Story Ideas That Provoke Your Passions

Plus, learn how to identify your target audience. [Web Version "]( &p1=%40QSRBO6sjJ79DXAk252yPhkmPNmo6w9q5XTPprdjN1DI%3D) [header]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [Writer's Digest]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [Writer's Market]( ) [WD University]( ) [2nd Draft Critiques]( ) [Jess Zafarris]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) I hope this week has brought you joy and inspiration, but if you need a bit more to round out your Friday, explore our selection of wisdom from the likes of Min Jin Lee, Steve Kissing and more. You'll find helpful pitching and publishing advice, new takes on classic genres and forms, and so much more. Follow [@jesszafarris]( ) INSIGHTS FROM THE MASTERS Min Jin Lee: Finding Story Ideas That Truly Provoke Your Passions [Story 5]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) In the WD interview from the [March/April 2019 issue of Writer's Digest]( ), Min Jin Lee talks about finding story ideas that truly provoke your passions and how to tune out the burden of expectations. Below, read her thoughts on coming up with a strong story idea that truly provokes your passions. I always start with a big idea, so [this time] it’s education and wisdom. And my metaphysical question is, I think for now is, "How do you live a wise life?" I want to figure that out because I’m 50 and I want to figure out, how are you making wise decisions? I don’t think I cared about that when I was 20. [laughs] And now I’m thinking well, if I have from now until let’s say 85, if I’m lucky and I’m clear, how do I want to make wise choices and be a decent person? And in this work, because I’m thinking about education so much, how do I figure this out? It starts always like that for me, this kind of big idea, and then, it becomes about people and of course the central thrust of my work is diaspora. How does diaspora figure into these questions because I am asking for these Koreans around the world. They’ve been ejected from their place of origin and they have consciously either chosen to move, or due to war and colonization, they have decided to go elsewhere. Once they go there, they change and they change others. So this is an interesting idea for me about the tutoring centers because they’re changing other people and what they think about education, which I think could be good or bad, I’m not sure. So I do think of that way: this big idea and then I start creating all these different questions that I have and then I have these characters and then I see what happens. Then I interview constantly and I do a lot of field work the way journalists and anthropologists work. I go somewhere and I spend time, and I think Well, what am I feeling? What am I looking at? That’s what fiction can do: I can talk about feelings and weird situations where people don’t make any sense because people really don’t make any sense. That’s what I’ve really figured out. People say stuff and then they’re all like, but you’re doing that? That weird disjuncture is what I think fiction does really well. ... I also think that whatever you decide you want to make, it should be something that you want to go to more than anything. Otherwise, you won’t continue working on it. What I see when I teach classes is that a lot of people have these great ideas to write about, the ideas are very laudable. I think, Well that sounds really elegant and cool and prize-worthy, however, does that make you want to get out of bed and work on it before you go to the gym? Very few people have that topic. And I think, No, you have to find that topic. Because that will make you make every sacrifice to work on that project. But if you just pick something because you want to impress somebody, you’re not going to revise it. You’re not going to throw away an entire manuscript and try it again. So it’s got to have the questions that you want answered, that you feel like if you don’t do it you’re going to die. I mean it should be that level because the possibility and promise of success in fiction, are so f---ing negligible. Pardon my French. So when I care about people, I think, I want you to protect your time and art and dream. I wouldn’t want you to have your heart broken thinking that all this stuff is going to happen. Like someone was recently talking about one day making all this money, and getting prizes, and making movies and I thought like, Oh man, that’s a lot of pressure put on your work. Just forget all that stuff. Maybe it’ll happen and if it does -- great! Call me, we’ll have a drink! [Laughs] But in the meantime, find a topic you really want to go to in the morning or in the evening or after you put your kids to bed. [Read the full extended interview with Min Jin Lee here...]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [Name]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) SELLING AND PITCHING YOUR WORK [Story 2]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [How to Find a Literary Agent in 109 Easy Steps]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) Some writers have all the luck, but most writers take more than a few tries to unlock the secrets of how to find a literary agent. Martine Fournier Watson shares the story of her journey through 108 rejections over the course of 18 months. [Read More...]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [Story 2]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [Who Is Your Target Audience? Use This Simple Trick to Figure Out If They Actually Exist]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) A major conundrum that trips up many new writers is defining your target audience before you have any actual readers. Dana Sitar explains how to identify them. [Read More...]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [Story 3]( ) [The Chemistry Of Character: Walter White]( ) [New from ScriptMag.com]( ) When people discuss the Breaking Bad phenomenon, beyond the originality of the story, the great characters are mentioned as the key to the show's success. Paul Peditto examines the chemistry of the Walter White character. [Read More...]( ) [Story 4]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [Writer's Digest Weekly Writing Prompt]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [The Hate Note]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) You arrive at home to find an envelope addressed to you on the ground outside your front door. Inside, you find a letter proclaiming the writer's deep and undying hatred for you. The note is not signed. [Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments here...]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [Story 5]( ) [Upcoming Online Workshop]( ) [Agent One-on-One: First Ten Pages Boot Camp]( ) In this invaluable event, you'll get to work with an agent online to review and refine the first ten pages of your novel. You'll learn what keeps an agent reading, what are the most common mistakes that make them stop, and the steps you need to take to correct them.[Learn more and register...]( ) &p1={EMAIL}&p2=201055694 &p1={EMAIL}&p2=201055694 &p1={EMAIL}&p2=201055694 GENRES AND FORMS [Story 6]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [Not Your Grandmother’s Harlequin: Writing Romance in the 21st Century]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) When Linda Cardillo's manuscript drew the interest of Harlequin, she had reservations about the bodice-ripping stereotypes attached to writing romance fiction. But her preconceptions were dispelled when she learned more about the breadth and diversity of the genre today. [Read More...]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [Story 7]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [7 Steps Toward Writing Your Transformational Book]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) Have you felt inspired to write a transformational book -- one that will help your readers create change in their lives, organizations, or the world? [Read More...]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [Story 5]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [Writing the Surreal: A Conversation with Author Steve Kissing]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) "The term ‘surreal’ -- we use it to describe the very best and the very worst experiences in our lives -- both the highlights and the horrible." This is how writer Steve Kissing introduced his talk on all things surreal at a recent Creative Mornings event in Cincinnati. Ericka McIntyre followed up with this engaging conversation. [Read More...]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) [New Picture Book Collection!]( ) &p1={EMAIL}&p2=201055694 &p1={EMAIL}&p2=201055694 &p1={EMAIL}&p2=201055694 Please do not reply to this email. We are happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have. Please [click here to contact us]( ). This email was sent by: F+W, 10151 Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA [Unsubscribe]( &cid=DM103641&bid=1026235383) | [Web Version "]( &p1=%40QSRBO6sjJ79DXAk252yPhkmPNmo6w9q5XTPprdjN1DI%3D) We respect your right to privacy. [View our policy.]( )