writing

  • For this week’s challenge, can you tell a story in five words, using the word flabbergasted in it somewhere? Last week’s challenge was to write a five-word story where one of the five words had to be sock. Here are your entertaining stories: Keto For Beginners: Ugh! Rocks in my sock! AJ Shawler: He choked…

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  • For this week’s challenge, can you tell a story in five words, using the word sock in it somewhere? Last week’s challenge was to write a five-word story where one of the five words had to be murder. Here are your creative stories: Stevie Turner: I could murder a biscuit. Keto For Beginners: Challenge Accepted-Can…

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  • Bite Size Writing Tips

    Hospital Waiting Rooms, Horrendous Halls and Farm Parks How many times have you moaned about hours spent hanging round hospital waiting rooms as your appointment runs late? Take a notebook with you next time and put those wasted hours to good use. Or why not take/download a book and see what’s making it into the…

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  • Reeling In Your Reader

    An enormous thank you to the wonderful Writers Bureau for allowing me to be their guest blogger yesterday. If you’d like to read my guest blog on ways to draw readers into reading your short story, then you can take a look here.

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  • Markets For Writers

    Want to try something different? Then why not give the Writing Magazine ‘Genre Mash-Up Short Story Competition’ a go? ‘Smash conventions and cross boundaries with your short story for this month’s competition, for a genre-defying (or defining) mash-up. It could be the likes of urban fantasy or domestic noir, but we’re really looking for a…

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  • For this week’s challenge, can you tell a story in five words, using the word biscuit in it somewhere? I previously set you the challenge of writing a five-word story where one of the five words had to be phone. Here are your fabulous stories: Ritu: A phone ruined my life… Mobile phone – friend…

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  • Happiness In Harrogate

    Mum, Dad and I first visited the beautiful spa town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire some years ago. Move forward a decade or two and we were back there for a week’s break. We stayed in the charming Cairn Hotel, which dates back to Victorian times when many a visitor came to the town to…

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  • Bite Size Writing Tips

    The TV – a source of inspiration for writing? In many houses, the TV is the focal point of the room and we spend a lot of our relaxation time watching it. Visit your local newsagents and you’ll see a lot of shelf space taken up with TV magazines. Most of these have letters pages…

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  • It’s Launch Day!

    It’s finally here! My book of short stories, A Walk In The Woods, is available to buy today! Thank you to all of you who have pre-ordered the book. I hope you enjoy it. If you haven’t, why haven’t you?! You can order it through Amazon worldwide. Here’s the blurb to entice you… An autumnal…

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  • Bite Size Writing Tips

    Not sure how to end your short story? Well, don’t do it this way! Finishing your story with a cunning twist can make for a very effective ending and leave your readers admiring your brilliance. However, a lot of magazine editors and competition judges complain that they see the same twist endings again and again.…

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