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THE WORLD OF WRITING

Advice from the best, inspiration everywhere and new ways to win – tips and trivia from the wide world of writing, curated by Derek Hudson

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We want to hear your news and views on the writing world, your advice for fellow writers – and don’t forget to tell us what you would like to see featured in a future issue…

Helpline

Diana Cambridge solves your writing problems

Editorial calendar

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

ON THE MOVE

Learn how to create animated gifs with PC trainer Greta Powell

In the loop

Keep your contacts fresh with a simple reminder, advises Patrick Forsyth

And another thing…

‘I aim to make the fiction flexible so that it bends

Stick? Carrot? Cake!

Lynne Hackles is all about rewarding writing

Descriptive digression

Factual travel writing benefits from a touch of colour, says Patrick Forsyth

LEARN TO LOVE NETWORKING

Anna Ganley, head of staff at The Society of Authors, offers top tips for writers attending professional events

On Writing

Tony Rossiter explores great words from great writers

From the OTHER SIDE OF THE DESK

The story of an unreliable narrator whose fantasising went beyond fiction shouldn’t be transformed into a tale of privilege in publishing, argues agent Piers Blofeld

ASK A LITERARY CONSULTANT

All manuscripts need editing – but what kind of editing, and when? Helen Corner-Bryant explains the different edits a writer might expect

BEHIND THE TAPE

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

Citizen science projects

Participate in scientific research projects with advice from research expert Tarja Moles

Story is structure

Find out what prose writers can learn from screenplays with advice from novelist Russel D McLean

Nothing personal

Author James McCreet considers how much emotion writers need to write

Goldfish moments

Drifting off into a day dream can do wonders for your creativity, believes Adrian Magson

MARITTA JAYNE

Enthusiastic self-publisher Maritta Jayne introduces her writing and her debut novel

Writers’ toolkit: Mastering subplots

Learn how to add layers to your story by following Diana Kimpton’s advice

CELEBRITY Under the Microscope

James McCreet examines the beginning of Lewis Carroll’s strange classic, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Make a drama out of it

Explore your inner drama queen with Margaret James to give your fiction the best chance of engaging readers’ attention

I wish I’d known…

‘It took me over three years to write my first novel.

Branch out and feel the fear

Ghost story author Rachel Burge offers advice on how to write a scary story

The food of love

Helen M Walters looks at using food to give your writing layers of sensory texture

I’m hooked!

In the first of a two-parter on writing irresistible children’s fiction, Amy Sparkes explores finding your voice

The Faerie Queen

Spiderwick Chronicles creator Holly Black explains how she writes kick-ass ‘real’ fantasy, to Tina Jackson

How I got published RR HAYWOOD

The bestselling science fiction writer tells Dolores Gordon Smith how he learned not to take ‘no’ for an answer

The style & technique of J. R. R. TOLKIEN

His Middle-earth combined heroic epics with middle-class rural England, says Tony Rossiter

DOUGLAS KENNEDY

The American saga writer shares his top five reads with Judith Spelman

DOUGLAS KENNEDY

The American saga writer shares his top five reads with Judith Spelman

SUBSCRIBER SPOTLIGHT

Share your writing success stories. If you subscribe

FIONA ERSKINE

The thriller writer tells Adrian Magson how a skiing accident prompted her explosive debut

BEN CRANE

Author of the acclaimed Blood Ties, talks to Lynne Hackles about his totally immersive creative process

A TRIUMPH OF TEAMWORK

Finding your tribe makes the life of a writer a more positive, and productive, experience, says author Fionnuala Kearney

Flying SOLO

Going it alone to get your book out is well within your grasp, says writer Linda Fawke as she describes her experience of self-publishing

Take the plunge or throw in the towel?

Jane Wenham Jones has wise words for a writer wondering whether to follow her dream of publication or put her financial future first

Go your own way

From teaching to arts development, the field of literature offers many freelance opportunities beyond writing articles. Alex Davis has advice on life as a literature freelance

TAXING changes

In, out, in, out, shake it all about! Simon Whaley dances the self-employed hokey cokey to clarify the latest tax changes for writers

Away from your desk

Get out of your garret for some upcoming activities and places to visit

WRITERS’ NEWS

Your essential monthly round-up of competitions, paying markets, opportunities to get into print and publishing industry news.

A HELPING HANDFUL

When a stranger calls, Lorraine Mace‘s helpfulness is sorely tested

WIN! £500

IN CASH PRIZES & PUBLICATION

Amazing Grace

Dorothy Snelson retired five years ago, aged seventy

WALK WITH ME THROUGH THE LONG GRASS AND I SHALL HOLD YOUR HAND

WALK WITH ME THROUGH THE LONG GRASS AND I SHALL HOLD

The eyes have it

Look into character creation in this writing group exercise from Julie Phillips

New growth

Get in the spirit of renewal and give your writing a spring makeover with these creative writing exercises from Jenny Alexander

Discover The Writer In You!

“I’m currently working on my fourth book, have been

First Days

Damien McKeating was born and a short time after that

In the looplink

Alison Chisholm explores a work by a poet playing with a brand new form

Poetry in practice

Day seem drained of poetic inspiration? Not if you take Doris Corti’s advice

Poetry from A to Z

Poet Alison Chisholm guides you through the language of poetry

Touched by genius

Be inspired by the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci in WM‘s latest poetry competition, advises Alison Chisholm

Competition Special 2019

Long-term WM readers might notice a bit of a change

Open competitions

Sharpen your pencils and plots with a sneak peek at our competition programme for the end of 2019

COMPETITION GUIDE 2019

Pick your favourites and start scheduling your entries with over 250 competitions to enter. This could be the year you win big!

Winner profile

KC Finn won the WM Mid Story Sentence competition with

Winner profile

Alex Morrison won WM’s 750-word competition with The

Winner profile

Sumana Khan won WM‘s Change short story competition

Winner profile

Jess Amy Dixon won WM‘s Speculative Fiction short story

Winner profile

David Woodfine won WM‘s Humour short story competition

Winner profile

Jodie Carpenter won WM‘s Epistolary short story competition

Winner profile

Amanda Marples won WM‘s First Line short story competition

Winner profile

Dominic Bell won WM‘s 500- word short story competition