Merinda's Meanderings

When it comes to magazines about writing, there are, like most hobbies, several to choose from. To my mind, the two main offerings are Writer’s Digest and The Writer

I much prefer The Writer.

Take for instance this months (May 2008), which I read cover to cover yesterday: There are tips for completing screenplays (which might be useful if you were doing Script Frenzy), an interesting interview with Barry Levinson, a couple of articles on finding inspiration and a list of 82 contests. And of course thats not all of it.

Among the things I like is their monthly Archive section. This month it was really inspiring article by Sloan Wilson. Past articles have been from such greats as Ray Bradbury. Another good thing, in my opinion, is that it tries to touch all aspects of writing, although it does tend a little more towards freelancing. Still, even in those articles I find things of use to me as a fiction writer.

As someone trying to be serious about their craft, this magazine is an invaluable resource for me. It’s also the only writing magazine I subscribe to, and one I usually read cover to cover.

I came across a reference to this in another magazine. It’s a great idea. They give you a first line, you write a story between 300 and 3,000 words. All four sentences for the year are on their front page. I’m contemplating the first sentence, due February 1st. They even take 4 part submissions, if you are feeling ambitious.

The First Line