Enigma variations

WELCOME

Happy new year! And welcome to the fi

The world of writing

As the relentless grind of technology drags Miscellany Manors kicking and screaming into the 21st centur y, find out why we won’t be printing WM in binary any time soon

LETTERS

STAR LETTER REACH FOR THE STARS In April

Editorial calendar

Strong for ward planning will greatly improve your chances with freelance submissions. Here are some themes to consider for the coming months

Which way forward?

Be clear about what you want publication to achieve, urges Patrick Forsyth

Novel Ideas

What a wonderful week

Short and sweet

Succinct descriptions can work wonders, says Patrick Forsyth

All about the edits

Helen Corner-Bryant explains the different levels of editing a manuscript needs before it’s published

Waking up & smelling the coffee

Publishing has learned a lot from lockdown about office life, says Piers Blofeld

Youth culture

Tarja Moles helps you get your head around finding accurate information about young people

Behind the tape

Expert advice to get the details right from police officer Lisa Cutts

HOW TO get discovered

Anna Davis of Curtis Brown Creative tells you how to write the introductory letter and synopsis that will give you real agent appeal

Dyslexia unbounded

Writing with dyslexia brings rewards with its challenges, says Alice Dunn

Promo post

Simon Whaley chats to three authors who use promotional email newsletter services to boost their writing business

TOP TIPS FROM THE AUTHORS

• Alison Morton: ‘Regard it as a marketing

A SPOONFUL OF SUCCESS

H as anyone got a spoon? As I

Your life on the page

Would you like to start writing your own life story? Acclaimed memoirist Cathy Rentzenbrink offers a guide on how to get started on life-writing

Has it got legs ?

How do you know if your work-in-progress is hitting the mark? Adrian Magson provides some pointers

Your writing critiqued

James McCreet applies his forensic criticism to the first 300 words of a reader’s manuscript

THE LAST GOODBYE

How do you create an effective ending in fiction? Margaret James has advice on how to wrap up your stories

I wish I’d known

‘Just shut up and keep writing. ‘This is

The power of three

Helen M Walters explores the possibilities of the number three in fiction, with a short story by Andrea Lee

The ROOTS OF fantasy

Alex Davis explores the journey of the genre from its origins

A BOOK FOR EVERY CHILD

Amy Sparkes talks to three children’s authors about the vital importance of celebrating difference

HAUNTED BY THE PAST

Swimming against the tide comes naturally for supernatural crime bestseller Stuart Neville, as he tells Tina Jackson

Are you ready for romance?

Is being a romance author the ultimate romantic dream? With Valentine’s Day looming, Rosalind Moody prays the answer is ‘yes’

Saba Sams

The author of debut short story collection Send Nudes remembers how writing set her free as a teenager

SHELF LIFE

Prolific bestseller Diane Chamberlain shares the fi ve books that have made the greatest impact on her

CIRCLES’ ROUNDUP

If your writing group would like to feature here, whether you need new members, have an event to publicise or to suggest tips for other groups, email Tina Jackson, tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk

SUBSCRIBERS’ NEWS

SHARE YOUR NEWS

From fact to fiction

‘I think there must be something contagious about

Comedy duo

‘Two years ago, I was delighted to be

A light-hearted view

‘As a volunteer at our local museum I’ve

Hasta la fiesta!

‘It had always been a far-off dream to

Sarah Bonner

The new psychological thriller author tells Adrian Magson how she profited from the pandemic

Lori Ann Stephens

The author and professor tells Lynne Hackles about Paris, Texas, and how she writes best in the comfy chair

Find your happy

Jenny Alexander urges you to embrace positivity Are you finding winter a bit bleak? in these creative writing exercises

Someone I Used To Know

Amanda Fennelly is a radio producer and presenter with RTÉ, Ireland’s national broadcaster, and has a degree in journalism. She has dabbled in creative writing since she was a child, doing a number of courses over the years, and has tried her luck in WM competitions a few times but until now was only shortlisted once. She was on the verge of taking a break from creative writing so this achievement has given her confidence the boost it needed to keep working towards her dream of one day having a novel published

ABRACADABRA!

Cast a spell over your writing group in these magic-themed exercises from Julie Phillips

Coffee Ghosts

FIRST PLACE £1,000 WINNER: ALASTAIR CHISHOLM Alastair Chisholm

SETTING IDEAS free

Alison Chisholm explores a well-crafted poem with a sculpture theme

Let love in

Alison Chisholm launches Writing Magazine’s annual

Emerging novelists, make a splash

The Bath Novel Award 2022 is inviting entries.

Books of the century

Last October The New York Times decided to

STAR SUBMISSIONS

Fiction, flash fiction, creative non fiction, poetry and

In the aftermath

The theme for the 2021/22 Never Such Innocence

Tune in to Popular Science

Popular Science was launched in the US in

Snowed under with submissions

There are categories for poetry and fiction in

NORTHERN EXPOSURE

The 2022 Northern Writers’ Awards are open for

FLASHES

The quarterly Bath Flash Fiction Award is inviting

Let Live Novel bring your story to life

Live Novel calls itself ‘an audiobook for your

A sustainable prize

Cheshire Prize for Literature 2021 is inviting entries

Understanding today’s work issues

With a focus on reported narrative features Worklife

Branch out

Published in print and digital formats three times

Win and develop your theatre piece

The 2022 Neukom Institute Literary Arts Awards for

More Weird Tales

Submission details aren’t available yet, but the classic

FLASHES

The annual Flash 500 Short Stories Competition has

Cat talk

Fun speculative fiction stories about cats are invited

Make an impact

Puncher & Wattmann is an Australian publisher of

Rewarding indies

The international Rubery Book Award 2022 is for

Times for news solutions

The New York Times publishes an ongoing series

Watch out for this poetry prize

The Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry Competition, from the

Searchlight on children’s stories

The Searchlight Writing for Children Awards are inviting

FLASHES

Win £1,000 for 1,000-word short fiction in the

Dame on

Dame Magazine is an independent US news, politics

Costa shortlists

The shortlists for the 50th Costa Book Awards

History to the Pugmill

The Pugmill Press Hidden Gem Prizes is a

Making History

Published quarterly, History Magazine is published by Moorshead

UNICORN PUBLISHING GROUP

Unicorn Publishing Group is a leading independent publisher

A rare beast in the book world

Royal Museums Greenwich, Royal Armouries, Notting Hill Editions,

FLASHES

A one-woman press specialising in ‘intimate, visceral and

Have your play published

Original Works Publishing is a publishing and licensing

Make for Steerforth

US publisher Steerforth Press was launched in 1993,

Way out West Country for poets

The Teignmouth Poetry Festival Poetry Competition is inviting

INTRODUCTIONS

Writing Magazine presents a selection of current submission calls. We strongly recommend that you read back issues, familiarise yourself with their guidelines before submitting and check websites for submission details

Dream on

Lucent Dreaming is a British biannual print and

A tight screw

The Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition, The Ghost

FLASHES

Lovetovisit.com is a new travel website launched

London literary agency

Darley Anderson Literary, TV and Film agency has

Into the Knight

Small indie Knight Writing Press has a founder

Quick, Rescue

Open for submissions until 15 January, Rescue Press

Buzzy book coverage

Farrah Penn, editor of Buzzfeed Books, a section

Your story could blow up

Word Balloon Books is a modern hybrid press

Writers help writers

The Writers’ Co-op grew from ‘a small group

FLASHES

Win a £500 prize for 21st century fables

Neverending Chicken Soup

The editors of the Chicken Soup anthologies want

Right up your street

A US annual literary anthology, Upstreet is open

Read this, please

The Borough Press is inviting submissions for bestselling

ZINE SCENE

McCoy’s Monthly is a zine with a team

FLASHES

Wildfire Words New Voices First Pamphlet Competition 2022

Subs open all year at Black Lawrence

Black Lawrence Press is a US indie publishing

A new way to tell a story

Writers interested in AI technology and what it

Political pulse

Novara Media is a UK multimedia outlet founded

Queer and here!

The new PFD Queer Fiction Prize 2022 has

FLASHES

The Baen Memorial Short Story Award for short

Stories, previously untold

Pugmill Press is a new independent non-fiction publisher

Write for Rosemary

The Rosemary Goodacre Memorial Short Story Competition is