Resources - Winning Writers

“That’s Not How I Remember It”: Creative Nonfiction and the Art of Dealing with Doubters

Essayist Megan Galbraith shares tips for writing about sensitive family stories | Visit source

10 Tips for Creating Your First Children’s Picture Book

Advice from a publishing professional on picture book layout and storytelling | Visit source

6 Tips for Successful Poetry Readings

Award-winning poet John Sibley Williams shares performance advice | Visit source

A Basic Guide to Getting Permissions & Sample Permissions Letter

Copyright advice for quotes and excerpts from other writers | Visit source

A Literary Agent’s Guide to Publishing Terms Authors Should Know

Basic contract terms explained by Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media Group | Visit source

A Selection of Fine Poems from the Winning Writers Community: What Makes Them Great

Poems by Stephen Derwent Partington, Thelma T. Reyna, Dana Curtis, Robert Savino, and Veronica Golos; critique by Tracy Koretsky

Advice from Arthur Powers, Judge of the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

Arthur Powers shares advice on the kinds of stories and essays that win contests

Advice from Ellaraine Lockie, Judge of the Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

Ellaraine Lockie describes the kinds of work she likes to see in the Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

Advice from Judy Juanita, Judge of the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

Judy Juanita shares what she likes to see in stories and essays

Advice from Soma Mei Sheng Frazier, Judge of the Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

Advice for poetry contestants from Soma Mei Sheng Frazier

Advice from the Judge of the War Poetry Contest

Jendi Reiter, judge of the War Poetry Contest from 2002-2011, shares her advice | Visit source

Advice from the Judges of the North Street Book Prize

What Jendi Reiter and Ellen LaFleche like to see in self-published books

Alliance of Independent Authors: Ultimate Guide to Winning Book Awards

Detailed advice for indie authors, featuring WW editor Annie Mydla | Visit source

American Life in Poetry

Weekly column by former US poet laureate Ted Kooser presents contemporary American poems and a short discussion of the techniques that make them effective | Visit source

Amorak Huey on Writing Funny

Musings on the role of humor in poetry | Visit source

An ABC of Translating Poetry, an essay by Willis Barnstone

Master poet Willis Barnstone explores the act of translation, "a friendship between poets...a mystical union between them based on love and art | Visit source

An Honest Answer by Ginger Andrews, reviewed by Dr. Joseph S. Salemi

Poet and classical scholar Joseph Salemi (see bio and poems) probes the limitations of contemporary free- verse confessional poetry | Visit source

Anatomy of a Poetry Contest

See how a judge weighs poems in this essay by Virgil Suarez | Visit source

Art Has an Effect (Make Sure It’s the Effect You Want)

Fiction editor May Peterson on the purpose of sensitivity readers | Visit source

Austin Kleon’s Writing Newsletter

Bestselling author of "Steal Like an Artist" sends out weekly lists of 10 worthwhile reads | Visit source

Autistic Representation and Real-Life Consequences

A call to move past harmful stereotypes in writing autistic characters | Visit source

Bad Poets, a short essay by Randall Jarrell

Mr. Jarrell (1914-1965) was a leading American poet and critic | Visit source

Book Review Directory

Site matches authors with reviewers by genre | Visit source

Boston Comment

Hard-hitting essays on the state of contemporary poetry, by poet and critic Joan Houlihan | Visit source

Can Poetry Matter? an essay by Dana Gioia

Poetry is imprisoned in the cozy cells of academia and specialty publishers | Visit source

Canceling My Book Deal Was the Best Career Move I’ve Ever Made

Memoirist Lilly Dancyger advises authors to wait for a press with resources to promote their books | Visit source

Character Naming Tips and Resources at the Kindlepreneur

Digital marketing blogger gives advice and resources for naming characters in different genres | Visit source

Christopher Fielden’s Writing Advice and Competitions Listings

British writer-editor's blog links to top fiction competitions | Visit source

Comstock Review: The Poet’s Handbook

Detailed guidance for poets from the Comstock Writers' Group | Visit source

Craft Capsule: The End

Poet Cameron Awkward-Rich on how to tell when a poem is done | Visit source

Critique Corner Finale: Our Best Advice for Poets

Our best advice for poets from a decade of Critique Corner

Cultural Appropriation for the Worried Writer

Novelist Jeannette Ng on writing other identities responsibly | Visit source

Dorothee Lang, editor of BluePrintReview, an English-language online literary journal based in Germany, began this blog in March 2010 to review new books of poetry and prose from small independent presses | Visit source

David Biespiel: Follow Your Strengths, Manage Your Weaknesses

How to focus on your strengths as a writer | Visit source

Dead Darlings

Novel-writing advice blog by alumni of GrubStreet Boston's Novel Incubator | Visit source

Death to the Death of Poetry, an essay by Donald Hall

Poetry has been dying all its life | Visit source

Dispoet

Insightful blog about poetry and disability includes brief reviews and discussions of contemporary poets writing about the subject | Visit source

Djelloul Marbrook

Award-winning poet and journalist's weblog features essays on contemporary poets, contextualized with reflections on politics and culture | Visit source

Does Poetry Matter? an essay by William Waltz

Prizewinning poet William Waltz investigates why there are more writers than readers of poetry. Today's highbrow poets, he ventures, should plumb their playful side | Visit source

Don’t Make Violence and Abuse Just Another Plot Device in Your Novel

Bestselling novelist Rene Denfeld's advice on responsible writing about trauma | Visit source

Erika Dreifus: 13 Questions to Ask Before Submitting to a Literary Journal

Editor of The Practicing Writer newsletter shares advice for targeted submissions | Visit source

Essay Daily

Curated by DIAGRAM editor Ander Monson, Essay Daily is a space for ongoing conversation about essays and essayists of note, contemporary and otherwise | Visit source

Facing Altars: Poetry and Prayer

Poet and memoirist Mary Karr muses on the resemblance between poetry and prayer as "sacred speech" that eases the soul's isolation | Visit source

False Witnesses: On Writing About War

Essayist and veteran Phil Klay examines the moral complexities of war poetry | Visit source

Finding Communion in Disability Poetics

Poet Lizz Schumer surveys important texts of the movement | Visit source

FlashFiction.net

Updated daily, this site features short craft essays on writing and marketing your flash fiction | Visit source

Four Hidden Dangers of Writing Groups

Publishing expert looks at pitfalls of group input in the creative process | Visit source

From Page to Pixels: The Evolution of Online Journals

In this article from the May/June 2009 Poets & Writers Magazine, award-winning poet Sandra Beasley discusses the growing prestige of online publication and the advantages it offers for disseminating your work | Visit source