tips for writers
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Short and Sweet When you use an abbreviation, a full stop is used after the abbreviated word. However, even though a full stop appears after the abbreviated word, the next word doesn’t need to start with a capital letter e.g.: When you go on holiday, pack plenty of suncream, a hat, sun glasses etc. as
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Check, Check and Check Again! I’ve been reading the final proofs for The Siege and Other Award Winning Stories paperback this week (If any of you would like to buy a copy, please let me know. It should be out mid-November. You will be able to buy it on-line from most e-book stores and bookshops,
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The fifth installment in my series of how to open a short story and hook your reader focuses on addressing your reader directly, which compels him to feel part of your story. In a monologue, the main character often does this, as if he/she is confiding in the reader and sharing his/her story e.g.: Just
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Tiptastic Tips! Readers’ tips are big business these days. More and more magazines are publishing them. Add to that the fact that for only a few words and a photo, you can earn up to £60 and readers’ tips are certainly not to be ignored. A lot of the tips pages feature tips with or
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This week’s installment in my weekly series, on how to hook your reader’s interest in the first few words of your story, moves from last week’s humour to atmosphere. By building up a strong sense of atmosphere at the beginning of your story, you ensure your reader feels part of the story straight away. Here
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A Tantalising Title! Some of my students have asked me whether it’s important to give a short story a title. The answer is a huge yes! When a magazine editor/short story judge is faced with a big pile of short stories, one with an eye-catching/intriguing title will instantly have him/her interested in reading your story.
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Last week, I showed you how a short story, which opens using the shock factor, can capture your readers’ interest. This week, I take a look at how a humorous one can achieve the same result. We all like to read something, which makes us laugh and something amusing often comes as a welcome break
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To freelance or not to freelance, that is the question! One of the most important details to check is whether the publication you want to target accepts freelance contributions. You can generally find this information at the front or back of a magazine. The address and contact details are listed, together with information on the
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Just Do It! This week’s tip is written with a mixture of sadness but also with a sense of motivation. The sadness part relates to me having to have my beloved 18 year-old cat put to sleep this morning. It doesn’t seem five minutes ago that she arrived here, a cute bundle of ginger fluff.
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A Cracking Christmas Calling! Yes, I know it’s the end of August and you don’t really want to be thinking about Christmas just yet, despite many of the stores clearly believing you should be but now is the time to be sending your Christmas stories and articles out. It’s no good waiting until December. Magazines
Esther Chilton 