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THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

How do you write characters who are difficult to like? Bestselling author Alka Joshi looks at the good, the bad and the ugly, and explains why novels need all three

Walking the writer’s path:Inspiration

In this new three-part series, Leon Conrad, author of Story and Structure: A complete guide shares some thoughts on three aspects of the writing process: inspiration, structure, and plot – from his practice as a writer and story structure enthusiast

Trick yourself into writing

Jumping without a safety net into the unknown is where you’ll find the real joy of creativity, says author Steve Aylett, which is why he has created The Trickster Brick of prompts – treasure from the great beyond to spark your wildest ideas

Flesh on the bones

Have you written short stories, and now want to attempt a novel? As her debut novel is published, Sheila Armstrong, the author of acclaimed short story collection How to Gut a Fish, looks at the process of moving from short fiction to long

Your writing critiqued

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

IN A NUTSHELL

Keeping the wordcount down can serve your children’s writing in many different ways. Amy Sparkes looks at the benefits of keeping the kernels short and sweet.

Spirit OF THE TIMES

How do you evoke the zeigeist in your fiction? Helen Walters looks at ways you can conjure a significant time or event in your fiction, with a short story by Kevin Barry

Work it out

The workplace offers valuable seams for poets to explore, as Alison Chisholm reveals via an expressive poem about memories of working in the probation service

Sonic attack

What can auditory elements add to your horror writing? Alex Davis explores the sound of fear in fiction

GEORGE ORWELL’S CHILTERNS

In this new occasional column Lizzie Enfield, writer and walking tour leader, follows in the footsteps of a particular writer and shows us the literary landscape they inhabited

Show up FOR YO U R WRITING

Do you think you, or your work, aren’t good enough? Even after publishing success, negative thoughts can stop your creative flow. Author Livi Michael passes on her advice for when self-doubt threatens to derail your process

Novel Ideas

Teacher turns up trumps

The world of writing

Labours of love come up against book bashers and readers’ news and views in this month’s world of writing

IN THE SPOT LIGHT: YOUR WRITING

The Book That Made Me Want to Write

Subscribers’ news

SHARE YOUR SUCCESS To feature in subscribers’ news

CARO GILES

The author of creative non-fiction talks to Lynne Hackles about being inspired by the landscape and the structure of the lunar cycles

NADIA ATTIA

The debut author describes the witches’ brew of elements that went into the creation of her spellbinding novel of a divided kingdom, Verge

HANNAH ROTHSC HILD

The writer, documentary maker, businesswoman and award-winning satirical novelist picks five books that have left a lasting impression on her

Sue Moorcroft

Margaret James talks to the commercial fiction novelist about balancing messy planning with the demands of being contracted to deliver two books a year

OUT OF THIS WORLD

Mat Osman, author of The Ghost Theatre, talks to Tina Jackson about bringing the stage to life in his alternative version of Elizabethan London, and the relationship between writing and his career as a musician

Writing WITH COURAGE

Roll up your sleeves, says author and tutor Ian Ayris. Face your demons, and the darkness, and your writing will be all the better for it.

Essie Fox

The author of gothic Victoriana shines a light into the darkness to reveal the creative choices she made at the beginning of her fifth novel The Fascination

Read all about it

Get your your writing group members using old news stories as a creative resource in these exercises from Julie Phillips

Bee aware

Jenny Alexander helps you get the writing buzz in these bee-themed exercises

Get the write idea

Think about how you can build on information and observations in these creative writing exercises to try right now

Style and/or SUBSTANCE?

Margaret James looks at the difference between the substance of a story and the style in which it’s told, and the need for writers to consider how the two elements work together

Five quick 5 questions

1. When and where did your journey as

PASSPORT TO PUBLICATION

Simon Whaley, who successfully freelances writing travel articles, packs his bags to ask three writers about the business of being a travel writer

Participant observation

Tarja Moles looks at how to embed yourself in a group for research purposes

Behind the tape

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

Book Fair low down

Monica Chakraverty , Cornerstones editorial director of the scouting programme, shares her insider notes on this year’s London Book Fair

Industry insight: AI for writers update

Gary Dalkin isn’t making stuff up, but Chat GPT is

SUBMISSIONS: LITMAG

Start with this line ‘As soon as Harriet

Addressing change

Keep up with writing world changes if you want to stay productive, argues Patrick Forsyth

FICTION SUBMISSIONS

Narrative Narrative publishes ‘fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, including

Get lost!

Patrick Forsyth recommends giving yourself time to go off piste on your travels

Pieces of the publishing pie

Some people in the publishing industry end up with a much smaller slice than others – debut authors in particular – and agent Piers Blofeld believes there are conversations about this that vitally need to be held

Scene on screen

Little White Lies is a London-based website and

NON-FICTION SUBMISSIONS

Wild about nature Original, thought provoking features are

Constructive deconstruction

Dismantle Magazine is a U.S. online title about

POETRY & FICTION COMPETITIONS

Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2023 Enter poetry and

POETRY COMPETITIONS

The McLellan Poetry Prize 2023 Win £1,000 and

SHORT STORY COMPETITIONS

V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize 2024 Win a

ANTHOLOGY MARKETS

Atomic Carnival Anthologies The editorial team at Atomic

NOVEL COMPETITIONS

The Caledonia Novel Award 2024 The annual contest

SMALL PRESS SUBMISSIONS

The Parliament House The Parliament House is a

SUBMISSIONS: INDIE MAGS AND WEBSITES

New Smut Project New Smut Project welcomes sex-positive

SCRIPT SUBMISSION Script to stage

The award-winning Finborough Theatre welcomes unsolicited original full

Ravenscar

Dominic Bell is a former oil rig worker

Let Me Do It

Damien has come to terms with the fact

Reframe the narrative

Don’t let your writing career be stymied by self-limiting beliefs, says Gillian Harvey, as she looks at author expectation vs reality