Megan McCafferty's recipe for a bestselling series? Thirty pages, a dream of crossover success and some old-fashioned teen angst. Check out our interview with her here:
http://writersdigest.com/article/megan-mccafferty/

Chris Anderson thinks you should consider giving your book away. Here's why:
http://writersdigest.com/article/does-free-pay/

Do you agree or disagree? Drop your two cents on the WD forum.
http://forum.writersdigest.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=22690&posts=1&start=1

In the October issue of Writer's Digest, Guide to Literary Agents Editor Chuck Sambuchino finds 28 reps willing to work with new writers and give your manuscript a fair shake. Here's the online expanded edition:
http://writersdigest.com/article/28-agents-who-want-your-work/

In the October issue of Writer's Digest, Debbie Macomber explains how to identify and use pop-culture cues to write—and sell—your novel:

A key lesson in the writing business (or any other, for that matter) is to be first. If you want your story to stand out and connect with editors—and ultimately, readers—don't look at what's on the bestseller lists today. Instead of following a current trend, identify a new one. You want to have written the Harry Potter books, not one of their many imitations. Learn to recognize incipient trends and incorporate them into your fiction or you'll be playing a constant game of catch-up.

For all seven trend tips, visit:
http://writersdigest.com/article/7-trend-tips/

Having scribed detective novels and written for HBO's "The Wire," George Pelecanos knows what it takes to get down and dirty for his own brand of social crime fiction.

Read on to find out how he got his start, how he got involved with "The Wire" and just how, exactly, you can improve your writing by simply drinking a beer and listening:
http://writersdigest.com/article/george-pelecanos

In the October issue of Writer's Digest, Guide to Literary Agents Editor Chuck Sambuchino says that before you submit your work to an agent, you need to check out these 10 essential tips, starting with:

1. If you write across categories (let's say you write both picture books and adult fantasy), look for an agent who handles everything you write. She might just be your perfect fit.

For more can't-miss tips on querying an agent, visit:
http://writersdigest.com/article/10-submission-tips-for-querying-an-agent/

Working as writers' assistants gave these aspiring scribes a behind-the-scenes view of being a celebrity author—and a rare glimpse at what the writing life is really like:

In the idle dreams of budding writers, one very popular motif is that of serving at the right hand of a Great Author. There you are, sipping coffee in her sun-dappled kitchen, trading bons mots as you garden together. You become her indispensable sounding board; she begs to see your work; she introduces you to her agent. And lo! The torch is passed.

For me, an aspiring narrative journalist just out of college, it really was a dream come true when The New Yorker writer Susan Orlean offered me a job as her part-time assistant.

Read the rest of this article here:
http://writersdigest.com/article/up-close-and-personal

After taking home the Oscar for her very first screenplay, stripper- turned- memoirist- turned- screenwriter Diablo Cody is ready for her close-up. In the August issue of Writer's Digest, she sits down and talks to WD about writing:

Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody knows she's not the best example of how to sell a screenplay. In fact, she's probably the worst example of how to sell a screenplay. So if you're reading this in hopes of finding a viable path to literary stardom, don't. Move to L.A. Shoot a short. Get a job at a studio. There are a million better paths than Cody's, which begins in suburban Chicago and takes an odd detour through the strip clubs of Minneapolis.

To read the full interview, visit:
http://writersdigest.com/article/diablo-cody

Most days Robert Brandt, grand-prize winner of the 8th-Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition, isn't writing. Instead, he's cutting. Stitching. Watching. Evaluating. Waiting. Running. Saving. And, sometimes, grieving.

As a third-year E.R. resident at Synergy Medical Education Alliance in Saginaw, Mich., Brandt spends his days and nights either on call or at home, studying. The hours are long; the work is intense. And when the life of a doctor begins to overwhelm him, he turns to a passion he's had since childhood—writing.

Read more
http://writersdigest.com/article/emotional-rescue

To read the top five entries, see a list of the top 25 and get information on entering next year's competition, visit:
http://writersdigest.com/article/emotional-rescue