Do you need some writing inspiration? Contests are a great way to spark your creativity, and you may even win a prize! Get your best work together and consider entering the WOW! quarterly flash fiction contest with guest judge Fiona Smith, literary agent with Beyond Words Literary Agency. Stop by the contest page, download the pdf guidelines, and read all about Fiona’s preferences. The Summer Contest is open to all genres of fiction between 250 - 750 words. Only 300 stories are accepted, so enter early to ensure your spot in the contest. Over $1350 in cash prizes. Deadline: August 31, 2023. MORE >>

WOW! is proud to introduce our newest essay contest! Writers have been asking us to host an essay contest for many years, and we’ve finally listened. The mission of this essay contest is to inspire creative nonfiction and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants. The contest is open globally; age is of no matter; and entries must be in English. Your story must be true, but the way you tell it is your chance to get creative. We are open to all styles of essay—from personal essay to lyric essay to hybrid essay, and beyond! Word Count: 200 – 1,000 words. Only 300 essays are accepted, so enter early to ensure your spot in the contest. 1st Place: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2023. 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. Visit the classroom page and check out our current line up of workshops: creative nonfiction, personal essay, memoir, young adult, narrative structures, freelance editing, cozy mystery writing, screenwriting, playwriting, poetry, travel writing and more. MORE >>

Tangled Locks Journal is an online literary journal committed to sharing complex, well-rounded stories, poetry, and essays that illuminate the experience and lives of women. We’re excited to explore this beautiful journal and paying market with founder and editor-in-chief Teresa Berkowitz. MORE >>

Let’s step into another world, shall we? Fantasy fiction has a way of doing just that. From worldbuilding to wielding magic, this imagination-driven genre can seem both exciting and daunting to craft. Author, folklorist, speaker and executive director of Willamette Writers, Kate Ristau shares her approach on how to materialize a fantastical story. MORE >>

This month’s journal spotlight is run by a mother-daughter team and publishes work written by people in their 20s. Sofia is the editor of the magazine and her mother, Lulu, serves as production assistant. This intergenerational creative team has been running Mag 20/20 together for three years. K.T. Mills interviews Sofia and Lulu about their mission and submitting to this innovative literary journal. MORE >>

Whether you have published a book or want to build your audience platform, there are many opportunities to promote yourself. From asking for reviews to being a guest on a podcast to introducing yourself to a journalist, you can increase your potential readership each time you put yourself out there. As a PR consultant, I’m crafting pitches constantly. Recently, I discovered that crafting a pitch is like writing a story. Here’s how. MORE >>

I met Cleaver’s Senior Poetry Editor Claire Oleson, in her Poetic Anatomies workshop. In addition to heading up the literary journal’s poetry section, Claire is an instructor for Cleaver’s workshop series. I’m happy to reconnect with Claire, especially in this month that celebrates all things poetry. In this interview, we chat about writing and submitting poetry. MORE >>

As someone who learns about history through fiction, I have a special treat for readers of this issue of WOW. A roundup featuring three of our best historical fiction authors including, Clare Beams of The Illness Lesson, D.M. Pulley of No-one’s Home, and Michelle Cameron of Beyond the Ghetto Gates. They have some great advice on how to get started with the writing and research process even if you've never written a work of historical fiction before. MORE >>

CRAFT is a premier destination for fiction and creative nonfiction, known for its focus on the craft and artistry of prose. It is also a paying market. We’re excited to share a glimpse into this publication, through the eyes of Editor-in-Chief Courtney Harler. Interview by Myna Chang. MORE >>

This month, we dive into writing the dark, mysterious, and weird with Suzanne Craig-Whytock. Suzanne is and award-winning author and founder of DarkWinter Literary Magazine, an independent publication from Ontario, Canada that focuses on short fiction and poetry. In this interview, Suzanne talks about what draws people to dark stories, her new collection of short stories, and shares advice for authors waiting to hit submit. Interview by Stacy Wentworth. MORE >>

Series are popular with readers, publishers, and writers. Wonderful series characters become treasured friends, with whom you catch up on a regular basis. But, as a writer, how do you keep a long-running series fresh? Devon Ellington chats with series authors who share their best tips: New York Times bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, Yasmine Galenorn; national bestselling cozy mystery author Lucy Burdette; and Alyssa Maxwell, author of two historical mystery series. If you’re writing a series, you’ll be interested in reading how these authors keep their characters and situations lively from book to book. MORE >>

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to find a publisher for my memoir manuscript. While I continue querying agents, I’m also researching other routes to publication to possibly add to my outreach this year. I’m therefore excited to welcome our next guest, Publisher of She Writes Press, Brooke Warner! I chat with Brooke about a “third way” for writers to get published, and the importance of green-lighting our work. Interview by Ann Kathryn Kelly. MORE >>

Every primary character deserves a description, including, but not limited to, their skin tone, superficial features, cultural background, and of course, their personality traits. Often, race and ethnicity are ignored or hard to work into the descriptions and can cause writers anxiety and worry over doing it correctly. So, the often unintended mistake of skipping description of ethnic details perpetuates the idea that white characters are the default unless explained otherwise. MORE >>

Want to start the New Year on a high note by landing a paid byline at a prestigious women’s magazine? Find out how by reading our interview with the creative and talented Sarah Elaine Hawkinson, the editor of Sasee Magazine. Sasee welcomes editorial submissions from freelance writers. They’re seeking new, unpublished, first-person, non-fiction material that is for or about women. Essays, humor, satire, personal experience, and features on topics relating to women are their primary editorial focus. Interview by Ashley Memory. MORE >>

Every protagonist is a superhero. Even if you’re writing an adult romance, you can apply the guidelines of creating a great superhero to your story’s main character. You can accomplish this by remembering the key aspects of any cape-wearing or super-powered good guy. By author Shelly X. Leonn. MORE >>

Lori Holmes is an international bestselling author of metaphysical fantasy books. She is also a self-published author. When she made the choice to become an indie author, her husband, Matthew (Matt), decided he would help her with her advertising while he also took care of their twins. Fast forward a few years, and now Matt Holmes is not only running successful ad campaigns on both Amazon and Facebook for his wife’s books, but he is also teaching other authors his system in his courses. MORE >>

Off Topic Publishing offers a monthly contest that cycles between fiction, nonfiction, and poetry; a monthly poetry box; chapbook and anthology publishing; writers conferences and retreats; an active community and more. Lindsey Harrington interviews editor-in-chief Marion Lougheed about how Off Topic started and their various initiatives, what their editors are seeking in submissions, and much more! MORE >>

Maybe you’ve heard this before at a writing workshop—or possibly said it yourself: But it really happened that way! The truth is stranger than fiction, or so the saying goes. There are some things we’d simply never believe if we encountered them in a novel. But what if you’re trying to write what you know and basing a story on a real-life event? What happens when that fails? Is there a way to salvage the piece? Or better still, could you weave real-life details into fiction in a way that would enhance and elevate the story? Even if you aren’t writing from real life, the techniques below can help you enrich your fictional worlds and draw your readers into your stories. By Charity Tahmaseb. MORE >>

The work of Dutch author Sophie Poldermans has taken off against this background of long-overdue and international appetite for the female account of war. Her book, Seducing and Killing Nazis, relays the duties carried out by three Dutch women, all teenagers at the outbreak of World War II. Rosie MacLeod interviews Sophie about how she managed to take an overlooked chapter of history and turn it into a best seller on many book lists, garner top tier publications, and land a Tedx Talk. MORE >>

When I think about the art of flash writing, one name immediately springs to my mind—and I bet many of you, especially fans of evocative, memorable flash, will be familiar with Kathy Fish! Ann Kathryn Kelly interviews Kathy about the art of writing flash fiction, Kath’s flash collections, and her popular flash workshops. MORE >>

Most techniques for opening a story, also known as narrative hooks, focus on the first line of the story. The idea behind most narrative hooks is that the first line should be so interesting that it makes your reader want to read the second sentence, which then makes them want to read the next, until they have read the entire first page. This is a technique I'm calling The One-Two Punch Story Opening. By Madison Estes. MORE >>

For decades, journalists have relied on a basic formula to build the foundations of their stories: the five Ws and an H, or Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. Novelists can use these same building-block questions to construct three-dimensional characters who live and breathe in readers' minds. Author Ekta Garg shows you how! MORE >>

There’s nothing more exciting or daunting than crafting a fascinating science fiction or fantasy world from scratch. By its very purpose, there are countless parts to build and get lost in. The prospect can feel too overwhelming to dive too deep beyond the needs of the plot or characters, but it is in those details where the world truly comes alive. I like to call worldbuilding fictional anthropology. By Shana Scott. MORE >>

Danica Davidson, the author of eighteen books for kids and teens, talks about writing her new children’s book, I Will Protect You: A True Story of Twins Who Survived Auschwitz (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2022). Danica shares how she got connected with Eva Mozes Kor, one of the twin sisters who survived Nazi experimentation during the Holocaust, wrote the book in a child’s point-of-view, and saw the book through to publication after so many rejections. MORE >>

Danica Davidson shows you how to write in a child’s voice. Learn about vocabulary choices, how to write authentically and child-friendly, and some common mistakes to look out for. MORE >>

In this article, complete with audio interviews, crime author Angela Clarke shares her tips for writing dialogue in fiction and using it for characterization. Dr. Sara Lodge, who worked as a speechwriter to the late Kofi Annan, talks about crafting speeches for others and identifying the nuances and characteristics of the target voice. Rosie MacLeod shares advice for scripting radio and podcast episodes. MORE >>

In this author interview, JC Peterson shares how she balanced her family and COVID along with writing, and what she learned while crafting her young adult novel, Being Mary Bennet, which earned her a spot in the popular mentorship program, Pitch Wars. After completing the program, JC sold Being Mary Bennet in a two-book deal to HarperTeen, with the first release in March 2022 and the companion novel slated for winter 2023. JC also shares the marketing tips she’s discovered along the way and the answers our multitude of questions about the characters and world inside of her book. MORE >>

Podcasts offer a unique opportunity for you, as an author, to share your story, experiences, and expertise with an entirely new audience you may not have reached otherwise. Nicole Pyles talked with a variety of podcast hosts and other experts on what makes an author a great guest. You’d be surprised by how many podcast doors will open for you by following these simple tips. MORE >>

Chelsey Clammer’s third essay collection, Human Heartbeat Detected, published by Red Hen Press, looks at how humans are both beautiful and terrible to one another. In this interview, we chat with Chelsey about creating an essay collection, the themes in her book, structuring lyric essays, how to write about people in your life, her teaching style, submitting to journals, and so much more. MORE >>

“Fierce” is a word that springs to mind when describing American Seoul. Helena Rho does not back down when faced with daunting situations, which includes telling readers how those events felt impossible to confront in the moment. One of the memoir’s most inspiring qualities is that it grew from Helena’s decision to leave a successful career as a pediatrician to write, which we chat about below. Read on to find out how Helena pushed through self-doubt to “write like your life depends on it ... because how and what you write will exist long after the haters and naysayers are gone.” MORE >>

In this month’s column, Ann Kathryn Kelly interviews Tobi Harper, Deputy Director at Red Hen Press and founding editor of Quill, a Red Hen Press imprint that publishes queer literature. Tobi is also the publisher of the Los Angeles Review literary journal. Tobi says that Red Hen Press is “looking for deep, wild stories we’ve never seen before. Stories so authentic and vividly described that your skin prickles. There are plenty of books that 100,000 people might like. We want the books that 10,000 people will absolutely love.” Read on to find out what they’re looking for in book-length submissions, information on Red Hen and LAR contests, what it’s like to work with an independent press, and more. MORE >>

Under the Sun literary magazine is seeking creative nonfiction under 5,000 words. I sat down with associate editor Cindy Bradley, who is actually a long-time WOW subscriber, and a talented writer. We chatted about Under the Sun’s editorial process, the creative nonfiction genre, what their editors look for in submissions, why their essays win notables in Best American Essays every year, and their Summer Writing Contest, which opens July 1st! Interview by Angela Mackintosh. MORE >>

In 2020, Leslie Rule published A Tangled Web (Citadel), now out in paperback, about a case featuring a female murderer who utilized an almost unprecedented means of digital deception in order to mislead and antagonize the victim’s loved ones. She and I discussed our interest in true crime, advice for writers interested in the genre, our shared love of author Lois Duncan, and why she decided to write A Tangled Web. Interview by Renee Roberson. MORE >>

The results are in! After careful deliberation our honorable guest judge, literary agent Emily Forney with BookEnds Literary Agency, has made her final decisions. Read the winning stories of the 750 words or less Winter 2023 Flash Fiction Competition. MORE >>

Check out the results of our latest essay contest! Read the winning essays of the 1,000 words or less Q2 2023 Essay Competition. MORE >>