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  • Markets For Writers

    My market for you this week is to write a story for the National Flash Fiction Day anthology. This year’s theme is FAMILY. Entries of up to 500 words are accepted. ‘We invite any and all interpretations of FAMILY, and look forward to reading about families big and small, real and imagined, lost and found,…

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  • Funny Of The Week

    Sounds like a fair swap to me…

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  • Bite Size Writing Tips

    Make your characters real It’s often the attention to the little details that brings a character to life – their mannerisms, the way they say things, what they say, how they look etc. Imagine your character in your mind; even write down some characteristics and what they look like. This will help you to make…

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  • Win A Book!

    To celebrate the paperback launch of A Walk in the Woods, I’m holding a short story competition. A copy of my book will go to the winning entry and the story will also be published on my blog. If you’ve already bought a copy of the book, thank you, but why not still enter and…

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  • Can You Tell A Story In…

    I hope you’re having a great week. How about trying a new challenge? Last week I wanted something COLD from you. This week, I’m looking for the opposite and something HOT. So can you tell a story in five words, using the word HOT in it somewhere? Here are your creative thoughts on COLD from…

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  • Markets For Writers

    The Writers Bureau Short Story Competition is open for entries. Prizes: 1st: £300 2nd: 200 3rd: £100 4th: £50 All winners will also receive a Writers Bureau Course of their choice, worth over £374 Entry fee: £5 per story. Members of The Association of Freelance Writers have the reduced fee of £4.00 per entry .…

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  • Funny Of The Week

    My thanks goes to Murray Clarke who sent in this week’s Funny of the Week.

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  • Bite Size Writing Tips

    One way to instantly hook your reader’s interest in your story is to introduce your main character to them and to make them care for that character. The result – your reader will immediately feel involved in your story: “Please. No…” Hannah looked at the big, balding man, her lower lip trembling. An adult would…

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  • I’m delighted to welcome fellow Newburian, Martin Strike, better known as The Newbury Short Story Teller as my interviewee this week. I first met Martin when he wrote a delightful tale about the cat he and his wife had just adopted from Newbury Cats Protection for The Cat Flap magazine (I’m editor of the magazine).…

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  • Can You Tell A Story In…

    It’s time for another five-word challenge. Last week I wanted something ODD from you. This week, I’m looking for something COLD. So can you tell a story in five words, using the word COLD in it somewhere? Here are your creative thoughts on ODD from last week: Ritu: Oddly enough, I like you. The odds…

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