Innehållsförteckning för May 2024 från Writing Magazine

To feature in Subscribers’ News contact: tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk GROUP DYMANICS My latest novel, The Creative Writing Group, chronicles the intertwined lives, loves, heartbreaks and friendships of six characters linked by their love for the written word, writes subscriber Raymond Little. My previous work, all traditionally published by presses in both the UK and USA, consisted wholly of speculative fiction, from horror to sci-fi, so this story was a big change in direction for me. The seeds of this new novel were sown by my involvement with two creative writing groups. Firstly Bromley Writers, an experienced bunch I joined a decade or so ago, and then the Brixton Creative Writing Group, which I founded and ran for several years. Although my early published work concentrated on the weird and scary, the most…

If you have a query for Lisa, please send it by email to lisacuttsenquiries@ gmail.com Q If someone takes their own life (sadly) and they leave a letter for a partner/spouse, do the police read it and class it as ‘evidence’? Mike Lynch via email Yes, you’re correct; the police would read and seize the letter. If there A are no suspicious circumstances, the family would have the deceased person’s possessions returned to them at a later date, including the letter. A police officer (sometimes the detective sergeant who attended the suicide, although this may vary) writes a report for the Coroner giving the details about the last known movements of the deceased and how the person died. The family would have access to the report, and the contents of…

Bad Hand Books ‘You can do a lot with a bad hand’, say the editorial team at Bad Hand Books, writes PDR Lindsay-Salmon. Currently closed to full length submissions, the team are seeking submissions of short stories for the next Bad Hand Books anthology, LONG DIVISION: Stories of Social Decay, Societal Collapse, and Bad Manners, edited by Doug Murano and Michael Bailey. The editors want writers to consider that today we live in divided times, fuelled by misinformation where we retreat inside ideological bubbles. No trust, no cohesion, just dangerous divides. Submit ‘original stories of transgression, of the mechanisms behind what’s fraying the bonds that should bind us.’ Think about ‘what’s worth keeping and what requires smashing to bits.’ They prefer stories with a speculative element (horror, fantasy, S.F.), but…

With a catalogue of over 2,000 titles and a list of over 500 authors, North Carolina-based Baen Books are one of the biggest publishers of science fiction and fantasy in the world. Authors published by Baen include Kevin J. Anderson, Paolo Bacigalupi, Elizabeth Bear, Greg Bear, Aliette de Bodard, Lois McMaster Bujold, Nancy Kress, Elizabeth Moon, Jerry Pournelle, Justina Robson, Catherynne M. Valente, and hundreds more. In science fiction the editorial team are looking for powerful plots with solid scientific and philosophical underpinnings. For fantasy any magical system must be both rigorously coherent and integral to the plot, and ‘overall the work must at least strive for originality’, which is a polite way of saying no Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones or Harry Potter imitations. Submissions will be…

Shooter Shooter is a UK-based literary magazine that supports ‘emerging writers of literary fiction, creative non-fiction, narrative journalism and poetry.’ The print magazine is published twice a year. Issues are always themed and the next theme is ‘Nightlife’. The deadline is 12 May for short stories and non-fiction of 2,000 to 6,000 words and/or one to three poems on that theme. Payment: £25 per story or piece of artwork and £5 per poem or piece of flash fiction. PDRLS Website: https://shooterlitmag.com The Pinch The Pinch litmag is ‘the cornerstone of the MFA in creative writing at the University of Memphis.’ The focus is on fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. For non-fiction submit provoking essays no more than 4,000 words. For fiction the team favour strong voices, well-written prose, work that ‘moves,…

For a few years I had pinned above my desk a Private Eye cartoon by Peter Cook. Two literary types at a book launch, ‘I’m writing a novel,’ says one, ‘neither am I,’ replies the other. It’s a curious irony, given the amount of time that authors spend worrying about not writing enough – and indeed about getting an agent and getting published – that one of the oldest refrains in publishing is that ‘we publish too many books.’ Arnaud Lagardere, the Chief Executive of Hachette, was at it last week, declaring that the business was entering a ‘very offensive strategy in terms of cost cutting … maybe we publish too many books.’ Publishing famously embodies the Pareto Principle which states that 80% of outcomes derive from 20% of causes:…

We’ve all been there… That moment when you sit at your computer (or even, dare I say it, with that nice new lined notebook with perhaps, an inspiring quote from Maya Angelou on the cover) and nothing pops into your creative hemisphere… You sit there, with the ‘nothing’ for a while, waiting for the airwaves to clear. You tell yourself that soon, a detail of a funny conversation or an inciting incident will take you, dancing into some meaningful creative waters…? Still nothing? Do not despair. This ‘ennui’ could be a sign that you are trying too hard. In my case, ‘having to be funny’ on the page, is usually the kiss of death and the more I try to force it, the less natural my material. Laughter usually happens…

Have you ever abandoned a book because you just didn’t care what happened to the characters? If so, you’re not alone, I’ve done it more than once. We writers can spend ages devising complex characters and intriguing plots but if we don’t engage emotions, our readers soon lose interest. Emotional depth provides a crucial ingredient that can elevate writing from mediocre to magnificent, so we want, no we need, to use them to keep the pages turning. Does the character fall in love, survive the attack, live another day? We need to FEEL something when we read about it. So, whether you’re writing a novel or a short story, conjure emotions into every sentence, every paragraph. Here are some tips to help you write magnificently. 1. Show don’t tell All…

Cally Taylor proves that crime writers who explore the darkest, murkiest areas of human existence can be amongst the nicest writers you’re likely to meet. ‘Yes! I know! The darkness that looms!’ she laughs. She’s a gregarious livewire to talk to – generous, witty and warm, and evidently tickled pink that WM has spent haunted hours compulsively turning the pages of her newest book. Cally is C.L. Taylor, the bestselling author of truly terrifying psychological thrillers that twist the knife as they interrogate fears made all the more relatable because they could – and often do – play out in real lives. Bearing this out, Cally’s most recent novel Every Move You Make is rooted in her own experience of being stalked. ‘Before I was stalked, I was in a…

If you had asked me when I was seven or eightyears-old what I wanted to be when I grew up I would have definitely said ‘an author.’ I was obsessed with reading and writing and eventually did go on to study English at university. But real life got in the way and I didn’t come back to my dream again until my late forties. By that stage I had built a successful career in HR but was experiencing what I guess most people would call a midlife crisis. I was no longer happy in what I was doing and when a coach I was working with asked me whether I still wanted to be doing the role I was in, I didn’t hesitate to say ‘no’. This created a domino…

STAR LETTER WAITING TO HEAL Grateful thanks to Greta Solomon and her article on Navigating the Personal Sharing Minefield (Writing from the wound, WM April). I have gone through a very heartbreaking and traumatic two years watching my darling husband going through dementia. He is in a hospital facility and unfortunately I still have to watch over his care which is taking its toll on my health. I have kept a diary documenting this journey and yesterday I decided it may be cathartic to write the story and do ‘something’ with it. However my Writing Magazine arrived and as I started reading it whilst having my lunch I read Greta’s article and it really spoke to me; I would indeed be writing from the wound and not the scar. I…

There were an amazing 165 entries for the Picture Book category of the Writing Magazine Children’s Prize last year. Many congratulations to everyone who entered and to those writers whose stories were longlisted and shortlisted. Congratulations to our three winners: Sue Rawlings, Hannah King and Rebecca Loveday. Read on to find out more about the writers and their winning stories. THIRD PLACE: A POO WITH A VIEW BY HANNAH KING • Judges’ comments: ‘Fun, with great child appeal and brilliant scansion.’ Spread 1 In a village called Bottomley, not far from you, Lived a very particular pigeon called Hugh. Each day when the clock chimed at quarter to two, He would choose a good spot for his afternoon poo. He liked to be punctual, perfect and neat, And hated loud…

BBC Science Focus The BBC’s monthly print and online science and technology magazine, Science Focus, is seeking science and health writers, with payment between £300£700 for features between 1000-2000 words. writes Gary Dalkin. There are sections for Future Tech, Nature, Space, the Human Body, Everyday Science and Planet Earth. Recent online stories have ranged from the serious, ‘new technologies could reimagine baby-making as we know it’ to the light-hearted, ‘101 random fun facts that will blow your mind’, to lifestyle-orientated pieces, ‘why your brain is hard -wired to avoid exercise’. Stories should be designed with a popular, general readership in mind, people who are interested to know, for example, ‘why new climate breakthroughs mean you should have (some) hope in 2024’, as well as in practical advice like, ‘how to…

It began with a book. Of course it did, since a writer’s life is immersed in words, and we scribes read far more than we ever type. In my case, it was a favourite author in William Boyd; turning the pages on his Sweet Caress and the story of protagonist Amory Clay, I wondered if I’d picked up a non-fiction book by mistake. Here was a colourful life story, embedded in 20th-century history, with fuzzy black and white photographs scattered amid the text. Intent on discovering more, I turned to our friend Google, only to draw a blank; Amory Clay did not exist, except in Mr Boyd’s head, and now in mine. But there were pictures! Real events! Surely, she’d been flesh and blood? Truth is, there are plenty of…

Former journalist and Grenadian-heritage Londoner Pam Williams works full time as a teacher and career leader in a special school. ‘I’m out of the house by 7.30am and back home between 5pm and 6pm so my writing time starts after having dinner with my husband,’ she says. ‘I might work from 8pm until around 11pm – or much later if the words are flowing. During school holidays, I relish having the time to write or edit all day and into the night if I choose to. ‘I write notes on my phone when I’m on the tube. It’s a good time to examine something that isn’t working. Observing other passengers can trigger ideas too – gestures, facial expressions, or snippets of conversation. ‘My dream of writing a novel began way…

What an inventive lot the WM writers proved themselves to be with the ‘Genre-busting' submission call! The response was terrific, with a postbag full of playful, off-the wall writing that read as if its creators had a gonzo riot mashing up elements from various genres into unique hybrids. Horror, Westerns, sci-fi, crime and fair ytales were all staple ingredients that found their way into many ingenious mixes, but there were also many delightfully unexpected elements that provided food for thought as well as a lot of fun. This month a pair of prose mashups have made it onto the page: we’re sure as you read them, you’ll see how these two rose to the top – the cream of the crop! TJ WE WANT YOUR WRITING (and we’ll pay you…

I must confess that I don’t plan out my books. This is to my own detriment—if only I were more organised (I often think), I would be far less prone to staring out of the window instead of writing, wondering if that squirrel will manage to jump from the cherry tree to our fence. The image of a squirrel leaping precariously is in many ways similar to how the first five pages of a novel unfold, at least for me. Within those first few pages, the entire direction of the book, its tone and plot, are set in motion. It’s hard to explain, but if the book were a colour or an icecream flavour, those first pages are its taste for me. Like a squirrel, I’m leaping towards the unknown.…

• When and where did your journey as an author begin? Towards the end of the 1990s, my hearing began to deteriorate rapidly due to viral damage. Boredom set in when I could no longer enjoy music, films, television programmes or family conversations. So, to amuse myself, I began to send fillers to magazines and newspapers, some of which paid handsomely. I was bitten by the writingfor-profit bug! • What is (or has been) your proudest moment as a writer? I’m not sure if proud is the word I would use, but I have always been ridiculously thrilled to see anything I’ve written – even if it’s only a few words – in print. And I’m also pleased that I’ve had something new in print every year since those early…

The concept of story structure might feel restrictive but it can enhance your creative freedom as a novelist. It can help you protect your story’s integrity, streamline your writing process, and boost your confidence, all through an understanding of how and why stories are shaped the way they are. I’d advise that you learn to harness these techniques, no matter what type of writer you are. Think of structure as the technical scaffolding and underpinning of a story that allows you to take control without veering off into the wilds. It maps out key story building blocks, using the three-act structure or The Hero’s Journey, plotting the shape of the plot and character arcs, with interweaving cause and effect. Every writer will have their own process of writing that suits…

Blydyn Square Books Blydyn Square Books is a US small press which is devoted to releasing a few high-quality titles per year, writes Gary Dalkin. They aim to seek out writers who can produce the kind of writing that makes people think, and makes them believe that our world can and should be a better, and smarter, place. The editorial team are always eager to discover the work of new authors who have true talent and something interesting to say. They are open to unagented submissions until 31 May. The editors would like to see: Fiction, including literary, historical, and women’s fiction. In general, they don’t publish romance, fantasy, science fiction, short-story collections, or poetry, but may make exceptions. No novellas or works under 65,000 words. For nonfiction they are…

The 2024 MTP Short Story Competition The MTP Short Story Competition invites entries of original stories in any genre, fiction or non-fiction, up to 3,000 words. The winner will receive £1,000 and there are second and third prizes of £500 and £250. Five runners up will each receive £50. All winners will be published in the MTP 2024 Anthology, the title of which will be based on the winning entry. The entry fee is £8 per story. The closing date is 31 May. Website: www.mtp.agency/competition The Brick Lane Bookshop 2024 Short Story Prize Get in quick to win a £1,000 first prize in the annual contest funded by the independent Brick Lane Bookshop. The Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prize is inviting entries of original, unpublished short fiction between 1,000…

I read a newspaper article recently that extolled the merits of all-inclusive holidays. Evidently (according to Abta) more than half the holidays booked by young families in 2023 were inclusive. Who knew? Well, not me. But then I am not in that category. My children are no longer young and, in any case, I do not want to be cloistered in one place and regard one of the pleasures of being on holiday as exploring the locality and eating out, preferably in small, family run, restaurants. I have nothing against all-inclusive arrangements, each to their own, and clearly this arrangement is popular. But discovering this made me think. There is a temptation in writing about travel not only to follow the age-old advice of writing about what you know (or…

When Carol first wakes up, she thinks it must have been a dream. The ringing phone had been distant, muffled as if the landline device had been buried in a bag of something soft like cotton wool - the packing material stuffed so tightly into its bag or box that the seams were almost burst. She’s used to having auditory dreams, sometimes hearing voices and music in the early morning. She woke once to the clear sound of her daughter calling her name. But it was her Ellen’s voice from years ago. She’s fully grown now, working every minute. Miles away. Carol’s not seen her since… she doesn’t know when. Time is a watery grey tide these days. It comes and goes beyond all bidding. Carol shifts, feeling the reassuring…

Sarah Kingsley is a freelance writer living in London. She is currently editing the first draft of her first novel and has also written many short stories but this is the first one she has entered into a competition. When she’s not reading or writing, she enjoys Tai Chi, crafting and country walks. Tara I was working in a cocktail bar when I met Adam. I often wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t swapped shifts with Liza McDonald. Was I ripe for picking? If it hadn’t been Adam, would it have been someone else? Of course, I must not blame myself. So my counsellor said. But she never understood the full story. No-one did, not even me. Coconut Grove was the cocktail bar in London back in 1986.…