WAITING IN THE WINGS

Uplit author Matt Cain describes how he set the scene for his lead character to give the performance of his life in the opening pages of his new novel, Becoming Ted

WELCOME

Welcome to 2023! The last few years have

Exercise: THE WRITERS’ SANDBOX (from Written)

How to practice obstacle thinking Distractions are everywhere.

Under pressure

From the OTHE R SIDE OF THE DESK

Agent wish-list

Sarah Conkerton, Cornerstones’ Assistant Editor with an agency background, talks about where to find potential literary agents and how to build a list ahead of your submissions (what’s known as a sub list)

Go wide

Following last month’s simple steps into self-publishing, Simon Whaley looks at taking a wider approach involving multiple platforms

Critical thinking

Start 2023 by making sure you’re engaging with the critical thinking that will hone your research, with advice from Tarja Moles

Behind the tape

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

WRITER’S WORKSHOP: Character and voice

In the first part of a new workshop series focusing on how to create authentic characters and bring their voices to life in your writing, acclaimed author and creative writing teacher Ian Ayris explores the fundamentals of character creation

Structure : The writer’s quest

Giving structure to your fiction is essential – and it can be challenging. Leon Conrad, author of the award-winning book, Story and Structure: A Complete Guide outlines a simple structure he uses at every stage of the writing process, and explains how you can use it to find your way through your story and make your writing flow

Jennifer Croft

The author and Booker International Prize-winning translator tells Lynne Hackles how she needs as much light as possible as she multi-tasks her way through various projects

MISSING INK

©Donna Ford Any idea of writers as wafty,

SHELF LIFE

John Marrs – the bestselling author of twisty, turny, high-concept thrillers – talks us through five books that made a massive impact on him

JOHN MARRS

©RGershinson My latest and tenth novel, The Marriage

SANTANU BHATTACHARYA

The debut author of the greatly anticipated One Small Voice describes the obstacles he overcame to publish the book he believed

Helen Garnons-Williams, publishing director at Fig Tree

‘I knew there was something special about One

Vasundra Tailor

Adrian Magson talks to the prize-winning WM subscriber whose debut novel was inspired by a visit to a run-down house that had originally been built by her father

Your writing critiqued

James McCreet applies his forensic criticism to the beginning of a reader’s manuscript

Weather conditions

Adrian Magson explores using the weather to add light and shade to your writing

Brush up your Shakespeare!

Why would a 21st-century creative writer look for inspiration in works that were written in the 1600s? Margaret James has the answers

Five quick questions 5

When and where did your journey as an

Proof reading

What goes into making effective short fiction? Helen M Walters explores the ingredients of a good short story, and the relationship between author and editor, via an example by American author O Henry

Switch it up!

Don’t play it safe when it comes to writing for children! Make 2023 a year where your writing takes off with these ideas for pushing yourself out of your comfort zone from Amy Sparkes

New fears

What trends might we see in horror in 2023? Alex Davis outlines the major contenders for putting the frighteners on your readers in the year ahead

Time and place

Alison Chisholm explores a reader’s poem that unsentimentally evokes the vanished past of a Northern industrial city

The world of writing

Going goblin, eating all the pies ... Miscellany and our readers’ news and views...

GONE GOBLIN

©Michaela Kadlecova on Unsplash The Oxford Word of

STAR LETTER

Climate fiction, the subject of your article by

AFFIRMING IDENTITY

I agree with Margaret James when she says

DANGEROUSLY HAPPY

Lynne Hackles’ column, ‘Make a Writer’s Day’ on

RADICAL ACT OF WRITING

Looking around during my local Remembrance Day service,

HAMMER OF THE GOD

A copy of The Holy Bible, Authorized King

THE SPICE OF (WRITING) LIFE

Like Sue Cawte (WM, Dec, page 6), I

ON THE ROAD AT LAST

Who doesn’t love a good rock-n’roll biopic? The

A BITE OF THE MANGO

SHARE YOUR NEWS To feature in subscribers’ news

Too much pressure

‘The attempted demise of Augusta Walsh age 15

Not running according to schedule

‘My latest ebook Beware of the Trains is

Hold the front page

‘My first day as a journalist, in 1967,

SMALL BOOK, WEIGHTY SUBJECT MATTER

As a “remainer” and as someone who attended

Destination unknown

Take your writing group members on a journey in these travel-related exercises from Julie Phillips

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

FamilyHistoryWA (FHWA) Writers Group – Perth, Australia

The Writers Group (no apostrophe required) is an

Poems from the rabbit holes

Enter the weird world of Alice in Wonderland as Alison Chisholm launches WM’s competition for poems inspired by the Alice stories

Dark material

Two haunting poems took the prizes in WM’s Free Verse Competition. Adjudicator Alison Chisholm explains how these two outstanding entries matched form to content.

Miracle at the Green Dolphin Café

Michael Callaghan is a lawyer living and working in Glasgow. He has had previous WM successes, including being a past winner of the Crime Story, Ghost Story and Fantasy Story competitions. Amongst other recent successes he took third prize in the 2022 Exeter Writers Competition and third prize in the 2022 Scottish Arts Trust Award for Flash Fiction. He has also had several stories included in the Trust’s various anthologies, including one in the recently published Beached. He has his own writers page at the Scottish Arts Trust where you can find out more about him.

Split personality

Gillian Harvey is tired of letting her sensible side run the show, and has unleashed her inner giddy kipper

Get the write idea

Explore various forms of interaction with these creative writing prompts and exercises to try right now

Turn on, tune in, write it out

What does radio mean to you? Create sound waves and dial up the transmission in these creative writing exercises from Jenny Alexander

A wealth of prizes

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

MADE IN WALES

New Welsh Writing Awards 2023 are inviting entries.

NORTHERN IDENTITY

The Northern Writers’ Awards 2023 are inviting entries.

UK DIGITAL MARKET

Building on firm foundations

New novelists take note

The Watson, Little x Indie Novella Prize is

FLASHES

To celebrate its 125th birthday NewYork’s Brooklyn Public

Inspiring adventures here

UK MAGAZINE MARKET

A CELEBRATION OF WRITING

The inaugural Bournemouth Writing Festival will take place

GET OUT IN THE WILDS

The Deep Wild Journal invites entries for its

UK BOOK MARKET

Non-fiction titles invited

TRANSCENDING BORDERS

In 2020 the Royal Society of Literature launched

A PLACE FOR SHORT PROSE

The Welkin Writing Prize 2023 is a new

PERSONALISED POEMS

If you can write personalised poems that will

GET FIRED UP TO WIN PAMPHLET PUBLICATION

Win a publishing contract in the Frosted Fire

FLASHES

Arvon has partnered with The Literary Consultancy to

UK MAGAZINE MARKET

Putting on the style

Pick your best for Parracombe

The Parracombe Prize 2023 is for short stories

World Fantasy Award winners

The winners of the 2022 World Fantasy Awards

ALL GO FOR ANTHOLOGY

Win a €1,000 first prize and publication in

World Fantasy Award winners

Win a £1,000 first prize in the Bath

INTERNATIONAL LITERARY MARKET

Mammothly inclusive

Political insight

The Orwell Prizes 2023 for political writing include

GRAND MASTERY

Robin McKinley is the recipient of the 39th

Remarkable by name…

Patrick Forsyth recommends some useful gadgetry

FLASHES

Alnwick Story Fest is a new book and

INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MARKET

Smart thinking

INTERNATIONAL SPEC-FIC MARKET

All the fun of the furry

Write down the rabbit hole

The Writers Co-op annual Rabbit Hole anthology is

ONLINE MAGAZINE MARKET

Stories with a different approach

BLEEDING ART

Full Bleed is the annual print and online

Pet tales

The international Pet Flash Fiction Contest 2023 from

Bit of a charmer

The Charm Poetry Competition contest for witty, whimsical

Novel Ideas Occupational hazards

Writing-related injuries give Lynne Hackles cause for creative thinking

FLASHES

Sidmouth Literary Festival will be holding a How

INTERNATIONAL LITERARY MARKET

Read letters

Talking trees

Enter prose and poetry on the theme ‘Secrets

A literary palate

Harpur Palate is the literary journal managed by

HOME AND AWAY

The editorial team at Qwerty Magazine are seeking

INTERNATIONAL NON-FICTION MARKET

Heavenly suggestions

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNERS

In the US the 73rd National Book Awards

Southword up

Win a €1,000 first prize in the Southword

Contrary creativity

Journal of ‘unpopular discontent’ Contrary invites submissions of

New romance imprint from Entangled

Romance publisher Entangled Publishing has announced the launch

Violet lines

The Prose Purple Transgender Writing Prize is for

FLASHES

Writer Lui Sit and illustrator Suhayla Ibrahim are

INTERNATIONAL LITERARY MAGAZINE

Ideas bank

INTERNATIONAL POETRY MARKET

A broad view

Be Ware of poems

Ware Poets Open Poetry Competition 2023 is inviting

INTERNATIONAL ZINE SCENE

SmokeLong invites submissions of narratives of no more

Reach for the sky

Sky Blue Theatre Company’s British Theatre Challenge is

FLASHES

Amazon’s bestselling book in 2022 (in print and

INTERNATIONAL BOOK MARKET

European book friends

INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE MARKET

A share of the spoils

This poetry prize has got legs

Win a €1,000 first prize in the Caterpillar

INTERNATIONAL BOOK MARKET

Write for Wakefield

INDEPENDENT VOICES

Independent twice weekly email newsletter The Tribune includes

Highlighting hazards

There are opportunities for writers when travel goes wrong, says Patrick Forsyth

INTERNATIONAL LITERARY MARKET

Island voices