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Welcome

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The world of writing

Copyright quibbles, new work from old heroes, fantastic food and Jane Austen’s favourite snack, all mashed up in the wonderful world of writing

LETTERS

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Cut to order

Helen Corner-Bryant advises a writer in full flow whose first draft keeps growing... and growing

Kiss off

Piers Blofeld looks at some of the outdated publishing practices that working from home is helping to make extinct

ADVENTURES IN WRITING

Author Cecily Blench describes how travel writing, adventure travel, wartime history, family history and intrepid women all fed into her debut novel

Time for change?

As we  adjust to move out of lockdown, it will impact on our writing lives too. In the first of a threepart series, WM has some strategies to help you strike the write balance

Building on Bridgerton

Why has Julia Quinn’s Regency romance taken the world by storm? Rosalind Moody takes a peek behind the scenes

Pace yourself

There are parallels between writing projects and setting off for a long walk, says

Under the covers Don’t give up!

The writing life is all about keeping on keeping on

MAKING THE BEST OF IT

Margaret James finds out how different writers have been staying positive and keeping their creativity alive in lockdown 

SIZING UP YOUR PUBLISHER

When it comes to finding a traditional publisher, does size matter?  Simon Whaley chats to two writers about their experiences 

SOUR GRAPES

Lorraine Mace wonders why some writerly acquaintances seem determined to be unpleasant

Jolly holiday

Think about getaways past and present in these holiday-themed exercises from 

DARKTALES short story competition

WIN!£500   IN CASH PRIZES & PUBLICATION

The Rabbit

WINNER £200 Sumana Khan is a crime writer

Secrets & lies

Get creative with the truth in these writing group exercises from Julie Phillips 

TO THE LIGHTHOUSE

Alternative history is a delicate balance, Natasha Pulley tells Tina Jackson

Julie Shackman

The author of Scottish romances describes how she found her dream publisher

MATT CAIN

With his fourth novel The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle just published, the uplit author shares the books that gave him all the feels

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

SUBSCRIBER NEWS

Life After LOCKS ‘Liverpool Literary Agency (LLA), registered

William Ryan

The crime, thriller and mystery author tells Lynne Hackles about the benefits of an early start

Putting your words in order

In part five of her series on self publishing your book, indie author DJ Bowman-Smith guides you through formatting

Your writing critiqued

James McCreet analyses three short samples of literary excellence 

Writing yourself out of a corner

If you’ve got a point where you don’t know how to move forward with your manuscript, Annie Percik suggests using classic problem solving techniques

Kick the (bad) habits

Helen M Walters shows you to keep your short fiction simple but effective 

BIG ISSUES FOR SMALL PEOPLE

Amy Sparkes explains how to write stories for children that make important issues understandable 

PLAYING THE GAME

Video games offer expanding worlds of potential. Alex Davis outlines an introduction in how to write for them. 

Editorial calendar

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

I wish I’d known

‘When I was a teenager, I dreamt of

Jack of Knives

WINNER £100 Jennifer is the author of four

GOT THE BLUES

Alison Chisholm explores a poem inspired by a piece of artwork 

Poetry in practice

Doris Corti looks at how to convey emotion in your poems 

Suzette D Harrison

Margaret James talks to the bestselling novelist about her multi-faceted creativity

Analysing research findings

Research expert Tarja Moles provides a checkpoint to help you ensure your research is accurate, useful and unbiased

Behind the tape

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

£20,000 prize for Kindle publishers

Your essential monthly round-up of competitions, paying markets,

Short stories for Séan

Win a €2,000 first prize in the annual

Magritte lit wanted for horror anthology

Night Terror Novels is a new British specialist

Why not win the Winchester?

Win a £1,000 first prize in the Winchester

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Golden opportunity at Virginia Quarterly

What kids want

The annual What Kids Are Reading report, authored

Austen and awareness

The charity which owns the cottage where Jane

Do your best for Bedford

The first prize in both categories, story and

FLASHES

The international Grindstone Short Story Prize 2021 has

Go with the flow

Alternating Current is a boutique, independent press with

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On your bike!

Breaking down barriers

Unpublished or self published Black-British writers are invited

Fresh horrors wanted

Dread Stone Press is a publisher of horror

FLASHES

The Writers’ Bureau Poetry Competition 2021 invites entries

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Run on copy

Christmas romance wanted

Stories Rule Press is a small, family-owned Canadian

Write for change

Hay Festival’s Write for Change is inviting submissions

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Expand the universe

Let your short script sing

The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in scriptwriters having fewer

Speak out

GOING TO MARKET

FLASHES

Editor James Pearce has put out an open

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Buzzy opportunity

Look north

Robert Scragg has won the Lindisfarne Prize for

Mystery winners revealed

The Mystery Writers of America have announced the

In a flash!

100-word entries are invited on the theme ‘Revealed’

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Forging new fiction

A hand-up for new Scottish writers

Scottish Book Trust is inviting applications for the

Grow with this journal

Billing itself as ‘a literary journal that takes

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Prose pretty please 

FLASHES

CreakyJoints is a US online community founded in

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Impress Bluemoose

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The shape of play

Prize of poets of colour

The James Berry Poetry Prize for emerging poets

A grand plus one

The Chiasmus Short Story Competition from Tortive Theatre’s

INTRODUCTIONS

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

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Common but fantastic

FLASHES

The international Fingal Poetry Prize 2021 has €500,

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Compelling reads wanted at Holland Park

Hold a candle

The Moths to a Flame poetry competition is

Get lost with Olga

The Olga Sinclair Prize 2021 is open for

Novel opportunity

The Novel London 2021 Literary Competition is an

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Tabletop reading

Young writers find a key

Scribblerzone Writing Competition 2021 will open on 23

Isele thing

Isele Magazine has a team of editors who

Novel Ideas

Step after step

FLASHES

SaveAs Writers invites prose and poetry entries on

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The world of wargames

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Make your voice heard

Find your place in Small Harbor

US small press Small Harbor Publishing is currently

Creative aesthetics

The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2021 is inviting

INTERNATIONAL ZINE SCENE

Night Coffee is a brand new biannual zine

FLASHES

The Anthology Poetry Award 2021 is inviting entries

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Cherished children’s lit

Tales of the flesh

DL Russell Books specialises in horror and erotic

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Flower of the Midlands

Badass dragons wanted

WolfSinger Publications are closed to book length submissions

On the shelf

Travel souvenirs are a useful prompt for writing, says Patrick Forsyth

FLASHES

Liverpool Hope Playwriting Prize is inviting entries of

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Jump in!