THE MISTAKES NOT TO MAKE

With more than 4 million sales in her

Labour of love

You’re writing a book that’s niche, and tells an extraordinary true-life story.What’s the process, and what are the choices you make? Storyteller and dance historian Jo Hirons McAvoy describes uncovering the lost history of marginalised dancers from a bygone age and why self-publishing was by far the best option for her book

SHELF LIFE

Prize-winning Caribbean novelist and poet Kevin Jared Hosein, whose new novel is Hungry Ghosts, shares the books that helped to shape his own ideas of what reading and writing can be

KEVIN JARED HOSEIN

© Mark Lyndersay ‘My novel, Hungry Ghosts, revolves

Kate Hardy

Margaret James talks to the prolific Mills & Boon novelist to find out how she keeps romance blooming

KATE’S TOP TIPS

• Read a lot and, if you’re targeting

Get the write idea

Use your imagination to fill the gaps in these creative writing exercises to try right now

WE WANT YOUR WRITING

(and we’ll pay you for it!)

Spoilt milk

The publishing trend for changing texts to create cash cows is going to create a terrifyingly bland diet to feed into future culture, argues Piers Blofelds

CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP Writing the everyday gothic

Kate Collins, whose new book is a chilling update on the haunted house novel, examines how ordinary life can be amplifed to terrifying effect in your fiction

YOUR WRITING WORKSHOPPED

Like a ver sion

THE LOVE OF MUSIC

Final version

Northern soul

Benjamin Myers is an extraordinary talent whose latest novel is a visionary time-travelling story rooted in the North of England. He talks to Tina Jackson about medieval saints, regional identity, punk philosophy, and working class writing

THE WORD GAME

Want to play the writing game? Take your chances against other players? Write to win? Sharpen your tactics as you make your way through the rules laid down by Scott Kershaw, author of high concept thriller The Game

ON LOCATION

Heidi Swain discusses setting up the beginning of a novel about friends, linked by a much-loved book, and holidaying together in the place used for a book-to-film adaptation

TOYA WOLFE

The award-winning Chicago author talks about the perseverance it took to get her debut, Last Summer on State Street, into shape, and why drawing on things that were personal and specific allowed her to develop her unique voice

The world of writing

Baffling acronyms, reading, keeping it real... Miscellany and our readers’ news and views...

A SAFE BET

Photo by JESUS ECA on Unsplash There has

REALITY BITES

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your April Star Interview,

Fun and (party) games

Draw on your writing group’s memories in these children’s party-themed prompts and activities from Julie Phillips

Keeping it noir

SHARE YOUR SUCCESS To feature in subscribers’ news

THREE IN A ROW

Like so many authors, I’ve been writing since

A happy handful

I remember enjoying my very first Writers’ Conference

DAVE DOES DARKNESS

© Cliff Hide for Beaconlit Writing two crime

Dark deal

The dramatic North East coastline provides the inspiration

Take note

All writers need a notebook, but have you ever written about them, rather than in them? Here are some notebook-themed exercises from Jenny Alexander for you to try

Creative reading (PART 1)

In the first of a regular column tackling the fundamentals of creative writing, acclaimed author and creative writing tutor Ian Ayris looks at reading and the writer

Demystify history

What counts as historical fiction, and how authentic does it have to be? Look at how to make writing set in the past vivid and relatable with advice from Margaret James

THE NEXT CHAPTER: Chapter Book Prize winners

Following last month’s Picture Book Prize announcement, Amy Sparkes reveals the winning entries in the Chapter Book category of the Children’s Book Prize

A slice of life

What are the advantages of drawing on your own life in your fiction? Helen Walters examines the pros and cons via a classic short story by Katherine Mansfield

A lesson to learn

Alison Chisholm explores a poem whose theme of the countless unnamed fighters who lost their lives in conflict makes a plea for change

Revealing the horror

After building up the anticipation, a great reveal is crucial in horror fiction. Alex Davis teaches you how to do it

BookTok BUSINESS

Is TikTok every author’s dream marketing platform? Simon Whaley chats to two authors about their experiences

Referencing

It’s essential for non-fiction writers to know how to cite their sources. Tarja Moles provides an expert guide to getting it right

Behind the tape

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

NATASHA LESTER

The bestselling historical novelist tells Lynne Hackles that she likes to feel her way through a story a bit at time

BOOK COMPETITION SUBMISSIONS

The Black Orchid Novella Award

ANTHOLOGY MARKETS

Inklings Press The editorial team at Inklings Press

FICTION AND POETRY COMPETITIONS

The Bath Short Story Award 2023 The annual

SUBMISSIONS: INDIE MAGS AND WEBSITES

Calliope Calliope is a publishing app seeking to

SUBMISSIONS: LITMAG

Keep an eye on this magazine

SCRIPT COMPETITIONS

Sitcom Mission 2023 Enter 15-minute comedy scripts with

SHORT FICTION COMPETITIONS

The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award Spring 2023

SMALL PRESS MARKETS

Dundurn Press Dundurn Press is an independent and

Novel Ideas Damned if you do

Sometimes we all make wrong decisions, says

ROMANCE IS THORNY

Leading US speculative fiction publisher, Tor, has announced

NON-FICTION SUBMISSIONS

Cultural commentary

Fictional description

Patrick Forsyth finds fiction can inspire travel writing

INDUSTRY NEWS

Posthumous reveal

ASK A LITERARY CONSULTANT

A view from the inside

POETRY COMPETITIONS

The E.H.P. Bernard Spring Poetry Prize 2023 This

Playing the numbers

Pitching to editors? Patrick Forsyth recommends a systematic approach

The Game

After thirty years of working for silicon valley

Consequences

FIRST PLACE £200 Writing has been Terry’s passion

Waiting to Blume

Do you feel as if you’ve hit a wall with your writing? Take inspiration from Gillian Harvey, who can prove wonderful things happen to authors at all stages of their careers