non-fiction

  • Markets For Writers

    Writing Magazine are holding a Creative Non-Fiction Competition. Here’s what they’re looking for: ‘A burgeoning genre, creative non-fiction uses all the storyteller’s tools to paint a picture of reality. Whether you choose to write an evocative article, a piece of memoir, or even a slice-of-life pen portrait, you’ll need to paint it vividly in readers’,…

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  • Happy New Year! I know lots of you have been back blogging for a while, but I took a little bit of a break over the festive period. I hope you all had a wonderful time with friends and family and that your 2018 is going great so far. So, it’s back to my new…

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  • Here’s part one of my new writing series. Each week, I’ll be bringing you an idea – whether it’s a magazine to write for, a theme for a short story, the opening line of a poem… This week, my idea for you is in the form of the letter A, and in this case A…

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  • Writing Workshop…Top Tips

    Now for the tenth instalment in my writing workshop series. I’ve covered the short story ending as well as the opening.  I’ve guided you through dialogue and focused on the importance of taking time to do things properly. I’ve also given you a competitions refresher and some general advice on the art of the short…

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  • Guest Writer Spot

    Happy Friday! I hope the first week of this new year has been a bright one. If not, don’t worry – it’s the weekend tomorrow! As it’s Friday, it’s time for my Guest Writer Spot. It’s a pleasure to welcome Sharon Boothroyd to this slot for the first time. Here’s a little bit about her,…

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  • As spring is in the air, I thought I’d make a few changes to my blog: Some of my regular posts will remain the same – Tuesday will still see my award for ‘Funny Of The Week‘ and Friday is still my ‘Top Top Of The Week‘ day. ‘Mondays Motivations’ will change slightly to feature…

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  • My Writing Week

    As you’ll all have experience of, returning to work after a holiday isn’t easy. It’s often a case of the body being back home but the brain is still on holiday! Though, the memory of the scorching sun and mystery of Egypt are already dwindling away as I catch up with assignments and deadlines.  The…

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  • Top Tip Of The Week

    Say yes to rejection! The word of the week on my blog has been ‘rejection’ and how it’s something we all have to cope with if we want to be successful writers. My tip for you, and something which I’ve put into practice over the years, is for each rejection you get, set it aside…

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  • Somewhere to Start It can be difficult to know where to send your writing. The ‘Writers and Artists’ Year Book’ is full of agents, publishers and mainstream magazines and newsagents’ shelves are growing to fit the plethora of magazines published weekly, monthly and so on. Yet, it isn’t just a case of sending work off…

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  • My Writing Week

    A few weeks ago, I mentioned devising a daily plan and aiming to send work out each day. I’m now starting to see the benefit of this approach, with e-mails confirming two readers’ letters and one tip will be published in future magazines. I’ve also had an article I pitched commissioned and a children’s story…

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