motivation
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Happy Monday to you all! I hope you had a good weekend. The thing that struck me when I went out over the weekend, was the glorious colours of the leaves – the rusts, mustards, golds, reds etc. So my new challenge is for you to write a poem or story on the theme of…
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This week it’s my pleasure welcome new writer, Fathima Thasni to my Guest Writer Spot. Before you read her heart felt poem, here’s a little bit about her in her own words: “I am from Kerala,the southern edge of India. I have started writing in both English as well as Malayalam, which is our regional…
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Well, I can’t do much about the election result, but I can spread a little cheer among a few of you. A few weeks ago, I set my first mini-competition (a flash fiction story on the theme of The Discovery). I was overwhelmed by the number of entries I had and the quality of the…
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On Thursday, I quoted Barbara Poelle: “If you’re struggling with a character, write 20 things that the reader will never know about your character. These will naturally bleed into your writing and provide a richness even though you don’t share the detail”. I’m always encouraging my students to work on character biographies. Knowing your characters…
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Welcome to my Friday Guest Writer Spot. This week’s guest writer is someone who has appeared on my blog a few times. Murray Clarke certainly has a talent for a cracking story, so sit back and enjoy his Guy Fawkes tale. Here’s a little bit about him: Murray Clarke has a real passion for writing…
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When I set my first mini-competition (a flash fiction story on the theme of The Discovery), a month ago, I thought I’d just have a few entries, but they didn’t stop coming in from the minute the competition was underway, until the very last moment on the closing date. I’m thrilled with the response and…
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This week’s market returns to the short story. The H.E. Bates Short Story Competition is currently accepting entries, from all writers, up to 2000 words. You have until 5th December 2016 to send your entry in. Here are some more details for you: Prizes: 1st: £500 2nd: £100 3rd: £50 Plus £50 for the best…
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So, tomorrow welcomes November to 2016. That means bonfire night is lurking round the corner so my writing prompt is for you to write a poem/piece of prose up to 300 words on the following theme: Fireworks Your piece doesn’t have to be about November 5th; you can interpret the theme as you see fit. …
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If you’d like to see your work in my Friday Guest Writer Spot, I’d love to hear from you. I accept stories, poems, articles – in fact, anything and everything. All you have to do is make sure your prose is no longer than 2000 words and your poems no more than 40 lines. If…
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This is a final reminder for my flash fiction competition. You have until Monday to get your entries in so there’s still time to create a masterpiece over the weekend. Here are the details for you: Prizes: 1st: £20 plus a copy of my book of short stories, The Siege Two runners-up: A copy of…
Esther Chilton 