WELLBEING for writers: HOW TO MAKE YOUR WRITING DREAMS COME TRUE

In part two of her series that will empower you to create writing success, Sophie Hannah explains why believing in seemingly impossible dreams can lead to unbelievable results

BREAKING THE RULES: How to write genre-busting fiction

WRITING COMPETITIONS

FOLLOW THE SCIENCE

In crime fiction, factual scientific accuracy can make or break the credibility of your book.Author and crime science advisor Brian Price looks at getting it right – and getting it wrong

BEAT THE BLOCK!

Stuck with your writing? Jenny Alexander looks at five kinds of writer’s block and how to power through them

Past present and future

Beloved novelist Freya North has surpassed herself with a new tale of growing up and coming to terms with the past. She talks to Tina Jackson about memory and the magic involved in the craft of writing

Older writers: MORE ROOM AT THE TOP

Have you come to writing later in life, and worry that you might have missed the boat? Far from it! Novelist Christine Cohen Park explores the new interest from publishers in books written by women in their 70s and 80s

Corresponding with the past

Author Julie Hankey describes how a heap of letters ended up as family history, and offers advice for other writers wondering whether to use family letters as material in their work

THE FIRST BUILDING BLOCK: PLOT AND STORY (PART TWO)

PLOT POINTS

The world of writing

What goes through a writer’s brain? Readers’ letters and dispatches from the wide world of writing

WELCOME

Dream big, writers! All writers have dreams, don’t

Your writing critiqued

James McCreet applies a forensic micro-critique to the beginning of a reader’s manuscript

Tricks up her sleeve

Novelist Liz Hyder writes about creating the tricks that set the scene in The Illusions, a spellbinding story of magic and moving pictures

A TWIST IN THE TAIL

Alison Chisholm is enchanted by an animal poem

Spring into action!

Is there something that’s holding you back from getting your novel finished? Margaret James runs through some of the potential roadblocks, and offers advice to get you past them

5 Five quick questions

1. When and where did your journey

Learning a lesson

TO READ THE STORY writ.rs/thesinginglesson

DISCOVERING YOUR GIFTS

Yvonne Banham is the debut author of The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie. Amy Sparkes talks to her about starting a writing career in your 50s and the wonder of writing for children

A wave of hope

An antidote to dark genre fiction is emerging, with the emphasis on people power. Alex Davis looks at the emergence of hopepunk, and gives you advice on how to write it

JULIE MA

The comic novelist runs through the long slog before a big competition win changed everything

TONY KENT

The fast-paced thriller author talks to Lynne Hackles about the demands of his day job as a criminal barrister and the importance of authentic fight scenes

S. A. DUNPHY

Margaret James talks to the Irish author about his two literary personae as a novelist and author of non-fiction

The beautiful dream

Novel Ideas

SHELF LIFE

JASPER FFORDE

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: YOUR WRITING WHY I W RITE

The question of why a writer writes is

Subscribers’ news

To feature in Subscribers’ News contact: tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk USING

Fruit salad

Keep your writing group fruity with these exercises from Julie Phillips

Get the write idea

P ut characters in situations and see how they evolve in these creative writing ex ercises to try right now

LITTLE BLUE

OPEN SHORT STORY WINNER: BLUE

BACK TO THE ‘80S Will You?

SUBSCRIBER-ONLY SHORT STORY COMPETITION WINNER

COMPETITION LAUNCHES

STILL TIME TO ENTER

Writerly dedication

With her eighth book due for publication, Gillian Harvey is running out of people to dedicate them to...

ACCESS ALL AREAS

All writers need readers. Simon Whaley explores how we can make our work more inclusive and accessible to a wider readership

Investigative JOURNALISM

Tarja Moles looks at the research skills needed to bring injustice to light

Behind the tape

Expert advice to get the details right in your crime fiction from serving police officer Lisa Cutts

Taking advice on board

Monica Chakraverty, editorial director at Cornerstones, answers a reader’s query about processing editorial feedback

GET PUBLISHED

You’ve read the advice – now get into print! Find the most up-to-date calls for submissions, writing competitions to enter and publishing opportunities to suit you and your writing in our easy-to-navigate news pages

DESPERATELY FINDING FEEDBACK

From the OTHER SIDE OF THE DESK

LITERARY COMPETITIONS

In A Flash In a Flash, the first

ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSIONS

TreeShaker Books TreeShaker Books produces genre fiction anthologies,

NON-FICTION OPPORTUNITIES

Anne Brown Essay Prize The free-to-enter Anne Brown

HUMOUR OPPORTUNITIES

Showcase your funnies

GENERAL NEWS

Rewriting Finn for Jim Following the trend for

Too different?

GOING TO MARKET

POETRY COMPETITIONS

The Heroica Poetry Prize 2024 The winners of

INDIE MAGS & WEBSITES

PDR LINDSAY-SALMON Porter House Review Porter House Review

SCRIPT OPPORTUNITY

Scripts for the NT

SHORT STORY COMPETITIONS

The People’s Friend £10k short story writing competition

Don’t go there?

Dangerous locations can make interesting topics for travel writers, say Patrick Forsyth

INDEPENDENT PRESS OPPORTUNITIES

Verso Books Verso Books claims to be ‘the