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We’ve had a fun time leading up to this issue

On writing: John Fowles

There are at least three good reasons for keeping a

Polar attraction

Striking a balance between artistic imagination and historical accuracy is

Beat the bestsellers: JL Carr

Tony Rossiter profiles the self-styled writer who set up his

Shelf life: Peter Robinson

Crime writer Peter Robinson shares his five favourite reads with

Crime file: Cath Staincliffe

Cath Staincliffe discusses uniting nine disparate characters on a train

How I got published: Annabel Abbs

Annabel Abbs, author of The Joyce Girl, published by Impress

New author profile: Jules Grant

A criminal justice background informs the seedy underworld of Manchester

My writing day: Andy Jones

Rigorous routine and Pavlovian triggers help the former copywriter stick

BOOKS OF THE YEAR

Make room on your Christmas list as Writing Magazine highlights

Train your brain: Red editing pen

Each month, we give you a few sentences which would

Writing life: Blockbusters

Hollywood script doctor Jeff Lyons doesn’t even believe in writer’s

THE 7-STEP PROCESS FOR Busting Writer’s Block

What follows are the concrete steps you can take, using

Talk it over: Start write

I think I have a great idea (don’t we all?)

Novel ideas

Who’s right?

The business of writing: Festive frustrations

As Christmas draws closer, Simon Whaley chats to three writers

Writing life: Copy protection

Even the accusation of plagiarism can ruin a writer’s career

Notes from the margin: The truth of the matter

THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER

Self-publishing: Createspace publishing, step by step

Sell your book in the world’s biggest bookshop by publishing

Self-publishing: Kindle ebooks step by step

Sell your ebook in the world’s biggest bookshop, with step

Self-publishing: DIY SOS

For some writers, the very idea of going it alone

Poetry workshop: A pudding poem

The proof of the pudding

Poetry in practice

People are inclined to look down on poets writing humorous

Poetry primer: Poetry from A-Z

Perfect your poetry with a WM Creative Writing course. See

Poetry competition: Open invitation

Set yourself up for a strong performance in the year’s

Subscriber spotlight

Share your writing success stories. If you subscribe to Writing

Circles’ Roundup

If your writing group would like to feature here, whether

Open short story winner

Helen Liston has been writing for two years and this

Circles’ roundup: What’s my line?

Writing group members can help each other to get going

Subscriber-only short story winner

PJ is a British writer and environmentalist who lives in

Beginners: Turn to the dark side

Don’t be afraid to explore edgy characters and situations, urges

Under the microscope

Author and lecturer James McCreet puts a reader’s first 300

Fiction focus: Kill your darlings

Killing off characters can be cathartic and creatively helpful, but

I wish I’d known…

Novelists tell us what they wished they’d known right at

Writing for children: Mistakes to avoid: After publication

You’ve finally got your children’s book in your sticky mitts

Fantastic realms: Light, speed, progress

Can science-fiction really keep up with science-fact – and does

Grumpy Old Bookman

It was in 1955 (or thereabouts) that I first began

From the other side of the desk

Agent Piers Blofeld peers behind the scenes of one of

Technology for writers: Get the on social media

Promote yourself and your writing online with advice from Chris

Writers’ web watch

Have you got a draft of something that you’re sort-of

Features desk: I time

Journalists usually try to avoid ‘featuring’ in their articles, but

Going to market

Final (positive) straw

Research tips: Official secrets

The Government makes vast amounts of useful information available online

Travel writing know how

Patrick Forsyth presents some thoughts about descriptions to use or

Miscellany

Archaic argot, unwanted updates, wrong routines, cosy cookbooks and library

Letters

We want to hear your news and views on the

Editorial calendar

Strong forward planning will greatly improve your chances with freelance

Behind the tape

Crimewriter and serving police officer Lisa Cutts answers your legal

Computer clinic

SOFTWARE SAVING

Helpline

Email your queries to Diana (please include home-town details) at:

Poetry about nature and place for The Rialto

The Rialto poetry magazine is inviting entries for the Nature

New prize in SAC short story comp

The Scottish Arts Club Short Story Competition is inviting entries

Look to the future

The free-to-enter L Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest

UK CRIME MARKET

Killer on the hunt

Stranger than fiction

Mad Scientist Journal is a zany zine looking for fiction

Second novels, take a bow!

The RSL is accepting entries for its Royal Society of

Pullman protects

In his role as president of the Society of Authors,

FLASHES

Catrin Griffiths edits weekly legal profession magazine The Lawyer. Feature

GLOBAL FICTION MARKET

LampLight is a literary magazine, published as print and ebook,

Get your Gunn

The Neil Gunn Writing Competition 2016-17 invites entries that respond

Mythic opportunities

Mythic is a new US quarterly print magazine of SF

UK MAGAZINE MARKET

Doctor Who Magazine has been running for 37 years. ‘So

It’s a Funny Old World

A tipple called Mr Twit’s Odious Ale has been brewed

FLASHES

Vince Bamford is the new editor of British Baker, the

GLOBAL FICTION MARKET

Get to know Mugwump

Strike now

Matchbook likes to publish ‘works of short fiction and indeterminate

Magazine opening for blind writers

A magazine for those who have vision loss, the blind,

UK INDEPENDENT MARKET

Quality set in stone

The Wundor of the written word

Wundor Editions is a new independent publisher set up by

Poems for a good Causley

The judge will be Andrew Motion and the winners will

FLASHES

Saqi Books acquired world rights to Hear Us Now: Writings

GLOBAL CRIME MARKET

Felony & Mayhem Press

Uprooted wins at BFA Awards

The British Fantasy Awards 2016 were given at FantasyCon 2016

Belmont Story Review

Belmont Story Review is the new online literary journal of

Keep it in the back garden

A monthly independent magazine and online resource, Home Farmer was

GLOBAL SPECFIC MARKET

Smugglers shoot off

And another thing...

‘I’m really not in control at all of what I’m

FLASHES

Aquila monthly educational magazine is aimed at children aged 8-13

UK FICTION MARKET

A gift from the gods

New poetry comp from Read Raw Ltd

The Robert Tannahill Poetry Competition is a new poetry contest

Rebel Base founded

US publisher Kensington Publishing are to launch Rebel Base Books

On course in Nottingham

Based in the Creative Quarter of the city, Nottingham Writers’

INTRODUCTIONS

Writing Magazine presents a selection of hobby and craft titles

GLOBAL LITERARY MARKET

Get recognised in A Public Space

FLASHES

Somerset Life monthly magazine is edited by Charlotte Skidmore. Send

GLOBAL ROMANCE MARKET

TMTLTBMG

Listen here

No Extra Words is a weekly podcast broadcasting English language

Thank goodness for small Merciers

Independent Irish publisher Mercier Press is inviting entries from unpublished

A great flow of poetry

Magma Poetry Prize 2016-17 is open for entries in two

Insatiable appetites

Launched in 2012, Insatiable Press publishes erotica and erotic romance

UK FICTION MARKET

Lightning strikes

We love Lucy

The Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize invites entries for the seventh

Youth voices

Paper Swans independent poetry press has a call out for

Gourmets get creative

Entries are now being accepted for the 2017 Mogford Prize,

FLASHES

Greetings Today monthly trade magazine is edited by Tracey Bearton

UK POETRY PUBLISHER

Dreams come blue

A towering achievement

The Christopher Tower Poetry Prize, for young poets between 16

Make a move

The Writers at Lovedean are running a short story competition

INTERNATIONAL ZINE SCENE

Barking Sycamores is a literary online journal which aims to

GLOBAL SF MARKET

Writers wanted for Humans Wanted

FLASHES

Ed Needham edits Coach, a free health and fitness magazine

GLOBAL SPECFIC MARKET

Igniting FIYAH

A Mearns to an end

Mearns Writers in Scotland is inviting entries for its New

Go for the big win with Kent and Sussex

Kent & Sussex Poetry Society is inviting entries for its

Do it right for Doolin

Doolin Writers Weekend will take place in County Clare between

Keep it short for PWG

Plymouth Writers’ Group is inviting entries for the PWG International

UK CHILDREN’S MARKET

Picture books with surprises

FLASHES

Jeremy O’Grady is editor-in-chief of The Week news aggregation magazine

GLOBAL SHORT FICTION MARKETS

Aussie shorts

Take five

The Octagon Theatre in Bolton has a call out for

Book Talk

Sometimes the music of words can inspire and seduce, as

UK INTERIORS MAGAZINE

Period Homes is a leading interiors magazine edited by Zoe

Wake up and smell the Café poetry competition

The Café Writers Poetry Competition 2016 is open for entries

Georgette Heyer stories rediscovered

Three long forgotten stories by the once bestselling queen of

Long form memoir and novellas for New Welsh Writing Awards

The Awards, which are run by New Welsh Review in