Plus, writing lessons from Ferdinand the bull, advice for fictionalizing memoirs and more from Writer's Digest.

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5 Lessons Writers Can Learn from Ferdinand the Bull

Munro Leafs timeless childrens classic, The Story of Ferdinand, was written on a Sunday afternoon in 1935. The story is about a bull who would rather sit under his favorite tree and smell the flowers than run, play and butt heads with the other bulls. Although the book is about a bovine who embraces his individuality, there are great lessons for writers to be learned in this charming tale.    Read More...

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14 Motivational Tips to Help You Achieve Your Writing Resolutions in 2018

New Year's resolutions can be tough to keep -- and doubly so if one of your resolutions is to write a novel in 2018. Here, some of our favorite bestselling authors, agents and WD writers share their best tips for keeping your writing resolutions on track throughout the year and successfully cranking out your story.   Read More...

When Your Memoir Wants To Be A Novel

The transmutation of lived experience into fiction for further introspective work isnt uncommon: Sylvia Plath did it in The Bell Jar, Alice Munro in The View from Castle Rock, Carrie Fischer in Postcards from the Edge -- I could go on. These authors used their personal experiences as seeds for stories, but most of the characters and events were intentionally changed for purposes of a deeper exploration -- they separated out their own narrative and used it as part of a larger, more universal story. Learn how you can do it too.   Read More...

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Your Story Writing Contest #87: Submit Now!

Write a short story of 700 words or fewer based on our latest photo prompt. You can be funny, poignant, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story. Use the submission form below OR email your submission directly to yourstorycontest@fwmedia.com.   Read More...

For the Love of Writing: 25 Wordsmiths Explain Why They Write

A couple of months ago, we called for our readers to share the motivations behind their wondrous words and reasons behind their love of writing -- via Facebook, the hashtag #WhyWeWrite on Twitter, and via a writing prompt. From hundreds of heartfelt responses, we sprinkled some throughout the February 2018 issue of Writers Digest -- but saved even more to share here!    Learn how to enter here...

The Screenwriters Toolbox: Two Techniques Novelists Can Borrow from Film When Writing Opening Scenes

What similarities are there between screenplays and books, and more importantly, what can novelists borrow from film that they can use in their writing? There are a number of screenwriting tricks authors employ employ, including writing cinematically inspired opening scenes. Here are two useful techniques.   Read More...

Your Weekly Writing Prompt

The Vow of the Peacock: You're sipping champagne at the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2018, enjoying your celebration and not giving much thought to tomorrow. Suddenly, you notice that there is a large peacock standing beside you. You're not quite sure where it came from, or if the bird is even real. The peacock cranes its slender neck to look up at you, then politely asks if you intend to uphold the code of chivalry and make the Vow of the Peacock in the new year. What do you do? Learn the meaning of the Vow of the Peacock and post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments here ...

Jess Zafarris Follow @jfarrisknight Jess Zafarris is an energetic multimedia journalist with more than 7 years of experience writing and editing, and the online content director of Writer’s Digest.

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