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• Q&A: The Rabbit in the Hat

  3441 readersTherese here. Today, we kick off our month of reader-Q-and-contributor-A, beginning with two reader questions answered by agent Donald Maass. Enjoy! Lin Wang asked: When starting a new novel, how do you turn your ideas (characters, images, phrases) int...

• Invisible Tension

  3245 readersThis post by agent Donald Maass officially kicks off our month of “best advice” here at WU. Enjoy! Invisible Tension Don’t you hate it? Literary authors get to write these beautiful passages that are poison in commercial novels. You know what I mean: those achingly gorgeous paragraphs in which absolutely nothing happens. What’s worse, sometimes

• Workshop Scholarship Available

  4328 readersFree Expressions Seminars is now welcoming applications for a full scholarship to its acclaimed Writing the Breakout Novel Weeklong Intensive, with top New York literary agent, Donald Maass. The scholarship is available for one student who wishes to participate in the September 13-19 Writing the Breakout Novel Intensive, to be held in Charlotte, NC. It

• How to Be Your Own Intern

  3686 readersTherese here, elbowing in for a quick sec to say woohoo, our first week of donations in the Writers for The Red Cross auction has earned $450! Don’t miss this week’s packages, including “The Kitchen Daughter” Book Club in a Box ...

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  Join Me for ‘How to Land a Literary Agent’

  3977 readers You hear me talk a lot on this blog about the writers' conferences I attend and the presentations I give on agents and pitching.  Well, if you've ever wanted to attend such a conference but can't because of money or proximity issues, here is your chance to listen in and ask questions from your computer at home! I'm teaching a

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  Join Me For ”How to Land a Literary Agent” on Aug. 26

  5133 readers You hear me talk a lot on this blog about the writers' conferences I attend and the presentations I give on agents and pitching. Well, if you've ever wanted to attend such a conference but can't because of money or proximity issues, here is your chance to listen in and ask questions from your computer at home! I'm teaching

• Voice…or Volume?

  3285 readersAgent Donald Maass is here today to kick off our month long discussion on Voice. —– Voice…or Volume? Voice in fiction is a term poorly defined. What does it mean? Style? Subject matter? Sensibility? World view? All of the above? Whatever it means editors, agents and readers all want it. The thing

• Take Five Interview: Donald Maass and The Breakout Novelist

  4363 readersWU contributor and agent Donald Maass is known for his keen understanding of story and the craft of writing. His previous books, including Writing the Breakout Novel and The Fire in Fiction, are favorites on savvy writer’s shelves, and for good r...

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  New Agent Alert: Amy Boggs of the Donald Maass Literary Agency

  42273 readersReminder: Newer agents are golden opportunities for new writers because they're likely building their client list; however, always make sure your work is as perfect as it can be before submitting, and only query agencies that are a great fit for your work. Otherwise, you're just wasting time and postage. About Amy: Amy Boggs joined the Donald Maass Literary Agency in

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  Have You Been to Rehab?

  7008 readersTherese here. Today’s guest is author Catherine McKenzie. Catherine’s debut, Spin, which was an acclaimed novel in Canada, has just been released in the U.S. What’s it about? Katie Sandford has just gotten an interview at her favourite music magazine, The Line. It’s the chance of a lifetime. So what does she do? Goes out to celebrate —