Contents

FEATURES

26

10 Gifts to self

Ideas for what to give the most important writer on your list: you. BY ANICA MROSE RISSI

14 Widen your freelance horizons 13 freelance markets to explore beyond article writing. BY KERRIE FLANAGAN

22 “The Elders”

Read the first-place winner of our 2020 fall short story contest. BY JENNIFER CHEN

26 Building your characters into bona fide people Tips for turning flat characters into three-dimensional ones. BY JOSH SIPPIE

30 Let bylines be bylines

(...and know how they can advance your career.) BY DANA SHAVIN

December 2021 Volume 134 Number 12

DEPARTMENTS 8 From the Front Lines

Mirror works, window works It’s time to broaden what we mean by ‘literature.’ BY YI SHUN LAI 36 Literary Spotlight

Storm Cellar BY MELISSA HART 38 Conference Insider

Let’s Just Write! An Uncommon Writers Conference BY MELISSA HART

IN EVERY ISSUE 2 From the Editor 4 Take Note 40 Markets 47 Classified advertising 48 Gigi Will Know

Cover: PONYHEAD/Shutterstock writermag.com • The Writer | 1