If you’re anything like me, there are two resolutions I make every year: to get in great shape through diet and exercise and to be a more productive writer. This issue, we take those resolutions, combine them, and explore the theme, “Physical Fitness for Writers,” both literally and figuratively. You’re going to learn how to put muscle into a marketing plan, trim fat from your manuscript, make the leap into full-time writing, recover from the injury of a rejection letter, and more! We also interview Jillian Michaels, Cami Ostman, and literary agent Sarah Lapolla… MORE >>

Whether you are looking to boost your income or work on your craft, we know that education is an important part of a writer’s career. That’s why WOW! handpicks qualified instructors and targeted classes that women writers will benefit from. All of the courses operate online and are taught one-on-one with the instructor. The flexibility of the platform allows students to complete assignments on their own time and work at their own pace in the comfort of their own home. Visit the classroom page and check out our current line up of workshops: fiction writing, writing for children, screenwriting, creativity, memoir, personal essay, grammar, food writing, freelance writing, novel writing, finding a literary agent, blogging, social networking for authors… MORE >>

The results are in! After careful deliberation our honorable guest judge, literary agent Wendy Sherman, has made her final decisions. Read the winning stories of the 750 words or less open prompt Fall ’10 Flash Fiction Contest… MORE >>

You know the routine: you drag your weary body from bed, turn on the computer, and spend eight hours writing a chapter in the next great American novel or research material for a Pulitzer-winning, non-fiction piece. Perhaps you spend eight hours at a full-time job, rush home, and squeeze in precious writing minutes wherever possible. The one item missing from this crammed schedule is the single element of the writing life that many of us overlook: making a commitment to exercise. As trainer and life coach on The Biggest Loser and Losing It with Jillian, health and wellness expert Jillian Michaels understands the importance of exercise for those immersed in the writing life and shares her best tips for… MORE >>

If writing is your passion as well as your calling, and you are determined to make it your business (not your hobby), how do you create a viable, full-time career? You need talent, self-motivation, resourcefulness, and courage. Devon Ellington chats with freelancers, novelists, and full-time writers—Jill Shalvis, Shirley Wells, Jennifer Mattern, Anne Wayman, Lori Widmer, and Stacia Kane—who share their best advice on making the leap, so you won’t have to stumble… MORE >>

As a writer, you are not alone in your struggle with the business side of marketing a freelance business or promoting yourself as an author. Whether you are just starting out as a writer or one that has not yet achieved the financial status to hire a marketing professional, it is imperative to learn how to get a marketing plan in shape and how to sustain its health for the long haul. The goal of marketing your freelance writing services or your next book debut is the same—to get the attention of your potential customers or audience. Marketing expert Kristie Lorette walks you through the process of writing your marketing plan, step-by-step, both online and offline… MORE >>

Rejection letters are like sports injuries. Play a sport, and eventually you’ll have at least a bump or bruise. Write for a publication, and eventually you are going to earn a rejection letter. If you don’t know how to deal with it, a rejection letter can bench you for the season, putting you off writing for days or weeks or even months. The worst can be career ending. Sue Bradford Edwards teaches us how to warm up and prepare for the unavoidable by studying our target market (and gives us specific examples on what to look for), treat the injuries that come from a rejection letter, and get back in the game… MORE >>

Sarah Lapolla is the ultimate people’s agent. While many literary agents seem to be the untouchable gatekeepers of the publishing industry, Sarah’s blog, Glass Cases, helps aspiring writers by showcasing their short stories, novel excerpts, and creative nonfiction. She also loves working with debut authors and represents literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, science fiction, literary horror, and young adult fiction… MORE >>

The first of the year is a great time to tackle bad writing habits that may have crept in while you weren’t looking. A refresher class on grammar, a writer’s conference, and maybe a couple swell books could get your writing back on track. Wouldn’t you love to start the New Year with a writing bang? Sure you would! Except that you ended the year blowing out your budget. Don’t sweat it, writers. Cathy C. Hall provides you with all sorts of free resources...free college courses on a variety of writing topics, free online conferences, and a bounty of free books. You can even score a free membership into a professional writing organization or win money and prizes with free contests… MORE >>

Writing guru William Zinsser suggests that many first drafts contain so much additional verbiage that they should be cut by 50 percent. Cutting half of a manuscript is terrifying. We fear pages stripped of beautiful metaphors, quirky euphemisms, personalized examples—with only a bland anorexic frame left behind. But the trick to trimming the fat from your manuscript isn’t radical surgery or deprivation. It all comes down to a well-planned approach resembling an effective weight loss program. Katherine Higgs-Coulthard recently put her own work-in-progress through such a program and came away with tips to help you get the most adipose manuscript bikini-ready by spring… MORE >>

Some call it a midlife crisis, when the desire to change your life is so strong it compels you to step out of your comfort zone and forge a new path in a new direction. Cami Ostman’s inspiring story redefines that old paradigm with a positive spin. It’s not a crisis; it’s an adventure. Her memoir, Second Wind: One Woman’s Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, has been featured in national and international publications. Join Annette Fix as she chats with Cami about what prompted her to change her life, the trap of perfectionism and the ability to let go, the revelations she made along her journey, the inspiring things she saw on her trek around the world, and so much more… MORE >>