The world of writing

Blog blunders, PR wonders, serialised Salman, a purple revival and a silver anniversar y – the truth is stranger than fiction in the wonderful world of writing

LETTERS

The star letter each month earns a copy

Editorial calendar

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

There's always a way

Patrick Forsyth draws lessons from one bookseller’s creative thinking

TRAVEL WRITING KNOW-HOW

Tell me about…

On curse?

Are expensive creative writing courses a worthwhile investment, ponders Piers Blofeld

Too much information!

Tarja Moles helps you deal with information overload

Behind the tape

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

THE POWER OF suggestion

Author James McCreet looks at how to write for the reader, and solve one of the most common problems for writers

The idea generation game: Part one

Whatever genre you write, you’ll find something to inspire you in these writing prompts from Alex Davis

Seeing sense

Try using all the senses to give extra dimensions to your fiction, with advice from Alyson Hilbourne

Love is all around

Margaret James explores different kinds of love you could engage with in your fiction

I wish I’d known with Louise Mangos

I’ve written stories of various lengths and genres

More questions than answers

Helen M Walters looks at what questions can add to your story, and how they can help you understand your characters

OPENING CHAPTER

Amy Sparkes launches the second Writing Magazine Chapter Book Prize

Your writing critiqued

James McCreet applies his forensic criticism to the first 300 words of a 1909 novel by commercial fiction pioneer Jack London

BREAKING the big money BARRIER

Veteran journalist Andrew Don lets you in on how he trousered serious dosh as an independent operator so you can do it too

Love hurts

Rosalind Moody pulls her hair out trying to explain – in writing – why putting words on paper can sometimes be the hardest thing in the world

Anni’s top tips

• The most valuable lesson I learned along

Jacaranda Books Founder and CEO Valerie Brandes:

‘It was a sheer delight to have received

Under the covers Unrestful times

Gillian Harvey wonders if anyone has seen her laurels

Stand up for your writing

Adrian Magson says he’s all for not sitting down on the job

TIME ZONES

Allow more time to be creative by optimising your schedule with practical advice from Simon Whaley

AUTHORS BEHAVING BADLY

Social media is not the place to throw a hissy fit,

PRIME WRITER

Lynda La Plante’s enthusiasm shows no sign of waning with the publication of her 45th novel, as Tina Jackson discovers

Anni Domingo

The actor and award-winning debut novelist describes how she gained the self-belief to see herself as a publishable writer

Shelf life

Award-winning Native American novelist David Hesketh Wanbli Weiden shares fi ve books that have left a lasting impression on him

DAVID HESKA WANBLI WEIDEN

David Hesketh Wanbli Weiden has been hailed as a major new voice in American crime fiction. He is Professor of Native American Studies and Political Science at Metropolitan State University of Denver and also teaches creative writing. His published work includes Spotted Tail, a biography for children of the Lakota leader which won the 2020 Spur Award from the Western Writers of America

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

SUBSCRIBER NEWS

Pitch perfect ‘I wrote my first published story

TA Williams

The prolific author shares the secrets behind his success with Margaret James

Gabriel Gbadamosi

The multi-faceted author tells Lynne Hackles about switching between forms as he responds to what’s around him

Whose point of view?

Helen Corner-Bryant looks at ways of conveying different POVs without head-hopping

Reach for the stars

Take your writing group into the space race with these exercises from Julie Phillips

Stress-busters

Creative writing exercises to diffuse stress

Processing the pandemic

Alison Chisholm examines a poem written as the early days of lockdown unfolded last year

Poetry in practice

Use sensory writing to make poems feel vibrant, suggests Doris Corti

A wealthy short story prize

Your essential monthly round-up of competitions, paying markets,

Win a pitch prize

Blue Pencil Agency Pitch Prize 2021 is for

Big prize for Piranesi

Susanna Clarke has won the £30,000 Women’s Prize

Anyone for Café?

Win a £1,000 first prize in the Café

Go for gold

Enter stories up to 2,500 words to win

Shining novel openings

The Searchlight Writing for Children Awards are inviting

UK MAGAZINE MARKET

Stylist wants positive stories

In the running for BBCNSSA

The shortlist has been announced for the 2021

Sold on Sapere series

Win a five-book contract to write a historical

FLASHES

Unpublished UK writers over the age of forty

UK ARTS MARKET

Art for all

Msses prizes

Mslexia’s 2021 Poetry and Pamphlet competitions are open

Step up with Scottish stories

The Janet Coats Memorial Prize from Paisley Book

UK NON-FICTION MARKET

Solicit at Reaktion

Go green

Win a £1,000 first prize for work that

Jane Wenham-Jones

Writing Magazine was deeply saddened by the death

FLASHES

The new Templar Pocket Pamphlet Awards offers two

UK MAGAZINE MARKET

Share wellbeing

GLOBAL FICTION MARKET

A beacon of opportunity

Hove in on this poetry prize

Win a £1,000 first prize in the Sussex

GLOBAL MAGAZINE MARKET

Get in with the Smart Set

FLASHES

Win writing coaching in the free-entry Foxes Retreat

GLOBAL FICTION MARKET

Dive in to Black Heron

UK CRIME MARKET

Make a Brash approach with your crime

Full of good cheer

East Riding Festival of Words Poetry Competition invites

UK BOOK MARKET

Run run Renard

FLASHES

Funny flash fiction could win one of four

GLOBAL BOOK MARKET

Go deep with 55 Fathoms

ONLINE TECH MARKET

Read/write success

Green (screen) light for go

The UK Film Festival Script Competitions has categories

INTRODUCTIONS

Writing Magazine presents a selection of current submission calls from literary publishers. We strongly recommend that you read back issues, familiarise yourself with their guidelines before submitting and check websites for submission details

GLOBAL NON-FICTION MARKET

Share upbeat true stories

FLASHES

Prizes are £300, £200 and £100 for stories

GLOBAL MAGAZINE MARKET Light lit

A magazine of ‘ideas and culture with a

GLOBAL LITERARY MARKET Form matters

Gold Wake Press is an American independent literary

Top horror

The Shirley Jackson Awards, named after the author

GLOBAL NON-FICTION MARKET Academic interests

With a mission to publish works of ‘enduring

Stories to make them shake

Scary Diary Press publishes titles of dark sci-fi/spec-fic/bizarro

Take risks with Fugue

Fugue is a literary biannual journal edited and

Building a habit

Lynne Hackles is a big fan of baby steps

FLASHES

Secret Attic Press holds a free-entry monthly writing

ONLINE NON-FICTION MARKET Write on writing

Natali Juste Simmonds, the new digital content manager

Never leave the library

Devon’s library service has launched The Lost Librarian,

INTERNATIONAL ZINE SCENE

Scrawl Place is an interesting new zine geared

FLASHES

The New Book Edit Writers’ Prize for unpublished,

UK LITERARY MARKET

New voices welcome

ONLINE NON-FICTION MARKET

Narratively speaking

Succulent creative writing wanted

The Ocotillo Review is a US literary journal

GLOBAL MAGAZINE MARKET

Visit This Island Earth

Dissect these guidelines

Dismantle is a magazine, an education site, and

FLASHES

Prizes are £150, £80 and £30 in Southport

UK FICTION MARKET

Create a disturbance