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EDITOR'S DESK
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THE PSYCHOLOGY OF WRITING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BREAK THROUGH AND FIND YOUR WRITING HAPPINESS AGAIN
Have you ever had trouble starting or finishing a writing project? Maybe you’ve experienced writer’s block, procrastination, or even fear of rejection. Or maybe you just can’t find that seemingly elusive balance between creativity and the duties of motherhood. And let’s hope this isn’t the case, but maybe you’ve gotten so far off track with your writing career that you are drifting into depression. Let’s face it; being a writer isn’t easy! That’s why we decided to do an issue on all the delicate matters that affect writers. And not just the matters, but the science behind it. Each article contains advice from successful writers and psychologists or writing coaches.
The goal of this issue is to help you break free of the barriers that are preventing you from reaching your personal best. MORE >>
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ONLINE WORKSHOPS & WRITING CLASSES
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WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING CLASSROOM
Whether you are looking to boost your income or work on your craft, we know that education is an important part of a writer’s career. That’s why WOW! handpicks qualified instructors and targeted classes that women writers will benefit from. All of the courses operate online and are taught one-on-one with the instructor. The flexibility of the platform allows students to complete assignments on their own time and work at their own pace in the comfort of their own home. Visit the classroom page and check out our current line up of workshops: fiction writing, writing for children, screenwriting, creativity, memoir, personal essay, grammar, food writing, freelance writing, novel writing, finding a literary agent, blogging, social networking for authors, independent publishing, and more. MORE >>
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FEATURES
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WINTER 2013 FLASH FICTION CONTEST WINNERS
The results are in! After careful deliberation our honorable guest judge, literary agent Jennifer DeChiara of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency, has made her final decisions. Read the winning stories of the 750 words or less open prompts Winter 2013 Flash Fiction Competition. MORE >>
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OVERCOMING A WRITER’S IDENTITY CRISIS: FIND YOUR WRITING JOY AGAIN
I typed the words, “The End.” The manuscript was complete. I did it. I wrote a novel. I should have felt triumphant. After all, I’d quit my job a year and a half ago with this very goal in mind. I wanted to be a writer. And writers wrote novels. I sent the completed manuscript off to a couple people who offered to be my critique partners. But when my manuscripts finally returned, marked up with helpful suggestions, I read through them with complete apathy. I knew rewriting was an essential part of the process. But a creeping dread burned through me. I didn’t want to work on the manuscript. Not now. Not later. In fact, the thought of writing fiction no longer interested me. But if I didn’t write novels, like all the other writers I knew, maybe I wasn’t really a writer. I was plunging, head first, into what I would later refer to as my writer’s identity crisis.
Julie Luek chats with Lora Freeman Williams, a writers’ life and business coach; Elizabeth Ayres, founder of the Elizabeth Ayres Center for Creative Writing; and Alissa Johnson, freelance writing coach; about how to handle an undefined transition and reinvigorate a tired and weary writing soul. MORE >>
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CREATIVE IMPASSE: THE INTERSECTION OF CREATIVITY AND MOTHERHOOD
When I traded my teacher’s license to stay home with my four children, I imagined I would have all kinds of time. I’d freelance for magazines, finally finish my novel, maybe even develop a website—all while taking my kids to parks and introducing them to great books and fun, new hobbies. I soon learned that for me, mixing writing and full-time motherhood was like trying to play the xylophone while leading seventeen show ponies through a circus performance—all blindfolded and on roller skates.
Katherine Higgs-Coulthard examines how women’s multiple roles prohibit creativity and chats with Susan K. Perry, PhD, a writer and social psychologist, and Margaret Jessop, a clinical psychologist, along with authors Tara Lazar, Nimbilasha Cushing, Martine Leavitt, and Ruth McNally Barshaw, who share their best advice on how to balance writing and feminity. MORE >>
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WHY WEIRD WRITING RITUALS WORK
What do I have in common with Allende, Dickens, Pressfield, and with a whole host of other writers, including Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Eudora Welty, Mark Twain, Virginia Woolf, Aaron Sorkin, Victor Hugo, and Lewis Carroll? We all know the power of a writing ritual. Writers need rituals to distract us from thinking too much about how we do what we do. Thinking too much invariably causes a slump. Rosanne Bane, creativity coach and author of Around the Writer’s Block: Using Brain Science to Solve Writer’s Resistance, shows you how writing rituals, and the neuroscience behind it, can help cure writer’s block and make you a more productive writer. MORE >>
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SLAM: RETRAIN YOUR WRITER’S BRAIN
Are you in your write mind? If you’re experiencing writer’s block, procrastination, or other shortcomings, you can break free by retraining your brain. These two articles will show you how to get started. In The Write Brain, Tori Walters explains the virtues of brain balance and provides you with actionable tips to stimulate right-brain activity. She also interviews two experts in the psychology field—Susan Selvey, who has a master’s degree in clinical psychology, and Dr. Bill Elmore, PhD in clinical psychology—to find answers. In What’s Holding You Back? Break Free by Retraining Your Brain, Robyn Chausse shows you how to break the cycle and reprogram your brain with step-by-step actions.
She also interviews Morry Zelcovich, a certified brainwave engineer, and Kelly L. Stone, a licensed therapist and professional counselor, as well as author of several writing books, including Thinking Write: The Secret to Freeing Your Creative Mind. MORE >>
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SPINE-TINGLING TALES OF SUSPENSE: HOW TO WRITE A YA PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
If you’ve ever stayed up late reading a book because you had to find out whom the stalker was or how a theatre production became a blueprint for murder, you love a good psychological thriller. But while reading suspense is fun, it can be tough for an author to pull off, particularly if you are writing for a younger audience. You have to carefully develop your villain and protagonist, throw in a couple of unpredictable plot twists, and keep the pacing just right. Renee Roberson reached out to authors Megan Miranda, Kate Ellison, and Jennifer Miller, who have successfully tackled writing suspense for a young adult (YA) audience, and picked up some very valuable writing tips along the way.
Their stories include tales of complicated relationships, murder, intrigue, and ghostly apparitions—guaranteed to keep readers turning the pages until all the characters’ secrets are revealed. MORE >>
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10 WAYS TO PLAY THE WAITING GAME (AND WIN IT!)
They really shouldn’t call it the waiting game. Because, you know, it’s only a game if you’re a masochist. Or an editor. The truth is, though, that waiting is a part of life (make that a part of every day) for writers. Whether you’re a freelance writer waiting for the go-ahead on your first-ever magazine article or a veteran author dropping random hints on your blog in anticipation of your next book deal, waiting spares no writer—no gender, color, or race discrimination for this miserable foe. So how can writers make this cycle of wait, waiting, waited go by just a little bit quicker? Mridu Khullar Relph interviews authors Debbie McClure, John Ashley, Leigh Matthews, Anne Leighton, C.L. Talmadge, and Nikki Moustaki who share their best ideas. MORE >>
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COLUMNS
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WORKOUT WITH A WRITING COACH: 10 QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY ALICE B. MCGINTY AND CHRISTINA KATZ
Are you stuck on a manuscript that won’t let go of you? Are you deciding between starting a blog or writing an e-book? Should you spend time on that picture book idea you’ve had for months, while you’re working on your novel? A writing coach can help you answer these kinds of questions and more! Margo L. Dill interviews two amazing writing coaches and successful authors—Alice B. McGinty and Christina Katz—and gets the skinny on what you can expect from a writing coach, what psychological issues writers face, and even ideas for becoming a writing coach. MORE >>
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FIVE WAYS TO CULTIVATE TENACITY IN YOUR WRITING CAREER
I’ve no doubt in my mind that tenacity is absolutely necessary for any writing career. Sending out just one more query, proofing that blog post just one more time, or pushing through one more chapter will set you up for the success you want. Allena Tapia shows you five ways to actively cultivate a tenacious disposition. Learn how to choose projects with balance in mind, control your environment, know the breakdown in your craft, prepare for the costs, and get inspired. MORE >>
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HOW TO MANAGE THE EVIL THREE: REJECTION, DEPRESSION, AND PROCRASTINATION
Let’s face it: Writing is one of the most frustrating, demanding, and depressing professions out there. You constantly have to prove your worth, face rejection, fight procrastination, and nail a variety of tasks. Eventually, it gets to you, whether you give in to the temptation of procrastination or end up in a depressed state. However, it is also one of the most satisfying, rewarding, and enjoyable things you can do with your life as long as you know how to master your three worst enemies: rejection, depression, and procrastination. Freelancer Pinar Tarhan shows you how, along with experts Carol Tice, Julie Fast, and Sophie Lizard. MORE >>
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MARKETS: TRADE PUBLICATIONS
For those looking to balance their day jobs with writing time, trade publications can offer an opportunity to learn more about their industry and make new connections while writing, often for extra cash on the side. Some industries, such as nursing and publishing, offer hundreds of online and print outlets seeking submissions. Others have a handful of focused publications geared to specific segments of the industry. Charlene Oldham interviews the editors of five trade publications to find out what they’re looking for. Learn how to pitch to Model Retailer, Pet Product News International, Supermarket Guru, ASCP Skin Deep, and Sustainable Industries. Discover their pay rates, writers guidelines, what to pitch, submission etiquette, and more! MORE >>
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