Comic timing

Writing funny is one of the hardest things to do well, and it can mean playing a long game. Former standup turned comedy writer and now novelist C.K. McDonnell explains how nothing in a comic writer’s life is ever wasted, and how you can make comedy work in your fiction.

WRITER’S WORKSHOP: Bringing your characters to life

In part two of his series on character and voice, author and creative writing tutor Ian Ayris provides you with the tools to create characters readers will connect with

Opposing views: How to write a dual narrative

Using a dual narrative opens up interesting possibilities for your fiction. Novelist Cailean Steed explains how it works, highlights outstanding examples for you to learn from, and offers exercises to get you creating your own dual narratives.

Eco-fiction: FOLLOW THE SCIENCE

Leading crime writer Peter May describes how he was inspired by the science to create crime thrillers with a terrifying backdrop of climate crisis, and tells you how to find the story that will bring your climate change fiction to life.

CLAUSE FOR CONCERN

Discounted author copies? Surely that can’t be a bad thing? Piers Blofeld urges authors to look carefully at their publishers’ Ts & Cs

A matter of speculation

This month, Cornerstones’ Assistant Editor, Sarah Conkerton, discusses the often confusing ‘speculative fiction’, what agents and publishers mean when they use the term, and how and where it differs from traditional SFF

WRITING THE LANDSCAPE

There’s more to landscape and nature writing than correctly identifying flora and fauna. Simon Whaley chats to one award-winning nature-writer to find out more.

Money matters

Get up to speed with understanding money and finance as it applies to your writing, with advice from research expert Tarja Moles

Behind the tape

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

Imran Mahmood

The barrister and acclaimed novelist tells Lynne Hackles how he makes the most of waiting time and interruptions to write his compelling crime thrillers

Dreams can come true

Jill Mansell, the Queen of Feelgood Fiction, talks to Tina Jackson about how she creates the warm, relatable romantic comedies that have sold more than 14 million copies worldwide

SHELF LIFE

Simon Scarrow, the No 1 bestselling thriller author, rounds up the five reads that most gripped his imagination

SIMON SCARROW

© Bill Waters ‘Dead of Night is the

CHARLOTTE RIXON

The author of suspense novels and now a love story describes her long and difficult journey to getting a book deal – and why she wouldn’t have it any other way

Linda Green

Margaret James talks to a novelist who uses her writing to dismantle prejudices and believes there should be more working class characters in fiction

Questions of narrative

Keen to try writing non-fiction from a personal perspective? James McCreet describes fusing fictional and factual writing techniques when he made the switch from novels to history.

LOUISE HARE

The bestselling author explains how the opening of her Jazz-Age murder mystery evolved

Making time

All writers need to carve out time to write. Adrian Magson suggests ways for you to find the creative time that works best for you

Your writing critiqued

James McCreet applies his forensic micro-critique to the beginning of a reader’s manuscript

Deep cleaning

First impressions count, particularly when you’re submitting to agents and publishers. Margaret James offers top tips on spring cleaning your manuscript for submission

5 Five quick questions

When and where did your journey as an author

Seeing isn’t always believing

Helen M Walters explores the effect of an illusion and how differences of perception can work in your fiction via a classic tale of the supernatural

What makes you unique?

Raise your chances of your children’s writing being discovered by finding, and developing your writer USP, with advice from Amy Sparkes

Prose and cons

Using methods people use to send messages in fiction has a long tradition, but how can it work in your horror, fantasy and sci-fi stories? Alex Davis looks at epistolary storytelling in genre fiction.

A scent of the past

Alison Chisholm explores a poem that conveys the way objects don’t merely hold memories, but evoke life in times that have passed

The world of writing

TOWERING ACHIEVEMENT

MAKING SENSE OF THINGS

There is a small pile of magazines that

HEALTHY WRITING

Writing has always been a release for me,

PLAYING DEAD

We’re all encouraged to be pro-active about author

(PUT IT) RIGHT TIME?

Our English homework had been to write an

GETTING STARTED

by Timothy Herslett Why don’t I write something

POT KETTLE

© Joseph Campbell on Unsplash So ironic you

Front of stage

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Miller’s (inspiring) tale

It was a plate of soup, writes subscriber

Publication in instalments

Despite having fallen headfirst into having my first

Mewsing on life

I’ve had my website on cats for twenty

Fifth novel, no fluke

In 2015 I inadvertently embarked on my novel-writing

Taylor ’s Notebook

OPEN SHORT STORY WINNER: HOLIDAY

Wandering

FIRST PLACE £200 David Hobson now resides in

COMPETITION LAUNCHES AND RULES

WIN! £700 IN CASH PRIZES & PUBLICATION OPEN:

The next hit

The writing life is full of exhilarating highs and crashing lows. No wonder Gillian Harvey is hooked.

Get the write idea

Explore how place affects the dynamics of a story in these creative writing exercises to try right now

Brush strokes

Create new work on an art theme in these writing group exercises from Julie Phillips

Odd jobs

Explore DIY delights and disasters in these home improvementthemed exercises from Jenny Alexander

WRITER'S NEWS

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

INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MARKET

Brain pickings

Comp for children and young people

Never Such Innocence is a charity which began

FLASHES

WM subscriber and Scottish romance author Julie Shackman

The great outdoors

INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MARKET

BY AND FOR YOUNG FILM ENTHUSIASTS

Film Junior is a magazine for those under

WORLD BOOK NIGHT 2023

It’s World Book Night on April 23 –

Intersectional culture and politics

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AMPLIFYING NATURE

Poetry, prose and visual art from writers and

ALL LANGUAGES WELCOME

A new magazine of international literature, the quarterly

FLASHES

Aberdeen-based crime festival Granite Noir will run for

Apocalyptic aftermath

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Exploring undeath

UK MAGAZINE MARKET

CREATIVE POETRY

Win a €1,000 first prize plus a creative

Cosy tea break

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A shadow over spec-fic mags

Amazon is to end digital magazine and newspaper

Tech-savvy

When it comes to using computers, Patrick Forsyth knows he’s not alone in needing a helping hand

FLASHES

The rescheduled Gwyl Anglesey Writing Festival will take

Imprint for the underrepresented

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Changemaking conversations

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Age related

The theme is ‘I’ll Never be Young Again’

Weird little words for Weird Little Worlds

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EXTRA EDGE

Leading speculative fiction magazine Galaxy’s Edge is changing

Novel Ideas

A patchwork of words

FLASHES

Poet Selima Hill has become the first person

In the pipeline

INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MARKET

Celebrating Shelagh Delaney

Salford Arts Theatre has been celebrating the life

Pointers for Five Points

Five Points is the tri-annual journal published by

INTERNATIONAL ZINE SCENE

The Good Life Review is a quarterly online

FLASHES

Juliet Annan, who founded Penguin Random House imprint

A fresh take on romance

INTERNATIONAL ROMANCE MARKET

Short story, big prize

BBC National Short Story Award 2023 is inviting

A stream of words

Slipstream Poets Open Poetry Competition 2023 is inviting

Poetry business class

The Poetry Business is welcoming entries for its

Hope springs for writers

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL MARKET

READY FOR BINSTED?

The Binsted Prize 2023 from the South Downs

Beware, be warned

The hazards of travel are well worth writing about, says Patrick Forsyth

Women’s work force

INTERNATIONAL NONFICTION MARKET

Presidential library

President Obama released his list of his favourite

Rewarding prose

The DRF Writers Award 2023 for first-time prose

Worth an essay

The Fitzcarraldo Editions/Mahler & Lewitt Studios Essay Prize