Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2024 i Writing Magazine

Welcome to the final issue of 2023! We hope you’ve had a wonderful writing year, and our Christmas wish for you is that 2024 will bring you nearer to achieving everything you wish for yourself as a writer. We’ll be there to help, advise and inspire your writing in every way we can, and we’re looking forward to the first issue of 2024, which will include the brand new Writers’ Handbook and Competition Guide 2024. It will help you plan writing competition entries, courses, festivals and more (subscribe to Writing Magazine by 11 December and guarantee your copy, see page 7 for our latest offer). With this in mind, in this month’s magazine we’re launching the first of a two-parter on how to win writing competitions, packed with tips from…

Over the last few years, the market for festive romance novels has grown exponentially. This isn’t really a surprise, when the world feels like it’s going to hell in a handbasket it’s small wonder that we reach for something comforting. Bringing the festive feels Holiday romance requires the same ingredients as any other kind of fiction; an engaging plot line and strong characters that your reader can relate to and root for. But with a festive romance you will also be required to bring your holiday twinkle and sprinkle it liberally. The aesthetics and ambience of the season should almost become their own character. In the same way that if you were writing for Halloween you’d likely throw in some cobwebs and dark shadows to build the atmosphere, with a…

If I drew a map of my path to publication it would have numerous dead ends, and resemble a river delta with meandering streams, all feeding into one big channel. I’ve been writing short fiction for thirteen years and it’s taken that long to navigate my scarily diverse story streams, many individually published online or in anthologies and magazines, into a single collection. Like many writers, my dream to be published started early, at primary school, when my stories were read out to the class. That dream continued into my teens, when I penned some really dreadful poetry, though my ambition to ‘become a writer’ waned during my animal-loving ‘I want to be a vet’ stage. I had to work hard for my A-Level grades but was never destined for…

To feature in Subscribers’ News contact: tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk HELL ON EARTH I am excited to share the details of my next novel, The Summer and the May, writes subscriber Lucinda Hart. It’s my fourth to be published, and my third with Vulpine Press. This book is special to me because I wrote the first draft when I was 16. Over the years it has had many edits and improvements, and bears little resemblance to that early work. The Summer and the May is a standalone folk horror set in SW Cornwall (where I grew up and still live). Helston Flora Day celebrates the victory of the Archangel Michael over the Devil, and the legend is retold every year in a mumming play called the Hal an Tow. Long ago St Michael…

Femi Kayode has always had a day job, for as long as he’s been writing. ‘Even in university, I studied during the day and wrote plays at night,’ he says. ‘So, in a way, I’ve always been structured regarding how I make time for writing. I try to be in bed by 9pm and set my alarm for 3:30 am. To be fully present in the writing process, and declutter my mind from the stress of working in advertising, I need at least six hours sleep. Less than five makes for a very cranky me, and very lacklustre writing. ‘Before getting out of bed, I check my Facebook page and WhatsApp messages, trying to limit myself to forty minutes, then it’s out of bed, make coffee, take my multivitamins, walk…

1. When and where did your journey as an author begin? I started writing when I worked as cabin crew for British Airways, on long night flights across the Atlantic. I would scribble down a few story ideas during my break. After my first baby was born, I began to write more seriously, and was selected for a Curtis Brown New Beginnings workshop in London. 2. What is (or has been) your proudest moment as a writer? I have just finished book twenty! So many other moments: signing with my agent, with my publishers, and seeing the books acquire such a wonderful following. I suppose, out of everything for which I have to be grateful, I am proudest of having the courage to send my books out on submission sixteen…

The New Year is always a time for us to reflect on where we are, where we are going and of course a chance to start with a clean slate each January.As you read this, 2023 will very nearly be in the rear-view mirror, and you may already be giving some thought to those New Year’s Resolutions that are going to push you in the right direction in 2024. Perhaps hanging that fresh calendar on the year is an excuse to try something fresh with your storytelling – and in this article we’re going to explore some ways you can look to break out of old habits and try some new approaches to writing in 2024. Epistolary storytelling This is something I’ve always been a fan of in fiction, though…

NEW PUBLISHING STREAM By Gary Dalkin Crystal Clear Books is a new British independent publisher based in Weymouth, Dorset, which specialises in inspirational non-fiction and fiction in the mind-bodyspirit, well-being, health, and healing genres. Founder Linda Parkinson-Hardman says that the company’s aim is to seek out those voices weaving a different story from the current mechanistic view of our world. With over 20 years publishing experience, Linda is seeking works that look beyond the obvious into the heart of what it means to be human, that enlighten, entertain, and inform, and which give insight into living from a spiritual and holistic perspective. The company seeks to ‘support new and emerging British writers’ and accepts un-agented and agented authors. Books should be innovative with something interesting to say about the world…

Farnham Flash Fiction Competition 2024 The competition for 500- word stories has a first prize of £100. The Farnham Flash Fiction Competition from Farnham Literary Festival 2024 is inviting entries of original, unpublished flash fiction up to 500 words. There are prizes of £199 and £25, and a special prize of £25 for the best flash fiction featuring Farnham. The entry fee is £5 per flash fiction. The closing date is 1 February. Website: www. flashfiction500.com/ The Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition 2023 The Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition is an international contest inviting entries of original, unpublished crime fiction under 2,000 words on the theme ‘A Crime Story Set in Scotland’. The competition is being run by Glencairn Glass in association with Bloody Scotland and Scottish Field.…

Hachette Children’s Novel Awards 2024 The Awards for debut writers are part of the 2024 Northern Writers Awards from New Writing North. The Hachette Children’s Novel Awards are for debut authors of full-length middle-grade children’s fiction and early teen fiction. Writers entering the Awards must be debut authors resident in the North of England. Two winners will each be awarded £3,000 and a programme of mentoring activities. To submit, send the opening of the novel (between 3,000 and 6,000 words) and a synposis. Entry is free. The closing date is 4 January. Website: https://newwritingnorth.com/ The Kelpies Prize for Writing 2024 This year’s competition is the 20th anniversary of the contest for new children’s writing accessible to children living in Scotland. The winner will receive £500, nine months of mentoring, and…

Humorous stories with ‘wit, word play, absurdity and inspired nonsense’ are invited for Witcraft, which is published online weekly, writes Jenny Roche. Stories which are gratuitously offensive, snarky diatribe, fake news or based on current political satire are not wanted. For more information on the kind of humour wanted, check out the website. Stories should be 200-1,000 words long. No payment is made for contributions although you will gain a publication credit to your name. Email your piece as an attachment. In the body of the email include a brief bio and any site or social links. Details: Email: submit@witcraft.org; Website: https://witcraft.org/…

IF in print The classic US science fiction magazine Worlds of IF, which originally ran for 175 issues from April 1955 to 1974 (titled If – Worlds of Science Fiction in its early years), is being relaunched in February by Starship Sloan Publishing, writes Gary Dalkin. Justin Sloane is editor in chief and publisher, and Jean-Paul L. Garnier of Space Cowboy Books is deputy editor in chief. The inaugural issue will be available in print and as free downloadable PDF, and promises to include works from multiple generations of SFF authors, artists, and poets. The editors plan to continue the magazine’s tradition of experimenting with new forms and styles of SF and showcasing new authors. No submission details were available at the time of writing, but visit https://starshipsloane.com/worlds-of-if-science-fiction-april- 1955-free-webzine-reissue-new-bonus-content/ for…

https://www.writers-online.co.uk/writing-competitions £250 TO BE WON OPEN: 500 WORDS This month’s challenge is to tell a complete story within a tight word count. Stories are welcome in any style and any genre - but not a word over 50 0! The prizes are £20 0 and £50, and we’ll publish the winning entries in the July 2024 issue, and online. Entry fee: £7.50/£6 subscribers Closing date: 15 February REF CODE: WRO/ Jan24/500words WIN! £775 IN CASH PRIZES & PUBLICATION £150 TO BE WON SUBSCRIBER-ONLY: MAKE A DIFFERENCE Enter fiction or creative nonfiction with a narrative where someone is in some way an agent for positive change – on a personal basis or even on a global scale. The prizes are £100 and £25, and we’ll publish the winning entry in the…

There’s something special about short story competitions. They’re great fun to enter and if you’re named as a prize winner, there’s no feeling quite like it.Many competitions have cash prizes and, of course, there’s the prestige that’s associated with a competition win. It’s something to put at the top of your writing CV and it can lead to other work. It was winning a Writing Magazine competition that first gave me faith in my writing ability and the confidence to send my work out. The majority of competitions also publish the winning entries in one form or another. Seeing your story published and your name alongside it gives you such a buzz. But how do you ensure your entry makes the shortlist? What will the judge be looking for? As…

‘We live entirely […] by the imposition of a narrative line upon disparate images’. Joan Didion, as ever, has a point. Our moods, our identity and self-esteem, all depend on our constantly shifting responses to external stimuli, to the many micro-aggressions of the everyday. The news can make me feel sad or exhilarated, friends can make me feel empowered or emasculated. It depends on how I read them. It depends on my narrative line. Yet what Didion actually writes – my coy ellipsis gives the game away – is that we live entirely, especially if we are writers, by the imposition of a narrative line. Prisoners of our perspectives, we are the editors of existence, giving rhythm and cadence, rise and fall, to the parameters of our life sentence. Perhaps…

In this series on the Building Blocks of Creative Writing, we have spent time looking at the Foundation Blocks – the attitudes towards writing underpinning everything else – perseverance, courage, trusting your intuition, writing with a sense of wonder etc. These are all hidden from the reader. They are below ground, so to speak. In the last couple of issues we have looked at ideas and the imagination – the mortar that holds all the Blocks together. It is time, now, to take a tentative look at the central Building Blocks of Creative Writing – STRUCTURE, DESCRIPTION, DIALOGUE, VOICE, CHARACTER, EDITING and all the smaller Blocks that make them up. My head tells me these Building Blocks are the cornerstones of Creative Writing, yet something inside me screams REMEMBER –…

‘Where do you get your ideas from?’ is probably the question most writers are asked. A while ago I asked a wide selection of writers a similar question. Similar because it had only one word missing. My question was: ‘Where do you get your ideas?’ The answers varied from whilst gardening to when taking a walk, but the most popular of all was, ‘In the bath.’ That may be because it’s one of the best places to relax and be alone behind a locked door. I should have come up with another question after those responses. ‘Do you remember those ideas when you stop weeding/get home or get dried and dressed?’ Many writers keep a record on their phones or in notebooks. That’s fine if you’re in the garden or…

STAR LETTER POLISHING THE CRAFT Ian Ayris suggests ‘you can write anywhere with anything on anything’ (Creative writing building blocks, WM Sep). Emboldened by reading that, I joined the weekly Crafternoon in our Village Hall. Some people bring knitting or needlework, some paint or draw. One woman’s husband sets up her easel so that she can work on her paintings of steam engines; he polishes small metal machine parts and chats to his friend who is making model buildings. How could I fit in? I set down my tablet and rhyming dictionary, then nervously asked whether anyone would like me to write something. Someone said, ‘Write a poem about this jumper I’m knitting.’ I asked a few questions, then tackled it like an exam. At the end of the afternoon…

It’s always interesting to learn about how writers actually become writers. As a result of nature or of nurture? By accident or by design? Do they come from families (or even dynasties) of playwrights, novelists and/or other creative people?Or are they the first to make it into print? ‘If you’d asked me this question a year ago, I’d have said I was the only writer in my family,’ says bestselling novelist Daniel Hurst, a prolific author of psychological thrillers. ‘But my father has recently written his first book, and has shown me many story notes he’s made over the years. This tells me I have clearly inherited some kind of writing gene from him! I was always writing as a child, although I can’t say any of those early stories…

The Fiction Desk The Fiction Desk publishes anthologies of new short fiction and features ‘a diverse range of established awardwinning authors and newcomers,’ and leans towards ‘general’ or ‘literary’ fiction. Currently submissions are invited for short stories for the ‘general’ category anthology which runs during every submission period. It includes the range of styles and genres that feature in all of their anthologies. The Fiction Desk also invites stories for the annual ghost story anthology. All types of story are welcome, but The Fiction Desk prefers ‘psychological chills and unexplained mysteries rather than in-your-face gore.’ Submit stories between 1,000 and 10,000 words, preferred lengths 2,000 and 7,000 words. Payment is £25 per thousand words plus two complimentary paperback copies. The Writer’s Award of £100 is given for ‘the best story…

The Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize 2024 Now in its 14th year, the major prize for undiscovered female writers is inviting entries. The Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize is given annually for novel manuscripts by unpublished, unagented women writers from the UK and Ireland that combine literary merit with unputdownability. Novels may be literary fiction or fiction in any genre, and may be for adults, young adults or children. The winner will receive £1,500. All shortlisted writers will receive a one-to-one meeting with an agent at the Prize’s sponsor, Peters Fraser + Dunlop where they will be given feedback on their entry. Novel manuscripts may be finished or unfinished. To enter, send the first 40-50 pages and a synopsis of three to five pages. The entry fee is £12. Only one entry…

Develop your playwrighting career Unsolicited full length playscripts are welcomed by London’s off-West End Finborough Theatre, which is interested in both playwrights and plays, writes Jenny Roche. If a play is selected for further dramaturgy they have a writers’ development programme to help train writers in stagecraft and to develop their unique theatrical voices. The Theatre also has the Finborough Forum, which is an invitation only group of theatre creatives who meet monthly for a Q&A with guest speakers and to socialise with other theatre practitioners. Although playwrights of all ages around the world are invited to submit their scripts, only plays written in English, Scots or Scots Gaelic will be considered. There is no restriction on subject or themes for submissions and amongst a list of particular interests are…

The international awards programme for indie authors and independent publishers is inviting entries. The Next Generation Indie Book Awards have more than 80 entry categories, and offer $100 cash prizes in each. The first-placed winner in fiction and non-fiction is $1,500. The second and third prizes are $750 and $500. The 2024 entry fee is $75 per title for the first category entered, and $60 for each additional category. The closing date is 14 February. Website: www.indiebookawards.com/…

Whether fact or fiction, every story needs an inciting incident. For Philippa Gregory, in the case of Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History, it was the realisation that there were more penises (93) than women (5) embroidered on the Bayeux Tapestry. ‘There are five,’ says the renowned author in some indignation. Her new book of historical non-fiction re-claiming women’s lives – a passion project that has taken almost a decade to complete – begins with the Norman Conquest in 1066. ‘One is mourning the death of her husband. Four women are being touched or sexually abused – one is running away from a burning building with her child. That’s literally where we start. It was embroidered by the women of England and if that’s what the Normans commanded it…

Ready to have the first 300 words of your manuscript critiqued? Contact tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk for details Aysha House’s journey towards creating an inspiring book has been years in the making. A transformative trip to Seville played a central role in shaping her creative aspirations, and during lockdown she finally embarked on the journey of putting ideas onto paper. Her spiritual exploration took an impactful turn when she embraced Christianity years ago. Her faith opened her eyes to the world of the biblical lands from New Testament times. The idea of time travel began to take root in her mind – the notion of journeying back two millennia to the era of Christ, linked with the prospect of venturing forward into the year 3000 AD. (Ophelia) To see and travel back to…

This is a question I’m often asked, and it’s certainly not the same answer as how long a piece of string is! So, how long should your book actually be? If we work backwards, from a production department point of view, a book of approximately 100,000 words will come in somewhere between 300 to 400 pages, largely depending on type size and page style. This is plenty for a typical author’s book, particularly a debut one. I’d suggest that 80,000 words up works well, occasionally stretching to 120,000 words on rare occasions. Shorter texts are less daunting for an agent to submit rather than a block of manuscript so aim to make your publication path easier. There’s an implication that a standard book length should have a tighter handle on…

The Observer/Anthony Burgess Prize for Arts Journalism 2024 Win a £3,000 first prize for new writing on the arts. The Observer/Anthony Burgess Prize for Arts Journalism is an annual competition for arts reviewers. The first prize is £3,000 and publication in the Observer. Two runners up each get £500. To enter, send an original, unpublished 800- word review of new work in the arts (ie, work produced since 1 January 2023). Subjects might include an album, book, concert, exhibition, film, play, live stream, social media entertainment, TV show, or any other artform or cultural activity that offers the opportunity to write a lively, thoughtful piece. The entry fee is £10. There is a free-entry scheme for writers on low incomes. The closing date is 29 February. Website: www.anthonyburgess.org/observeranthony-burgess-prize-artsjournalism/ The Nature…

Art market insights By Gary Dalkin The Abundant Artist is a US web platform founded in 2009 by artist Cory Huff dedicated to giving artists the knowledge they need to make a good living from their creative work, and particularly, to sell it online. The website has a community of over 30,000 registered members, and the site’s blog receives over 200,000 visitors per month. The editors are looking for original, previously unpublished posts from either professional artists or people who work in some aspect of the art industry. They are currently particularly interested in pitches for posts about: What’s working in art sales right now?; stories of artists successfully transitioning from offline to digital sales; how to sell art on Instagram – specific, unique takes, going beyond the basics; getting…

THAYER THAYER is an independent press operating out of New York City’s East Village. It runs a coffee house/shop meeting place for readers and authors, publishes a biennial magazine of short fiction, poetry, and photography, and now publishes novels. Submit short fiction, poetry, photography, and novels. Rights and royalties are discussed with the contract. Website: www.thayer.press Sapphire Books Publishing Sapphire Books Publishing calls itself ‘the gem in lesbian publishing.’ It publishes fiction, non-fiction and biographical lesbian literary works of art and welcomes high-quality unsolicited manuscripts by lesbian authors. On the current wish list is romance, mystery/intrigue with romantic elements and young adult books. No poetry or short stories. Novels should be at least 50,000 words. The team prefer stories with a HEA ending. Include a story summary, with ending, under…

World Fantasy Awards winners The winners of the World Fantasy Awards for 2022 were announced at the World Fantasy Convention in Kansass City at the end of October. Best Novel, Saint Death’s Daughter, C.S.E. Cooney (Solaris); Best Novella, Pomegranates, Priya Sharma (Absinthe); Best Short Fiction, ‘Incident at Bear Creek Lodge’, Tananarive Due (published in Other Terrors: An Inclusive Antholog y); Best Anthology, Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction, edited by Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Zelda Knight (Tordotcom); Best Collection, All Nightmare Long, Tim Lebbon (PS Publishing); Special Award – Professional, Matt Ottley, for The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness (Dirt Lane); Special Award – Non-Professional, Michael Kelly, for Undertow Publications. Peter Crowther of the UK’s PS Publishing was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award, as…

Nika moved from Zagreb through Berlin to London, where she now lives with her partner and their growing number of cats. In her job, she listens to the narratives people tell about themselves, and in her free time, she reads the ones they put on paper. This is her first published work. RUNNER UP AND SHORTLISTED The runner up in WM’s Machine Short Story Competition is John Moralees, Washington, Tyne and Wear. You can read his story at www.writers-online.co.uk/writing-competitions/showcase/ Also shortlisted were: Dominic Bell, Hull; Lucy Brighton, Barnsley, South Yorkshire; Alana Beth Davies, Swansea; Melanie Francis, Harrow, Middlesex; Christine Griffin, Hucclecote, Gloucester; Deborah Hugill, Northallerton, North Yorkshire; Rob Molan, Edinburgh; M Stewart Smith, Burley, Leeds; Sharon S Summervale, Bridgwater, Somerset; Sarah Turner; Rayleigh, Essex; Gill Wilson, Norwich. They came into…