Torn Heart

As a published writer, I would highly recommend that anyone who is remotely serious about writing, subscribe to this magazine. This magazine teaches you to create writing; others merely teach it. The most important and wonderful feature about writer's digest is that the magazine stresses the importance of discipline in a writer's work.
So why only three stars? Reader's Digest is heavily overpopulated with contests in which you must pay to enter.
What kind of aspiring writer, in their right minds,are going to
pay to enter a contest? Don't ever pay to enter a contest...there are too many free ones to enter.

My second gripe is that WD is a baby step away from being called a catalog. It is chock full of useless advertisements for WD's writing products and book clubs, and the ads in the back are for suckers.
You take the good with the bad, though. It's not a horrible magazine, and I have found some useful pointers along the way of my subscription.

Each month, I can't wait for the mailman to bring the next

I've subscribed to this magazine for a little over two years. The first year was very good, but WD changed the magazine's format in Jan 2004, and believe it or not it's even better! Last year they offered a Christmas "renew & get one free gift subscription". My niece is a serious writer/poet, and she loved the gift!!!

My only gripe about the new format: they eliminated the monthly writing prompts calendar. The prompts are still available on their website, but I liked them in the magazine better.

Well worth the money.

Getting this is Optional but Welcomed

I have bought quite a few of the Writer's Digest magazines. I really like all the interesting tidbits this magazine has about how to get through writer's block. Writer's block can be a killer for any writer. If you are a writer looking for brainstorming ideas on how to overcome writer's block, get published with/without an agent, and read about popular authors (who worked their fingers to the bone to pump out the latest thriller or all-American classic),this magazine is a good buy.

Of course, this magazine is more of a motivational device than an actual writing guide. You won't get The Elements of Style here. You will get some encouragement to continue pursuing writing and that's a pretty good deal.