newest novel, The Paradox Hotel, why combining genres means you get to break all the rules, and more.
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AI has infiltrated the creative process, with ChatGPT and other platforms making writing "easier." But the sinister side of this technology has led artificial intelligence down the road of plagiarism, and even identity theft—stealing the likeness of an author and using their name to profit off of work they didn't actually write.
Author and instructor Jane Friedman joins content editor Michael Woodson for a discussion about AI, about her recent experience with AI stealing her name to profit on work she didn't write, and what writers can do to safeguard themselves and their writing. -
You ever have that experience reading a book where you think it's about one thing, and then slowly it starts to reveal that it's actually about something else? We call this "misdirection," a narrative device that allows writers to write the story they want to write while allowing an undercurrent of what the story is "actually about."
In this conversation with editor-in-chief Amy Jones and content editor Michael Woodson sit down with author Lydia Kiesling about how to intentionally misdirect your readers, writing about climate change in realistic fiction, and her new novel Mobility, available in bookstores August 1. -
Every summer, the Writer's Digest team heads to New York City for the Annual Writing Conference—three full days of writing advice, keynote sessions, and more (including an opportunity to pitch your story to agents!)
Here, editor-in-chief Amy Jones, senior editor Robert Lee Brewer, and content editor Michael Woodson chat with author and instructor Ryan G. Van Cleave about the Writer's Digest Annual Conference, why you should attend, and more!
To register for the annual conference, click here: https://writersdigestconference.com/register/ -
What is fan fiction? Is there a difference between fan fiction, retellings, and reimaginings? What makes us categorize them as being similar?
In the latest episode of "Writer's Digest Presents," the WD editors tackle this topic by talking about each of these types of writing separately, while also seeing how they can serve one another—like different branches of the same tree.
Then, stick around for a conversation with managing editor Moriah Richard and fan-fiction author Spoons!
Book recommendations with links for where to purchase:
Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Boy Snow Bird by Helen Oyeyemi
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
Ravenous Things by Derrick Chow
Lost in the Never Woods by Aidan Thomas
Ben & Beatriz by Katalina Gamarra
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev
Saturday by Ian McEwan
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia -
In our latest book club discussion, editor-in-chief Amy Jones and content editor Michael Woodson sit down for a chat with author Cherie Dimaline about her newest novel, VenCo. Listen as they discuss witchy women, charismatic consumerism, and writing hot villains.
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Editor-in-chief Amy Jones, senior editor Robert Lee Brewer, and content editor Michael Woodson sit down with Writer's Digest University's content director Sarah Hall to discuss romance novels. Why do we love romance novels, and why should all writers read romance? Listen and learn now!
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How do you define success as a writer? Is it the finished, published novel on bookshelves? The story in a literary journal? Writing a sentence a day? Success can take many forms throughout the writing process. In this premiere episode of season two of Writer's Digest Presents, the WD editors sit down for a discussion on how to define success as a writer.
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