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Fiction
How to stay on track, and
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JOURNALISM
How to write for niche
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10 new ways to
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KATHY NOW WITH Opportunities to get published
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 E D I TO R ’ S L E T T E R

BESTSELLING
MAGAZINE
WRITING

COMPETITION
SPECIAL
HELPING YOU BECOME A BETTER WRITER

APRIL 2020

Get creative with our guide to

over 750 comps to enter

Spring clean
Welcome...
your style
Clear your writing of clutter

Fiction
How to stay on track, and
motivated, for a 150,000+
word spec fic epic

JOURNALISM
Dear Reader
Regular readers will remember that last month, I was droning on in this
How to write for niche
pet magazines

10 new ways to letter about how Eoin Colfer had found his writing groove by making it fun
get publicity
KATHY
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Opportunities to get published
for himself and not being afraid to be diverted. Now, I’m pleased to be able
Competitions to enter
REICHS
Crime writing
secrets from
Reader success stories
Insider know-how and more… to highlight the opposite case. This month’s star writer, Kathy Reichs, has
the Bones 04>
£4.25

forged an impressive career by writing exactly what she knows. Originally

bestseller 9 770964 916266

Published by intending to raise popular awareness and understanding of the forensic

Warners Group Publications plc, anthropology career she so obviously loves, Kathy decided to write a novel
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come back to the idea of the writer’s unique angle. What’s the topic you
Publisher: Collette Lloyd can write about that nobody else can? What makes your journey down
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us? Identify that, and your article or story is already half sold. Nathan Hill, Jonathan Telfer
Editor: Jonathan Telfer
Email: jtelfer@writersnews.co.uk editor of Practical Fishkeeping, echoes that advice for us this month, with Editor
a thorough and practical exploration of how to give magazine editors what
Assistant editor: Tina Jackson
Email: tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk they want – worth a careful read, regardless of whether you have the fishy
expertise.
Senior designer: Nathan Ward
Email: nathanw@warnersgroup.co.uk So what are you waiting for? Find your niche, and make the most of it!

Editorial designer: Mary Ward

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Marketing: Lauren Freeman

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management, lecturing, writing involved in the cases he helps features, real-lives and
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published in magazines has contributed short stories of UK publications. Before
WM Competitions, Warners Group
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Street, Bourne PE10 9PH, UK. Welcome Welcome, Moon also a tutor in creative writing, writer she worked as an
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www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 3

 IN THIS ISSUE
16

32

60

62

INTERVIEWS AND PROFILES CREATIVE WRITING

16 Star interview: Kathy Reichs 32 Beginners: The finishing line

As you might expect from a forensic scientist, the crime writer takes a
practical approach to her bestselling Bones series
24 How I got published: Julie Shackman
The Scottish romance author talks about how hooking an Australian
agent led to publishing success
36 Shelf life: Adam Macqueen
The journalist and author of fiction and non-fiction shares his top
five reads
Finish what you started – it’s the only way to see if it’s got legs
38 Under the microscope
The beginning of a reader’s memoir goes under our editorial eye
58 Masterclass: What’s in a name?
Exploring the significance of names in your fiction
60 Writing for children: Being different
The importance of representing children with additional needs

40 Beat the bestsellers 62 Fiction focus: Spring cleaning

The style and technique of Ben Macintyre Give your manuscript a good spit and polish

45 Circles round up 64 Fantastic realms: On a grand scale

Writing groups share their interests and activities Get skilled up to write a fantasy epic

46 Subscriber spotlight WRITING LIFE

WM subscribers share their publishing success stories
12 Publicity: Think outside the box
74 Author profile: Amy McLellan Unorthodox approaches can be very effective in getting the word out
The debut psychological thriller writer teaches us a new word about your book

96 My writing day: Ana Johns 20 Magazine journalism: Fish for a writing gig
The US writer on how a life-changing diagnosis led to a novel Could you make money writing for a niche magazine about a
inspired by real events specialised interest?

4 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk

 CONTENTS

66
29 26
52

WRITERS’ NEWS
76 Your essential monthly roundup
of competitions, paying markets,
opportunities to get into print and 53 Poetry in practice
publishing industry news Plan a new poem round the months of the year

55 Poetry launch: The great Romantic

Points to consider in your entry for our William Wordsworth poetry
26 Screenwriting: In the frame competition
Author, screenwriter and director Andrew David Barker explains how
writers can turn into filmmakers 56 Poetry winners: Getting festive
The WM poets really captured a sense of seasonal magic in their
42 Away from your desk Christmas poetry competition entries
Get out of your garret and be inspired by these events and activities for writers
COMPETITIONS AND EXERCISES
66 Talk it over: Lost for words
A recently retired writer has lost her flow adjusting to a big life change 29 Free range writing: Animal spirit
Four writing exercises to celebrate National Pet Day
68 The business of writing: You can bank on it
The pros and cons of having a business bank account for your writing 33 WIN! Cash prizes and publication
Enter WM’s latest creative writing competitions
98 Notes from the margin: Male order
A dressing-down for writers who unwittingly fall into gender stereotypes 34 Short story winners
Read the winning entries in WM’s competition for 500-word stories
ASK THE EXPERTS
44 Writers’ circles: Testing times
10 From the other side of the desk: With you in a jiffy Test your characters by placing them in alternative realities in this
Piers Blofeld wishes publishers would make agents’ lives just a bit easier writing group exercise

14 Ask a literary consultant REGULARS

Advice for a debut writer planning a visit to the London Book Fair
6 Miscellany
30 Writer’s voice: Literary legacy The wide world of writing
Explaining what the SoA does to keep author’s works alive
8 Letters
70 Research tips: Crime and punishment
Writing a crime novel? Tarja Moles offers the clues and leads you need 72 Editorial calendar
to research the criminal underworld and the forces of the law
81 Going to market
71 Behind the tape Essential advice for freelances
Expert advice to get the details right in your crime fiction
87 Novel ideas
POETRY Bright ideas for fiction writers

52 Poetry workshop: Time & place 91 Travel writing know-how

Exploring the way a poem can capture a particular moment in time Tips from our freelance pro

www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 5

 MISCELLANY

THE WORLD OF
WRITING
The wide world of writing is a curious place where fonts get fan mail, Poet
Laureates play pub gigs and bookshop burglars get boozed up

Gay’s the Word CC BY-SA 3.0 Ross Burgess; prosecco CC BY-SA 3.0 Agne27
Fonts have fan clubs Plastered
Ask any designer what they
think about Comic Sans and
pilferers
they’ll look at you as if you’d The forces of the law had no
thrown up on their artfully problems catching burglars
arranged desk. But beyond intent on stealing from Gay’s
the elevated aesthetics the Word bookshop in London
of design professionals, in February, because the would-
whoever expected fonts to be thieves had uncovered a
trend on Twitter? When stash of booze and drunk it.
author Sean Richardson ((@ When the police arrived the
Southlndtabby) tweeted intruders were found in the
‘Please reveal the deepest part of yourself: Which font Soho bookshop polishing off a bottle of prosecco,
and which size do you write in?’ on 26 January, fonts having already finished the leftover tequila from a
went viral, with the Twittersphere awash with writers staff member’s birthday. ‘They seem to have been
proclaiming their favourites. Times New Roman came boozing mid-burglary, which probably wasn’t the
out as top of the font pops. The serif typeface was most prudent thing to do,’ bookseller Uli Lenart
commissioned by The Times in 1931 and designed by told Pink News. ‘Shop in a bit of a mess,’ tweeted
Stanley Morrison and Victor Lardent of Monotype. The Gay’s the Word on 9 February. ‘Getting ready to
Times stopped using Times New Roman in 1972. Despite clear up. We may open later today – depends on police. At least it’s not a
a dignified and illustrious history that includes being the hate crime.’
font used for the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Twitter user @ Independent bookshop Gay’s the Word, which featured in the
MaryAnne summed up its appeal by saying ‘It’s all about 2014 film Pride as the HQ of 1980s activist group Lesbians and
that adorable lower case f ’. Though to be fair, no-one’s ever Gays Support the Miners, has repeatedly been targetted for attack
going to say that about Comic Sans. since it was founded in 1979.

6 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk


Poet post-rock
We’re no strangers at Miscellany Manors to
performers or artistes from other disciplines
deciding to try their hand at a bit of poetry,
or writing a soon-to-be-remaindered novel,
but you don’t often see the trend in reverse.
In this case, perhaps we could have
expected it – his memoir Gig said it all
in the subtitle, ‘The Life and Times of a
Rock-Star Fantasist’ – but the news that
Poet Laureate Simon Armitage has created
a post-rock band still came as something of
a surprise. Not least because we really rather
enjoyed it.
LYR sees Simon enlist musicians
Richard Walters and Patrick Pearson to
create a background for his spoken-word
performances of ‘ambient post-rock passages,
jazz flourishes and atonal experimentalism’.
The songs started out as ‘sort-of poems,
hybrid things between songs and lyrics and
poems’, Simon told the Guardian: ‘I quite
It was either asking
for trouble or
shooting fish in a
barrel, depending
on which side
of the review
desk postbag
you sit. When
veteran book critic
Peter Conrad was given Inside the Critics’
Circle: Book Reviewing in Uncertain Times
by academic Phillipa K Chong to review
by the Guardian, he found himself adrift
in a world of academic argot. Phillipa, an
assistant professor of sociology at McMaster
University has a PhD from the University
of Toronto and her website biography says
‘her empirical focus has been on book
often read them at events, but I think they
were reaching out for tunes and musical
setting. This allows me to indulge an aspect
of lyricism which is generally not available
on the printed page.’
The debut single Never Good With Horses,
is out now, from Mercury KX. Watch the
video here, https://writ.rs/postrockpoet
Each of the ten tracks on the upcoming
album, Call in the Crash Team, adopts
the perspective of a different character,
‘monologues or soliloquies from people in
personal crises’.
‘We’re not the sort of band who are going
to be playing in the back of a pub on a
Tuesday night in Stalybridge,’ said Simon.
‘We want to make events out of the music.’
LYR are playing their first gig at the
Brudenell Social Club in Leeds. It is,
Simon will no doubt be happy to hear, on
a Monday.
Critic’s critique, criticised
reviewers as market intermediaries in the
cultural market’. Her book about reviewing
books includes phrases such as ‘cognitive
heuristic’, ‘homophilious logics’ and ‘the
genderisability of the framework.’
‘I may be a shallow fellow, but I’ve
never worried about what Chong clumsily
describes as the “lack of groupness” among
reviewers,’ wrote Peter. ‘Who cares that
no certificates of “accreditation” enrol us
in “the institution of literary criticism” or
that we “inhabit nonprofessional spaces”? I
also hadn’t realised that I was supposed to
function as a “market intermediary” or –
with luck – as a “cultural consecrator”.
Peter, whose many books include The
Everyman History of English Literature and
a critical history of Orson Welles, has had
www.writers-online.co.uk
MISCELLANY
Divisive
dark horse
Agatha Christie traditionalists were left bemused
and confused by writer Sarah Phelp’s recent
atmospheric adaptation of The Pale Horse for
the BBC. Less cosy crime than folk-horror
hallucination, it was: ‘A place where scheming
murderous toffs get the rope, or locked in a
bunker, or condemned to a looping purgatory
nightmare in which they’re stalked by a 1950s
doo-wop hit and a giant turnip king,’ wrote
Digital Spy. The two-parter’s murky Wicker Man
ambience and an ambiguous ending left fans
of the original 1961 novel confused. ‘Another
Christie classic ruined by the BBC’, chuntered
one on Twitter. ‘Why even pretend this is an
Agatha Christie?’ offered another. But viewers
were divided in its favour. ‘If you didn’t like that
adaptation of The Pale Horse then stick David
Suchet on and be done with it,’ tweeted Debbie
Downer. ‘I thought it was great.’
journalism published in the newspapers
and magazines including the Observer, The
New Yorker, the Guardian, and The New
Statesman. While Phillipa sucked all the fun
out of the critic’s art in her jargon-laden
prose, Peter put it all back in by tearing
her book apart. ‘If a book is bad it’s bad,’
he decided about Phillipa’s efforts. ‘And if
it’s merely an exercise in academic pseudo-
intellection it’s even worse.’
APRIL 2020 7
 TITLE
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We want to hear your news and views on the writing world, your advice for fellow writers
– and don’t forget to tell us what you would like to see featured in a future issue...
Write to: Letters to the editor, Writing Magazine, Warners
Group Publications plc, 5th Floor, 31-32 Park Row, Leeds
LS1 5JD; email: letters@writersnews.co.uk. (Include your
name and address when emailing letters. Ensure all
STAR LETTER
Psyching yourself up
In my recent writing practice I’ve been struck by how much effort and
energy it takes to put yourself out there. Writing is one of those things
that most people consider a highly introverted activity, yet the acts of
sending letters out, entering competitions, or even publishing on your
own website can be a mountainous undertaking of extroversion and ego.
There’s a lot of advice in Writing Magazine about inspiring your
writing, what the industry is looking for, and how to connect with it. I’d
be interested in the magazine’s take on how to psyche yourself up and
inspire your self-confidence!
I’ve been trying to step up my game recently with letters and
competition entries. I’ve been spurring myself on with mantras of ‘Just a
little more! You can do it!’ and ‘Get out of your own way!’ but sometimes
it’s been a real effort to think positively and get over the mental blocks in
front of query-letters and competition entries. Much like the writing work
itself, it’s greatly helped by just getting your bum in the seat and getting
it done. Emptying your mind of what might happen and focusing on the
task at hand.
There’s nothing like the sense of completion and feeling of power
that comes once it’s done. Once you hit send and the email goes, or the
envelope disappears into the postbox. All there is to do then is wait, and
try not to imagine all the different ways you could have done it better.
ERIN WRIGHT
Cleethorpes
The star letter each month earns a copy
of the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2020,
courtesy of Bloomsbury,
www.writersandartists.co.uk
Cuttings book
My husband bought me a subscription to
Writing Magazine as a gift. As a new writer, I
have written a children’s story which I have just
sent out to publishers and have just entered two
writing competitions for this magazine.
I love writing and especially love Writing
Magazine. I have created a scrapbook full of the
great advice and tips contained in each edition
I receive!
JULES McBAIN
Hanworth, Bracknell
8 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk
letters, a maximum of 250 words, are exclusive to Writing
Magazine. Letters may be edited.)
When referring to previous articles/letters, please state
month of publication and page number.
Gatekeepers of opinion
Writing as an agent, Piers Blofeld (From the other side of the desk,
WM, Mar) suggets that publishers tend to have a leftish, metropolitan
worldview and incline to publish work that appeals to readers who share
it. This is also true of literary agents. One might argue that far from
being reactive to its broader market the whole book-producing industry
determines what that market shall read – or ought to read.
In the same issue, a letter from reader, Eric Olsen (Does Age Matter?,
p9), touches on agents’ attitudes to the age of those submitting work to
them. This is usually put down to concern about investing in a rapidly
wasting asset, but may also be attributable to contempt for those whose
written English dates from before these agents were born.
ALAN HAMILTON
Bridport, Dorset
Horse’s mouth
I could not but agree with the
points made by the article Go to
the dogs (Fiction Focus, WM Feb)
about animal characters: they
add a lot to the story, and often
steal the show.
I realised that when almost
every reader who gave me
feedback on my novel stated
that the character they liked the
most was neither the hero nor the heroine. It was the horse.
And not any old horse: a greedy, grumpy, talking racehorse.
Everyone loved the horse. Everyone was delighted that the
horse could speak (did I mention that this novel is historical
fiction in a realistic setting?) I was shocked that no one
questioned that. I had expected some raised eyebrows. But
no, nothing.
A particularly critical beta reader pointed out that one
character’s speech was unrealistic, because it did not reflect
his social background. That same reader did not think that
this character having conversations with a HORSE was
unnatural. Though they did state that the fact this horse’s
mane had been ‘cut’ when it should have been ‘pulled’, was
not accurate or acceptable.
Animal magic indeed... This horse bewitched readers,
and left me wondering if my book might have been more
successful had I cast him as the hero (and his human as a
supporting character).
MAY BERMONT
Paris, France

Writing to the finishing line
New Year brings yet again the same resolve – that I will make the time to
write regularly. Over the last fifty years there has been the occasional flurry
of activity, a column in the local newspaper, a column in a national farming
monthly. That lasted only three issues as the magazine ceased publication (I
don’t think my effort was responsible.) A handful of plays for local am-dram, a
self-published book, several hundred copies of which still lie under the bed. An
afternoon play on Radio 4, but that was over 25 years ago. Sporadic the output
has been, but constant has been my unrequited yearning to write more, always
frustrated by excuses that something else has always more urgent.
Now the realization that in The Grand National of life I am coming into the
home straight demands that procrastination is no longer an option. Time to
once again turn to my long-time mentor and inspiration – Writing Magazine –
the personal trainer who has never failed to keep me connected to the world of
writing. But the creative cog wheels are a bit rusty, so for lubrication I am going
to use the exercise of entering the WM competitions but first let’s start with a
letter of thanks to WM for always being there.
HARRY SEAR
Bedfordshire
Words, unleashed
For years writing a book had been an ambition of mine, but the years passed,
and I had never found the confidence to begin. Then my husband and I
bought a crumbling old farmhouse in Tuscany and moved our young family
out to Italy. Months later my father died unexpectedly, and there I was,
thousands of miles away from friends and family, trying to hold my family
life together and survive the grieving process. By chance on a return visit
to the UK I bought a copy of your magazine last March, and it has really
transformed my life. Inspired by the wonderful articles and advice of other
writers, I have thrown myself into my first novel, set here in Italy. Writing has
been a hugely cathartic experience and escaping into the world of my novel
has really helped me process my feelings throughout this difficult period in
my life. I would like to thank you for this gift that has helped me to finally see
myself as a writer.
ANNA HOOKE
Montaltissimo, Italy
Free your mind
As a busy single parent I must confess to usually skipping the prompts and
exercises in Writing Magazine on the basis I don’t have time to start anything
else. However, having experienced severe writer’s block since the birth of my
daughter, I decided I had nothing to lose by giving some of the Free Range
Writing exercises a try. At first the words trickled painfully, but then - the
flow. My coffee was left forgotten and an hour later I had two poems to share
with my writing group, a plot for a short story, a piece of memoir which had
given me personal insight and four article pitches – two of which were later
commissioned by magazine editors. Not bad for an hour’s free-ranging. I’ve
vowed since to start every writing session like this and have been much more
productive as a result. Thank you.
VICKY BOURNE
Kidderminster, Worcestershire
www.writers-online.co.uk
L E T T E R S TO T H E E D I TO R
COMPETITION
OVERLOAD
I approach my desktop with sweating brow and nervous
twitch, opening my well-edited specimen with trepidation.
Deleting and rewriting many times; playing obsessively with
punctuation until commas and semicolons push each other
out of the way, until I feel dizzy.
Emblazoned in words of fire in my brain, the mantra: is
it good enough? Sighing, I close my eyes, shake my head
and shudder. ‘Come on, you must get a grip,’ I wearily tell
myself and go through the rigid rules and requirements.
There are so many; original and unpublished work?
Word count, font size/style, margin width, line spacing,
the list is endless.
Do I put my name on the work itself or on a separate sheet?
Can I staple the details to the postal entry and my cheque?
May paperclips be used? If loose, unnamed sheets are in the
envelope, what happens if they get separated on opening?
Can the contact details be matched with the work? Perhaps
sending it by email and PayPal would make it easier?
My mind blurs. Feeling faint, I clutch the keyboard,
sinking slowly under the desk. When I finally open my eyes
and reach up, I’ve sent it electronically, having no knowledge
of the payment process.
Staggering to find a darkened room, my head throbs as I try
to think clearly. Perhaps after a few weeks of perfect calm and
tranquillity, I will be able to consider entering another writing
competition without screaming inside.
JEANNIE ABBOTT
Woodbridge, Suffolk
Words for
a friend
I read Philip Simon’s letter (Time To Think, WM, Mar),
about the death of his beloved dog, with a tear in my eye
(I’m sure I wasn’t the only one).
Research shows that the loss of a beloved pet can be as
hard – or even harder – to deal with than that of a friend
or relative. Dogs are not just ‘best friends’ – for many,
they are family too and a source of comfort, security
and unconditional love, as well as the provider of a daily
routine, all of which stops when the pet dies.
So please, never say to someone ‘It was only a dog’.
And Philip, I hope, when your heartache has lessened
a little, you might consider letting another canine
companion into your life. Not to replace your beloved
Staffie but perhaps as a tribute to the love you shared
with her.
HELEN YENDALL
Blockley, Glos
APRIL 2020 9
 From the
OTHE R SIDE
OF THE DESK

With you
in a jiffy All of this is a roundabout way of getting to the purpose of this
column. One of the most frequent causes of frustration is that publishers
can seem to do very little to publicise their books. As an agent one can
(quite cautiously) ask what’s been done and I am generally met with the
reply that press releases and book proofs have been sent out.
This is where I grit my teeth: I have a few high profile authors and
there are publicity departments who regularly send me books and
proofs they think those authors will be interested in. That means I get
a jiffy bag – which is seemingly designed to make it impossible to open
without almost destroying, so that before I even have the book out of
the bag I feel guilty at the waste.
Inside there will be the book and a press release – and maybe a letter
from the editor about why they loved this book. I – and remember this
Small, specific things can make a difference, is happening in agencies across London every day: for some agents with
says Piers Blofeld, wishing publishers would really grand client lists half a dozen times a day – am then supposed to
find a jiffy bag that I haven’t destroyed, dig out my client’s postal address
consider making agents’ lives (just a little bit)
and write out a new label to take down to the post room so that the
easier when it comes to publicity agency can then pay to post it on.
I hope I don’t need to spell out what is wrong with that scenario – or

O
ne of the first things I do when a client of mine gets their first explain why it is that all those authors who the book has been ‘sent’ to
book deal is, once the champagne corks have landed, give them never get back with that wonderful quote for the jacket.
The Talk about how to manage their new relationship with So, here’s what I’ve started asking: when publicists send out a proof,
their publisher. can they do with it the book already inside another jiffy bag, which has
A key part of this is to say as unambiguously as possible that pre-paid postage and a label on it with the author’s name, so all I have to
there will be times when they will be unbelievably angry with their do is write out an address.
publisher. Which is why it’s good to do it at the moment when the It isn’t only about meanness – casting your bread upon the waters is
author is most inclined to believe that their publisher farts rainbows and an okay strategy, but I’m often rather busy, sometimes a bit tired and
can in general do no wrong: it means there’s no chance I’m going to be cross. Goodwill runs out and it is pointless to presume upon it when
responsible for souring relations. there is such an easy strategy to hand to resolve it.
Of course not everyone does get angry with their publisher, but most
authors at one point or another do. It’s natural – author and publisher
interests align, but not perfectly and that can be very stressful – after all
for the author this will be the culmination of possibly a lifetime of hopes
and ambition.
But the fact is that only 10% of books really succeed – there’s a very
large number of books which fall into a middling category of neither
making much, nor losing too much and the authors who tend to get
their contracts renewed are the ones who re good at getting on with the
people who work at the publishers.
Part of that process is about allowing the agent to be the person
who has the rows – you don’t buy a dog so you can bark yourself –
but also it’s about understanding the lie of the land. Publishing is a
badly paid industry and by and large the best people in publishing
are the dittos: they are doing what they love. The people in other
departments may not have that passion and because of the pay
scales may not be the very best at their jobs. Not getting too cross
when that particular penny drops and in particular never, ever
letting them know that is extraordinarily important.

10 APRIL 2020
 10 –12 July, 2020
University of Winchester, UK

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www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 11


Unorthodox approaches can be very effective in getting the word out about
your book, says Simon Hall in the second instalment of his two-parter on promotion
Spreading word of your book is
critical in securing sales.
The media, as I discussed in my previous
article, are the conventional way of raising
awareness of your work.
But there are other methods, and
happily these are only as limited as
your creativity.
Many revolve around social media,
as that can be a powerful platform for
promoting yourself.
But there are other ways as well, and the
good news is that most of them don’t have
to cost you a penny.
So to get you thinking how you might
lure in more readers, here
are ten creative tips for
promoting your book,
many of which have
worked for me.
1 Guerrilla
appearances
Going on holiday? Heading out for a day
trip? Or away for work?
Take your book with you, and
photograph it in interesting locations,
then post the pictures on social media.
I did this when I took my latest novel,
The Editor, on a business trip to London,
and it worked a treat.
Lots of people commented, some
offered their own photos, and I noticed a
spike in sales.
Photographs, particularly fun ones, can
really increase engagement and interest on
social media.
But don’t forget to include a link to
your book in all your posts.
It’s a missed opportunity otherwise.
12 APRIL 2020
Think
outside
the box
2 Writing windows
Everybody has a favourite shop, pub or café
where they’re well-known to the owners.
Why not get some posters printed and
ask them to advertise your book?
Modern printing technology means it’s
not particularly expensive, but it can be an
effective trick.
You could also pop a copy of your latest
book in the shop’s window.
I did this with my barber, and they were
very happy to help.
They liked the idea of having an author
who was a loyal customer, and it became a
talking point as the staff often mentioned
it to other people who came in.
You could even ask your
friends to put up a small poster
in the windows of their homes,
along with a copy of your book.
It doesn’t take much effort,
and might just get people
noticing and talking.
3 Become a broadcaster
These days, with smart phones, it’s
incredibly easy to become a broadcaster.
I know it might sound daunting, but
look up how to use your phone to record
a podcast, or video.
It didn’t take me long at all to master the
basics, and I’m no whizz with technology.
You could just talk about your book
to start with, but when you’re confident
enough try interviewing someone who
has read it.
It’s a fun way of promoting your
work, and the statistics tell us that
videos always tend to attract more
attention on social media.
www.writers-online.co.uk
But don’t forget to include the right
hashtags to help with your promotion
work, tag in your friends and publisher, and
anyone else who might share your post.
In my experience, the writing
community is wonderfully kind and
supportive, so make the most of that.
4 Adapt your book
You’ve written a cracking story, which
you’re very proud of, so why confine it
just to print?
Why not adapt it to become a play, a
radio drama, or even a TV or film script?
I know it might sound far-fetched, but
it can make an impact and really help to
raise your profile as a writer.
I adapted my first novel, The TV Detective,
into a play to raise money for a local charity,
and it was an incredible experience.
I learnt so much about theatre and
acting, which enhanced my understanding
of characterisation, and so improved my
writing as well.
The play attracted media coverage, and
lots of feedback on social media, which
helped with sales of the
original book.
We also raised
thousands of pounds
for the hospice
movement, an
incredibly good cause.
It was a real win-
win adventure, one of the highlights of my
writing career.
5 Your secret ingredients
This is another idea which is made for
social media.

Anything which gets a conversation going
can really help to boost your profile online.
My secret ingredient for writing The
Editor was… wait for it…
Waitrose All Butter Belgian White
Chocolate Chunk Cookies.
(And believe me, they are as good as
they sound.)
Whenever I felt my energy waning, it
was time for a cup of tea and one of those
excellent biscuits,
and the combination
seldom failed to work.
Ask other writers
what the secret
ingredient which
powered their book
was, and you can
get a buzz going
on social media which can only help to
interest potential readers in your work.
6 Offer events
The Editor is set in Cambridge, with some
well-known locations featuring.
One of the most important is a
business incubator, The Eagle Labs, so
I mentioned to the manager that the
offices had helped to inspire me.
Part of the reason was that the boss of
the incubator is a character in the book,
and a bit of a wally. So I didn’t want the
real life manager to take offence, as I like
him a lot.
Fortunately, he took the book in such
good spirit that he promoted it in the
incubator’s newsletter, and even invited
me to sell copies in a lecture I did there on
good communications.
If your book is set in a real town or city,
why not offer a reading or a talk at a place
which features?
Or if it’s set fictitious location, how
about doing an event at a café, pub, or
somewhere else you often went when you
needed a break from the writing of your
book, and which helped you along in
your journey?
You’d be surprised how enthusiastic
some businesses can be.
In a first for the company, I was
asked by Stagecoach to become a Writer
in Residence on their buses around
Cambridge, talking to travellers about
The Editor, and pointing out places which
featured in the book.
7 Strange stories
Every book has strange stories which lie
behind the writing.
What are yours? (And are you
comfortable sharing them?!)
If so, they can be another powerful way
of promoting your work on social media.
These are just the sort of posts which
encourage others to contribute their own
stories, and so help spread the word of
your book.
One of my strange experiences was
having to hang around Cambridge
Police Station, noting when officers
came and went, and looking at potential
places to ambush someone who emerged
from the doors.
Just such a trap forms an important
scene in The Editor, so I wanted to make
sure I had the details right.
In these security-
sensitive days, I felt
more than a little self
conscious, doing my
unorthodox research.
But happily, despite
the risks, no police officer
stopped me to ask what I was doing, as
I was worried my explanation might not
have convinced them.
8 Behind the scenes
A glimpse of the reality of a writer’s life
is always interesting, both for those in
the trade and readers too.
How about a tour of your study, paying
particular attention to the important
companions you simply can’t do without
when you’re writing.
You could do this as a video, or a
blog, and then promote it on social
media. It’s bound to spark comments
and interactions.
For my part, my desk is an utter mess,
but surrounded by wonderful memories
and supporters in the writing process.
There’s my hedgehog, Bert, who’s
now thirty years old, and goes with
me everywhere. I can’t write a word
without him, for reasons I’ve never
quite understood.
(Don’t worry, he’s not as grumpy as
he looks.)
There are also photos of some of the
writing events I’ve done, and covers of my
previous books.
All those are great comforts when the
words are failing to come, and sharing
such insights can entertain, amuse, and
help to attract people to your writing.
9 Alternative dedications
The Editor is dedicated to Cambridge,
where I moved two and a half years ago in
a major life change.
www.writers-online.co.uk
PUBLICITY
I wanted to thank the city, and
its wonderful residents, for making me
so welcome.
But there was an alternative dedication
which came to mind. It was rather strange,
but tempting nonetheless.
Every writer has their distractions,
don’t they? No matter how much it might
annoy their publisher.
(I can just sense you nodding your
head here.)
As for me, I’m lucky enough that
my garden has a lovely hedge running
along it, which is home to a gang of
effervescent sparrows.
I often put down food for
them, and, in moments when
I needed inspiration, watched
them hopping, fluttering and
chirping their maelstrom of a
way around the garden.
Featuring your alternative
dedications on social media is a
good way to prompt a conversation,
and so help to spread word of your book.
10 Take your book on holiday
I don’t just mean any old holiday here, no
matter how much your book might deserve it.
I’m talking about writing holidays, like the
wonderful Swanwick Writers’ Summer School,
or the Writers’ Weekend in Winchester.
There are lots of such gatherings across
the country.
Apart from being great fun, and an
opportunity to share your passion for
writing with like-minded souls, they also
offer you the chance to promote your work.
Many festivals are interested in writers
giving talks, or holding workshops.
If that’s something you fancy, it can
really help you grow in yourself, and also
has the added advantage of raising your
profile, not to mention that of your book.
Most have their own book rooms, where
your pride and joy can happily be on sale.
As I said at the start of this article, the
number of ways to promote your work is
only limited by your imagination.
And the good news is that, as you’re a
writer, that means it’s limitless.
These are just a few unusual ways you
might consider.
I look forward to hearing about some
of your own cunningly creative schemes
to help make the world aware of your
excellent work. Tag #writingmagazine
on Twitter @SimonHallNews or
contact me through the website www.
thetvdetective.com (you can also order
copies of The Editor!).
APRIL 2020 13
 ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ?? ?
? ? ? ?
? ? ? ?? ? ?
Ask a Literary Consultant
? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ?
?? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
A debut writer planning to attend the London Book Fair gets sound advice on making
the most of their visit from Helen Corner-Bryant
‘I’m a debut writer and would like to attend London Book Fair
this year. Are there any tips you may have? Do I need to set up
meetings beforehand or should I wait until I’m there and hope
for a chance encounter with an agent?’
London Book Fair (LBF) is one of two main trade publishing fairs
(the other one is Frankfurt in the autumn) and this year it’s based
at Olympia London, 10-12 March. It’s predominantly aimed at
agents, editors and publishing professionals from all over the
world and it’s their chance to do business and forge relationships
with one another. There are over 25,000 attendees – it’s vast,
incredible, and hectic.
It’s not really an opportunity for unrepresented authors to
meet agents in the traditional agents’ floor set-up, sadly. [But
don’t give up reading yet. There’s a more accepted way to catch
an agent’s eye, see below.] Agents have their own domain in the
International Rights Centre and it’s almost impossible to get in.
And if you do manage to get in – we have heard of a few plucky
authors who’ve managed it, generally more by accident than
design – it’s generally frowned upon if you don’t have a meeting
set up in advance. Setting up a meeting in advance would be
the polite way but you may not have much luck. Agents are
frantically busy meeting their published authors and negotiating
deals and have very little space to entertain prospective authors
(however willing they may be). As with everything, there are
always the exceptions, but I wouldn’t go there with the goal of
making that connection. If it happens then brilliant, but if not,
don’t put undue pressure on yourself. Take LBF for what it is,
which is a great opportunity to be exposed to the dizzying world
of publishing and to equip yourself with information.
So, historically, LBF hasn’t been too focused on authors wanting
to attract an agent or publisher. However, in recent years LBF
has dedicated a floor to indie authors – Author HQ – which
# 1 TR A N SATL A N TI C L I TE R A RY C O N SU LTA N C Y
“ When I contacted Cornerstones I was assigned a fabulous mentor, who helped
me to improve on my original manuscript with her winning combination of
insight, knowledge, enthusiasm and a bit of tough love. Although it wasn’t
always easy, it was worth it! I now have a three book deal, and have at last
fulfilled my ambition to become a published author.
- Chris Penhall, The House That Alice Built (Ruby Fiction, 2020)
Call Helen Corner-Bryant +44 (0) 1308 897374 • www.cornerstones.co.uk
14 APRIL 2020
hosts a variety of seminars on how to get published or become an
authorpreneur. There is also a dedicated area nearby called Writer’s
Block, home primarily to companies that assist writers, such as
the Society of Authors and Alliance of Independent Authors.
We (Cornerstones) will be at stand 1F54 in Writer’s Block, and
you’re welcome to come by and say hello – we’re a friendly team
and would love to see you. We’ll be sharing the stand with our
educator providers, Professional Writing Academy, who run courses
for writers, including our online editing course, Edit Your Novel
the Professional Way. If the prospect of developing your CV and
skillset appeals to you then PWA are a great route forward.
If you’re a would-be professional writer, attending LBF is, in
my view, worth it. Once you’ve paid for your visitor pass there
are a multitude of free seminars that you can dip in and out of,
including a Dragon’s Den style opportunity, The Write Stuff,
where writers will be pitching their stories to a panel of agents.
There are also some dedicated conferences, such as the Writers’
Summit, which lasts for much of Tuesday, and I will be on a panel
for the Insights Programme about the writing process – Playing
with Prose: Plot, Character, Setting, on Tuesday 10 March, at
Author HQ, 2.30-3.30pm. Do come and join in and bombard us
with questions! (See the LBF website for more information: www.
londonbookfair.co.uk/)
If you do brave LBF but within moments feel overwhelmed,
make straight for our stand in Writers’ Block. You can then take
stock and plan your day. We’re a few feet from the main seminar
area so it’s a good place to start. Some final tips: don’t forget to
bring water and a snack (there are cafés but expect long queues
during busy periods), wear comfy shoes, don’t bring a full copy
of your manuscript, do bring flyers for your book and business
cards, and bring a notepad and pen, plus a carrier bag for any
spare books that come your way.
We hope to see you there.
The UK’s leading
literary consultancy
Developmental editing
and mentoring
Copyediting and proofreading
” Scouts for literary agents
www.writers-online.co.uk

Five secrets to a
successful fiction series
Some would say there’s no magical formula to creating series fiction. If your novels are planned to stand
alone, you have to give enough information to satisfy the reader without any background. However, you
can’t drop any spoilers that would ruin a reader’s experience if they go back and read the others in the
series. So, creating a successful series requires skill and careful thought.
We think these five things
hold the key to keeping your
readers interested in more
than one novel
Secret 1: Plan your book
series from the start
Create a story arc for each book before you
even start writing the first. Note down key
points of action, the milestones affecting your
main character, changes in their behaviour,
new characters to introduce, and significant
dates to keep the chronology clear for your
readers. Research the background facts and add
new information for each story. Helen Hart,
Publishing Director at SilverWood Books, says,
“Planning your book is the best way to get
started on the writing. A stack of post-it notes
or idea postcards can help you organise the flow.
And if you find yourself adding too many action
scenes in, you’ve probably got the beginnings of
a series.”
Secret 2: Get people to fall
in love with your characters
Whether you choose to write in the first or third
person, always develop a deep understanding
of your protagonist, building layers of their
personality into each story. Readers need to
identify with the main character, and each book
in a series offers opportunities to help the reader
get more attached and keep them interested.
Historical novelist Lucienne Boyce’s series
follows Dan Foster, Bow Street Runner and
amateur pugilist. She says, “It’s important that
the main character is appealing and interesting.
Even an ‘anti-hero’ must hold some fascination.
After all, you’re asking the reader to spend a lot
of time with them.”
Secret 3: Create new
developments to keep the
writing flowing
When creating a single, central character,
work on developing their personality through
the series. Everything that happens changes
A DV E R TO R I A L
them slightly, so think
about events and how
they affect your main
protagonist’s behaviour.
Series author Wendy
Percival uses family
history to bring new
developments into
each of her Esme
Quentin mysteries, which feature a genealogy-
Or do you want your books to be truly
researching investigator.
standalone and tie up the loose ends in each
story to satisfy the curiosity of your readers?
Secret 4: Engage your Kate Mosse’s historical fiction famously
fans with a strong theme carries an ending to each story – yet also
Having a strong theme to underpin your a cliffhanger with some new information.
series means you’ll never be short of content However, this approach can frustrate
to share with interested readers. Family readers, especially if the next book is not
history is key for Wendy Percival’s series, out for a while.
Picking up a thread from another story
and she’s also written a standalone novella, A
Legacy of Guilt, to introduce readers into the is a great way to link your books, attracting
world of Esme Quentin. Wendy also shares a readers to pick up the next one. This was
weekly blog with her fans, updating them on done to great effect by Mary Wesley, who
her latest research into her own family history. had common characters from The Camomile
Lawn appearing in many of her other novels.
It’s a personal choice which style of ending
Secret 5: Decide on the you want to use, but once you’ve picked,
style of your endings it’s a good idea to be consistent in the next
Do you love the suspense of a cliffhanger? book. Many readers appreciate familiarity.
Planning your next novel?
We’d love to hear from you! SilverWood Books offers a complete ‘done for
you’ self-publishing service that ensures you have a professionally-produced,
retail-quality book you can confidently market to your target readership. Our
friendly expert publishing team will support you throughout – from copy-editing,
proofreading and book cover design, through to trade distribution, sales, and
hand-formatted ebook editions.
Discuss your next book with Helen
or Enya at SilverWood Books:
E: enquiries@silverwoodbooks.co.uk | T: 0117
910 5829 | silverwoodbooks.co.uk
www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 15
 BONING UP
As you might expect from a forensic scientist, crime author Kathy Reichs
takes a practical approach to her bestselling Bones series, she tells Tina Jackson

smart. She’s independent and she’s able to do a difficult job in a

W
hen most writers talk about the bones of a story
they’re talking about the basics: plot, themes,
setting, characters. When global bestselling
crime writer Kathy Reichs talks about bones it’s
in an entirely different context. As a forensic
anthropologist, bones are her stock-in-trade, just as they are for her
serial lead character Temperance Brennan, now in her nineteenth
outing with A Conspiracy of Bones.
‘Forensic anthropology is the study of bones,’ says Kathy, just
to make sure we’re getting the science right from the beginning.
‘It’s the exploration of the human skeleton. We’re brought in
when a normal autopsy won’t work and we address questions of
identity, cause of death, everything that we can tease out of the
bones. We work very closely with forensic pathologists.’
Like Kathy – just like Kathy – Temperance is a forensic
anthropologist. ‘Is she me? Professionally, completely. She goes
to crime scenes. She works in a lab. For years I worked in a
medical legal laboratory.’
Readers, she says, are drawn to Temperance because of her
combination of intelligence, sass and sensitivity. ‘Temperance is
largely man’s world. And yet she has flaws. She has weaknesses.
She gets things wrong sometimes – which is realistic – but in
the end she figures it out. Her personal issues she doesn’t always
get right. She is layered. She can be impetuous. But she’s a
pretty happy person.’
Temperance’s personal life is where her creator uses artistic
licence. ‘She’s more risk-taking than me. She has a similar
sense of humour. She has her own issues – she’s a recovering
alcoholic, she has flaws. I wanted her to be approachable.’
Kathy is, famously, known for a tendency to answer interview
questions with cool, scientific precision that some have found
disconcerting, but she responds to WM’s questions with the
friendliness and courtesy of an approachable expert.
At the beginning of A Conspiracy of Bones, Temperance
is at home in Charlotte, North Carolina, recovering from
neurosurgery for an aneurysm and being frozen out of the
Medico-Legal Lab at the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington
DC since she clashed with a recently appointed colleague. ‘A
number of things came together,’ says Kathy. ‘For the first time

16 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk

 S TA R I N T E RV I E W

“The challenge is to present

the science in a way that’s
understandable: brisk and
jargon-free. And I have to be
entertaining. So these three
elements have to come together.
Keep the facts correct but
keep it brisk, jargon-free
LISTEN LISTEN and entertaining.”
TAP HERE TAP HERE
To hear an To hear an
extract from extract from
Bones Never Lie Bones of
the Lost

I’d taken a year off and I had some medical issues – so I gave
those to Temperance – she’s been diagnosed with a cerebral
aneurysm and had surgery to correct it. She also has career
problems – she has history with her new boss and they don’t
get along at all. So she’s been barred. So she’s got this health
issue and she’s working from outside the system.’
Temperance’s discovery of a body sends her off grid on her
own investigation, A layered, intelligent, involving read, A
Conspiracy of Bones touches on some disturbing contemporary
issues. ‘She discovers this faceless corpse – no hands or face
or teeth,’ says Kathy. ‘So Temperance wants to get this person
identified but she has to work outside the system. I thought
– one of the themes is what’s real and what is not real, given
today’s atmosphere of fake news. I wanted her to rely on her
own abilities and perceptions yet not fully trust them. I felt
that she must rely on herself but not completely trust her own
instincts as she had in the past.’
In part, Temperance’s shift in approach came about because
Kathy was conscious that a long-running series needs to ring
the changes to keep readers interested. ‘It is book nineteen and
you can’t do the same old same old,’ she says. ‘The advantage
of writing a series character is that people know her and they’re
going to like her. The disadvantage is that A Conspiracy of Bones
may be the first Temperance Brennan book that someone reads,
so you’ve got to reintroduce them – but in such a way that the
reader who’s on their nineteenth book in the series doesn’t get
bored. You have to do it in a different way with each book, so
you don’t bore the returning reader. So that’s a challenge. And
you want her to be evolving throughout the series or readers
will lose interest.’
But for this book, Kathy also wanted to explore the
ramifications, in this investigation, of the recent proliferation of
widely transmitted information that appears to be true but has
no basis in fact. ‘It is very timely. Hopefully. We’re living in a
world where we’re constantly seeking to unravel what is real and
not real. In today’s world it’s not like with newspapers, where
everything is double-checked. Anyone can go on the internet
and say anything they want.’
With each book, Kathy sets Temperance’s investigation
within a real-life issue. ‘I try to set each book against the
backdrop of this world we live in,’ she says. ‘In A Conspiracy
of Bones it’s information that’s not true, and we’re constantly
forced to filter through. I do like to have a broader theme.
I’ve had human trafficking, trafficking in endangered species,
human rights issues. There should be a broader message within.
My first book was just a murder mystery story. But as I evolved
as a writer I wanted to bring in these wider issues.’
Kathy’s crime novels go hand in hand with a career in
forensic anthropology at the highest level: she was deployed
to Ground Zero after 9/11, testified at the UN tribunal on
genocide on Rwanda and was part of the team that exhumed
one of the mass graves in Guatemala, which informed the plot
of her 2002 novel Grave Secrets. Her first novel, 1998’s Deja
Dead, was based on her first serial murder investigation.
‘I was working at the university and had been for many
years and made full professor. So I was free to do whatever
I wanted and I thought it was a way of bringing science to
a broader audience. And I also thought it would be fun to
write a novel rather than another textbook. And that’s what I
decided. I sat down at my laptop and started writing. I didn’t
have any formal training – I just started writing the kind of
book I like to read. I like procedural fiction and the darker

www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 17

p016 Interview.indd 17 25/02/2020 09:28


side. They say write what you know about so for me the
easiest thing was to write about a forensic anthropologist.’
At that time, she believes forensic anthropology as an aid to
detection was beginning to permeate the public consciousness.
And those readers were ready for crime fiction with a new kind
of investigator. ‘People were beginning to know about forensic
anthropology – I felt that the general public were beginning to
learn about it. I wanted to write a strong female character, and
one with an expertise that was new. She isn’t a detective or a
coroner, she was something completely new.’ She certainly piqued
the popular imagination: the Fox TV series of Bones, based on
Kathy’s books and starring Emily Deschanel as Temperance
Brennan, first appeared in 2005 and ran until 2017.
Juggling the roles of scientist and novelist, Kathy
enjoys the imaginative freedom of writing fiction.
‘As a writer you get to make things up. As a scientist
you’re not allowed to. I started out in archaeology,
working on ancient skeletons. In forensics, you’re
going to impact on people’s lives, so you have to
be correct. That was the appeal – forensics had a
relevance archaeology did not. You were going to
research a specific issue for a specific individual.’
She appreciates the way genre fiction allows a
resolution not always possible in real-life cases.
‘There’s a formula to writing thrillers. Whatever
the issue is, you’re supposed to resolve it by the
end. I like that, because in real life every case
does not get solved. You can take a wrong-doing
and the victim gets justice.’
In each of Kathy’s books, precise, accurate
science is used to solve crime, but she says that’s
only one of the necessary ingredients. ‘The main
point to my books is the story. They’re good old-
fashioned murder mysteries. In my books the solution is driven
by science. There is police work involved but it brings together
science. In each book I try to use a different forensic science – for
18 APRIL 2020
example, DNA or bite-mark analysis. The challenge is to present
the science in a way that’s understandable: brisk and jargon-free.
And I have to be entertaining. So these three elements have to
come together. Keep the facts correct but keep it brisk, jargon-
free and entertaining.’
The bottom line is a good story. ‘If a reader is not entertained
they’ll probably put the book down,’ she says. ‘You need to have
characters people care about, and keep them evolving so readers
keep coming back. Our TV show was on for twelve years, so how
do you keep these characters fresh? You can’t do the same thing
over and over again. As a crime writer your job is to be honest with
your reader but keep them guessing. You can’t rely on coincidence.
You want your writing to be satisfying but also surprising. Setting
too – you want a setting that is appealing to a reader.’
With all this in mind, each new Kathy Reichs story involves
fresh ideas and scientific developments. ‘I keep my eyes and
ears open for what’s going to be in the general interest, down
the road. Maybe it’s a case I’ve worked on that triggers an idea.
This one was inspired by a case I’d worked on where a woman
who’d been living with her lover was found – her corpse had
been savaged by bears. I changed everything – sex, injuries. And
then I combine that with an issue that’s going to be interesting
down the road. I want to try something new each time. Beware
of the formula. I want to use new science – I still attend
professional meetings, I go to presentations in all the different
disciplines – forensic disciplines – and look out for cutting edge
developments and read the journals of forensic science and see
what people are working on.’
Using science in crime fiction mirrors real-life procedure – and
requires a rigorous professional approach, she believes. ‘A lot more
books are driven by forensic science now than when I started
writing. If you want it to be authentic, for today’s world, it would
be hard to write an Agatha Christie-style book because it’s not
how crime is investigated. But if you use science you have to get
it right. If you get it wrong, that’s science fiction.’
If you aren’t a professional scientist, what would she advise?
www.writers-online.co.uk
 S TA R I N T E RV I E W

“The advantage of writing a

series character is that people know
her and they’re going
to like her. The disadvantage
is that A Conspiracy of Bones
may be the first Temperance
Brennan book that someone
reads, so you’ve got to
reintroduce them – but in
such a way that the reader
who’s on their nineteenth book
in the series doesn’t get bored.”

‘Do your research. Talk to an expert in the field. Don’t rely on
Wikipedia. Go to the proper sources. Go to a primary source
and get it correct. Do on-site visitations. I once took Margaret
Atwood on a tour of our morgue – I don’t know if she wanted
it for a specific book.’
Her books are inevitably gruesome, but not for shock value.
‘I only put in what’s necessary to drive the story and make the
setting authentic. I’ll never put in anything for sensationalism,
to make it gory or bloody. But if I’m describing a crime scene
or autopsy I’ll make it authentic.’
Death, trauma and dead bodies are central to her fiction,
and very little is off limits. ‘I tend to be a little more cautious
around children, but I have written about dead babies, based
on an actual case I’d worked on. Not much is off limits, but I
tend to treat some subjects more delicately.’
Not only is Temperance, like her creator, a woman operating
in a world that has traditionally been male-dominated, but
Kathy takes care not to gratuitously add to the body-count of
women as victims of crime in her fiction. ‘There are a lot of
female bodies in crime fiction,’ she says. ‘I actively think about,
who will the victim be in this book. It can’t just be another
dead woman. There has to be a light shone on all different
kinds of crime and victims. I’ve had elderly, young boys,
women. I do constantly think about that – I don’t just want it
to be a woman taking it in the pants.’
Just as Kathy created Temperance as a strong female
character, she also did the same with Tory Brennan, the lead
character in the Virals series for young adults that she writes
with her son, Brendan Reichs. Tory is Temperance’s fictional
great-niece. ‘When I set out, I set out for Temperance to be a
strong female, says Kathy. ‘In Virals, with Tory Brennan, we
wanted her to be a good role model, saying it’s cool to go into
science and maths. They’re both good logical thinkers who
think through the problem – it’s what we want to put out there
for little girls.’
There is surprisingly little difference between writing
for adult crime fans and teenage readers, she says. ‘Your
dialogue has to be cleaner – you can’t have what a fifty-year-
old homicide cop would be saying in a YA book. Kids talk
differently from adults. And their social concerns are different.
But the storylines, at least for YA and middle grade, are just as
complicated. If you condescend, or talk down to them, boy.’
Kathy’s approach to crafting a novel has been honed by long
practice: nineteen Temperance Brennan titles, a standalone,
2017’s Good Nights, six Virals titles and some novellas. ‘I
do some outlining. On my computer I’ll outline 6, 8, 10
chapters so I know where it’s going. I do a character file and
a timeline file. Then I jump in and start writing. I create an
outline retrospectively – as I finish each chapter I put it into
the outline. I’m a linear writer: chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter
3… It is flexible, as I’ll get an idea as I’m writing and go back
and change things. At the end of the book I’ll have a complete
outline. I don’t really do redrafts – I’ll edit constantly as I go.
By the time I finish a first draft, it’s pretty finished.’
Her advice to aspiring writers is characteristically pragmatic.
‘Write. Write something. I don’t believe in writer’s block. Give
yourself a designated block of time to write and don’t give
yourself excuses. Just sit down and write. Even if you don’t like
it you can hit the delete key. If you get in the habit of saying,
today’s not a good day, you’ll never write a book.’

www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 19

M AGA Z I N E J O U R N A L I S M
Fish
for a writing gig...
Could you make money writing for a niche magazine about a specialised interest?
Practical Fishkeeping editor Nathan Hill explains what he wants from new writers.
A
s the editor of Practical
Fishkeeping (PFK),
a specialist pet care
magazine, my main
problem is sourcing gifted writers.
While I’m graced with a healthy pool
of individuals willing to submit, they
frequently fall into one of two polarised
camps; extremely focused aquarists
with little to no writing background,
or ‘chancers’ with a history of creative
writing, hoping to hide their lack
of subject knowledge with flowery
passages and engaging similes.
Like other editors of titles like mine,
I want someone in that sweet spot,
right in the middle. If you’re prepared
to put in a little research time, that
could be you.
The pitch
The pitch is your one chance to attract
an editor, and you waste it at your peril.
More pitches to PFK receive a
generic ‘thank you for your offer
but…’ response than those I chase up,
at somewhere around a 75/25 ratio.
Of the rejected pitches, most can be
summed up as ‘Hi, I’d like to write
for you, if you want to tell me what to
write about…’
This approach is a guaranteed
pitch killer. Editors are extremely
busy people, who already have
people in mind for particular topics.
20 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk
Knowing what you want to write
about in advance, and telling us,
puts you above three quarters of your
competing writers.
Before you even consider pitching to
a magazine like mine, ensure that you
have read it and are familiar with both
the house style and subject matter. In my
publication’s case the practical aspects of
keeping fish, as well as their habitats and
conservation, feature prominently.
Deciding on a fishy topic to write
about need not be too hard. Be honest
about your capabilities, and play to
your strengths. In the first instance,
current affairs are always good to
hobby mags. Join some dedicated fish
groups of Facebook, follow aquarists
on YouTube and Instagram. Find out
what’s hot, right now, because that is
what my audience wants to read about.
Alternatively, a lot in fishkeeping is
cyclical, and fish tend to dip in and
out of vogue over periods of several
years. Source a couple of old back
issues for pennies on Amazon or eBay,
look at the main subjects and find out
if they’ve been covered recently.
I’ll repeat: play to your strengths.
Perhaps you have a gift for interviews.
See if one of the more famous YouTube
aquarists is prepared to grant you a Skype
call. I’d be interested in running an
interview. Perhaps you’re proficient with
data, in which case you could source

the numbers and types of fish imported
each year into the UK. Pitch me that as
the basis for an infographic. My readers
would love it, and even if the wordcount
isn’t high, you’d be generously rewarded
for the work involved.
Note that in any specialist magazine,
it is almost certain that the editor knows
more on the subject than you do. My
own background includes studying fish,
running public aquaria, running several
aquarium stores, being a lecturer in the
subject, and moving on to be an author
and eventual editor of the subject. Be
upfront about how much you do know
about the subject you are proposing to
write, because within one phone call we
can gauge exactly how much you don’t
know about it.
Getting your information
There has never been such an
incorrect source of information
on fishkeeping as the mainstream
internet. Social media fares little
better, and while it has uses as a tool,
it should not be relied upon for data.
When writing about fish, there
are few trustworthy sources of
information, and fewer second-hand
sources. Aim for the primary sources
where possible. I’ve written many
stories in the past where I’ve gone
to ichthyologists directly, and found
that what they tell me in person
contradicts the information being
virally regurgitated online.
Your first ports of call when writing
about fish are the websites fishbase.
org, seriouslyfish.com and Eschmeyer’s
catalog of fishes (https://writ.rs/
eschmeyer). Between them, these sites
contain limited but accurate information
on most fish species, and from these
you can start on a web of investigation.
If there’s something unique about the
habitat, or the food the fish eat, the
seasons where they live – any of these
TOP TIP!
For any hobby title, write
positively. Nobody buys
a magazine to feel bad
or be told that their topic
of interest makes them a
terrible person.
could be a stronger hook to the story.
The last of these, Eschemeyer’s,
is valuable when trying to find the
correct name for a fish (fish taxonomy
is somewhat fluid and amorphous)
as well as the most recent scientist to
work with that fish. This person, if
you can speak to them, is the golden
ticket to your feature. Editors love
authorities.
Authorities are your friends, and
social media can be a great help in
locating them. Many ichthyologists
have accounts to communicate with
hobbyists, and are delighted when
someone takes an interest in their
work. It can be harder to get a fish
scientist to stop speaking than it is
getting them to open up.
If you manage to harvest an
authority’s knowledge, then quote
them heavily, and correctly. This
will add intellectual weight and
authenticity to the writing.
Referencing is entirely unimportant
for Practical Fishkeeping – the
publication isn’t an academic journal
– though if a publication requires
it, more editors than not seem to
favour the American Psychological
Association (APA) method.
Note also that Google Scholar is a
great source of new information on
old subjects, as well as introducing
author names that may not show up
on the above websites.
The voice of fishkeeping
Gauging how much of yourself to
put into a feature on fishkeeping rests
heavily on how much of the experience
is your own. In the sidebar are my own
preferences to read in submissions.
If you’re writing first-hand about a
breeding or keeping experience, then the
reader will expect a first-person narrative
throughout: ‘I got the fish to breed
by…’ and so on. This also works well
for some tangible DIY pieces.
For news pieces and instructional
DIY, create something Vulcan-esque,
emotionless and technical: ‘On
Thursday of last week, the Chinese
paddlefish was declared extinct in
www.writers-online.co.uk
M AGA Z I N E J O U R N A L I S M
HOW A SUCCESSFUL
PITCH SHOULD LOOK
• Be formal. Start with either Sir, Madam,
or the name of the person you’re
pitching to. Get an up-to-date copy of
the magazine and check in the masthead
panel. If the team is small like mine,
maybe four of five in total, pitch directly to
the editor. If the team is large, pitch to the
second in command – usually the deputy
editor or features editor.
• Explain who you are and any relevant
history. If you’re a seasoned seahorse
breeder, or a close friend of a prominent
aquarist, get this in early on. If you are the
story’s hook, then I need to know that.
• Sum up in a single sentence exactly
what you want to submit, and a
wordcount. For example: ‘I want to
write 1,600 words on my experience
breeding pygmy seahorses and raising
the young to adulthood.’ No paragraphs
of preamble, just tell us concisely what’s
being offered.
• Write a few sentences on how you
think the feature will be constructed,
noting the key points. For example: ‘I
shall explain how to sex a pair, how to
set up the aquarium for them, the water
requirements to trigger spawning, the fry
foods required and how to raise them,
and the different sizes at which fry should
be separated.’ Never use ‘etc.’ in a pitch as
this suggests a lazy or unsure writer.
• Explain in what format the work will
be delivered. Will it be one solid block of
run-on copy? Will it be divided into box-
outs, graphs and charts? Will you provide
annotations for pictures? This will help
the editor plan where your work will sit
within a completed magazine.
• Offer a specific timescale for completion
of the work.
• If you have any writing already published
(especially online) then offer a link to your
best work at the end of the feature. Don’t
broadside the editor with hundreds of
links, as they won’t be opened.
• Sign off formally. Use ‘sincerely’ or ‘regards’
as opposed to something like ‘cheers’.
APRIL 2020 21
 WHAT IS THE APA SYSTEM? ATTENTION TO DETAIL
If you have the
The APA referencing system works in two parts. The expertise and a suitable Pacing for a magazine needs to
first is the citation within the copy body, directly after the idea you would like be fast and intense. As a writer
sentence you’re quoting, and this is as straightforward as to suggest, Nathan for PFK, you will only have up
writing the author(s) surname(s), year of publication, and welcomes proposals to 2,000 words to play with,
page or chapter in brackets, directly after the reference. by email and only the most revered
For example: (Hill & Telfer, 2020, pp. 28-31) pfkeditorial@ authors are granted wordcounts
The second part consists of the full details given in an warnersgroup.co.uk above this. This limit includes
alphabetical list of references at the end of the feature. any fact boxes, roundels, lists
These details should include author surnames and and other accessories.
initials, year of publication, title, subtitle (where one Hunt out all and any redundant
exists), edition, place of publication and publisher. For sentences and paragraphs and
example: Hill, N., & Telfer, J. (2020), Writing Magazine, kill them so the editor doesn’t
April 2020, (1st ed.) Bourne, Lincs: Warners. have to. The less editing of your
work that needs doing, the more
valuable you are.

FONT MATTERS
Keep font simple on anything
you submit. Calibri is fine. Don’t
bother with quirky line spacing,
bold passages, italics, underlines
any other traits, as the first thing
we editors often do is copy your
entire document, pop it into
TextEdit and convert the whole
thing to plain text before passing
it on to our production editors.
Save yourself time and keep it
basic, because we won’t even see
those idiosyncratic flourishes.

the wild…’ or ‘It is essential that the
blue wires connect to, and only to,
the thermostat…’
If you’re writing vicariously
through an authority, then the
safest approach is a mixture of
technical writing and quotes.
Remove yourself from the feature
and use the authority as the voice,
by quoting them in the first-person
sense. ‘On Thursday of last week,
the Chinese paddlefish was declared
extinct in the wild. “I was disgusted
to see it go,” says Quentin Scientist,
the man who first discovered and
named the species.’
Don’t add long passages that add
nothing of substance – especially
those pertaining to personal feelings.
You can go ahead and pen down
something like, ‘When I was seven
years old I first gasped at the seraphic
vision of Centropyge angelfish in
their tanks, the electric shiver of their
majesty carrying me on a transcendent
journey far beyond a mere aquarium,’
but I’m cutting it and adding you to a
contributor blacklist soon after. I don’t
care, the reader doesn’t care. To use
the old phrase, ‘Kill your darlings’.
How much will I get?
Some work is more valuable in niche
subject areas when you can also provide
imagery, especially of rare and unusual
subjects. Others may pay per word.
Note that specialist magazines
rarely have deep pockets, and so
£200 for a 2,000 word feature may
be especially generous.
Don’t expect ‘red top’ rates,
and expect considerably less (if
anything) when submitting to a
website or blog.
FISH OR FISHES?
There’s often a blunderbuss
approach to working with singular
and plural with fish writers.
If fish aren’t your Decide early on whether you’re
thing, see p85 for going to write about a fish as an
more niche pet individual, or fish as a plurality,
magazines looking and then stick to that. Sentences
for writers. like ‘The Otocinclus catfish is
a great species for aquaria, but
in the wild they are surprisingly
migratory…’ are all extra time for
the editor to fix.
As an aside, ‘fish’ can be the
plural of one species of fish (the
shoal of herring numbered a
million fish), while ‘fishes’ refers
to a plurality of species together
(the community tank was made
up of dozens of different fishes).

22 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk

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I N S P I R I N G WO R D S

How I got
published
LISTEN
TAP HERE
To hear an
extract from
A Room at
the Manor
JULIE
SHACKMAN
Scottish romance author Julie Shackman, tells
Dolores Gordon Smith how she found an Australian agent.

‘M
y first two
contemporary
romance novels,
Rock My World
and Hero or Zero were published
digitally by an ebook publisher based
in London, but like many writers,
I always dreamt of a traditional
publishing deal.
‘From an early age, I loved writing
and reading. I remember reading
Princess Daisy by Judith Krantz when
I was thirteen and I thought it must
be wonderful to write stories and get
paid for it.
‘I trained as a journalist and studied
communication and media, but
always harboured a longing to be a
romance author.
‘I am an avid reader and love
many genres, but my favourite by
far is romance – both reading it and
writing it.
‘When I approached Australian
uber agent, Selwa Anthony, with my
third novel, A Room at the Manor, in
April 2017, I honestly hadn’t expected
to hear back.
‘I had read about Selwa’s
phenomenal reputation in the
Australian literary world, as well as
her enthusiasm for mentoring and
encouraging debut authors, but I
assumed that with her impressive
client list, she would more than likely
reply with a polite decline.
‘I had submitted to agents, only
to find that I was receiving positive
comments about my writing but no
offers of representation.
‘When I read about several UK
writers who had successfully secured
literary representation abroad, I
decided to submit my writing to her.
‘These authors had spoken of
finding no logistical problems at
all with having an agent based
internationally and said they simply
exchanged emails as usual, and where
telephone calls were required, they
just arranged them with the time
difference in mind.
‘I had based Thistles, my fictional
tea room in the story, on my favourite
tea shop where I write and wanted
to look at what would happen when
secrets and revelations come back from
the past.
‘I thought also about my main
character, Lara McDonald, and how she
might react to having to assert herself
in a very difficult situation – and what
effect this would have on decisions she
would have to make in the future. It was
these ideas that formed the basis for A

TOP TIPS Room at the Manor.

‘I decided to approach Selwa and
• I am a long-time reader of Writing Magazine and find the inspirational emailed her my synopsis and first ten
stories; advice and writing assistance invaluable. Getting to know pages of my novel on that Saturday
as much as you possibly can about the writing industry and the afternoon, only to be lost for words
publishing world can only be an advantage. when an email reply pinged in my inbox
from her on the Monday morning,
• Never, ever, give up. It only takes one person to say ‘yes’ and persistence saying she enjoyed my writing and could
and tenacity count for so much in the publishing world. I send her the full MS?
‘She added that she would get back

24 APRIL 2020
 H OW I G OT P U B L I S H E D

to me with her decision within fourteen days, so I spent the next

Writing Retreat,
week or so trying not to refresh my inbox every five minutes. I
tried to feel quietly optimistic and told myself that even if she
Brittany, France
declined, having an agent of her stature ask for my completed MS F ind out more on:
was a step in the right direction. lestylonoirretreat.com
‘Then, on day twelve, another emailed arrived from Selwa,
asking if we could have a telephone chat?
‘When I spoke to her, I remember my heart leaping in my chest
when she said my MS required some work but that she loved my
writing style and the premise of my book. Then when she offered
to represent me, I burst into tears.
‘After several rounds of edits, Selwa began submitting A Room at
the Manor and within six weeks, she had secured me a publishing
deal with Allen & Unwin – cue more heart hammering and tears.
‘She then informed me that she had negotiated an audio version
of the book with Bolinda.
‘A Room at the Manor was released in Kindle, paperback and
audio on 27 June 2018 in Australia and New Zealand and since
then, it has also been released by Forever, the romance imprint
of Ullstein in Germany, as an ebook on 4 March 2019 and in
paperback on 2 May 2019.  Why Should I Come Here?
‘A Room at the Manor was also released in the UK by Atlantic
Books on Kindle and in paperback on 1 August 2019.
- Affordable 5-Night Stays - All Meals Included
‘The McKerron Castle is out now in audio book from Bolinda - Library of Books - In Inspirational Brittany
and my agent has just started submitting it to print publishers. - Quiet Countryside - En-Suite Rooms
I’m currently working on my next couple of books. I’m currently
working on my next couple of books, but without Selwa’s - 12-Night Su mmer Courses
assertiveness, passion and persistence, my writing dreams would
never have got off the ground.
And so much more...
‘She believes in me – and for that, I will always be truly grateful.’

HAVE YOU PUBLISHED A BOOK

Tim Bauer, photographer

Selwa Anthony, THAT IS NOT SELLING?

Julie’s agent, says: Would you like to promote your book to over 149,000
people across both print and digital channels?
‘I do not receive unsolicited
manuscripts. Most of my authors find
Writing Magazine can help you do this!
me through my network.
‘Julie impressed me because she We tailor packages to suit both your needs and
didn’t let the distance (Australia/ budget whilst targeting your preferred audience. We
Scotland) stop her from finding a way
to get my email address as I do not offer a FREE design and proofing service as part of
list it online.  the package and guide you every step of the way.
‘I asked her, “why me and not an agent in the UK?”
She replied that my website states I like to discover and
mentor new authors. 
What are you waiting for? Take a
‘I read her novel and saw the potential – a wonderful
setting, good colourful characters and a very easy writing leaf out of your own book and give
style. It needed work to take it up a notch (which Julie Louise a call to discuss the options
was willing to do) and it was picked up by Allen & and how we can help.
Unwin Australia. 
‘The target audience is women of all ages who like to
read novels that have a charming setting and wonderful Contact Louise Clarke
love story.   on 0113 200 2915
‘Julie loves writing this genre and has completed her
second novel, The Legend of McKerron Castle, which is
louise.clarke@
currently being edited.’ warnersgroup.co.uk
Website: www.selwaanthony.com.au

www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 25

In the
frame
Author, screenwriter and director
Andrew David Barker tells Gary
Dalkin how writers can turn into
filmmakers
T
here are very few
novelists who are also
film writer-directors.
Perhaps the most
famous example is
Michael Crichton, who wrote the
original novel Jurassic Park, and
wrote and directed films such as
Westworld and Coma. Once, like
publishing, filmmaking existed in
a walled garden. But now, just as
ebooks and print on demand have
enabled anyone to publish a book,
so new technology has liberated
filmmaking. So when I spoke to
writer/director Andrew David Barker
I was keen to find out how a novelist
can become a filmmaker.
In the beginning, Andrew says,
‘I had no connection to the film
industry whatsoever. I grew up in
Derby to a working-class family
and the options I had when I left
school, after getting a very poor
education, where either to go and
work in a factory or on a building
site.’ He did both.
With no money, but an ambition
burning inside him to make a
film, his feature A Reckoning came
about because ‘I discovered an old
abandoned RAF base just outside
Nottingham. It was an entire village
just left to the elements and it did
26 APRIL 2020
look like the end of the world. So I
decided to write to order – basically
shaping a story around the location.’
This is Andrew’s first big lesson,
use what resources are available to
you. ‘I’ve always loved the post-
apocalyptic genre and the location
made for a perfect fit for something
in that area. So I wrote an outline for
a story about a lone man in an empty
world – eventually his mind begins to
unravel and the crippling loneliness
takes hold. I designed the entire thing
www.writers-online.co.uk
to be shot on next to no money, all in
the location I’d found.’
Through writing for pop culture
magazine And Cream, Andrew had
the opportunity to interview the
actor Leslie Simpson (Dog Soldiers).
Afterwards he got his script to the
actor, who agreed to star in the film.
Andrew says that getting Simpson
on board ‘changed everything. I
did manage to get a bit of financial
backing, and suddenly we were
making the film.’
Andrew David Barker is the author
of the novels The Electric and Dead
Leaves. His new novel Mick & Sarah
at the Pictures is currently being
crowdfunded through Unbound.
He wrote and directed the feature
film A Reckoning (2011) and
the shorts Two Old Boys (2018 -
winner of award for Best Comedy
Short at the Independent Shorts
Awards, Los Angeles) and Shining
Tor (2018, winner of Best Fantasy
Short, Independent Shorts Awards;
Best Visual Effects – Midlands
Movies Awards, 2019; Best Actress,
Laura Rollins, The Short Cinema,
2019; Official Selection, That Film
Festival, Cannes, 2019).

He stresses that it is important
to write your screenplay keeping
practical limitations in mind. ‘I
knew there was no electric at the
location, which would mean that
I’d need a generator to power
everything, and generators are of
course really noisy, so I wrote the
film to have a voice over – we hear
the lone man’s internal thoughts –
and that enabled me to shoot outside
using the generator and not have to
worry about sound. I put that on in
post-production.’
Knowing that everyone wants
to be involved in a film, Andrew
explains that, ‘We got students
from Derby University to act as
our crew and we shot in the middle
of January for two weeks. About
three days into the shoot, the snow
came. It turned out to be one of
the worst winters in England for
years. But that was another thing
I’d planned when writing – my
structure was fairly loose. I left room
for a lot of improvising, so we could
accommodate the weather.’
Because the budget was so tiny
the film was edited in the editor’s
bedroom. This doesn’t need to be
a problem though. With almost
all filmmaking being digital now
any film can be edited on a home
computer. Most special effects can be
done in software. As Andrew points
out, ‘you can make films on your
phone. The camera on my iPhone
is better than the camera we shot A
Reckoning on ten years ago, so it’s all
about using the equipment you can
get hold of and utilising it the best
way you can.’ As an example of this,
Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s Eleven)
shot his 2018 feature film Unsane
entirely on an iPhone.
Andrew is frank about one hard
lesson he learned. ‘There was a stupid
falling out with the folks that put up
the money for the shoot. That was
where I made the biggest mistake.
There were no contracts. I was so
thrilled to be finally making a film
that it never even occurred to me
– we were just all friends together
going to do this thing. It got into
a messy legal dispute about who
actually owned the film, but because
neither party had any money we
couldn’t settle it properly – no one
was in a position to take anyone to
SCREENWRITING
court – and so the film was cast into
limbo. I had film festivals around the
world wanting to take it and a small
distribution company in LA looking
at it, but it all fell apart.’
In the aftermath Andrew walked
away from filmmaking for a while
but says, ‘films themselves never
left me. All my novels have films
as a backdrop in some way. The
Electric, and my new novel, Mick
& Sarah At The Pictures, are pretty
much just set within the walls of old
picture houses.’ Andrew clearly has
a romantic nostalgia for the age of
cinema before the multiplex.
After writing Dead Leaves, ‘the itch
started to return, but again I couldn’t
figure out how to make something
on no money. Those ideas – the ideas
that are simple enough to shoot, yet
strong enough to elevate them above
their budgetary constraints – are
really hard to find.’ This is one of
the key differences to writing a short
story or novel as a spectacular action
scene costs a lot more on film than
on paper.
In 2017 Andrew got a job as a
standby prop guy at the BBC in
Birmingham, working on the daytime
show Doctors. ‘It was my first time
ever officially working in the industry.
I was on set all day, with the actors,
the crew, and it was there that the
fire to start making films again really
came back.’
It’s at this point that the
writer-director explains how luck
sometimes help out. ‘A mate of
mine, Mick Walker, runs his own
production company, mainly doing
corporate stuff, and so he has pretty
much got everything – cameras,
lens, lights, editing software – and
he wanted to make a narrative film
as well. A drama...
‘I was thinking about older men
I see in pubs – day drinkers – and
thought I’d try and put two of these
guys sitting over a pint and have them
talk and see what happens. I sat down
to write and this little film, and Two
Old Boys took shape. I kept it short
because really it has no story – it’s a
snapshot of two working class blokes
talking about a world they feel is
getting away from them, and them
yearning for the past.
‘So with Mick on board to shoot it,
I asked an actor friend of mine, Mark
www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 27

Tunstall, if he’d be up for doing it, and
he in turn suggested his friend Phil
Molloy. Then I asked around a few
pubs in Derbyshire, where I originally
come from. Luckily we got a pub, for
free no less, up in Heanor. We had
the pub for the day, except it would
still be open. This was something
we just had to work around, again
using the obstacle and making it part
of the film in that we just had the
background noise of the pub play as
it happened. We just went with the
noise and it ended up really adding to
the atmosphere.’
Two Old Boys was shot in a day
in April 2018 for ‘no money other
than a bit of food for everyone. It’s
important to always feed your cast and
crew.’ Three months later, in June,
‘we were back filming Shining Tor. I
allowed myself to think a big bigger.
For starters Tor takes place outside,
up the wilds of the country, so you’re
at the mercy of the elements, and this
one was a fantasy, which required
some special effects.
‘Now I should say that I’m very
much the writer and the director on
these films, meaning, I don’t pick up
the camera, I don’t know how to edit,
or do special effects. I found someone
better than me to do those things, and
I think that’s a big part of it. You do
have to find what you’re good at, don’t
try and do everything yourself. I’ve
been lucky that Mick is really good
at those things. He won an award for
Best Visual Effects for Shining Tor.’
The film was another example
of where contacts comes into play.
‘I asked Laura Rollins and Ashley
Rice, who star in Doctors, if they’d
do my short and they said yes. Laura
also won an award for her acting in
Shining Tor, so that really paid off. But
again, it was made on nothing more
than sheer will and sheer goodwill. It
didn’t cost anything really, other than
time. And both films have played in
festivals around the world. Shining Tor
was even screened at Cannes in 2019.’
Reflecting on the films he’s made
so far, Andrew offers that ‘shorts are
a great proving ground – they’re a
great place to experiment without
too much weight on them. When I
made A Reckoning, I was pretty much
putting all my eggs in one basket, and
I destroyed my life in the process. I
went for broke and well, ended up
28 APRIL 2020
TOP TIPS
broke. But with a short it’s much
more manageable. They’re still quite
an undertaking – any film is – but
for writing and
nothing on the scale of a feature.’
There is something else Andrew
making your film
thinks new filmmakers should take 1 Use what resources you have. Have you found a
into consideration – that in just the brilliant location? Write using it.
decade since he made A Reckoning,
‘times have changed. The entire 2 Write your film around your resources: locations,
landscape is different. Low-to-no people, equipment, budget.
budget feature films are a very
tough sell. There is no DVD market 3 Build flexibility into your script. If shooting outdoors
anymore, not really, but I think allow for what the weather might do.
streaming and the way we consume
content now has opened up the 4 Make contacts. Online there are whole
market for shorter-length narrative communities of people equally keen to make a film.
films. Jeffrey Katzenberg, one of the
co-founders of Dreamworks, is about 5 Get to know people who already are filmmakers.
to launch Quibi, which is all short Enlist their help.
content, and I’m embracing that now.
I’ve shaken off my old Gen X ideas of 6 Contact university film or drama departments.
a theatrical feature.’ Basically, Andrew They are full of students looking for filmmaking
suggests, unless you’re making a $200 experience.
million franchise movie, traditional
cinema ‘is over, but all new options 7 Whenever money is involved have a contract.
are opening up and it’s really exciting.’
In the end, Andrew says, ‘For now, 8 Don’t try to do it all yourself. Know your skills and
I’m happy making short form weaknesses and work with other people.
narratives. I’ve written a couple
of scripts for films made by other 9 Feed your cast and crew. Like an army, a film
directors and that’s been exciting. production marches on its stomach.
We’ve got a sci-fi short coming in
2020 called Endling, which I’m really 10 Don’t give up, and don’t be put off.
pleased about. I wrote it back in
2018 and a filmmaker named Rishi
Thaker has directed it and I’m looking
forward to seeing how it came
together. I’d like to write more for
other directors.’
• A Reckoning is on YouTube:
https://writ.rs/areckoning
• Mick & Sarah at the Pictures:
https://writ.rs/micksarah
www.writers-online.co.uk
A n i m a l
spirit
Think about connections
with the animals that
live with us in
Jenny Alexander’s
pet-themed creative
writing exercises
N
ational Pet
Day is coming
up in April. If
you are a pet
owner, it’s a reminder to check
your pet’s health care is up to date, with
vaccinations and so on, to clear out any toys
that are no longer safe, update collar tags if you
have changed your address and make sure your
home is pet friendly. For anyone who doesn’t
have a pet, it’s a good time to think about
other people – family, friends or neighbours
– who may need help looking after their pets
due to travel plans, old age or illness.
For free-range writers, National Pet Day
provides a great theme to explore in different
genres with this month’s writing workouts. The
only rule is stick to the timings. Short, timed
pieces mean you have to get stuck straight in,
before your inner critic has a chance to interfere.
Memoir
Start with a list of pets, your own or other
people’s, from any period in your life. For me,
that would include my grandmother’s elderly
scottish terrier, Scottie, then Patch, the puppy
my father brought home in his coat pocket,
my best friend’s dog, my children’s house
rabbits and Sabre, the unfriendly rottweiler
that once lived next door.
Choose one. What did it look like? What
noises did it make? What did it smell like?
What did it feel like to touch or hold? Use
all your senses and make some notes. Add
some thoughts about its personality, and
how you related to it emotionally.
Next, jot down some anecdotes from this
animal’s life – any funny, touching, exciting or
worrying moments that come to mind. Choose
one and tell the story. Take fifteen minutes.
Memoir tip: Using all your senses is a
key to more fully remembering the past.
Fiction
Pets can feel like family members, or really
important friends. This story will be about
someone who either gains a pet or loses one,
which can both be life-changing events. In
my book Finding Fizz, a little girl who is
being bullied at school finds an orphaned
puppy, and having someone even smaller
and more vulnerable than she is helps her
feel stronger and the teasing less important.
In my young adult novel Drift, the death of
the dog is the first crack in the protagonist’s
sense of family as a safe and loving place.
In your story, who gains or loses a pet?
Write a character sketch – name and age,
physical description, likes and dislikes,
situation. Make some notes about the pet as
well – what kind of animal it is, its name,
age and temperament.
What is your main character’s life like
before they gain or lose their pet? That’s
the beginning. How do they find or lose it?
That’s the action. In what way is their life
different afterwards? That’s the ending.
Write the story. Take twenty minutes.
Non-fiction
Write a picture book text for young children
about how to look after a pet. Most picture
books are about thirty pages long, with a
sentence or two of writing on each page, and
part of the task is to make an artwork note
where information can be conveyed in the
illustration rather than spelt out in the text.
The easiest subject to choose is a pet you
have looked after yourself – for me, that might
be rabbits, rats or hens. Then you won’t need
www.writers-online.co.uk
FREE
RANGE
writing
to do any research. What sort of
housing does this animal need?
What food? And health care? How
can you look after its emotional needs?
Take ten minutes for a quick first draft,
to get the content. Then take another ten
to check the language, making sure it’s
pitched at a level that young children can
understand, with no long sentences. You can
include some words that may be unfamiliar,
such as ‘hutch’ or ‘dog basket’ if the picture
shows the reader what they mean.
ip: Writing for different readerships such
Tip:
as very young children is good practice for
making you really think about your reader,
what they will understand and be interested
to know.
Poetry
In this poem, the narrator is either a pet
owner talking about their pet or a pet talking
about its owner.
Get some background first by imagining
both the person and the pet, their names,
ages and personalities; their physical
attributes and how they feel about living
with each other. Write some notes.
Which one feels more interesting to you,
the owner or the animal? That will be your
narrator. Especially if you are choosing the
animal, you might consider making your
poem rhyme for comic effect but keep it
free verse if that feels more natural. Take 15
minutes. Remember to give your poem a title.
Poetry tip: B Because poems feel
personal, we often assume they represent
the poet’s own experiences, thoughts and
feelings. Writing poems from a fictional
point of view helps loosen up the way we
engage as readers.
APRIL 2020 29
 Find out what the
SoA could do for
you at www.societyo
fauthors.org and
get 15 months for
the price of 12 with
the code WRITIN
GMAG

Literary legacy
Sarah Baxter, who handles literary estates
at the Society of Authors, explains the work
they do to keep an author’s work alive for
years after their death

I
n 1945, playwright Bernard Shaw sent a postcard to
the Society of Authors.
‘The time has come (I am nearly ninety),’ it read,
‘when I must hand over the management of my
literary and theatre to some permanent agency… You
intimated some time ago that [the Society of Authors] is
game for the job. On what terms?’
A deal was done and, after his papers had been passed to
us, we received another postcard from Shaw’s Corner: ‘Act as
if I were dead, as I soon shall be.’
Bernard Shaw’s is one of over forty literary estates
we represent today. Its impact over the years has been
considerable. In fact in 1967 it enabled us to purchase one of
the two buildings in South Kensington which served as our
offices until 2019.
The estate of Robert Louis Stevenson was one of the
first. Many of the estates we represent are for authors who
had close associations with the Society of Authors during
their lifetimes: Walter de la Mare, Rosamond Lehmann and
John Masefield served on our management committee, and
Masefield, former Poet Laureate, was also the union’s President
for thirty years (a role held today by Philip Pullman). Philip
Larkin was a member and, never having an agent, relied
extensively on our services.
What began in 1912 as a service to writers nearing the end
of their working lives today makes up a significant proportion
of our annual income – supporting our day-to-day activities,
maintaining relationships with industry, and enabling us to
promote good practice. The income also helps us to support
individual writers through grants and endowments awarded by
two of our charities, the Authors’ Contingency Fund and PD
James Memorial Fund.
income for beneficiaries. As agents we are mindful of an author’s
How do literary estates work? reputation and an estate’s wishes, but it is our responsibility to take
For most estates we take on the role of agent. This means we handle advantage of new licensing opportunities – and to embrace the
a range of rights including stage, film and publication, and take occasionally weird and often wonderful requests that come our way.
a commission on income. For others, we are a beneficiary of the This might take the form of allowing a new stage adaptation of
authors’ copyrights or literary income. Both setups are made possible a much-loved children’s classic (as we did for Masefield’s The Box of
by copyright law. Delights), or taking advantage of the strong interest in classic English
UK copyright law protects your work for seventy years after your literature by licensing titles like The Go-Between (LP Hartley) and
death, giving literary estates great potential to continue to generate Maurice (EM Forster) in markets that have previously been challenging.

30 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk

 credit RDA/Rue des
Archives/Writer Pict
It can also take the form of licensing work for new platforms as right person with the right
publishing technology evolves. For instance, ebook publication can vision to make it work.
be the most viable option for some of our titles. A good example of Typically, income will
this is the work of Catherine Gaskin, who wrote popular romantic diminish over time, but

ures
novels from the 1940s to 1980s. Her books sold over 40 million since your estate can be
copies worldwide during her lifetime, but when she died in 2009, lucrative for many years, as
leaving her literary estate to the Society of Authors, all her titles a writer it is important to
were out of print. consider the management of
Corazon Books wanted to revive Gaskin’s work and went your copyrights and papers
on to use an engaging mix of new publishing techniques and after your death and make
promotional ideas. This included dedicated websites and social clear provision in your will.
media promotion, targeted live talks to organisations including the We have a guidance paper,
Romantic Novelists’ Association, running writing competitions, Your Copyrights and Papers
engaging directly with readers, and developing a Catherine Gaskin After Death,, which deals with
newsletter for her fanbase. Corazon Books’ dynamic approach was – among other things – who inherits what, executors and ‘literary
so successful that we went on to license Gaskin’s entire backlist to executors’, the future administration of your copyrights, and
this ebook publisher. inheritance tax. It’s free to Society of Authors members from our
website. Literary estates are also entitled become members of the
Rise, fall, and rise again Society of Authors and to obtain the same advice and assistance as
Some titles seem to transcend fashions and remain popular authors are entitled to during their lifetime.
throughout the term of copyright. The novels of EM Forster and #DeadGoodLit
Virginia Woolf have never been out of print in the UK, and in the We would love you to share in our passion for the authors
case of Pygmalion, Shaw’s most popular play (along with its award- whose estates we represent by joining our new Twitter book club
winning musical derivative My Fair Lady), rarely off the stage. #DeadGoodLit. On the last Monday of every other month we
But fashions do change, and it is satisfying and sometimes discuss well-known classics and long-forgotten literary gems from
surprising to see a long out-of-print book by a long-deceased author our @Soc_of_Authors Twitter account. To find out more or sign
suddenly take flight and reach a new audience. Income can rise, fall, up to our #DeadGoodLit newsletter visit www.societyofauthors.
and rise again throughout the copyright period; it just needs the org/estates.

§ Detailed critical assessments and services by

professional editors for writing at all stages of
development, in all genres
§ Links with publishers and agents, and advice on
self-publishing
§ Six one-to-one sessions with a professional editor,
online or in person
§ Includes separate manuscript assessment and
industry day with publishers and agents
§ Masterclasses and skills workshops
§ TLC Writers’ Day June 20th with TLC Pen Factor
Writing Competition
T 020 7324 2563
E info@literaryconsultancy.co.uk
W www.literaryconsultancy.co.uk

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www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 31


The fi n i s h i n g l i n e
Finish what you started, says Adrian Magson. It’s the only way to find out if it’s got legs.
T
here’s some truth in the saying
that goes, ‘If you finish what
you started, only then can you
look back and see how well
you did.’
I don’t claim the credit for this. Maybe it
was Confucius or one of those other Clever
Dicks… or maybe it was a variation of a
saying my father drilled into me, which
usually went along the lines of, ‘Finish that
and you can start something else.’ It made a
kind of sense back when I was young enough
to heed his advice, and because I couldn’t see
the hitch coming, which was often another
job he needed doing around the house or
garden. But since the next job usually led to
some kind of reward – he was a fair-minded
employer – I couldn’t complain too much.
It was a habit that followed me into
my writing, because without finishing a
piece, there was nothing I could do with
it. I couldn’t tell whether the story worked;
didn’t want to show it to anyone to see what
they thought; certainly couldn’t submit it
to a magazine editor (which it usually was
when I started out in this strange business).
I couldn’t even begin to derive any great
personal satisfaction from it. Like a half-built
wall, it stood but not all the way up.
I come across people quite often who
say they once started to write something
but had never finished it. Sometimes the
words come with a shrug and not a hint of
regret, as if it was an effort of its time that
carried no real chance of success anyway,
so no great loss. Others carry an echo of
something else; wistfulness, perhaps. I rarely
know why they didn’t finish what they’d
started, and it’s usually not my place to ask.
It could have been a lack of conviction, or
ideas or even the desire – that inner drive
most writers have which draws them back to
32 APRIL 2020
the keyboard or paper even when the world
is in turmoil and there are countless other
demands on their time.
Starting out writing short fiction, the end
was always somewhere in sight, or at least
not so far off that it seemed an impossible
task. Whether 1,000 words or 5,000 or
more, it was achievable, even if only to be
able to look back at the completed work
and think about what to do with it next,
whether it involved a stamped, addressed
envelope (remember those?) or a quick flick
of the lighter and watching the words go up
in smoke. (Actually, I rarely did that – the
fire bit, I mean – because I’ve never believed
in throwing away any of my writing. To
do so is to invalidate all the hours spent
composing the words, and because I quickly
learned that recycling them represented a lot
of saved effort and time. Whether an idea,
a paragraph, a character or a simple piece
of dialogue, if I could use an unused piece
elsewhere, I would try.)
Writing books is a little harder to see the
end, but it’s merely a question of scale. Each
chapter has its own beginning and end,
which can be judged as you go, and each
chapter adds to the collective. Write enough
chapters and you soon have a book. Then
you can look back and judge whether what
you have is a pile of manure or something
worth submitting. And, yes, I’ve had plenty
of manure along the way, usually consigned
to a bottom drawer and later dissected for the
odd nugget… which is probably a picture you
don’t want in your head.
Unlike some, and perhaps because of the
‘finish what you started’ credo, I’ve never
been able to show my writing to anyone until
it’s a done deal. Doesn’t matter whether it’s
an article, a short story or a book, it has to
be finished before I can even think of letting
www.writers-online.co.uk
BEGINNERS
it out into the world without feeling my toes
curling up in anticipation of derision.
The only way I can do that is by finally
writing THE END at the end. Then I know
it’s done. Yes, there will be some re-reading
and re-editing (I tend to edit a lot as I go, so
it’s a rolling function), but the biggest part of
the job is completed.
Whether you edit as you go as I do, or
at the end (as I also do because I’m never
fully satisfied), you eventually have to say to
yourself, ‘That’s it. Stop bloody fiddling and
get it out there.’
By the same token, an agent or publisher,
while prepared to look at a synopsis or the first
few chapters, will really only be able to make
a final judgement when they can read the
finished work. They can get excited by a first
sighting of a submission or even a synopsis,
but they won’t give it a definitive ‘yes’ until
they know what they’re dealing with.
Even at this stage you might have to accept
that it isn’t going to fly without some extra
work. But that’s part of accepting someone’s
judgement, of being a determined – and
professional – writer; you pick yourself up and
start again because that’s what we all do.
And the bitter pill of junking something
you aren’t happy with is more easily justified if
you start writing something else instead.
Top Tips
• Finish the job. You can’t judge a wall
half-built.
• Getting a complete view of a project is
the only way to gauge its worth.
• If a project stalls or fails, don’t dwell.
Start something else.
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Co m p e t it i o n
‘Haunted’ is your theme, but whether you
interpret that to mean a literal spooky
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of lost love is entirely up to you.

The winner will receive £200 and

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WON
RULES AND STILL TIME TO ENTER
ENTRY FORMS r
g da te of 15 Ap ril, th ere’s still time to ente
With its closin an y topic, of a max 750 w
ords
n fo r st or ie s on
la st month’s competitio
FLASH FICTION
COMPETITION
WINNERS
Jeanette Lowe
is a southerner now resident
in South Yorkshire. She’s a former
specialist literacy teacher who escaped
the grind to do an MA in Creative
i o n
Writing at the University of Sheffield,
t c o n v e r s
which she has now completed. She’s
Lo f
currently unemployed but trying to
avoid going back to teaching.
I
’ve just had a pay rise, he says,
and there’s your redundancy.
Stop worrying. See your friends,
go shopping.
She does go shopping, she fills
their wardrobe. She lunches with old
work colleagues, pizza, tapas, and
that new place, Turkish. They soon
run out of things to say.
The new clothes rustle and waft
as she slides open the glossy doors.
They dangle like demi-people, heads
and limbs severed. Ghosts. She
slides the doors shut again, roams
the house, goes into bedrooms
where snotty toddlers once crawled.
Bathrooms, lemon-scented and
gleaming from the cleaner’s buffing.
The dining room, little used. The
utility room, where the ironing gets
done. His shirts, her silks.
There are other places. The attic
with a pull-down ladder. One day
she yanks it free, climbs up and
flicks the light-switch, wondering
what’s in the boxes, why they keep
stuff they never use. Her long
painted fingernails prise open her
34 APRIL 2020
old trunk, picked up at some junk
shop years back. Decades. She stands
and watches the dust float and
swim. Then she looks inside. Fraying
straw hats, and the black platform
boots she wore when she was a
teenager. The old rucksack she took
to Thailand a year before she met
him, dark blue canvas and cracked
leather straps. A scrawny stuffed
lion, browning paperbacks. Diaries
she daren’t open in case the essence
of her younger self escapes, wraps
her, suffocates her.
Her mother’s water-ringed bedside
cabinet sits by the chimney stack.
It opens with a little verdigris key.
She brings up a bottle of whiskey, a
tumbler, places them inside. Lugs up
a fluffy cream-coloured rug, adds a
satin cushion from the bedroom. Lies
back, only aware of soft radio-voices
in the kitchen far below. She pours
and sips. Pours some more. Loses her
sense of where she has belonged.
She gets out of bed, opens the
blind. There’s no sign of him. No
towel on the shower room floor, no
www.writers-online.co.uk
1st place
£200
by Jeanette Lowe
crumpled sofa cushions, no scummy
mug on the coffee table. A text.
Sorry darling, worked late, checked
into the Travelodge.
After her granola she goes up into
the attic and reaches for the little key.
Later, much later, she creeps back
down with the rucksack, legs feeble.
Dusk is settling, she doesn’t know
how long she’s been gone, day-
dreamy, stuck.
She lays the rucksack on the bed.
Gives it a sniff, fiddles with the
buckles and straps. It’s a little musty
but it seems intact. She looks out
the window, sees it’s been raining.
She brings up strong coffee and
opens drawers. T-shirts, sandals.
Jeans, jumper. A waterproof. Phone
and charger. Credit cards. She laces
on her comfy walking boots.
Lingering in the hallway, she
considers leaving a note. She decides
to text, Good luck, darling. She
swings the rucksack onto her back,
locks the front and posts the keys
back through the letter box. Looks
up. Day is sliding into night.

Also shortlisted in the 500-word short story competition were: Sharon Boyle, East Lothian; Michael Callaghan, Glasgow;
Kevin Cheeseman, Haddenham, Buckinghamshire; Kath Delaney, Lancaster; Alyson Hilbourne, Penrith, Cumbria;
Sophie Holland, Bristol; Vanessa Jarrett, Lymington, Hampshire; Kerry Jeffs, Framlingham, Suffolk; Pat Metcalfe, New Mills,
Derbyshire; Alexandra Nicholson, Weymouth, Dorset.
Annie Percik
T he Game
lives in London with her
by Annie Percik
husband, Dave, where she is revising
her first novel, whilst working as a
University Complaints Officer. She
writes a blog about writing and posts
short fiction on her website (www.
alobear.co.uk), which is also where
all her current publications are listed.
She likes to run away from zombies
in her spare time.
T
he children play in the
dappled sunlight as their
mothers chat from deck chairs
arranged in the shade.
It’s a complicated game. The
rules were devised by Daniel,
always the deep thinker of the
group, but it’s clear that Annabel
is the one in charge.
‘No,’ she says. ‘You need to stand
over there.’
Ben, the follower, the meek
one, does as he is told, moving to
the designated spot in the centre
of one pool of sunlight. Daniel
nods in satisfaction. Annabel has
understood his vision and is now
S H O R T S TO RY C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N E R S
ensuring its implementation. All
is good.
The children have known each
other their whole lives. It’s a group
born, literally, out of a pre-natal
yoga class their mothers all attended.
Their birthdays fall within a span of
six weeks and they have been in and
out of each other’s houses as if they
all belong to one big family.
‘Now you need to get to that spot
without stepping on the dark bits,’
Annabel says, pointing.
The wind rustles the leaves of
the trees overhead, making the
sunlit patches of ground ripple
and shimmer.
‘Quick!’ Annabel shouts. ‘Before
the ghost steals all the light!’
Ben scrambles to obey. The rules
may be Daniel’s but the story is
Annabel’s. She always takes the bare
bones of what Daniel provides and
turns them into an epic fantasy
that transforms their games into
adventures.
Ben might not have helped with
the creation of the game, but he’s
by far the best at it. He doesn’t fully
understand the rules, but Annabel’s
instructions tell him what to do.
He leaps from one circle of light
to another, nimbly avoiding the
www.writers-online.co.uk
2nd place
£50
dangerous shadows where evil
spirits lurk and lands securely at
his destination.
‘Yay!’ Annabel calls out, throwing
her arms in the air. ‘You’re safe! The
ghost can’t get you now. But you
can’t move until me and Daniel
have made it too, or it’ll be able
to find you again. And if we get
caught, it’ll eat you too.’
Ben looks alarmed by this turn
of events. But he stands firm on his
spot and pulls Annabel to safety
when she stumbles on the last jump.
They arrange themselves at the edges
of the circle, trying to make enough
room for Daniel. But the wind is
their enemy, shifting the parameters
of their designated haven beneath
their feet. Annabel topples first,
pulling the boys down with her until
they end up in a pile on the ground,
shrieking and laughing as the ghost
claims its victory.
Their three mothers look over at
the noise, quickly reassured by the
sounds of joy beneath the imagined
terror. They dream a future for their
children. Annabel will be CEO, of
course, while Daniel will head up the
Research & Development division.
And Ben? Nobody is sure where his
strengths will lie yet. But he’s got time
to shine. And whatever role he ends
up taking, no doubt he will keep the
ghosts at bay for his friends.
APRIL 2020 35
Shelf life
LISTEN
TAP HERE
To hear an
extract from
Beneath the
Streets

ADAM
MACQUEEN
The journalist and now novelist shares
his top five reads with Judith Spelman

A
dam Macqueen is a journalist and author who has
contributed to Private Eye magazine since 1997 and wrote
the history of the magazine to celebrate its 50th anniversary
in 2011. Between 1999-2002 he was deputy editor of The
Big Issue. As an author his books have the most intriguing titles –
The Prime Minister’s Ironing Board, The Lies of the Land: A Brief
History of Political Dishonesty and The King of Sunlight. His first
novel, Beneath the Streets, is a political thriller and published by
Lightening Books in March 2020.
BLACK HEARTS IN
BATTERSEA
by Joan Aiken, 1964
‘I’ve picked this because it’s a
rollicking read, full of intrigue,
adventure and excitement,
and it introduces perhaps the
greatest role-model in children’s
literature, Dido Twite. But it has
a particular significance for me
now because it’s the first book
that made me realise – decades ahead of Gordon Burn’s Alma
Cogan and Robert Harris’s Fatherland – that you don’t have to
stick to the rules: you can take the bits of history you want and
reshape the rest into your own story, as I’ve done with Beneath
The Streets. Aiken’s whole series takes place in an alternative
England where James III is on the throne and dastardly
Hanoverians are plotting against him, and where wolves roam
the countryside, having entered the country through a channel
tunnel completed a couple of hundred years ahead of schedule.
MURDER MUST ADVERTISE
by Dorothy L Sayers, 1933
‘Judging by the shelves in my
local library, mysteries account
for an enormous proportion of
the nation’s reading but I wonder
how many people actually read
them with their own detective
hats on. I’m not sure I’ve ever
worked out a murderer ahead
of the final chapter, or even
really tried to. I think the key
to mysteries’ ubiquity is that
they provide a ready-made
framework on which to hang characters and explore
more interesting issues. Dorothy Sayers has two of the
most fascinating of the former in Lord Peter Wimsey and
Harriet Vane (the latter only a background presence in
this instalment): Wimsey’s deliberately-curated image as a
foppish dilettante disguises both his intelligence and the
lingering effects of shell shock in the First World War.
This is at the heart of his relationship with his batman-
turned-valet Bunter, just one of the supporting characters
Sayers uses to interrogate and satirise Britain’s class
system between the wars: Wimsey’s snobbish sister-in-law
the Duchess of Denver, his sister Mary, married down to
a Scotland Yard man, and in this book the employees of
the Pym’s Publicity advertising agency into which m’Lord
goes undercover as a 9-to-5 man (a deception boldly
not revealed to the reader until five chapters in, though
regulars will guess from the first line).’

36 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk

 WRITER’S BOOKSHELF

DIALOGUES OF THE DEAD INVENTING THE

by Reginald Hill, 2001 VICTORIANS
‘And here’s another prime example of my thesis: the most by Matthew Sweet, 2001
fantastically-contrived serial killer plot (no spoilers) which, when
revealed, detracts in no way from a story which not only further ‘This is the book that
explores some well-loved (and on occasion loathed) characters inspired me to write
built up over some twenty or so novels that are nominally police non-fiction. Sweet sets
procedurals, but also develops two new ones to the point that out his stall in his first
when they end up in inevitable peril you find yourself rooting line – Suppose that
for both of them, even though some expertly-employed dramatic everything we think
irony means you really shouldn’t. And throughout it all – in this we know about the
book perhaps more than any other in the Dalziel and Pascoe series – Reginald Hill is Victorians is wrong –
celebrating his love of the English language, making his own paronomasia (yes, you’re and then proceeds
supposed to have to look it up, as you will with at least one word in every chapter of to demonstrate it
his books) explicit and as key to the plot as the increasingly baroque murders which through a series of
punctuate the story. I read this whole series over and over again and find it genuinely the sort of eyebrow-
painful that Hill’s death in 2012 means we will never see Andy Dalziel in retirement or raisers you find
know what Rosie Pascoe grows up to be.’ yourself filing away
to surprise people with in the pub later. The
WATCHMEN gruesome origins of the phrase “Sweet Fanny
Adams”; the nonsense peddled about whether
by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, 1986 Prince Albert had a Prince Albert and the fact
‘I’ve concentrated so far on the books that have inspired aspects the entire idea of prudish patriachs covering up
of my own writing: this is the one I could never hope to emulate piano legs for fear they would inspire lustful
either in form or scope. Moore takes the tropes of superhero thoughts was only ever a joke are all explored
comics and, rather than twisting them or spoofing them, via liberal quotations from a popular press
somehow evolves them, giving us a group of jaded and long-past- that sounds surprisingly contemporary and
their-best caped crusaders who are actively anti-heroic; explores Sweet’s own generous modern-day anecdotage:
the implications that superpowers and the granting of moral it made me realise that I was allowed to use
authority would have on all-too-human figures, and ties it all into Alan Titchmarsh and Tara-Palmer Tomkinson
an apocalyptic fable that is at once fantastical and utterly rooted to demonstrate points in my biography of
in 1980s realpolitik. At the same time he and Gibbons manage to weave in vignettes of Victorian ultra-eccentric William Lever (The
the ordinary lives that are always going on in the background and an entirely separate King of Sunlight) and to hell with the reviewers
narrative (about cursed pirates!) which ultimately come together in one of the most who would be sniffy about it. There is no point
devastating moments in literature, delivered in seven entirely-wordless panels. My writing books for people who know everything
university dissertation was on William Blake, and my big discovery (I’m not saying it about a topic already: you want to grab people
was a good dissertation) was the way his illustrations subverted and questioned the text who never realised the subject could be exciting
they wove in and out of: Dave Gibbons’ illustrations do something similar here, with the and deliver it in a fresh and unexpected way.’
added onion-skin layers that you can never fully trust any of the characters delivering the
dialogue within them either.’

‘I
’m lucky to have a job in journalism that pays most of the
bills. Because Private Eye is fortnightly I do one week in
the office cranking out stories about politics and the media
with my blood pressure rising, and then a week at home
working on books until I start muttering to myself and need to get
back out into the real world again.  positive to be gained by anyone else measuring themselves against it.
‘I’ve always thought of my non-fiction books as an extension of
my journalism: it’s about finding interesting stories people don’t
necessarily know and telling them in an entertaining and unexpected
way. Beneath The Streets, my first novel (not counting the two
that didn’t find publishers) is an extension of that: it explores two
historical mysteries that have never been properly cleared up to
anyone’s satisfaction – the attempted murder of Jeremy Thorpe’s
former lover and the sudden resignation of Harold Wilson as Prime
Minister – and explores a world that existed in the shadows at the
time and has largely stayed there ever since: that of young gay men in
the 1970s at a time when their very existence made them illegal.   need to do to be a writer is to write. Just get some bloody words
‘Like most writers, I’ve got habits that have taken on the form
of rules: I don’t work weekends at all if I can help it; am fortunate
enough to have my own study nowadays but have discovered I can
actually bash away at the laptop pretty much anywhere; start every
day revising and editing the day before’s words; can’t work without
a deadline even if it’s one I’ve set for myself, and try to get to a daily
word count, but I’m not saying what it is because there’s nothing
‘One thing I will pass on: once I’ve finished the first draft of any
book I put it away and do something else, for months if possible,
so I can get some distance from it and then do the fun bit, which
is completely ripping the thing apart. Beneath The Streets lost three
chapters once I was in a position to see the wood for the trees and
the ending then got a comprehensive rewrite (including resurrecting
a major character) thanks to the astute suggestions of my editor
Simon Edge. I’ve yet to meet a piece of writing that hasn’t ended up
better as a result of another pair of eyes on it. But I think the best
advice I could pass on is to ignore all the above: the only thing you
on the page. Usually you find more will follow, and some of them
might even be quite good.’

www.writers-online.co.uk 2020
APRIL 2017 37
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
Under the Microscope
James McCreet applies his forensic criticism to the beginning of a reader’s memoir
LEAVING HOME
It was 4 am in the morning1. I kissed my two
young sisters on their foreheads as they slept,
knowing that I wouldn’t be coming back.2
My older sister Linda had her own room, so I
never got to say goodbye.3
My mum was waiting downstairs for
me, nervously pacing the floor.4 “Come on
Trisha”5 she tried to whisper to me,6 so as not
to wake the girls up.7 Dad would be home in
an hour, after finishing his night shift.8
Outside we could hear the sound of a
car purring, waiting for us.9 I looked once
more at the house I loved, that was home
for the last seventeen years.10 When would
I see it again?11
As we drove off, I looked at my mum,
who suddenly seemed ten years older.12 I felt
so sad and guilty that I had caused so much
trauma to my family.13
The journey was long and painful.14
We drew up at the court.15 It must have
been about 9 am now.16 Entering this large
building we were ushered17 into a stark room,
where we had to wait for another hour or
more.18 I glanced around the room at the
faces staring into space or at the floor.19
Everyone looking nervous or scared.20
It was time to be called in.21 As my
friend and I stood in the dock22 I suddenly
realised that this was no dream.23 I heard
the voices talking about me, strangers
deciding my future, people who knew
nothing about me and my life before
now.24 About my happy childhood, my
lovely sisters and mum and dad, of the
street we lived in where we had neighbours
who were kind.25 I was upset to hear my
poor mum26 speaking up for me, saying”27
she is a good girl really ... just easily led”.28
38 APRIL 2020
Patricia Roberts recently joined a memoir class and
is loving it. She left school at fifteen. The story she is
currently writing is about herself aged seventeen in
1965, getting in with the wrong crowd and how her
life changed after living with the Salvation Army.
1 You don’t need to say ‘in the morning’ if
you use ‘a.m’. There’s also an argument
that beginning a story with the time doesn’t
7 Again, is it necessary to mention that she
whispered for this reason? We already
know the others are sleeping so we can
have much impact on the reader unless it’s figure it out. Moreover, not saying it adds a
instrumental in the story somehow. The layer of subtlety. The comma isn’t necessary.
hour itself is less compelling than the detail
that comes after it.
8 This seems like a pedantic detail
rather than a useful one. It’s as if
2 This is a good line. It has subtle
emotion and the teaser about not
coming back. That’s an effective hook.
you’ve thought, ‘I’d better mention the
father in case the reader has been totting
up family members and wondered why
there’s no father.’ This is not necessarily the
3 The fact of not being able to say
goodbye is another emotional jab. But
the comma isn’t necessary.
case. It’s a minor point. More serious is the
narrative tic that has developed in this first
paragraph. Every sentence but the first has
a comma and then a dangling clause at the
4 I think it’s enough if she’s pacing. You
don’t need to add that she’s nervous.
end. There shouldn’t be a comma here.
Why else do people pace in their own
house, unless they’re practising military
manoeuvres? You also needn’t say it’s on the
9 And here is it again: comma plus
clause. There’s some confusion over
whether they are outside hearing the car or
floor; gravity dictates that other options are inside the house. In the former case, why
unlikely. can they hear it but not see it if the engine
is idling and the car presumably parked?
5 There should be a comma after ‘Trisha’.
10 Okay, so they’re outside. The tense
should be ‘had been home’ (past
6 If she tried to whisper, does this
mean she did or she didn’t? Was it a
half-whisper?
perfect) because the story is narrated in
past simple tense. Once more, there’s the
comma/clause tic.
www.writers-online.co.uk
 UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

11 The first paragraph suggested that

the character was never coming
back, so this seems inconsistent.
would have been correct but not remedied
the sense. 24 The punctuation could be
tightened in this sentence, which
appears to ramble a little (see the rewrite).

12 The sentence is a bit clumsy. The

dominant clause ‘I looked at my
18
mum’ is in a sandwich of subordinate
clauses that blur the focus. In such cases,
it’s better to rewrite (see the rewrite).
Also, the ‘ten years older’ thing is a cliché.
What is a better and more striking way
of describing the complex emotions being
felt by the mother?
19
As with the car journey, time is
compressed here. The character
would know it was an hour’s wait only
after the time had passed. Better to say
that the waiting period was actually
unknown. That makes it more stressful.
This is a nice touch but I
think you could take it further.
Describing the harsh utility of such
waiting spaces would enhance the sense of
Moreover, is it strictly true that these
people know nothing about the narrator?
It seems she has done something wrong
to be in court so there must be case notes.
What’s truer is that they don’t know the
whole story.
25 The length of the sentence is
good, evoking the emotion
felt by the narrator. But the structure
is haphazard. Note how we begin with

13 This is an important line, adding

context at just the right point.
However, it’s somewhat heavy handed:
more telling than showing. I’d omit
stress and expectation.
20 But avoid stating the obvious.
Describe facial expressions by
‘about’ but then veer into ‘of ’. The
initial ‘about’ could have done the work
on its own.

the baldly stated feelings of guilt and

sadness in favour of mentioning the
trauma caused. The reader will infer how
tormented the narrator is.
all means, but let the reader infer whether
it is fear or nervousness. I also wonder
if there might not be a few hardened
delinquents who have been there before
and are not perturbed by the experience.
26 More telling. We don’t need
to be told that the narrator
is upset because everything so far has
underlined that. Nor does ‘poor’ help us
to understand the depth of the mother’s

14 What does this mean? It was a

bumpy road? What we’ve seen so
far has been a largely subtle evocation of
a tense situation. Shorthand such as this
minimises the emotion. Feel free to add
a sentence or two for the reader on how
long and strained the journey really is
(without stating it too obviously.)
This would provide a good comparison
with the sensitive narrator. Also, the
sentence is not grammatical. It’s a
condition. It’s just a label. Describe how
she speaks, her face, her mannerisms and
let us perceive that she is ‘poor’.
fragment. This is permissible (if done on
purpose, at least) but the correct version
would be: ‘Everyone looked...’ 27 You say she’s speaking, so it’s
redundant to add that she’s
saying something. There should be a
21 It would help the veracity of the
scene if we knew exactly how the
comma (or a colon) after ‘saying’.

15 A good, short punctuating

sentence that brings us to the
destination and also reveals what’s
‘calling in’ worked. A bell? A barked order?
A subdued comment or gesture? All of
these little details enhance the atmosphere.
28 Capital letter for ‘She’. Also,
people tend to use contractions
when they speak, Thus: ‘She’s.’ There are
happening here. Very economical. different conventions on where to put the

16 Is the time important to the

reader? We’ve already been told it
22 Wait... there’s a friend, too?
Why has there been no mention
of this friend up until now? Weren’t they
full stop in dialogue. I prefer inside the
quotation marks.

was a long journey. in the waiting room? Were they the car
the whole time but not speaking? There

17 The grammar is confusing here.

It suggests they were ushered into
should be a comma after ‘dock’.
CLICK HERE
’s
To read James McCreet
a room as they were in the process of
entering the building when in fact they 23 There has been no suggestion so
far that any of this has been a suggested rewrite
had presumably entered the building
beforehand. A comma after ‘building’
dream or dreamlike. Indeed, it’s all been
very real. It reads like a cliché.
of this extract

In summary
When I first saw this piece, I rejected it as a possible Microscope because I couldn’t see
enough wrong with it to justify an article. It reads well and the technical errors are
relatively few: mostly incorrect punctuation. • If you would like to submit an
But then I read it again and realised it was a missed opportunity. The idea for the scene extract of your work in progress, send
is interesting and has a lot of potential, but that potential is lost in poorly structured it by email, with synopsis and a brief
sentences, vagueness and some excessive telling. It needs tightening up. biog, to: jtelfer@writersnews.co.uk

www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 39


LISTEN
TAP HERE
BEN
To hear an
extract from
Agent Zigzag
MACINTYRE
Tony Rossiter examines a writer whose true stories read like fiction
‘I
f you’re looking for a good
spy thriller, I definitely
recommend this,’ said a review
in the Daily Express. The book
was not an invented spy yarn,
but a true story – Agent Zigzag. Fact can
be stranger than fiction.
Ben Macintyre, historian and Times
journalist, has written ten meticulously
researched books about adventurers
and eccentrics from the world of crime
and espionage. They are gripping page-
turners by an author who combines the
disciplines and techniques of journalism
with the flair of a natural storyteller.
How he began
As a child, he was a voracious reader of
Enid Blyton, Ronald Welch, Marryat’s
The Children of the New Forest and
the children’s histories of RJ Unstead.
Educated at Abingdon School and St
John’s College, Oxford, he graduated in
1985 with a degree in history. He has
a high regard for Moby-Dick (Herman
Melville) and The Great Gatsby (Scott
Fitzgerald), and favourite authors include
PG Wodehouse, Evelyn Waugh, William
Boyd, Robert Harris, Zadie Smith,
Charles Cumming and (surprise, surprise)
John le Carré.
After university, Macintyre became
a foreign correspondent for The Times,
working in New York, Paris and
Washington. Since 1996, he’s had a
weekly column, writing about history,
espionage, art, politics and foreign affairs.
His first book, Forgotten Fatherland: The
Search for Elizabeth Nietzsche (1992), was
based on interviews with descendants of
the bizarre Aryan colony established by
40 APRIL 2020
The
tech style
niqu &
e of
Friedrich Nietzsche’s sister in Paraguay
in 1886. When she returned to Europe
she inspired the cult of her brother’s
philosophy, and she later became a
mentor to Hitler. Macintyre has followed
this with a string of bestselling spy stories,
every one of them true. I’ll concentrate
on three of the most widely admired.
Agent Zigzag
Published in 2007, Agent Zigzag: The
True Wartime Story of Eddie Chapman:
Lover, Traitor, Hero, Spy is the story of
a professional criminal who became a
double agent during the Second World
War. It’s an extraordinary tale about a
complex man who had no compunction
about burglary and safe-breaking, and
combined this with a love of subterfuge,
adventure and daring-do heroism. Eddie
Chapman was both a villain and a hero.
Before the war he was a safecracker with
London gangs and spent several stretches
in gaol. In 1939, arrested for blowing up
the safe of the Edinburgh Co-operative
Society but released on bail, he fled to
Jersey, where he committed yet another
burglary. This resulted in two years’
imprisonment, but it spared him the
fourteen-plus years he expected to receive
on returning to the mainland.
Following the German occupation
of the Channel Islands, Chapman
volunteered to spy for Germany; he
had extensive training in German-
occupied France in explosives, radio
communications and espionage
techniques. In December 1942, he was
flown to Britain and parachuted into the
Cambridgeshire countryside, tasked with
sabotaging the de Havilland factory in
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es
is/Writer Pictur
© Geraint Lew
Hatfield. He immediately gave himself
up to the local police and offered his
services to MI5. A fake sabotage attack
on the de Havilland factory convinced
his German handlers that Chapman had
accomplished his mission, so that when
he returned to France he was rewarded,
inducted into the German Army as an
oberleutnant and sent to teach at a spy
school in Oslo. He was able to provide
MI5 with extensive intelligence about the
German Army.
In 1944 the Germans parachuted
him back into Britain to report on the
accuracy of their V1 flying bombs and
on development of the Royal Navy’s
hedgehog anti-submarine weapon.
Chapman reported that the German V1s
were hitting their central London target
when they were in fact undershooting
and landing mainly in the south London
suburbs or the Kent countryside, causing
far less damage. On his return to London,
Chapman again became involved with
criminal gangs in the West End; and in
November 1944, MI5, being unable to
control him, dismissed him from their
service. He was given a pay-off of £6,000
and pardoned from prosecution for his
pre-war criminal activities.
A Spy Among Friends
There have been several books about
Kim Philby, who was recruited as a Soviet
agent in 1934. One of the Cambridge
Five Spy Ring unmasked many years
later, he worked as a journalist before
joining the Secret Intelligence Service,
MI6, in 1940. Thereafter, he was a
double agent, providing his Soviet
controllers with reams of increasingly

important material as he rose up the MI6
hierarchy. The focus of A Spy Among
Friends (2014) is Philby’s close friendship
with Nicholas Elliott, the MI6 officer
whose background and education were
strikingly similar to Philby’s.
Following the defections in 1951 of
Burgess and Maclean (Foreign Office
officials who had also been recruited
as Soviet agents while at Cambridge),
Philby was widely suspected of being the
Third Man who had tipped them off
about their imminent arrest. There was
no proof of his guilt, but in July 1951 he
was forced to resign from MI6. However,
in 1956 he was publicly exonerated and
resumed his earlier career in journalism,
working for the Observer and the
Economist in Beirut; at the same time he
was paid a retainer by MI6 and provided
them (and his Soviet controllers) with
ad hoc intelligence. In January 1963, he
was finally exposed as a Soviet agent. He
escaped from Beirut on a Russian ship
that took him to Odessa, and defected to
Moscow. Nicholas Elliott, his close friend,
was the MI6 officer who confronted
him with the evidence in Beirut.
According to Macintyre, a good many
intelligence officers in both London and
Moscow believe that Philby’s escape was
suspiciously easy and had been tacitly
encouraged by MI6.
The Spy and the Traitor
‘The best true spy story I have ever read,’
said John le Carré. He was talking about
Macintyre’s Cold War tale The Spy and
the Traitor (2018). Oleg Gordievsky
was a senior KGB officer who became a
double agent and for more than a decade
supplied Britain with a stream of high-
quality intelligence from deep inside the
Soviet system. He had grown up close
to the KGB (both his father and his
brother were KGB officers), but became
increasingly disillusioned with Soviet
communism, particularly after the Red
Army’s action in Czechoslovakia in 1968
which put an end to the Prague Spring.
As he rose up the KGB hierarchy
he took extraordinary risks, providing
his British handlers with increasingly
important material. The story culminates
in Gordievsky’s betrayal and his recall to
Moscow, followed by the activation of
an escape plan (code-named Operation
Pimlico), given no more than a 20%
chance of success by the MI5 officer
B E AT T H E B E S T S E L L E R S
who devised it, which enabled him to
be smuggled out of Soviet Russia. The
bizarre signal to put this plan into action
was a plastic carrier bag printed with the
red Safeway logo. The gripping escape
is so out-of-this-world that Frederick
Forsyth has said ‘if any spy writer were to
put it in a novel it would not be believed’.
How he writes
‘The history of intelligence is opening LISTEN
up as never before, as more and more TAP HERE
To hear an
secret material is released into the public extract from
domain,’ says Macintyre. ‘Writing about The Spy and
real espionage offers an extraordinary the Traitor
backdrop for exploring all the concepts
that fascinate us in fiction: loyalty,
betrayal, friendship, politics, and love.’
In what he reads and writes, he likes
discretion and modesty, and has ‘an
affection for the stiff upper lip, the
emotion unvoiced, the desire undeclared’.
Detailed, painstaking research is at
the heart of Macintyre’s books. In 2001,
MI5 began the selective release to the
National Archives of previously classified
information that could not damage
national security or embarrass anyone still
living. These declassified archives include
hundreds of pages of documents relating
to Eddie Chapman, and these provided
Macintyre with much of the raw material
for Agent Zigzag. They included reports,
descriptions, diagrams, internal memos,
minutes, letters, photographs, transcripts Macintyre said, ‘being able to explore
of interrogations and wireless intercepts. Kim Philby’s abandoned and derelict
These gave Macintyre information apartment in Beirut was probably
not only about events and people in the most atmospheric moment of the
the Chapman case, but also about the research process. I stood on the balcony,
minutiae of a spy’s life: Chapman’s pitted with bullet holes from Lebanon’s
handlers set out to paint a complete civil war, from which he signalled his
picture of the man, including his feelings, Soviet controller that he needed to flee.
hopes, fears and contradictions. For The next day, he absconded to Moscow.’
Macintyre, this was a treasure trove of Macintyre had no access to MI6’s files
high-quality material. about Philby, but he was able to speak
The second stage of Macintyre’s to more than a dozen current or former
preparation is to talk to as many intelligence officers. Although MI6 did
appurtenant people as possible. For Agent not help him in any material way, they
Zigzag he interviewed and tapped into did not stop him. Surprisingly, he was
the memories of dozens of people in also able to talk to several former KGB
Britain, France, Germany and Norway officers who were, he said, ‘pretty straight’
who had been touched, either directly or and keen to tell their side of the story.
indirectly, by Chapman’s exploits (some The subjects of all these three books –
of these sources are named, while others Eddie Chapman, Kim Philby and Oleg
wished to remain anonymous). For The Gordievsky – produced autobiographies.
Spy and the Traitor, Macintyre made good But with their omissions, distortions,
use of the extended interviews he was inaccuracies and inventions, none of
able to have with Gordievsky. these can compete with the true stories
When it came to A Spy Among Friends, of Ben Macintyre.
www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 41
 W H AT ’ S O N
Back soon!
Writers considering
self publishing, head for the
8th Self-Publishing Conference at
the University of Leicester on 25
April. The one-day conference is the
UK’s only dedicated event for self
publishers, with workshops, panels,
seminars, and an
Away from
appearance by bestselling
author Sophie Hannah.
Website: https://
selfpublishingconference.org.uk/
A half-day workshop from
your desk
New Writing South for emerging
crime writers on 4 April in Brighton,
Delving into the Dark Side:
What Crime Writers Need to Know
About Research, with Sue Walker
demonstrates how effective research can
ing,
enhance all aspects of your crime writ
from plot ting and crea ting setti ngs to
character development and more.
Website: https://writ.rs/darkside
discussing her new memoir
w h ere
s o me ever
Go ’ ve n
you been
42 APRIL 2020
A guided retreat
aims to unleash your creativity
at Plane Castle in Stirling from
3 to 5 April with yoga from
Braxton and writing guidance
from author Angie Spoto.
Website: www.yogaganesh.co.uk/
writingretreat
The author of acclaimed novel The
Confessions of Frannie Langton, Sara
Collins leads a Spread Your Word
masterclass, Structuring and Editing
Your Novel, in London on 4 April.
Website: https://writ.rs/
saracollinswshop
Shelley Weiner leads a TLC Fiction
Masterclass, Finding Your Voice:
Putting It on the Page, Sustaining
Momentum, with particular emphasis
on opening and endings at the Free
Word Centre in London on 25 April.
Website: https://writ.rs/tlcpage
Get out of your garret for
some upcoming activities and
places to visit
Poet Anita John will be leading
a Wildlife Writing Workshop
for RSPB Scotland Loch Leven
The acclaimed author on 22 March for writers wanting
and cultural commentator inspiration from the sights
Rebecca Solnit will be and sounds of Loch Leven in
springtime.
about her formative years Website: https://writ.rs/
as a writer and feminist writingwildlife
in San Francisco,
Recollections of My
Nonexistence, at Tyneside
Cinema on 31 March.
Website:
https://writ.rs/solnit
KA
SPAR DE A!
I
NE W
www.writers-online.co.uk
 W H AT ’ S O N

Legacy Centre of
Excellence in
Aston celebrates black
authors across
all genres of literature
on 25 April at
the Black British
Book Festival.

d
Website : https:// writ.rs/bbbf

o o
m e g ere!!
So s h
a
Events and activities to encourage children
to read for pleasure at Blackburn Library
ide
for Blackburn Children’s Literature
Festival from 23 to 25 April.
Website: https://blackburncrf.com/

Cambridge Literary Festival’s

Climate Crisis series of events guest curated
by Caroline Lucas MP, including a talk with
The prolific and much-loved
author Alexander McCall
Smith will discuss his career in A
Celebration of a Writing Life, at
the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford
on 3 April as part of the Oxford
Literary Festival.
Website: https://
oxfordliteraryfestival.org/
spring edition takes place between
16 and 19 April and includes a
The Uninhabitable Earth author
David Wallace-Wells. Website: The Spring School at Newcastle
www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com Centre for the Literary Arts (30
Mar-3 Apr) presents Bodies of
Evidence: Life Writing and the
Material World, a week of intense
creative practice tutored by John-
Paul Flintoff, Cal Flyn, Daisy Hay
(pictured) and Rachel Hewitt,
Historian Jill Liddington, whose focusing on using objects, bodies
research inspired the BBC /HBO series and places to tell the stories of
Gentleman Jack, traces Anne Lister’s human lives.
story through the lens of LGBT+ Website: https://writ.rs/
history at Writing Anne Lister: An nclabodiesofevidence
LGBT+ History, at the Portico Library
in Manchester
on 30 April.
Website:
https://writ.rs/
writingannelister

r iter ’s
W
d ate!?
e
coffe
Join the double Booker winner Hilary
Mantel as she launches the third novel in her
Tudor trilogy, The Mirror and the Light at a
T h is lo o ks
Literature Live event in Manchester on 19 g r eat !
April hosted by Kamila Shamsie.
Website: https://writ.rs/
eveningwithhilarymantel

www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 43

WRITERS’ CIRCLES
TESTING times
Have your characters got themselves stuck in a situation?
Julie Phillips suggests testing what they’re capable of by
placing them in alternative realities in this group exercise
W
e’ve all heard of authors who
say that their characters have
taken over the page. You
may have even experienced
it yourself. Instead of doing
what the author wants, they go rogue and
the author has no choice but to go with
them. The story, they say, is almost always
better for it. But what if our writing puts
our characters in a place or situation
where they and the writer are at a loss
at how to proceed? They languish there,
in limbo, shrugging their shoulders in
an awkward silence, neither advancing
the story or setting the scene. It’s the
equivalent of the nautical doldrums.
This month’s workshop is all about
finding ways to give your characters the
tools they need to deliver the reader
the full-bodied reading experience they
deserve. It’s about giving them the impetus
and forward momentum to not only
tell their story, but to tell it well. Your
characters and readers will thank you for it.
The first activity for your group is to
make up a character and put them in
a situation where they are a fish out of
water. For example, a seventy-year-old,
44 APRIL 2020
retired bricklayer being put in charge of
an office whose workforce are all under
twenty. Or a 25 year old fast-tracked
woman who was the manager of a large
distribution company, suddenly finding
herself as an assistant, with no authority,
in a local school, whose colleagues are all
over 50. How do they react? Can they
cope? Think about how they might have
found themselves in those situations
in the first place, as this will give you
a clue as to how they may behave as a
consequence. Do they blame themselves
or someone else? What might be the
difficulties they are faced with?
It might be that they both feel
frustrated because they are suddenly
having to take charge and make decisions
or they are enraged, having to bite their
tongue, because they can no longer tell
people what to do. This would more
than likely lead to conflict in both the
workplaces. Conflict equals story, but
just because there is a story there doesn’t
mean it will reach its full potential unless
the characters are given something by the
writer to work with.
To help the group to do this, ask them
www.writers-online.co.uk
to read out what they found to the rest
of the group. Then try to relate it to their
own experience and/or the characters in
their current writing. Where they have
come to a standstill, use the exercise to
consider where their characters are in the
story. If they don’t have any ideas they
could work with someone who has. Ask
them to think about why they think their
characters are stuck. What happened
earlier in the story that has led them to
this stalemate? Where are they trying to
lead their characters and what do the
characters think about this? Are their
characters behaving or does the writer
have a mutiny on their hands?
Next, task the group to take their
characters out of their current situation/
sticking point and place them in a
different setting with different issues. Are
they using the right side of the character
that will pull out their full potential or
are the characters just coasting along
being boring in their boring little
world? If they are in the middle of the
countryside would placing them in a
bustling city up the ante, or vice versa?
Have the group considered changing
the ages of the characters or their social
backgrounds? Perhaps thinking more
about their motivations and what they
want would help.
What about the psychology of your
characters? Are they currently inhabiting
the correct headspace to be able to
capture and keep the attention of the
reader? Do we care enough about them
to want to keep with them and read
on? Perhaps putting them in different
situations where they can exercise
different facets of their personality will
bring out the right combination of traits
so that your character can fight their way
out of any situation you throw at them.
Finally, make a group list of what the
group members have leaned about the
process that was helpful so that you can
use it for future reference.
By trying out different situations or
places you can challenge your character
so that you can test how they react to
new stimuli or conflicts which gives
you a fuller picture of who they are,
their motives, what drives them and
how far they can be pushed. Placing
your characters in alternative realities
can stretch them into a more rounded
and interesting persona that improves
the overall structure and feeling of
your book, turning the mediocre to the
extraordinary.
 WRITERS’ CIRCLES

CIRCLES’ ROUNDUP
If your writing group would like to feature here, whether you need new members, have an event
to publicise or to suggest tips for other groups, email Tina Jackson, tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk

ASA

SPOTLIGHT ON…
WESSEX WRITERS
Wessex Writers meets once a month in a Bournemouth hotel
to discuss writing and books, supporting each other and
enjoying a cappuccino or a glass of wine at the same time,
writes Andrea Emblin.
Although a small group, we are an eclectic one, ranging from a
children’s writer, young adult, adult fiction, a variety of non-fiction www.wessexvoice.co.uk. To enquire about joining the group
and short stories for magazines. Two of our members contribute
regularly to a writing magazine.
Each month we share our latest news and any writing problems –
there is always sufficient to keep us going. If someone has submitted
a manuscript (previously to this meeting) this is given a careful
critique. Then we discuss chosen topics in some depth before a final
airing of suggestions for our free monthly e-magazine, The Voice.
Group members (and subscribers to the e-magazine)
contribute to The Voice, an exciting project our chairperson
launched. The e-magazine, like our group, covers a variety
of areas and ideas for both readers and writers: a literary
quiz, writing skills, book recommendations, biographies and
interesting quotations and snippets of information. Useful
information, such as current competitions, is often included. It
is open to innovation and new subscribers.
If you are interested in joining our list of subscribers (it’s free
with no obligations!) please contact Robin Dynes, our editor, on
TheVoice@robindynes.co.uk
To find out more about Wessex Writers visit our website
contact robin@robindynes.co.uk.

The Novel Pool LEAKEY

We are a small group who meet PENS
fortnightly on Thursdays to discuss our
work, writes Helen Cormack.
GO INTO
We grew out of writing class which
we all attended. When that closed, we decided to keep meeting – and
PRINT
that was five years ago. Our ‘process’ is that we nominate three people to
prepare submissions for the next meeting. The weekend before we meet, The Leakey Pens, East
we circulate this work. This gives everyone time to review and critique the Leake’s group for writers,
submissions before the meeting. On the evening itself, we all have our say has just published its
on each piece and suggest amendments, always in a spirit of constructive second yearbook, with
criticism, which the author is free to incorporate or ignore. Submissions the help of Rick Wood, a
vary from short poetry for children to sections of full length novels and long-standing member and
everything in between. best-selling author, writes
As a group, we also keep informed about events and competitions around Johnson.
Sandra Johnson
the country, both at our meetings and through our private Facebook page. We The book, available on
have all travelled to retreats, readings and literary salons when the topics have Amazon, contains 120
been of interest to us. pages of original fiction
Instead of a Christmas night out, we have a New Year dinner where we and poetry, all of which,
have a secret Santa. Each member is allocated another and is charged with says founding member Paul
buying them a suitable book, based on their interests. This is a great cause for Haynes, would not have
hilarity and also much gratitude when the book exactly suits its new owner. existed but for the group.

www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 45

SAU B S C R I B E R S P OT L I G H T
SH A RE
O Y
Y
R
U R STO
Bowled over
by book two
‘I self-published my first novel, Strong
Undercurrents, in 2015 and have recently
self-published my second.’ writes
subscriber Carolyn Bartley.
‘I did try to find an agent interested in
publishing my second book – Love Before
Wicket – but as I had no interest, I decided
to publish anyway.
‘Despite the work involved in self-publishing
– a lot of self-promotion and self-publicity – I
feel that it is worth the effort to see one’s work
in print. As my previous publisher was no
longer available, I searched online for another
local company that was able to produce a
number of hard copies as well as providing an
e-version to sell online. Cardiff-based firm,
Jelly Bean Books, were able to offer all the
services I required, including a great edit and
exactly the book cover I wanted.
‘The idea for the novel came from various
articles I kept coming across about men having
a mid-life crisis, so I thought it would be fun
to write about a woman having one. Love
Before Wicket is a warm, witty and wry look
at marriage in middle age – the ties that bind,
and the temptations that can lead us astray.
‘My local bookstore, Griffin Books, is
incredibly supportive and held a recent
book launch, which was well attended.
My work now is to contact local press and
other organisations to let them know about
the book. Most of all, hopefully readers
will spread the word that the story brings
something new to how some women might
manage to succeed at married life.’
46 APRIL 2020
SUBSCRIBER
SPOTLIGHT
Share your writing success stories. If you subscribe to Writing Magazine and
would like to feature here, email Tina Jackson, tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk
AN IDEA A DAY
‘All writers need ideas,’ says WM subscriber
and contributor Patsy Collins. ‘We need topics
and themes, prompts to get started and a little
encouragement to keep going. New writers may
be wondering where to begin, daunted by a blank
page and want help to transform thoughts into
fiction. Even the most experienced have dry periods
when ideas don’t flow, or times when they appreciate a push to try something different.
‘These methods are proven to work. Each of the daily sets of prompts in this book have been
used in some way, to create my own work. I need a lot of ideas: I’ve completed five novels,
co-written From Story Idea to Reader (an accessible guide to writing fiction) and produced
nineteen collections of themed short stories, averaging two dozen per book. Hundreds and
hundreds of my short stories have been published – mainly in women’s magazines. I blogs, write
articles, win competitions and I’m always working on something new.
‘Whether you’re a new writer, or a more experienced one temporarily out of ideas, have
hours to fill or just five free minutes, you’ll find something in this book to help get you
writing – every day of the year.
A Year of Ideas is available as an ebook for £2.50 and paperback at £6, from her website:
https://patsycollins.uk/
Doing the write thing
‘I retired only to be constantly asked, “What did you do before?”’ writes subscriber
SE Morgan.
‘As if what I am now is irrelevant. I’m categorised as a retiree, end of.
‘My ambition was always to write. Lack of time was no longer a viable excuse. For the
first time since O levels I took up my pen creatively, (well keyboard obviously) and began. It
was hard, very hard. My previous career helped a little, but not much. Inevitably you’re still
wondering; I was a doctor and civil servant.
‘Writing Magazine, books and internet courses were indispensable, as was joining a writers’
circle. Cardiff Circle gave me motivation, honest feedback on what I was doing
wrong and encouragement. Listening to others read, hearing how well most wrote,
reflecting on what would strengthen their work taught me even more.
‘My novel From Waterloo To Water Street, set in 1843 Carmarthenshire, is
historical fiction and researching it was a joy. I immersed myself in online
newspapers from the period, re-read Mill on the Floss and studied accounts by
ordinary soldiers as well as diaries and Royal Commission reports on the Rebecca
uprising. I visited villages and Carmarthen, used old maps, census details, the
National Archive, and drew on verbal family history. It is truly amazing how
much you can find online or order from your local library.
‘After eighteen months of endless redrafting and editing, it’s finally
published. My tale is told. Now I say I’m a novelist, no more retiree questions!
Website: https://semorganhistoricalfiction.wordpress.com
www.writers-online.co.uk
 S U B S C R I B E R S P OT L I G H T

Plotting the crime

AN HISTORIC ADVENTURE
‘After over 22 years in the writing, including two major
reworkings (and a lot of minor edits!), The Raided Heart
finally hit the electronic shelves on 15 November 2019,’ writes
subscriber Jennifer C Wilson.
‘Not only is it great to have simply finished the book, I’m
delighted that it’s also going down so well.
‘The Raided Heart is a historical romantic adventure, set in the
harsh world of the border reivers, on the English-Scottish border.
The reivers were a hardy bunch, who left us phrases such as
“bereaved” and “blackmail”, and following Meg and Will on their
journey has been as thrilling as running from a successful raid.
‘And the icing on this writing cake? In early December, I
discovered it had been awarded Bronze in The Coffee Pot Book
Club’s Book of the Year Awards Historical Romance category, as
run by Mary Anne Yarde.
‘With this being my first “traditional” historical fiction, with no
ghosts or timeslip to hide behind, I’m obviously over the moon
with the news, and am already working on the second in this new
“Historic Hearts” collection, published through Ocelot Press.
Amazon Author Page: https://writ.rs/jennifercwilson
‘I’m like Donna Tartt, but without the
same degree of either talent or fame,’ writes
subscriber Jacquelynn Luben.
‘But, now, with my sixth book just
coming off the press, I have to confess it is
around ten years since I completed my last novel.
‘Lost Innocents is my first crime novel.
‘I read it out at my writing circle, and listened to the
members’ suggestions. I worked my way through each set of
comments. At the rate of a thousand words a fortnight, it
took a long time to read out the whole book. Then I realised
I wanted to adjust the structure to make it more suspenseful.
It meant changing around the first third of the book, and
when I’d done that, I wanted to know if it worked. Three
writers read it through and made suggestions, and again I
read carefully through the comments, at the same time as
rereading it at the writers’ circle.
‘A year ago, I took a break from it, and brought out a book
for small children, What Grandpa did next. But then it was
back to the novel for more editing, revising, correcting and
so on. When I read an article a few months ago (Moving
on by Sophie Beal, WM May 19), which talked about an
author’s reluctance to let go, I recognised myself.
‘Lost Innocents was written in a very different way from my
genealogical novel, Tainted Tree. That book more or less “wrote
itself”, to use an author’s cliché. When I started Lost Innocents,
I only had an idea for a starting point, and didn’t really have a
destination. I thought of it as a cliff face, in which, each time I
went back to it, I had to chip out another
foothold and climb up from it. That was the
second reason why it took me so long. The
first was that, initially, I couldn’t think of any
story at all.
‘But that’s in the past now. The work has
all been done, and for better or for worse, my
crime novel is ready to face an audience.
‘Lost Innocents is published by
Goldenford Publishers Ltd.’
Website: www.goldenford.co.uk

WE’LL HELP YOU SELL YOUR BOOK!

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the Writers Online Subscribers’ Showcase. We’ll give your
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service is completely FREE.
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PLUS
When you’re sending in submissions to appear on those pages, feel free to
send us any additional content you have available. Whether it’s an interview
video, book trailer, podcast, audio extract or anything else,
we’ll give you as much exposure as we can through our digital edition and
website. As ever, send your details to tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk

www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 47

S U B S C R I B E R S P OT L I G H T
BIG
NOVEL
WIN
‘A thrilling day for a thriller writer!’, writes
subscriber David Laws.
‘I’ve just had a huge confidence boost with
the announcement that my third novel, The
Maze Kids, has won the 2019 Yeovil Literary
Prize for novels.
‘The story, about a young teacher’s attempt
to rescue 27 orphans from Nazi Germany in
the midst of war, has yet to find a publisher,
but as a result of the competition I have high
hopes for it.
‘I was honoured to visit the Yeovil Literary
Festival in November to attend a gathering
of winners (other categories included short
stories and poetry) and to give a reading
from the manuscript.
‘The novel prize, which comes with a
handsome cheque, won praise from the
judge, author Vaseem Khan, who said: “I
loved the concept. The idea of a band of
dispossessed children hiding out in Nazi
Germany, in danger of discovery and of
being shot, imprisoned or sent to the
concentration camps, and the daring rescue
attempt to save them.
‘“This is a book that works on many levels:
as a thriller, an old-fashioned adventure yarn,
a wartime escape story, a historical account,
and a romance... it grabbed me by the throat
from its opening pages and drew me in.”
‘The Maze Kids follows two previous thriller
novels – Munich, The Man Who Said No!
(Mr Chamberlain, Munich and all that) and
Exit Day (Brexit, spies and conspiracy) which
were self-published this year at last under the
Troubador imprint.
‘Writing, as everyone knows, is a lonely
business afflicted by doubt and frustration
in the struggle to become published. This
to me is a landmark event cancelling out
all the reversals of the past and a great
encouragement for the future. I’m now
working full blast on novel No 4 about a
suffragette aviator.’
48 APRIL 2020
DYSTOPIAN REIMAGININGS
‘The dramatic North East countryside provides the inspiration for
my third novel, Awakening,’ writes subscriber Chris Ord.
‘I accepted voluntary redundancy from Gateshead Council
in August 2015. Having left a job of fifteen years in education
policy, I wrote my debut, Becoming.
‘Following its success, I caught the writing bug and set about
writing the follow-up, Awakening. However, things didn’t quite
unfold as I intended.
‘My plan was Becoming would be a series. But after writing
about half of Awakening I wasn’t happy with the story so I
decided to set it to one side and work on something else.’
‘This different focus led to the publication of my second
novel, supernatural thriller The Storm. But it wasn’t long before
the story of Gaia and her adventure began to dominate my
thoughts once more.
‘Writing a sequel can be daunting. Awakening has definitely been my most difficult
book to write so far. At the same time, it is also my most rewarding, and as with
everything in life, the greater the struggle, the more you appreciate the achievement.’
‘I’ve had a lot of fun with this book. There are the usual twists and turns, and
as ever I like to keep my readers guessing until the final page. There are also some
familiar local places, reimagined as dark, dystopian settings. I’m excited about this
book, and hope readers will love it too.’
‘I’m working on ideas for the third book in the Becoming series entitled Reckoning.
‘I loved climbing back inside the heads of the characters and immersing myself
in their world again. They’re all still floating around in there and the next book is
developing already.’
Website: http://chrisord.wixsite.com/chrisord
On the activity trail
‘I wrote Step Away from the Sofa as part of my ongoing mission to
divorce people from their sofas,’ writes subscriber Ellie Kennedy.
‘I wanted to show ladies (I can only write from a female point of
view!) that there is a whole world of doing and being out there.
‘Each chapter covers one activity, some of which I’ve experienced myself and some that
are beckoning to me from my growing bucket list. Swimming with whale sharks currently
tops the list.
‘I’ve written about bungee jumping, combing the Egyptian Desert looking for pre-
Dynastic rock art and facing down Anne Robinson on The Weakest Link.
‘After learning how Scrivener, the book writing software, worked I formatted my
book for Kindle and self-published on Amazon.
‘Shortly after publication I decided to follow my own advice again and I upped sticks,
sold everything and with my seventeen-year-old rescue cat Poppy and the help of an
ageing Renault Megane I towed a caravan nicknamed “The Catavan” around the UK. I
met some amazing people along the way and acquired several caravanning skills such as
wiring up solar panels, using a remote to park the ‘van and driving around roundabouts
without endangering unsuspecting road users.
‘I currently have a few notebooks filled with my jottings from the
journey and I hope to publish The Big Girls’ Guide to Caravanning
very soon, possibly followed by The Big Girls’ Guide on What to
do with a Great White Shark! However these ideas are currently
competing with the urge to write a crime novel as an open prison
close to me has just opened a cafe on site for the public to use. It’s
got plugs for laptops and free wifi and just begs for crime novelists to
come in and write.’
www.writers-online.co.uk
 S U B S C R I B E R S P OT L I G H T

SWWJ, STORIES AND SUCCESSES

‘I am a long-time subscriber,’
writes Sylvia Kent.
‘Bought my first copy in 1993.
I’ve loved Writing Magazine since
your earliest days, particularly
when I won your Freelance
Writer of the Year title in 1997
and a few years later, the Community Cup writing about my
Brentwood Writers’ Circle. We are one of the oldest writing groups
in Britain with membership hovering around sixty
members during our almost eighty years.
‘Along my path of writing freelance articles on a
multitude of different topics for more than seventy-odd
magazine titles, I eventually plumped for Essex history,
writing weekly newspaper columns for Newsquest; then
longer features for Archant glossies while still working
for Hansard in both Parliamentary Chambers part-
time. Eventually I was offered a book contract by The
History Press and produced Voices of Brentwood.
‘As vice president and archivist to the Society of
Women Writers and Journalists (and now a Fellow),
plus vice president of Brentwood Writers’ Circle, I’ve
just seen my twelfth title Brentwood in 50 Buildings
published, this time, by Amberley Publishing, so in twenty years or
so of writing books, I’ve come full circle.
‘I love research, but the publisher’s brief including selecting,
photographing and finding the “back stories” to each structure
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linked topics, and although this absorbs much
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been invited to carry out book signings in local
bookshops, Christmas events, even our local
brewery (I used to write about winemaking), so an
even busier time ahead. Must learn to pace myself.
‘Creating short stories has always interested
me but paid freelance work took precedence, but
now I’m studying your listings of forthcoming
competitions covering all genres. Recently, I’ve heard
that one of my stories has come first in the SWWJ
John Walter Salver Competition. Delighted!’

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P O E T RY WO R K S H O P

AT 7 am

I watch your car pull away

with barely a sound,
gliding into traffic, a huge, white swan
,
no ripples in its wake.
You don’t look back—
no final glimpse, no wave farewell.
You leave me, standing,
rain soaked,
on this dirty pavement,
in this dirty town
at 7 am.
I heave my rucksack,
roll its burden across shoulders too tired
to care
and raw pain stabs.

a c e
You’ve gone –
reversing into your old life with easy confi
while I, in battered, toe-scuffed boots,
inch my way forward,
alone.
dence,

Time & pl
Alison Chisholm explores the way a poem can capture a particular moment in time

S
ome poems create their impact by doing nothing
more than examining a moment in time. They look
at it through the senses and resonances that give
colour to life, and fix it for their readers as much as
for their writer.
The perfect example of this is Adlestrop by Edward Thomas. A
train stopped – and the day and the station were immortalised
when the moment was fixed geographically and by season,
described in images of sight, sound and, by implication, smell.
The same technique animates At 7 am, by Marian Cleworth
of St Helens, Merseyside. The title fixes the time, text pinpoints
the location, and the narrator’s situation is communicated via
images of sight, sound and touch. The scene is urban instead of
rural, and the poem relies on slant rather than full rhyme, but
there is a definite echo between the two pieces.
Marian has delighted in poetry all her life, and tells how,
when she was only seven, ‘my teacher used to read us poems
every afternoon. I was spellbound. The rhythm and flow of
words and sounds in each poem excited me – I used to long to
hear more. I soon began to ask my parents for poetry books!’
That early love of poetry never abated, and, like so many of
us, she started writing her own poetry as a teenager and has
never stopped. Her preferred form takes metre and rhyme, but
she appreciates the value of listening to the poem and the way it
wants to be written. On this occasion, free verse was the obvious
medium. The poet explains: ‘I chose free verse to give the poem
more weight and greater impact. It meant that I could vary line
length and repeat certain phrases to emphasise the emotion.
I wanted the reader to feel the weight of that rucksack and
the stab of the pain... but to know that even with everything
stashed against you, you can still move forward.’
The best free verse has two features: careful lineation and
plenty of slant rhymes. When there is no set line length, the line
should break naturally at the end of a phrase, rather than with
an awkward severing at an illogical point. Here, phrasing and
line breaks work beautifully together. It’s also desirable to end
each line with a strong, specific word, not a ‘worker-bee’ word
such as the or in. Again, that practice has been followed, with
words like swan, farewell, pavement and rucksack placed at the
line’s end, its strongest point, taking advantage of the extra hint
of emphasis the positioning affords them.
Slant rhyme weaves its way through the text. In the centre
is the repetition of dirty while the title, an integral part of any
poem, is repeated half way through. The alliteration in the
opening lines of watch/with/white/wake/wave makes use of the
sustained semi-vowel sound of the w, while the consonance of

52 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk


final/farewell, wake/back and wave/leave tightens the mesh of
the poem’s sounds. Assonance in wake/wave/pavement, rolled/
shoulders/old and into/in/inch creates another strand of slant
rhyme. Each of these examples on its own would slip by
unnoticed, as a mere coincidence of pronunciation, while the
combination demonstrates that the sound links are intentional,
and gives the reading a more cohesive feel.
The message of the poem has a subtle underlining in the fact
that it is told through the use of you and I, while the word we
never occurs. From its start, this poem describes a moment of
rejection, and the drab scenario highlights the point.
The initial idea to write the poem came in a very ordinary
way, proving that we don’t have to be galvanised by the Muse
in order to be creative. It’s just a case of keeping the mind
open to every possibility, employing the magic phrase ‘What
if…?’ in any circumstance. Marian tells just how it happened:
‘Having been given a lift early one morning into the city centre
to catch a train, I was dropped off in a convenient but less than
salubrious street round the back of the station. It was a place
which made me feel very much alone... and vulnerable, which
in turn triggered memories of loss, of parting with friends, of
journeying alone. How awful it would be to be abandoned in
that street by someone who didn’t care. I dug deep into the well
of emotion. Then came the idea.’
The poet goes on to say that the first rough draft had
presented itself by the time she boarded her train, although
it took rather longer for the poem to be completed. The
important thing is to record the idea in note form – or more
usefully, in draft form. When the poem’s time is ripe, it’s much
easier to go back to a contemporaneous draft, however sketchy,
than to try to recall an event and the feelings associated with it,
and construct the piece from scratch.
This poem was first tried out at the local writers’ club Marian
Cleworth had joined in the early 1990s, and she is grateful for
the initial support, confidence and guidance she received from
its more experienced members. Not only is it helpful to get
feedback on an emerging poem, but the reading aloud in public
indicates areas where anything doesn’t flow well or sound right.
Gauging the impact of your work on others can show where
further revision is required.
Having the opportunity to develop and hone this particular
poem with the background of a supportive group helped
the poet to win first prize in a club competition with At 7
am, something she was too modest to mention in her initial
comments. Her final words are sheer gold for any poet, so they
stand as a message to us all.
‘The profound joy of being a writer is owning that special
file you keep tucked away at the back of your mind – the one
which stores all those experiences in life, good and bad, which
may one day come in useful for writing. Sometimes you hardly
know it is there, but, closely connected to the deep emotion
of your heart and to the pull of your memory, it gives you the
power to overlay experience with ideas. That’s what happened
with this poem.’
www.writers-online.co.uk
P O E T RY WO R K S H O P
Poetry
in practice
Plan a new poem round the months of
the year with Doris Corti
I
t doesn’t matter what month it is or what the weather
is like – a poet can write about any of that.
As an example, take the first six months of the year,
January to June, then write a line for each one of these. Think
of an image you can use for each one as in the following:
January sun is a nudge on your back
February is a slow, cold walk
March is a crisp choir singing
April can be sunlight and tears
May a brightness of buds
June soft sun and breezes
Having thought of six images for the months, there are
several options about what might happen next. You may
decide to work on just one of these images. For instance,
you might choose to use the January image just as it is
here, or you might write your own image for that month
What about leaving the word January out, and simply start
your poem with the image for the sun: Sun is a nudge on
your back.
Take the ideas singly, or what about using all the images
in one poem? If this idea doesn’t appeal, write after plucking
a few words from one of the lines as in a crisp choir singing...
These are from my image about the month of March.
A crisp choir singing could start a poem about listening to
birdsong, or you would possibly write another poem using
the words from my June image: Soft sun and breezes...
You could write a poem putting all these months
together and extend it so that the whole year is covered.
This might make a suitable birthday present for a friend or
maybe a fellow poet?
If none of this is appealing, what about writing about a
memory relating to one of these months? It might be when
you were on holiday and it was a hot month or, completely
opposite, it could be about the time in a cold month
when the trains or buses let you down. Or perhaps the car
wouldn’t start and you arrived late for work. A poem written
on these lines could be tragic or perhaps humorous?
Many poets have written about the months and
described some aspects of them in imagery. Take a look
through any poetry anthology and you will see many.
Exercises
• Use a rhyme pattern and write about a violent storm
in summer.
• In a series of unrhymed couplets write about a night
in February.
DECEMBER
APRIL 2018
2020 53
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ENitTpoEemR NOW
Subm s up to 40 lines.
Prizes are £100 and £50.
See p95 for entry details.
T he gre a t
Rom a n tic
There is much, much more to William Wordsworth than daffodils,
says Alison Chisholm as she launches WM’s poetry competition in his honour
W illiam Wordsworth
was born in
Cockermouth, on the
north west fringe of
the Lake District, on
7 April, 1770, so to mark his 250th anniversary
the next Writing Magazine poetry competition
will honour him.
He is known for his autobiographical tour de
force The Prelude, for numerous odes, sonnets
and lyrical pieces, but especially for a single
poem concerning a walk taken with his sister
one spring, I wandered lonely as a Cloud. This
is regarded as the most famous poem in the
English language, and the version we know
today is rooted in Dorothy Wordsworth’s
journal entry of 15 April 1802, drafted in
1804, revised and amended, and including
input from the poet’s wife, Mary Hutchinson.
There’s a lot more to Wordsworth than
daffodils. His childhood adventures, the loss of
his mother when he was seven and his father
a few years later, his trips abroad and the birth
of his daughter in France, his relationship with
his siblings and fellow poets, his reactions to
the railway, marriage and family, his eventual
acceptance of the laureateship… all of these,
and a kaleidoscope of experiences during a
long life, provide material for stunning poems.
The competition is for poems that look at
any aspect of Wordsworth’s life and career,
or at any of his writing. You do not have to
be fixed in his 1770-1850 lifespan. The way
history has placed the poet, the industry that’s
grown around him and the joy or horror of
‘doing Wordsworth’ for school exams extend
the contest’s range still further. This gives
enormous breadth, and challenges writers to
draw on the vastness of their imagination in
order to offer fresh slants on well-documented
topics, or new comments on the poems.
Think of all the other people preparing
their entries at the same time. What will make
yours stand out from the crowd, insisting its
message to the adjudicator? Unless a specific
topic is burning in your mind and demands
to be written, it would be a good idea to steep
yourself in the source material, re-reading
Wordsworth or learning new facts about him,
until ideas for your entry start to formulate.
Whatever clings to your imagination has
the potential to trigger a new piece of writing,
and sometimes you can be lucky enough to
find inspiration for two, three, four or a dozen
new poems. It’s worth pursuing every avenue
offered. Attempting a few different ideas will
help you to focus on the one that intrigues you
the most, as well as giving you the opportunity
to develop the others in the future.
Your poem can be in any form. You may
choose one of Wordsworth’s own favourites,
anything from the blank verse of The Prelude
to Petrarchan sonnets using his own variants
in the sestet. You may prefer to work in free
verse or a more recently developed form. As
long as the pattern and content of the piece fit
well together, there is no limit to the range of
options.
During the actual writing, give yourself
entirely to the poem as it emerges. Switch
www.writers-online.co.uk
P O E T RY L AU N C H
Grasmere from the Rydal Road 1786 by Francis Towne, photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash
off the phone, ignore the doorbell, resist any
distractions. If you can manage to get the
complete first draft down in a single session of
writing, a unity of voice is inevitable. The poem
will have a cohesion that is remarkably difficult
to achieve if it’s written in fits and starts with
conversations and interruptions in between.
Newly written poems benefit from a resting
period, so if time allows try to set your fresh
piece aside for a while before you complete
your revisions and then submit. If time is
tight, even a single day to let it settle between
one check and the next is useful. It’s surprising
how a fresh reading the morning after the
poem was created can reveal tiny flaws
that you then have a chance to correct, or
opportunities to tweak a word or phrase and
make it more compelling.
One of the joys of adjudicating a poetry
competition is that you never have any idea
of what the winning poem will be like, or the
angle it will take. You can simply be sure that
it will be good, to earn its top place over all
the other entries submitted. It will have been
devised with imagination, developed with
flair and revised meticulously. It is likely to be
rich in imagery and compelling in vocabulary
choices. It will probably have an interesting
title, use language grammatically, and be
punctuated with accuracy.
Without a doubt, it will grip you and
remain with you for the next day, the next
year, maybe your whole lifetime. If you can
write that poem, send it in with confidence.
Good luck.
APRIL 2020 55
 Getting festive
The WM poets really captured a sense
of seasonal magic in their Christmas
Poetry competition entries, says judge
Alison Chisholm
WINNER:
GILL HAWKINS
The Magic of...
I am the shine on red berries,
the smart left by spiked holly leaves.
The stickiness clinging to fingers
from sap of a pine scented tree.
I am the crumple of paper,
the flourish when ribbons are tied;
the elegant touch a bow gives
and shape of a gift that’s disguised.
I am the sparkle on tinsel,
the two coloured candy cane tist.
The tremble inside when you steal
a long promised mistletoe kiss.
I am a shimmer on streamers,
the chasing pulsating of lights.
The aura surrounding a star
and wonder that fills up this night.
I am the wide-eyed excitement;
the heartbeat of anticipation,
the one final sleep until Santa,
space in a stocking that’s waiting.
I am a warm spiced aroma,
the flicker that’s firelight glow.
The quiver of eyelash that catches
a stellate shaped crystal of snow.
I am encompassing silence,
the breath that gives voice to a choir.
The second before midnight chimes
tumble through belfry and spire.
I am intangible feelings,
the intricate spell that is weaved;
the world’s best ever kept secret,
all the magic that is Christmas eve.
56 APRIL 2020
P
art of the pleasure of
judging a competition is
the thrill of anticipation
when the parcel arrives.
How many entries will
there be? (Never possible to know.)
Will they all be clamouring to be the
winner, or will they be a lacklustre
set? The good news is that nothing
that arrived for the Christmas poetry
competition could be described as
lacklustre. Maybe that’s because
everyone has opinions and memories
regarding the festival, as well as
tales of the perfect and the worst
Christmas, parties and disasters, rows
and laughter, still-frozen turkeys and
overboiled sprouts.
Christmas is also a time when
emotions are highly charged. Every
joy is multiplied, but every pain is
more severe. It’s difficult to be jolly
when your heart is breaking, and
there were poems of sheer anguish
among the entries. It’s a special
accomplishment to write a poem
and enter it in a competition when
you are in a state of suffering. It’s
worth remembering that doing so
has a double benefit. It honours
the situation you are grieving, and
provides you with the healing effect of
creativity, a special therapy.
There were plenty of quirky entries,
such as the Christmas tree-shaped
calligramme, the excesses of the
French chef, the voice of the stable,
and the meeting and conversation
between Jesus Christ and Santa Claus.
There were poems about cards and
presents, food and drink, decorations
and entertainments, Advent and
aftermath, sparse times and plentiful,
past and present Christmases. There
were free verse poems, rhymed
couplets, sonnets, a rubai, a villanelle,
www.writers-online.co.uk
poems depending on refrains, and
prose poems. In short, the Writing
Magazine poets followed the advice
offered to extend their imagination
and their skills in every dimension.
The use of language in a competition
poem is all-important. A few pieces
were eliminated for problems with
punctuation – an excess or a lack of
it – for wrenched syntax, where the
need to rhyme contorted the word
order into unnatural patterns, or for
predictable rhyming, with boys and
toys taking the honours for the most
frequently used rhyme.
When poets avoided these language
faux pas, their writing sang, and
quantities of the poems that weren’t
prizewinners were eminently deserving
of public reading or publication in
magazines or books. That is certainly
true of all the shortlisted poems, and
it was difficult to make a final choice.
The first prize goes to Gill Hawkins
of Wimborne, Dorset for The Magic
Of... a list poem written in the
persona of the magic of Christmas
Eve. The poem is written in quatrains,
using the first person and present
tense to bring immediacy into the
writing. Each stanza begins with I am
and goes on to describe itself in terms
of the crumple of paper, a warm spiced
aroma, encompassing silence and so on.
An impressive aspect of this poem
is its vocabulary. Words have not
only been chosen with precision, but
also where internal elements of slant
rhyme reinforce the poetic quality.

Look at the alliteration of smart/spiked
and left/leaves in the second line, and
the consonance of sparkle/tinsel at
the start of the third stanza. There’s
assonance in the chasing/pulsating of
the fourth stanza, and unaccented
rhyme of stocking/waiting in the fifth.
These are just a few examples – there
are plenty more.
The piece relies on rhythm to keep
it spinning along, with an occasional
touch of syncopation to add variety.
The basic full rhyme is relieved, too,
by close slant rhymes; so we see both
full rhymes such as glow and slow,
choir and spire and the near rhymes of
weaved and eve, twist and kiss.
One of the joys of poetry is that it
can occasionally break the rules – and
do it so effectively that the departure
from expectation enhances rather
than detracts from the writing. In no
fewer than five stanzas in The Magic
Of... the second couplet does not
form a grammatical sentence with
a combination of subject and main
verb. Often, this would result in
the elimination of the poem. Here,
however, the device works well. This
is due in no small part to the repeated
stanza openings. Although a full stop
divides stanzas in two, the application
of the I am to both parts is so obvious
that the poet can make the break with
tradition. It’s a daring step to take
in a competition poem, but in this
instance the gamble pays off.
The whole poem builds up to the
climax of the final stanza. In the list of
elements, the title is almost forgotten
while the richness of wording provides
a deluge of images to engage the
reader. At the end, the final couplet
sums up everything that has gone
before, and the open-ended title is
completed to round off a sumptuous,
satisfying read.
The second prize is awarded to
Gillian Dunstan of Sidmouth, Devon
for a poem that focuses on a single,
specific aspect of Christmas and
Also shortlisted in WM’s Christmas Poetry Competition were: Dennis Bryant, North Baddesley, Southampton;
Anna Caddy, Taunton, Somerset; Heather Cook, Woking, Surrey; Alan Coombe, West Norwood, London; Fay Dickinson, Corby,
Northamptonshire; Samuel Dunn, Ballycarry, Co Antrim; Pamela Trudie Hodge, Plymouth, Devon; Anne Lawson, Bolton,
Greater Manchester; Lucy Nankivell, Ferndown, Dorset; Joyce Reed, Marple, Stockport; Viv Seaman, Southend-on-Sea, Essex;
Jane Trenholm, Newbury, Berkshire.
P O E T RY W I N N E R S
examines it minutely. All is explained RUNNER UP:
in the title, Making Mince Pies, but
this poem is not merely about baking.
GILLIAN DUNSTAN
It uses elements of a recipe, nostalgia,
imagery and anticipation to turn the
Making
act of baking into an act of love.
This is a beautifully balanced free
Mince pie
verse poem, in which each stanza takes
a different angle to keep the focused I weigh black beads of currants,
poem alive with variety. The first stanza, beige sultanas, walnuts,
full of the sibilance of the plurals, and sticky cherries.
creates the recipe in non-cookery-book Next I add spices,
language. The second reminds the then tumble all together
reader of past times, while the third with fiery brandy.
brings the poem up to date. The fourth
has a dream-like quality and carries the Once this was fed
reader out of the kitchen and into the into the small maw
night, while the last has all the intimacy of a metal mincer.
of a love poem. I’d turn the handle,
This poem, too, has a first-person grind out luscious strings
narrator, but it moves in tense from and stir them into a stiff mix;
present into recalled past, back into that was hard work and slow.
present and then to the short-term
future. The transitions are smooth Today, in seconds,
and natural, and add a conversational a processor makes
feel to the piece. mincemeat of it,
At its centre, the poem pivots on a all ready to fill glass jars.
single example of line-end full rhyme, I store them, glowing,
while the network of slant rhymes and opulent, knowing
on either side of it has to be spoken that I must wait for time
aloud to appreciate the richness of the to work its magic,
wording. Try saying phrases like the melding the flavours
small maw / of a metal mincer, buttery and maturing them by Christmas.
pastry and all ready to fill glass jars to
savour the taste of the words. Then I’ll make buttery pastry
This poem has a feelgood quality enriched with orange zest.
that insinuates a warm glow into the I’ll cut out stars
mind of the reader. Its final comment, to let the dark and glossy mincemeat
reflecting on the small ceremony / we’ve shine through icing-sugared crusts –
repeated down the years / and filled reminding me of fallen snow
with love opens up opportunities at midnight.
for readers to mull over their own
little ceremonies, their own perfect That evening, we’ll light candles.
moments; and while the tie-in with Sitting around a glittering Christmas tree,
Christmas is delicious, the wider we’ll eat the pies and drink mulled wine
picture of these small rituals adds a in a small ceremony
more universal quality. we’ve repeated down the years
Writing a poem for Christmas and filled with love.
is one ritual that’s certainly worth
cultivating. Have you started on your
Christmas 2020 poem yet?
www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 57

Helen M Walters looks at a short story by
Charles Dickens as a starting point to exploring the importance of names in fiction
T
his month we’re going
to look at how names
of characters can be
significant in short
stories. The story I have
chosen, by Charles Dickens, is an
intriguing little tale and, as always,
you will gain most from this master
class if you read it for yourself:
https://writ.rs/dickensbirths.
Dickens is well known for his use of
meaningful, and often striking, names
in his novels. Who wouldn’t tremble
in the presence of a schoolmaster
called Wackford Squeers? Who
could doubt that a character called
Gradgrind would turn out to be hard
and emotionless? And there is a good
reason why Ebenezer Scrooge and
Uriah Heep have passed into common
usage as shorthand for people who are
miserly and manipulative respectively.
In the short story Births. Mrs
Meek, of a Son we get one of the
important names immediately in the
title and opening lines of the story.
The name ‘Meek’ has connotations of
submissiveness, liability to go along
with the wishes of others, quiet,
gentle and easily imposed on. As the
story goes on the meek nature of
58 APRIL 2020
’S IN
H T
A E?
W AM
AN
Mr Meek is the direct cause of other
characters being able to get away with
doing what they like and ultimately
causing harm.
Let’s contrast the name ‘Meek’
with some of the other character
names in the story. The two
antagonists in the story are Mr
Meek’s mother in law, Mrs Bigby,
and his wife’s nurse Mrs Prodgit.
Although these names aren’t directly
meaningful in the way that Meek is,
they do suggest certain things.
Bigby suggests something that
is solid and large, outclassing the
meeks of the world. Prodgit, possibly
suggests one who prods; someone who
interferes and pushes themselves in
where they are not wanted.
Also note the baby’s name.
Augustus and George are strong and
uncompromising names in contrast
to Meek. Augustus means ‘great’
and George means ‘farmer’, but also
has associations with kings and, of
course, St George.
Mr Meek is open about his
nature, admitting to being quiet,
tremulous and small. Mrs Bigby is
by contrast described as terrifying,
unyielding and able to storm a town
www.writers-online.co.uk
singlehanded. Meanwhile, Mrs
Prodgit is first seen helping herself
to the sherry and ushering Mr Meek
out of his own dining room.
After this inauspicious start, Mrs
Prodgit’s presence in the house
makes Mr Meek feel more and more
unwanted and shunned. Finally Mr
Meek feels it necessary to speak up
on behalf of his baby son. Notice
how he points out that he is not
angry. He is mild (a close synonym
for meek) but also miserable. Notice
that he says he wants to avoid giving
rise to bad feeling and therefore
restricts himself to plaintive words.
The cause of his misery is not
only his own treatment, but the way
that Mrs Bigby and Mrs Prodgit are
conspiring to treat baby Augustus.
The excessive swaddling of the
child, the administering of castor
oil, the sharp frills that irritate
his skin, all seem outrageous and
unnecessary to Mr Meek.
Finally the worm has turned and
he is speaking his mind, but the
outcome of the story is sad, and a
grim reminder of the times in which
Dickens was writing. Perhaps it might
have been avoided if Mr Meek had

been less meek from the start. As it is,
his imploring on behalf of his child
turns out to be almost certainly too
little too late.
The story acts as a reminder to
readers that it isn’t always good to
be accommodating to other people.
Being meek and mild might make you
liked in the short term, but sometimes
you have to be prepared to speak out
to avoid disaster.
The name game
How much time do you spend coming
up with names for your characters?
How important is hitting on exactly
the right name? You may not want
to use names with meanings in quite
such a direct way as Dickens does, but
you can still make sure you are using
names effectively in your fiction.
One thing to consider is how all the
names in your story sound. In general
it’s a good idea to avoid having more
than one name starting with the same
letter. So try not to have John, Jenny
and Jason in the same story. Equally
names that rhyme are usually best
avoided. I once wrote a first draft
of a story in which my characters
were called Jill, Phil and Bill. Oh,
and if you’re setting your story in a
swimming pool, don’t call your main
character Paul. I only spotted that one
when I read the story aloud to myself.
How names sound can also impact
on how readers will envisage your
character. Try this exercise. Think
about names that are similar and
from the same root, but have slightly
different feels to them. Picture a
Julie, a Julia and a Juliet. What
subtle differences are there in what
you feel a character with those
names might be like. What about
Mary, Marie and Maria? How would
a Harry differ from a Henry? What
about people with the same name,
but different diminutives? How does
the picture conjured up by Pat differ
from that suggested by Trish? Or
Lizzy from Beth?
Maybe you want to take into
consideration the meaning of the
name you want to use. If you wanted
to call your character Bella, meaning
beautiful, what effect might that have
on your story? Would it influence
other people in how they react to
that character? Or perhaps you want
to call a character Sophie, meaning
wisdom. How will her name impact
what happens to her? What might
happen to a character called Victor,
meaning conqueror? Obviously some
name meanings are more apparent
on the surface than others, so it’s up
to you how subtle, or otherwise, you
want to be.
Do you find you’re often at a loss
for names or that you find yourself
using the same ones over and over
again? If you want to spread your
wings there are some great places to
look for a range of names. I quite
often use Twitter and just scroll
through my timeline until I find
something I like the sound of. You
can also flick through magazines,
newspapers and books for names, or
even the telephone directory!
One source that lots of writers use is
a baby name guide. There are loads of
different ones available and you should
be able to find one in a bookshop or
library easily enough. There are also
online baby name sites which allow
you to search by things like meaning
and popularity.
Some of the online sites will also
help you narrow names down by
geographical/language origin which
will be useful if you want to set
your story in a country other than
your own, or have characters from a
particular ethnic background. You can
also find sites which arrange names by
the years in which they were popular
which can be helpful if you are writing
historical fiction or if you are writing
about a character who was born some
time ago. Obviously names go in and
out of fashion, but it’s worth making
sure you don’t pick a name that’s going
to feel so out of place that it throws
your reader out of the story.
You may not feel the need to
give surnames to your short story
characters. But if you do, and the
meaning is important to you, there
are also plenty of both online and
book based resources which explain
surnames. If you are giving your
character a full name it’s worth
checking that name doesn’t also
belong to a high profile real person.
That way you can avoid calling your
romantic heroine after, for example, a
serial killer.
Sometimes it’s nice to give your
character an unusual name. I would
only advise doing that if you’re doing
www.writers-online.co.uk
MASTERCLASS
it for a good reason though, or it may
just be a distraction for the reader.
I wrote a story once with a female
character who was called Presley
because her parents were big Elvis
fans. I had another character reflect on
how special it made her seem because
that name was just hers.
Some stories have unnamed
characters, and this can work if you
are doing it for a reason. You might
want to deliberately make a character
enigmatic, or there might be a reason
why no one knows their name.
Generally speaking though, readers
will tend to relate better to a character
if they know their name. One type of
story where it can be hard to naturally
convey the main character’s name is
one told by a first-person narrator.
Most of us don’t refer to ourselves by
name. You can have another character
address them by name, but sometimes
it is tricky to do that in a way that
doesn’t seem staged. You may also
want to not disclose your character’s
name in some types of twist story,
especially gender twists, where the
name may give too much away. In
these circumstances you’ll need to
weigh up the pros and cons before
deciding on your approach.
Do bear in mind that if your stories
are published in magazines, the editor
may change your character names,
so don’t be too precious about them.
Why would they do that? Well, most
likely is that they have another story
in the magazine which uses the same
name and they want to avoid a clash.
I also once had an editor change my
characters’ names from traditionally
English names to Indian-sounding
names. I assume this was in order to
make the magazine more inclusive,
which is a good sign and hopefully
an encouragement for more diverse
stories to be submitted.
Why not experiment with names
in your writing? As we’ve seen, they
can really add an extra dimension to
your stories.
T:
READ THE STicOkeRnYsbAirths
https://writ.rs/d
APRIL 2020 59
 Being different
Author Joseph Elliott talks to Amy Sparkes about the
importance of representing children with additional needs in books
I
t is estimated that over 286,000
children in the UK (age 0-17)
have a learning disability1,
and over 1.3 million children
have special educational needs2
(14.9% of children) . In addition,
10% of children and young people
aged 5-16 have a clinically diagnosable
mental health condition3. And each of
these children has a story to tell.
The good news is that the publishing
industry is becoming more proactive
about diversity in children’s books,
creating opportunities and trying to
readdress the balance. It’s absolutely
vital that all children have the
opportunity to see themselves reflected
in stories and books, as they grow up.
Debut author Joseph Elliott is
passionate about creating characters
who are different, and his new book
reflects this.
REFERENCES
1 https://writ.rs/learningdisabilitiesstats1
2 https://writ.rs/senstats
3 https://writ.rs/mhstats
60 APRIL 2020
What is The Good Hawk
book about?
‘The Good Hawk is the first book in
an epic new fantasy trilogy, Shadow
Skye, set in an alternate version of
Scotland. It’s about a clan from the
Isle of Skye who get enslaved by
invaders from across the seas and the
two teenagers who must cross the
mysterious, plague-ridden mainland to
rescue them. It’s aimed at readers aged
12+ and I’m hoping it will fill the gap
there sometimes seems to be between
middle grade and young adult novels.
12 to 14 is such an integral age to
keep children reading, particularly
boys. It’s exactly the kind of book I
enjoyed reading at that age (and still
love reading now).’
What’s the story behind
the story?
‘I’m an actor, and during my “resting”
periods I used to work as a teaching
assistant in a special needs school. One
day, I broke my foot playing football
(it’s fair to say my playing style is
maximum enthusiasm with minimal
skill…), so I couldn’t do either job for
quite a few months. I’d always had the
ambition to write a novel and – with
my leg in plaster and unable to do
much else – I decided to give it a go.
‘The story started with the image
of a girl stood on a wall, looking out
to sea. I knew she was in Scotland – a
country I have always loved for its
dramatic landscapes and atmospheric
weather – and, inspired by some of
the children I was working with at the
time, I also knew that she had Down’s
syndrome. The story unfolded as I
tried to work out who this girl was,
www.writers-online.co.uk
and why she was there.
‘The book took me about two and a
half years to write as I juggled it with
my other jobs. Once it was finished, I
sent it off to a handful of agents and
was extremely fortunate to be picked
up by the phenomenal Claire Wilson
at RCW (Rogers, Coleridge & White).
A few months later – after several
suggestions from Claire and tweaks by
me – Claire submitted it to publishers.
I was on holiday at the time so had to
have all these important conference
calls with publishing people from
around the world whilst chilling on
the beach. The whole experience
was very surreal. I had an instant
connection with Walker Books, who
were excited to publish the book
simultaneously in the UK and the
US. It’s since been picked up by
international publishers as well, and
is going to be translated into both
Spanish and Italian. I’m still pinching
myself that it’s all real’
Who are your main
characters and why are they
different?
‘Agatha is a fifteen-year-old girl with
Down’s syndrome, living in a world
where her condition is unnamed. She
is often ridiculed or belittled by other
members of her clan, but she is brave,
fierce and loyal, and proves that the
ways in which she thinks differently
are often her greatest strengths. She
is also incredibly loving, which is one
of the reasons I enjoy writing her so
much; she’s like a friend who is always
able to cheer me up with her unique
humour and her big-hearted smile.
‘Jaime is thoughtful and
 WRITING FOR CHILDREN

thinking makes her a joy to write, Why do you think it’s

TOP TIPS FOR CREATING CHARACTERS
WITH DISTINCT VOICES
• Make bold choices. You can always adjust them at a
later date if you feel they’re not quite working.
• Be creative. Try making up words or speech patterns
that are unique to your character.
• Be precise and consistent. Consider creating a
dictionary or style sheet to help you.
• Don’t be afraid to use simplified vocabulary.
Most people don’t use complex vocabulary all the
time, so be brave and allow your voice to suit your
character and their situation. If you do use simplified
vocabulary, find other ways to keep it from becoming
repetitive eg by adding humour or exploring an
original point of view.
and I often find myself smiling at
the unpredictable things she comes
out with. Jaime’s voice was harder to
get right. In many ways, he is similar
to me when I was fourteen, at a time
when I was also struggling with my
identity. Consequently, I had to tap
into feelings that I had kept bottled
up for many years. I hope that, as a
result, there is a great deal of truth
in him, which readers will be able to
relate to.’
important to write about
characters with additional
needs?
Representation is crucial within all forms
of media, particularly for children. If they
don’t see themselves in books or on TV,
it can easily make them feel ostracised or
less worthy of being portrayed. The more
books people read featuring characters
with additional needs, the more
informed and accepting our society will
be as a whole.’
The Good Hawk is out now,
published by Walker Books.

compassionate, but also full of anxiety

and self-doubt. He sees himself
as weak and afraid, in a clan that
tolerates neither of those traits. Whilst
Agatha is often viewed by others as
“different”, Jaime’s difference is in his
perception of himself; he doesn’t feel
like he belongs, and it is these inner
demons which he needs to overcome.
With issues of mental health on the
rise within children and young adults,
I wanted to create a character that
teenagers could empathise with, as
the transition into adulthood can
be an extremely difficult and lonely
experience. One of the aspects I love
most about Jaime is witnessing him
discover how strong and capable he
can be.’

How did you create and

develop the characters? How
did you “find” their voices?
‘I spent many years working with
children with additional needs, and
it struck me that I’d never read a RESOURCES
book featuring a character with • We Need Diverse Books:
Down’s syndrome. I’d certainly not https://diversebooks.
Established in 1994, we are a literary
heard of any mainstream fantasy org/
novels featuring a protagonist with • Learning disabilities: consultancy service providing advice and
Down’s syndrome. When Agatha www.mentalhealth. training to children’s writers. We ofer:
first popped into my head, I knew org.uk/learning-
• Manuscript appraisals
• Consultancy services
the story wasn’t going to be about disabilities/
her condition, it was just a part of • Children and young
who she was. I wanted the children
I was teaching to see aspects of
people’s mental health:
www.mentalhealth.
• Courses and workshops
themselves in a kick-ass heroine, and org.uk/tags/children- We work alongside children’s publisher Wacky Bee Books.
be inspired by that. and-young-people Shakespeare House, 168 Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TG
‘Agatha’s voice was quite easy to • Down’s syndrome:
find, undoubtedly influenced by www.downs-
T 020 7801 6300 E info@writersadvice.co.uk
the children I was working with
at the time. Her alternative way of
syndrome.org.uk/ www.writersadvice.co.uk
www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 61
FICTION FOCUS
Spring
clea ning
Is your manuscript at the stage where it needs tidying up?
Give it a good spit and polish with advice from Margaret James
I
t’s not only our houses
that could usually do with
a good clean and polish
in spring. As the days are
getting longer, and as we’re all doing
our best to shake off our winter
lethargy – okay, as I personally am
doing my best to shake off my own
winter lethargy – I find it’s a good
time to think about spring cleaning
my writing, too.
All those cobwebs of redundant
adjectives and adverbs, all that dust
of repetition, all those carefully-
crafted episodes
that don’t actually
advance my story
line – at some point
in the process I
know I shall need to
be ruthless and to
sweep them out of
my literary house.
It can be somewhat
depressing to realise
I’ve written a first
draft that I’ve checked
62 APRIL 2020
for redundant adjectives and so on,
but which still doesn’t feel quite
right, although it’s not obvious why.
So, when I’m trying to identify what
doesn’t seem to work in a piece of
writing, I refer to my list of points
to check.
The first item is always to look at
my writing style and ask myself if
it’s appropriate to its subject matter.
Does my thriller race towards the
finishing line? Or does it drag its
heels? Does my historical novel
feature vocabulary that’s right for the
time and place? Or is it mildly or
even wildly anachronistic?
As for my plot – is it satisfying
and believable, is it logical, is
there any emotional development,
and – most importantly – is there
something to find out? What doesn’t
need to be there? What doesn’t tell
the reader anything he/she needs to
know, and/or doesn’t advance the
action in any way?
Any subplots – are they actually
needed? Do they enhance the reader’s
www.writers-online.co.uk
understanding of my central story?
Or are they distracting and/or
apparently part of a separate novel?
I’ve occasionally had to sweep a
subplot right out of a first draft and
file it away, perhaps to become the
plot of a novel of its own.
Now I check up on my characters:
are they flawed, sometimes likeable,
sometimes dislikeable: a mix of nice
and nasty? Also, are they ordinary
(and therefore recognisable and
sympathetic) people in extraordinary
situations? They shouldn’t be
superhuman – too good, too
gorgeous, too hideous, or too bad!
What about their names – are
these right or wrong? Do too many
begin with the same letter? Do my
characters have contexts – friends,
families, jobs? Or do they exist in
isolation?
My dialogue will need to be
appropriate to these characters,
it must push the action forward,
and there will need to be enough
speech tags (such as said Sally,

asked Steve, continued Tom) for
the reader to know who is talking.
Also, my dialogue mustn’t be
too much like speech in real life,
which is often repetitious, hesitant
or clogged up with irrelevancies.
Since many novels, including my
own, are simultaneously issued in
audio formats as well as in print,
the dialogue mustn’t be stilted and
difficult to read aloud.
Now for my narrative viewpoints
– are there too many, too few,
and am I guilty of head-hopping
in individual scenes, or even in
individual sentences? Do I always
choose the right viewpoint – first,
second, third, deep third, or some
other kind unknown to reader until I
invented it (which I haven’t yet).
It’s always a challenge to start
a story, so is my own opening
interesting, intriguing, mystifying,
worrying or/alarming? Do I
introduce or at least suggest the
challenge(s) my central character(s)
will face? Or do I spend my
opening pages waffling about
nothing very much?
Fast-fowarding towards my ending
– is it satisfying or unsatisfying?
Did it answer the questions I asked
at the outset? Or did it tail off? Do
I need to tie up any loose ends? I
have written several series of novels,
but I always need to bear in mind
that every individual story must be
complete in itself.
What about all those vital clues
that are certainly in my head –
are they also on the page? It’s
so easy to assume I have written
something down, but I find it’s
always wise to check.
Most stories have themes, so does
my new novel have one? Jealousy,
revenge, redemption: can I identify
any? Or, if I can’t, does it matter?
As for showing as opposed to
telling – have I fallen into the
trap of using too much authorial
overview? Or do my characters reveal
themselves in action and dialogue?
I’m quite a visual writer, and I
always set my stories in specific
places, so are my settings important
(or irrelevant – let’s hope not), and
are they well-realised? Do I use too
much or too little description? Do I
describe the settings myself, or do I
let the reader see them through eyes
of my characters? Do I use the other
four senses to take the reader there?
The last item on my list is to
check my spelling, punctuation
and grammar. Yes, a good story can
always be edited, and everyone is
allowed the occasional solecism or
typo. But, as writers, we all need to
know how to handle these basic tools
of our trade: to keep them sharp and
free from rust.
It can be a wrench to let go of
actual possessions that have outlived
their usefulness, but which are still
dear to us. But it can also be also
very satisfying to have a good sort-
out, to take all that stuff we don’t
need any more to the dump or the
local charity shop, and to make some
space for improvements.
This is as much the case with
writing as it is with life.
NOW Try this
Hardly any piece of
writing, either published or
unpublished, is likely to be
perfect. So, before you get
going on spring cleaning your
own work, maybe take a
critical look at someone else’s
writing, and only then reflect
on your own?
www.writers-online.co.uk
www.writers-online.co.uk
FICTION FOCUS
I wish
I’d known…
with Morton S Gray
‘I
t took me a long time to take my own
writing positively and seriously because that
little critical voice in my head kept telling me
that publishing wasn’t a world open to me,
and that no one could possibly want to read a novel
I had written.
‘Yet the stories were pouring out of me into my
notebooks and on to my computer. They seemed to be
well-received in the writing class I attended for many
years. With the encouragement of my writing tutor,
the novelist and poet Sue Johnson (author of Fable’s
Fortune), I began to enter competitions and started
to get shortlisted for short story and first chapter of a
novel competitions. I joined the Romantic Novelists’
Association’s New Writer’s Scheme, which gives a
priceless critique of one of your novels for each year you
are a member, and I kept writing.
‘By the time I saw Choc Lit Publishing’s Search for a
Star competition for a completed, unpublished romance
novel, I had several to choose from sitting on my study
shelf, so I sent off my entry. I couldn’t believe it when I
made the shortlist, alongside a friend, Lynn Forth (and
she’s now published too – Love in La La Land).
‘Beyond all my expectations, I won the Choc Lit
publishing contract! My debut novel came out in 2017
as The Girl on the Beach. Since then I’ve had another
two books published by Choc Lit: The Truth Lies Buried
and Christmas at Borteen Bay. I don’t think anything can
compare to holding a paperback of your own novel.
‘My message to anyone reading this and aspiring
to be a published author is to believe in yourself and
your work, to take time to learn the craft of writing, to
send out your work despite your doubts, and to enter
those competitions, because then you could become a
commercially-published author too.’
APRIL 2017
AUGUST 2020
2018 63
 On a grand scale
Epic fantasy requires a particular kind of input from the writer.
Get skilled up to write a longer book by following advice from Alex Davis
W
e’ve explored numerous aspects of fantasy
and science-fiction here over the years,
and one thing we know is that – on
average – books in these genres tend to be
longer than those in other forms. There
are numerous reasons for this – you could argue these genres
require the most significant worldbuilding, which takes time
and word count to do effectively. You could also argue that these
genres rely to some extent on an epic scale of storytelling and
sweeping story arcs featuring multiple characters. There’s very
likely an element of reader demand, with fantasy fans mostly
seeking out extensive stories rather than shorter novels, leading to
authors and publishers seeking to meet those expectations.
There’s probably some truth to all of the above, but the fact
remains that while many novels outside of ‘the fantastic’ in its
broadest sense stick to around 80,000 to 100,000 words, fantasy
and SF novels can push to 120k, 150k, 200k and beyond. This
presents a challenge to many writers – even the lower end of the
word count scale for a novel can be daunting, so pushing way
past that can be even more off-putting.
With that in mind, here are a few tips for aspiring writers in
the field to help develop those truly epic novels and deliver those
mighty word counts well.
The three Ps: planning, planning, planning
Planning is important for any novel, and personally I wouldn’t
even embark on so much as a novella without a solid plan
behind me. This is a statement that probably goes double for a
novel of above-average length – the larger story arcs and more
complicated character journeys can be very easy to lose track of,
so some sort of ‘roadmap’ to guide you along the way is pivotal.
64 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk
How you want to do this is of course up to you, but I can’t
imagine many fantasy novels were ever written ‘on the fly’ or just
improvising. These larger stories are often intricate and involved,
and if you read closely in SF or fantasy you’ll probably be able to
see just how much planning the author has done.
There is a second element to this in that many fantasy and
science-fiction authors embark on series rather than individual
books. Once again, this is a very prominent trend in the field,
and you might want to give some consideration as to the ‘long
game’ and where you want the trilogy, quadrilogy or twenty-
book magnum opus to wind up. I’m writing this not long after
watching Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and sadly it’s a great
example of a trilogy being criticised for a perceived lack of long-
term planning, which has left filmgoers very much divided. Of
course the world of film is different to the world of books, but
it’s a pertinent example of a trilogy arguably not setting up its
conclusion properly throughout by virtue of having no clear
finale in mind.
And the fourth P: pacing
I intimated above that worldbuilding is something that can
add to the length of a fantasy or SF novel, but that raises an
important follow-up point – this should not be something that
you sacrifice the pace of the story for. Having a longer book does
not mean that you have things happening more slowly – put
simply, for a truly epic book you actually benefit from more
things happening. As such, it’s crucial that you don’t get bogged
down in pages and pages of backstory, exposition, description
and scene-setting for your story and the plot sits absolutely first
and foremost. A great setting is nothing without a fantastic
plotline to go along with it!

With that said, it’s also crucial that the pace does not go
along too fast, and that readers find themselves left breathless
by the rattling speed of your story. It’s important to strike a
balance – if you want something to go down in history as truly
epic, it’s crucial that events within it feel as though they have
meaning and have real impact on the characters and/or the
world of the story. Cramming in too many events can be every
bit as unsatisfying as having events be too sparse – anyone who’s
ever watched Jupiter Ascending will know exactly what I mean.
The events have to have meaning for the characters and these
thoughts and emotions should be explored too.
Make it a party
Most more substantial novels would have a larger cast of
characters – there’s a certain logic to that, giving you more
individuals to carry the extra ‘weight’ of story involved. This is
well worth thinking about for any epic novel, and something
that you should be looking to factor in from the very start.
Ideally you would have a host of characters, probably at least
three, each with their own plotline and story arc to go through in
your novel. If you do insist on having a lone central protagonist,
you will at least need a few other side-characters around them
who will still go on a journey of some kind. The other option
you could go for would be to go for a classic ‘hero and nemesis’
structure, with a ‘bad guy’ and a ‘good guy’ in a constant
back-and-forth battle for supremacy and victory. But a large
zooming in on one or two characters is going to make your task
substantially harder – most epic novels are better served by a
wide and varied array of characters.
Break it down
One of the prime psychological obstacles of a longer book is
quite simply a feeling that the mountain you are trying to climb
is too big. Writing a novel of any length is no mean feat, but if
you double the word count you are angling for then things can
feel a lot more difficult!
As such, one simple ‘mind trick’ to play on yourself is to
divide the story up into numerous parts. Of course any story
would tend to have chapters, and these can serve as handy
waymarkers to show that you are making progress with your
book. But the addition of parts provides a further way for you
to note the ground you are making towards your grand target,
and help to ensure that your motivation for the project doesn’t
drop off. If you divide your story into four parts, you’ll be able
to acknowledge and feel a sense of achievement in hitting the
quarter, half and three-quarters mark on the way to finishing
your book.
Don’t waste words
One thing that could be a temptation with a larger project
would be to try and bulk out the word count, be it consciously
or unconsciously. You might feel that in-depth and detailed
description is a way to get through some of your word count,
but if it’s not justified for the story then it’s not going to help
make it a more enjoyable or satisfying read. You might even
keep slipping in an extra descriptor, or an extra pause in speech
to grab another word here or there. In many regards this is the
downside of thinking about word count, and honestly in these
cases these additionals rarely help things along. Ultimately books
www.writers-online.co.uk
FA N TA S T I C R E A L M S
will tend to be improved for excising words rather than adding
them, so try not to get into this habit – and indeed be wary of it
as something you might slip into without intending to.
Set a deadline
The thing with a big project – in any realm of life and work –
is that it can easily spiral out of control, growing unwieldy and
taking two or three times the length of time expected. That’s
why a deadline for any novel is crucial, and I would argue this
goes even more for a longer novel, because it could even more
simply lose momentum or come off the rails than a shorter
project. Try not to view the deadline as a pressure, but instead
a motivation – a challenge that you have set yourself and a goal
to strive towards.
But be realistic
With that said, it’s important to set yourself a feasible deadline
– having the sense of falling behind or missing targets is never
going to help your creative process or your enthusiasm. The sense
of being on track is pivotal, so what I would suggest doing first
of all is setting yourself a sensible daily or weekly word target.
Of course everyone’s lifestyle and circumstances are different,
so what is viable will vary immensely from person to person.
But the idea of targets is certainly a valuable one, and it’s often
surprising just how quickly you can get something written if
you break it down into manageable chunks. For example, at 500
words a day, you would still have 150,000 words in ten months
– or if you wanted to take the whole year on you would be
surpassing 180,000 words. And there is nothing too scary about
the idea of writing 500 words, right?
Conclusions
The writing process changes immensely as you go from the
short end of things to the long end – a short story can be
launched into with minimal planning, with quick completion
and a more rapid-fire editing process. Arguably it is where prose
writing can be at its most creative. I would encourage anyone
looking to write a novel to think generally in far more practical
terms – yes, the creative element remains strong, but it’s much
more in expression of ideas than it is in pure ideas. Novel
writing concerns itself much more with the long-term. If you
count on the ‘muse’ to carry you through that, it’s going to be
a very long way home – if the book gets finished at all in those
circumstances. Put simply, the ‘muse’ comes and goes. Planning
your book, your time and your writing process will all be
important, and that takes even more precedence where that book
is longer than the average. It certainly can be done, but it will
be a series of small victories that will ultimately lead you to that
major victory in getting that longer novel completed.
Finally, you should bear in mind that not every novel can be
epic – you might think that your plotline is going to eat up a
huge word count, but that doesn’t always come to fruition. I’ve
found many a writing project weigh in at under what I expected,
and usually when that is the case it’s because the story works
better at that length. If you land that bit short of the epic, it’s
going to be very hard to expand convincingly to fill in those
‘missing words’, and is liable best left to be whatever length it
naturally came to a close. Never try to be epic for the sake of
being epic.
APRIL 2020 65
 L o s t f o r
words
Jane Wenham Jone
s advises
r whose
a recently retired write
up
creative flow has dried
to give herself the time
she needs to adjust
to a big life change

When I had a job, I used to write all the time but now I am retired,
I haven’t put a word on paper or screen for weeks. I only think about
writing. Short stories are what I enjoy writing, even though I’ve not
had any successes as yet. But now that the short story market has
shrunk, it feels like a waste of time as there’s nothing to aim for. A
novel feels too daunting. When I was working all week, I used to spend
many hours in the evenings and at the weekend at my laptop, trying to
squeeze out as many words as possible but now my days are empty, I
watch mindless television, potter around the house doing unimportant
tasks and suddenly it’s bedtime and nothing has been achieved. I don’t
know what’s wrong with me. Should I take up knitting and forget the
whole writing lark?

BARBARA WOOD
Sutton Coldfield

urprisingly, I think knitting might be a very good idea, shouldn’t you watch TV and relax before you assess what you want

S Barbara. Or embroidery or macramé or bonsai-growing.

Anything to clear your mind, and give you something new to
focus on.
For it sounds to me, as if you are going through a period of
adjustment and you may simply need to take the pressure off yourself.
Retirement – with all those endless free hours stretching in front
of you – sounds wonderful, but as you are finding, it can take some
getting used to. You are accustomed to routine and structure and
your writing taking place on particular days in a certain way – at the
weekends, with an urgency – because time is short. Now you have
all the time in the world, that’s bound to be disconcerting. The word
‘empty’ jumped out at me. You seem to be experiencing quite a void.
For that reason, it’s important not to let the non-writing become
a source of stress. Because this will be self-defeating. It is okay not to
achieve something every single day. After years of working hard, why
to do with this next stage of your life? Also try not to berate yourself.
Your response to the change in your lifestyle is not unusual.
I remember receiving a letter from someone who’d taken six months
off work to write a novel and was panicking because four weeks in
she’d barely started. I sympathised! I was a lot more focused and
prolific when I was juggling a toddler and a small business than I am
now, when in theory I have all day, every day, to write.
I think it’s known as Parkinson’s law – that ‘work expands so as to
fill the time available for its completion’. In other words, if you have
one short story to write in a month, it will take a month. If you only
have your lunch-hour, you’ll knock out a first draft in that.
When circumstances change, one has to find new rhythms. So be
easy on yourself. Get used to this more leisurely life.
Knit by all means, take walks, see your friends, dig the garden. And
remember that mindless TV is good for finding plots, pottering is an

66 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk

 If you
have a question
you would like Jane to
consider, email jane@
janewenham-jones.
com
important part of the creative process – I could faff for Britain
– and that if you don’t go out and see a bit of life, you’ll have
nothing to write about when you do want to. Which could be
another aspect to this.
What might be really helpful on all levels, is to start a
diary. Buy a nice journal and make a pact with yourself to
write something in it every day. Even if it’s only ‘Got up, ate
cornflakes, didn’t feel like writing…’
I would wager that you will soon find the one sentence
becomes a paragraph that turns into a small essay. Write about
who you see, what you do, whether you liked the film you
watched, how you feel…
You may discover you are missing your sense of purpose, or
the banter with your work colleagues, and that is leading to
your negative view of the writing you once loved.
For if you think about it logically, the short story market
has not shrunk any more dramatically in the last few weeks,
than it had in the last couple of years. It is your feelings that
have changed.
It is true that some short-story slots have gone – from the
women’s magazines, for example – but there are still plenty
of opportunities out there. If you do like submitting stories
to magazines, take a look at Patsy Collins’ excellent womag
writing blog https://womagwriter.blogspot.com/ for the latest
news on who’s taking what. Or enter some competitions. Look
at the competition supplement with this very issue, or Writers'
News in other months– you will find writing contests galore.
In the meantime, perhaps you could try something different
to kick-start the imagination – poetry or flash fiction maybe?
Again, look on the web for outlets.
And is there a local writing group you could join? Hearing
others talk about their own work may well rekindle your
enthusiasm. If you have writing mates, get them round for
lunch or coffee. Or catch up on your email correspondence
with like-minded pals. Anything that will get you back in the
groove, as it were.
What can work well is to re-visit your past work. Dig
out the very first story you ever wrote. What would you do
differently now? Are you still proud of it or are you thinking
of all the ways in which it could be improved? You may even
feel moved to write another draft. Study published writers
too. Get a book of short stories by successful authors and just
enjoy the form all over again, reminding yourself what you
admire about it. Read some great novels. Daunting can be
invigorating. Never say never.
The very fact that you are thinking about writing
demonstrates that it is still an important part of you. Allow
yourself these weeks off and when the time is right, you will
not be able to resist picking up that pen. I think you will be
writing again quite soon.
Good luck.
www.writers-online.co.uk
Under the covers
Diamond shoes
New author Gillian Harvey can’t believe her luck...
now that she’s got Book Two Blues to contend with
Did I mention that I have signed up for a two-book deal? Lucky me, right?
The only problem is that now I’m tasked with delivering the next novel
in two months’ time. No problem for a seasoned (jaded) writer like myself,
surely? After all, I’ve churned out seven unsuccessful chunks of literature
previously – what’s so different now?
The problem is – and don’t laugh – writing when you absolutely know
someone important is going to read it is mind-blowing.
Yes, I know. Poor me and my too-tight diamond shoes. I know I’d have
killed for this opportunity a year ago – and I’m still ridiculously grateful
that I’ve got this far. But it’s hard to write something authentic with the
spectre of your publisher looming over you.
Will she like it? Was my other novel a one-hit wonder? Will she
understand what I mean by that joke, that metaphor? Am I writing with
her in mind, rather than thinking about a wider audience?
Of course before, when I was writing with hope rather than as part
of an actual deal, it wasn’t much fun at times either. Not least because
I had to ride constant waves of self-doubt. I’d sometimes abandon a
manuscript for months, and spent much of my time worried about
whether there was any point.
But bearing in mind I was writing for an audience of three – or possibly
four – friends and family members, at least I knew that when finally
finished my manuscript it would be well received. I was unselfconscious,
and this meant that when I managed to motivate myself to write, my
words flowed freely.
Another difficulty I’ve encountered this time is the fact that after several
edits I remember my previous novel in intimate detail. Before, once I’d
started something new, I could forget about what I’d written in the past.
This time, when editing No 2, I found a few recurring themes and jokes
I’d been unaware of when writing. The most disturbing repeat so far? Both
novels featured a man wearing a skin-tight onesie. Who knew that was
lurking in my subconscious?
Of course there are many, many plus points to my situation. Not least
that I actually sit down each day and write, no matter what. My previous
method of writing in fits and starts meant my manuscripts often had
cavernous plot holes – and minor characters would change their names,
hair colour or job halfway through the text. This time when I edit, there
will be far less to do; the plots and subplots should
hopefully tie up nicely.
See? It’s great. I love my diamond shoes, and for the
most part they only chafe a little at times.
But I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that
– even with a book deal – a writer’s life is riddled
with angst.
• Everything is Fine by Gillian Harvey is due for
publication by Orion Fiction on 28 May.
APRIL 2020 67
 You can bank on it
Simon Whaley looks at the pros and cons of having a business bank account for your writing
W
e all remember our first
time. It was 1989, I was
eighteen, and I couldn’t
believe what I was holding
in my hands. (It was a
postal order for £3.50, in
case you were wondering.)
That was the payment for my
first published piece – a word search
puzzle. Little did I know then how
that would be the first of many, many
more payments.
But even then, I knew it would be
sensible to keep this income separate
from my personal income. What I
needed was a separate bank account for
my writing business.
Business legalities
If you establish a limited company or
a partnership in the UK, then you are
creating a new legal identity. By law, any
such business must have a separate bank
account in that same name.
However, as writers that’s way beyond
the realms of most of us. Limited
companies may be the way some writers
go, but that’s for highly successful
creatives like JK Rowling.
The rest of us are sole traders, which
means we operate our writing business
in our own name. Therefore, there is no
law that compels us to open a separate
bank account in our own name.
However, it’s not as simple as that.
HMRC’s A General Guide to Keeping
Records For Your Tax Return says, ‘If
you do not have a separate business
bank account, you need to keep records
of which transactions were personal
and which were business. Unless your
business is small or has few transactions,
it would usually be helpful to maintain
a separate bank account or accounts for
the business.’
Mixing personal with business
payments in a single bank account could
mean we don’t pay the right tax. And
if it results in an HMRC investigation,
68 APRIL 2020
that could result in being fined for poor
record keeping.
Matt Dickinson, spokesperson for
the Federation of Small Businesses
agrees. ‘Generally speaking, it’s a
good idea to open a business account
as soon as possible to keep finances
orderly and clear.’
It’s also important to remember
the Government’s Making Tax
Digital (MTD) policy, which aims
to streamline HMRC’s tax collection
service. Originally, the Government
planned introducing this for income
tax in 2020. This would have affected
writers. However, in March 2019, the
then Chancellor Philip Hammond
announced that the government would
delay the introduction of MTD until
after 2020.
So, although Making Tax Digital is
not looming on the immediate horizon,
having a separate bank account for our
writing business will make the transition
easier when it does eventually happen.
Two years ago, in the February
2018 issue of Writing Magazine when
I last looked at Making Tax Digital,
consultant Barry Kernon at accountants
HW Fisher and Company said, ‘I think
for many people it would be a good
idea to organise their affairs so that
self-employed income and expenses go
through one bank account.’
Therefore, having a separate bank
account for our writing income and
expenses is definitely a sensible decision
to take.
Business bank accounts
So, the next question is, do we need
to have a business bank account, or
can we simply open a second personal
bank account?
A survey commissioned by accounting
software company Intuit Quickbooks in
2016, revealed that 75% of sole trader
businesses use a personal bank account
for their business transactions.
www.writers-online.co.uk
That’s despite the fact that this often
goes against the terms and conditions of
personal accounts. Barclays Bank’s terms
and conditions state that a personal
current account is, ‘for your personal
use and not for money relating to any
business you run. We can close an
account (or stop providing a service) if
we find out you are using it for non-
personal use, or are not eligible for it.’
The Royal Bank of Scotland’s
personal current account terms clearly
state, ‘Your account must not be used
for business purposes.’
Similarly, Lloyds Bank’s terms and
conditions state that, ‘you must not
open or use a personal account to hold
money for… the purpose of a business,
club, charity or other organisation.’
Running your writing business
through a personal current account
is risky. If your bank spots this they
have the right to close the account for
breaching the terms and conditions.
Free banking, or fee banking?
As personal customers, we’re used to
free banking. Business bank accounts
are different. The High Street banks
charge monthly administration fees as
well as individual transaction fees for
the number of credits and debits passing
through a business account, or the
number of electronic transfers.
Even if you don’t bank any royalty
cheques, or incur any writing expenses, the
account will still incur the monthly fee.
Monthly account fees are not
insignificant, and can start from £6,
whilst individual transaction fees can
range from under 50p for an electronic
transaction, to £1.50 for every cheque
paid into your account.
These charges can quickly mount.
If you were to bank two cheques for
your writing sales totalling £200 in one
month, you could end up paying £9
in charges: a £6 monthly fee and an
additional £3 in transaction charges.

That’s 4.5% of that £200 income.
Naturally, these fees put off a lot of
writers, which is why many sole traders
risk using a personal current account
and hope not to get caught!
Banks understand that small start-up
businesses do not have a lot of money
coming in, so many offer free banking
for the first few months. This free-
banking period ranges from 12 months
to up to 30 months, depending upon
the bank you approach.
In theory, you could extend the free-
banking period by switching banks as
each free-banking period comes to an
end, but account switchers tend to get
shorter free-banking periods (such as 6
months), than the 12 to 30 months that
new businesses get.
The problem for many writers is that
our income fluctuates on a monthly and
an annual basis. It’s difficult to predict
how much we’ll need to pay in charges.
And some charges could wipe out
the actual income. Amazon will make
small payments to self-published
writers, especially those enrolled in
their Kindle Unlimited programme.
It’s not uncommon for Amazon to pay
out amounts of less than 10p. If your
business bank account charges 50p per
credit, that small income could lead to a
bigger expense!
Challenger banks
But all is not lost. The High Street
banks are being pressured by new kids
on the block, known as Challenger
Banks. These are attracting large
numbers of businesses, in particular sole
traders, like us writers.
Challenger banks were created after the
banking crisis, and are designed to shake
up the British banking system. Many
are internet-only, which means they
don’t have the huge costs of the branch
network that traditional banks have to
endure. As a result, many of them can
offer free business banking facilities, only
charging when the number of credits and
debits exceed a certain number, or the
account balances exceeds several tens of
thousands of pounds.
Some sole traders using these accounts
pay little or no fees at all.
So if you’ve held off from opening a
business bank account because of the
costs involved, a challenger bank might
be the solution you’ve been looking for.
Services like Revolut, Starling Bank,
Mettle, and Tide all offer business bank
accounts for free. Other day-to-day
transactions like bank transfers and card
payments are also free, up to certain limits.
Many of these internet-only banks also
offer extra useful benefits, such as being
able to allocate money to various virtual
pots. This means whenever you receive a
payment you can automatically allocate
a percentage of it to your tax pot. That
way, you know you’ll always have money
set aside to meet your tax bill.
A word of caution, though. Not
all of these business accounts are run
by banks. Banks are regulated by the
Prudential Regulation Authority, and
each bank licence safeguards customers
to the tune of £85,000 under the
Financial Services Compensation
Scheme (FSCS). If the bank were to
collapse, customer bank accounts are
protected up to the £85,000 limit.
However, some of these accounts, like
those provided by Tide and Coconut,
are not bank accounts but electronic
money services. This means they’re not
protected by the FSCS.
High Street challenger
If you’d rather bank with a bricks and
mortar financial institution, then there’s
another solution on the horizon.
The Nationwide Building Society
is planning to launch a business bank
account free of monthly fees for self-
employed people in the near future.
As Nationwide communications officer
Anabel Goncalves explains, ‘We are already
www.writers-online.co.uk
T H E BU S I N E S S O F W R I T I N G
investing our members’ money in laying
the foundations needed to launch our
business current account early in 2020. We
have developed a new, dedicated mobile
business banking app which allows eligible
customers to open a business current
account within minutes. We continue to
test and refine the experience to maximise
usability and to deliver a best-in-class
customer experience.’
And the building society also hopes
to make it easier for its business bank
account customers to accept card and
contactless payments directly from
customers. That could be useful to
writers who regularly attend book fairs
or books signings and have to take their
own stock and process payments.
So don’t get caught by your bank
for using a personal account for your
writing business, if the terms and
conditions forbids this. Respect your
writing business and open up a business
bank account for it. It might not cost
you as much as you think.
Needing to open a business bank
account is part of the coming-of-age
process for your writing business.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY:
Branch Directory
• Revolut: www.revolut.com
Basic freelancer account is fee-free, with limited free transactions.
• Starling Bank: www.starlingbank.com
No monthly fees, free electronic payments, domestic transfers and
ATM withdrawals.
• Mettle: https://mettle.co.uk
No monthly fees or transaction charges for sole trader accounts
with less than £50,000. E-money licence, not a banking licence.
• Tide: www.tide.co
No monthly or annual fees. Free card payments. Free transfers between
Tide accounts. Electronic transfers 20p, ATM withdrawals £1, cash
deposits at Post Office £1. E-money licence, not a banking licence.
APRIL 2020 69
RESEARCH TIPS
RESEARCH TIPS
Crime and punishment
Writing a crime novel? Tarja Moles gives you the clues and leads you need
to research the criminal underworld and the forces of the law.
R
esearching crime can be tricky. Observation
and participant observation would be
revealing, but they’re not, for obvious reasons,
recommended methods. Therefore, you’ll need
other ways to find your leads.
There are different types of sources that crime writers can
take advantage of. Using a combination of these – and not
merely relying on Google – is likely to prove most beneficial.
Here are some pointers for where to start:
Library material
Libraries have a lot to offer for crime writers. If you’re new to
the subject, learn the terminology first. Dictionaries covering
legal matters and criminology will help you.
In addition to reference works, you can find useful material
in numerous different sections within the library. Depending
on what you’re researching, you could explore, for instance,
the criminology, psychology, neuroscience, sociology, law,
international relations, human rights and/or war sections.
If you want to read biographical or autobiographical
accounts, have a look at the library’s true crime books. The
public seems to have a strange fascination with criminals,
whether it’s Jack the Ripper or the ‘diamond wheezers’ of the
Hatton Garden heist – and public libraries tend to be well
stocked with such books.
Online resources
The internet is a great place to quickly find snippets of
information. There’s a multitude of sites covering different
aspect of crime and punishment. Some sites are hosted by
public bodies while others are maintained by individuals,
groups of like-minded people and other organisations.
Examples of the former include the National Crime
Agency (https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk), the UK
legislation website (https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk),
and the Government’s Crime, Justice and Law page (www.
gov.uk/browse/justice) which functions as a hub for official
information about courts, sentencing, prisons, probation,
youth offending and other details relating to crime and justice.
There are also websites that provide official crime research
results and statistics, such as those by GOV.UK (https://writ.
rs/crimeresearch) and the Criminal Records Bureau (https://
writ.rs/crimrecbur).
70 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk
Independent websites cover a wide range of topics:
Police Oracle (www.policeoracle.com) provides news and
other information to the UK policing community; Explore
Forensics (www.exploreforensics.co.uk) covers forensic
science, crime scene investigation and pathology; Crime
& Clues (http://crimeandclues.com) focuses on criminal
investigation, court room testimony and forensics; and
Murderpedia (http://murderpedia.org) is an encyclopaedia
of murderers around the world. You can find more websites
by doing online searches.
Historical crime and punishment
Numerous books have been written about crime and
punishment during different historical periods. You can
see examples in the National Archives’ bookshop at http://
bookshop.nationalarchives.gov.uk/. These include titles
such as Bodysnatchers by Suzie Lennox and The History of the
Newgate Prison by Caroline Jowett. If you find a potentially
interesting book, you can check if it’s available in your local
library. If it’s not there, you can ask the librarian to organise an
inter-library loan for you.
There are some excellent historical web portals that provide
and/or direct you to further information. For example, the
Victorian Web’s crime page (www.victorianweb.org/history/
crime) covers different types of crime, punishment and the
police. It also gives you further reading suggestions.
Exploring archival material is a great way to deepen your
research. The National Archives (www.nationalarchives.gov.
uk) holds, among other things, court records, army courts
martial records, prison registers and documents containing
information on criminals as well as convicts sent to Australia.
Its website (https://writ.rs/natarcresearchguides) has 39
guides to help you research its crime-related records.
You can locate more archives around the country as
well as online. For instance, you can find the 1674-1913
proceedings of the Old Bailey, London’s Central Criminal
Court, at www.oldbaileyonline.org. Regional and local
archives have details on crime and punishment in their
respective areas. They also have old newspapers which you
can read to find out more about past crimes and the way
they have been reported in the media. Alternatively, you can
access old newspapers via the British Newspaper Archive
(www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk).
 Specialist museums can give you a more concrete feel about
crime and punishment in the past. The Galleries of Justice
Museum in Nottingham (www.galleriesofjustice.org.uk) and
Littledean Jail in Gloucestershire (www.littledeanjail.com)
are such examples. To find more prison museums around the
world, see https://writ.rs/prisonmuseums.
Resources for crime fiction writers
Resources specifically aimed at crime fiction writers are on the
increase. There are now helpful books that cover, for instance,
forensics, police procedure and detective work (see the box-out
for suggestions).
There are also websites that contain useful material. One
interesting site is that maintained by Brian Price (www.
crimewriterscience.co.uk), a UK-based chartered chemist and
biologist. He gives details of various scientific principles relating,
for example, to poisons, knockouts and explosives. He can also
be contacted via email if you have any specific queries.
DP Lyle hosts a US-based site for crime writers at http://
writersforensicsblog.wordpress.com. He focuses on forensics
BEHIND THE TAPE
Expert advice to get the details right in your crime fiction, from serving police officer Lisa Cutts
Q
When someone is killed in a road accident the police call at the
person’s address to inform the next of kin. I’m presuming they
found identification on the body. Now, usually, would two police
officers call, or could it be one? And can it be male or female constables
or must it be a higher rank? I believe they would ask the next of kin
to call at the police station asap to confirm the identity of personal
belongings prior to a visit to the mortuary to identify the body.  (other than those injured or deceased) for some time. Traffic Collision take
I ask this partly because knowing how tight the police budget is,
wasted manpower is wasted money.
Normally the police officers would need to enter the home rather than
break the news on the doorstep, I believe.
Reg Hidson
A
You’re correct that officers are likely to identify the person through
ID found on the person or if the driver is the deceased, running
the registration through PNC and any other databases with local
information on the vehicle.
Ideally, the death message would be passed to the family by a Family
Liaison Officer, one from Traffic Collision. The chances of a FLO being on
duty and available may mean they are assigned the family at a slightly
later time, after the message has already been delivered.
It would be whoever is available and is very likely to be a police
constable rather than a sergeant. It wouldn’t be anyone of a higher
rank. Again, ideally, it would be two officers if a double-crewed car was
available to attend the address.
www.writers-online.co.uk
and is also willing to answer writers’ questions. However, make
sure you first read his submission guidelines carefully.
Networking with other crime writers, for instance through
the Crime Writers’ Association (www.thecwa.co.uk), can be
useful for receiving advice and locating unexplored sources.
Have fun discovering new leads!
BOOKS FOR CRIME WRITERS
• Kate Bendelow: The Real CSI: A Forensic Handbook for
Crime Writers (2017)
• Michael O’Byrne: The Crime Writer’s Guide to Police
Practice and Procedure (2nd revised edition, 2015)
• Brian Price: Crime Writing: How to Write the Science (2019)
• Stephen Wade and Stuart Gibbon: Being a Detective:
An A-Z Readers’ and Writers’ Guide to Detective Work
(2019) and A Straightforward Guide to the Crime Writers
Casebook: A Reference Guide to Police Procedure Now
and Then (2017)
If you
have a query
for Lisa, please send it
by email to enquiries
@
lisacutts.co.uk
It would always be better to break the terrible news in the home as you’ve
mentioned, rather than on the doorstep. Even those who are very anti police
understand the severity of the situation and usually allow officers inside.
Rather than take the next of kin to the station, it would be better to
gain as much information as possible first. Fatal accidents usually mean the
roads are closed for hours and nothing would be moved from the scene
videos and photos, measurements and carry out house-to-house enquiries,
witness statements, CCTV, dashcam downloads and wouldn’t release
anything from the scene in the initial moments.
Q
Could a character get away with murder if it was covered up?
If the police only had the victim’s family’s say so to go on and
some innocent texts between her and the victim, could she get
away with it?
Gemma Callaghan
A
In short, yes, she could get away with covering it up. However,
depending on the circumstances, the police may not be happy
to leave it there and may delve a little further. At least, I hope
they would. The post mortem, CCTV, interviewing family members and
friends and downloading of electronic devices always gives the police a
great deal to go on. There may well be something that gives her away
if the officers involved are suspicious in any way, meaning they dig a lot
deeper.
APRIL 2020 71
 Editorial calendar
Strong forward planning will greatly improve your chances with freelance
submissions. Here are some themes to consider for the coming months.

10 years ago July 2010 20 years ago July 2000

• Christopher Nolan’s film Inception • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (book 4 in JK Rowling’s
premieres on 8 July. series) was published on 8 July.

• Boyband One Direction form • Coldplay released debut album

during the X Factor on 23 July. Parachutes on 10 July.

• Tiger Woods wins the British Open

Men’s Golf Championship on 23
July and at 24 becomes the youngest
person to win all four major golf
tournaments.

30 years ago 40 years ago

July 1990 July 1980
• Actor Margot Robbie was
born on 2 July. • Alexandra Palace burnt down for the second
time in its history on 10 July 1980. The first
time was in 1873.

50 years ago • Satirical disaster movie Airplane!

premiered worldwide on 2 July.

July 1970 • New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern

was born on 26 July.
• Black Tot Day on 29 July 1970 was the last day that
sailors in the Royal Navy were issued with a daily tot
of rum.

• Singer Beck was born on 8 July.

60 years ago July 1960
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was first published on 11 July.
• Actor John Simm and Take That singer
Jason Orange were born on 10 July. • Etch-a-Sketch drawing toys went on sale on July 12.

• Filmmaker Christopher Nolan was born on 30 July. • Private Eye editor Ian Hislop was born on 13 July.

• First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon was • Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the first
born on 19 July. non-hereditary female head of government in modern
history. She was elected Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on
• Game of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was 21 July.
born on 2 July.
• Filmmaker Richard Linklater was born on 30 July.

72 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk

 70 years ago July 1950 90 years ago
July 1930
• Singer Huey Lewis was born on 5 July. • Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle
died on 7 July.
• Virgin entrepreneur Richard Branson
was born on 18 July. • Pulp character The Shadow first appeared
on 31 July as the narrator of a US radio
• R’n’b singer Gwen Guthrie was born on 9 July. programme Detective Story Hour. Smith &
She died in 1999. Street created The Shadow Magazine in 1931.

• Fashion designer Bruce Oldfield was born on • The first ever FIFA World Cup began in
14 July Uruguay on 13 July. Uruguay beat Argentina in
the final on 30 July.

• American literary critic Harold Bloom was born

75 years ago July 1945 on 11 July. He died in October 2019.

• French-Algerian post-structuralist and post-

• The BBC launched the BBC Light Programme radio modernist philosopher Jacques Derrida was
station for music and light entertainment on 29 July. born.
In 1967 it was rebranded as BBC 2.
• Pink Panther actor Bert Kwouk was born on
• The Labour Party had a landslide victory in the 18 July.
general election on 5 July, with PM Clement Attlee
replacing Conservative leader Winston Churchill. • LibDem politician Shirley Williams was
born on 27 July
• Blondie singer Debbie Harry was born on 1 July.

• Tennis champion Virginia Wade was born

on 10 July.

• Actor Helen Mirren was born on 26 July

100 years ago
July 1920
• The first World Scout Jamboree began
80 years ago July 1940 at Kensington Olympia on 30 July.

• Actor Yul Brynner was born in Russia.

• The Battle of Britain began on 10 July.

• Warners Bros cartoon character Bugs Bunny

made his debut in A Wild Hare on 27 July.

• Soul singer Fontella Bass was born on 3 July.

Looking ahead
• Beatles drummer Ringo Starr was born on 7 July In 2025 it will be 50
years since comic writer
• Actor Patrick Stewart was born on 13 July PG Wodehouse died.
What is his literary
• Comedian Tim Brooke Taylor was born legacy? Who is writing
comic novels now?
• Modern dance innovator Pina Bausch
was born on 27 July

Pic, all creative commons: Derrida, Arturo Espinosa Seguir; Shirley Williams, University of Essex; Patrick Stewart, Gage Skidmore; Tim Brooke Taylor, Ed g2s; Pina Bausch, Leafar; BBC2, Feeling My Age; Helen Mirren, See
Li; Huey Lewis, Jauerbeck; Richard Branson, Chatham House; Bruce Oldfield, Open Media Ltd; Etch a Sketch, Etcha; Ian Hislop, ian_fromblighty; Richard Linklater, LBJ Foundation; Diorama aboard HMS Belfast, Kjetil
Bjornsrud; Beck, Ralph_PH; John Simm, rodwey2004; Jason Orange, vagueonthehow; Christopher Nolan, Georges Biard; Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Government; Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gage Skidmore; Alexandra Palace, E
Gammie; Jacinda Ardern, Governor General of New Zealand; Margot Robbie, Eva Rinaldi; One Direction, Fiona McKinlay.

www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 73

N E W AU T H O R P R O F I L E
LISTEN
TAP HERE
To hear an
extract from
Remember Me
AMY’S TOP TIPS
• Make time to write and never give up.
• Go to book festivals and author events.
• Fake it ‘til you make it. You have to be
prepared to talk about yourself and
your work publicly and positively.
• Be open to advice from people you
trust. Don’t be precious about your
manuscript: good advice can lift your
work to another level.
74 APRIL 2020
AMY
MCLELLAN
Adrian Magson learns a new word from
the debut psychological thriller writer
don’t think I’ve ever profiled
I anyone who had an idea for
a book from a word I’d never
heard of… but Amy McLellan
has corrected that omission with
her debut Remember Me, which will
be published by Orion in paperback
in April.
The word is prosopagnosia, known
as face blindness, which is an inability
to recognise faces. According to Amy’s
research on the subject, it’s not as rare
as it might sound.
As Amy, a freelance journalist
and copy editor explains, ‘Francesca
Pathak [now editorial director] at
Orion knew someone with face
blindness and it got the cogs whirring
about how this would work in a
murder story. I did lots of reading
and research about face blindness and
brain injuries. Although it sounds
very rare, up to one in fifty people
may have the condition to some
degree, often without knowing it.
It’s amazing how many people have
contacted me to say they either have
the condition or know someone who
has it – for some people, it’s almost a
“ta dah” moment of making sense of
difficulties they’ve faced in their lives.’
Sarah, the central character in
Amy’s book, witnesses a violent
murder but she suffers from the
condition and can’t identify the killer.
Framed for the murder, it’s up to
Sarah to find the real killer in a world
where she can’t trust anyone.
But how do you catch a killer when
you can’t recognise a face?
‘The book was written very quickly
over the summer of 2018,’ says Amy,
from Shropshire. ‘It felt very intense
living inside Sarah’s head, to the point
where I felt like I was developing
face blindness myself. I have a job
and three children, and my husband
(fellow author, scriptwriter and
www.writers-online.co.uk
co-founder of Capital Crime, Adam
Hamdy) works very long hours. I’ve
written everywhere – at football
matches, ice rinks, soft play, on the
beach, in car parks and cafes – and
spent a lot of late nights in front of
the laptop.’
Her love of writing came very
early. ‘I’ve always loved books and
writing. As a child, the headmaster
called me “the girl who writes stories”
and it’s always been something I
felt compelled to do. As an adult,
the jobs I’ve held have always been
writing-based as I love playing with
words and finding the right tone of
voice for different audiences. But
being an actual author felt like a
dream that was out of reach. I wrote
lots of poems as a child and short
stories as I got older, and there are a
number of unpublished novels sitting
in my office and notebooks full of
ideas for stories.’
As with most writers, Amy admits
to having had many rejection letters.
But they always contained enough
encouragement to keep her going.
‘Never give up, and make time to
write. Get a notebook and write
whenever and wherever you can, even
if it’s just 200 words a day – that’s
73,000 words in a year.’
She’s also a strong advocate of
getting involved in the writing
community. ‘I’ve learned so
much from author events in local
independent bookshops and festivals
like Capital Crime, including tips
on plotting, pace and structure from
best-selling authors, plus support
and encouragement from others. I
found the idea of self-promotion and
talking about myself excruciating, but
that’s part of a writer’s life. And it
does get better with practice, honest.’
Amy’s next book is yet to be
announced.
 INSPIRATION AT
YOUR FINGERTIPS
EVERY DAY

FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF

WRITERS’ NEWS

Your essential monthly round-up of competitions, paying markets,

opportunities to get into print and publishing industry news.

Writers put your noses to the Grindstone

Tina Jackson

Grindstone Literary have four creative writing competitions

running this spring.
• Win £1,000 in the 2020 International Novel Prize for
unpublished novels. Enter up to 3,000 words of the opening of an
unpublished finished or part-finished novel in any genre aimed at
readers from YA upwards. Also send a synopsis no longer than 300
words. The Grand Prize winner gets £1,000 and the runner-up,
£500. There are also four £50 shortlist prizes. The entry fee is £16.
The closing date is 28 March.
• Win a £500 first prize for flash fiction up to 500 words in
Grindstone’s Flash Fiction Prize. Enter original, unpublished
short fiction, in any genre. The first prize is £500, and the will each get £50. The entry fee is £8. The closing date is 28 April.
second prize, £200. There are also four shortlist prizes of £50. • First prize is £500 for an unpublished poem in the Grindstone
The entry fee is £6. International 2020 Poetry Prize. To enter, send original,
The closing date is 28 March. unpublished poems up to 40 lines. There is a first prize of £500
• To enter the International Short Story Prize, send original, and a second prize of £200. Four shortlisted poems will each win
unpublished short stories in any genre up to 3,000 words. The £50. The entry fee is £8 per poem. The closing date is 28 May.
first prize is £500 and the second, £200. Four shortlisted writers Website: www.grindstoneliterary.com/competitions

Destination Nothing to lose with Yeovil

dynamic drama Enter The Yeovil Literary
Prize 2020 in four
The Red Planet Prize 2020 is categories: novel, short
inviting entries. story, poetry, writing
The winner of the biannual without restrictions.
competition for emerging Since its launch
drama scriptwriters will get a in 2002, the annual
script commission. international Yeovil
The focus of this year’s Literary Prize has
award, which is from established itself as a
independent production major event on the
company Red Planet Pictures writers’ competition calendar.
and ITV, is on finding original • The novel category is for the synopsis and opening chapters of an
voices to bring into the unpublished novel. The prizes are £1,000, £250 and £100. The winner
mainstream. will also have the opportunity to pitch their book to literary agents. This
This year’s contest invites scripts for four-part contemporary year’s judge is Paul Blezard. The entry fee per novel is £12.
thrillers (crime, psychological, conspiracy, relationship, political) • The short story category is for original, unpublished short fiction up to
and returning procedural series (crime, medical, legal). 2,000 words. There are prizes of £500, £200 and £100. This year’s judge is
Emerging scriptwriters from the UK and Ireland are invited Susan Sandon. The entry fee per short story is £7.
to submit an existing original full-length spec script for TV, • The poetry category is for original, unpublished poems up to 40 lines.
radio, film or theatre, a one- to two-page pitch for an original The prizes are £500, £200 and £100. This year’s judge is Caroline Gilfillan.
TV series or returning serial, and a brief CV mentioning The entry fees are £7 for one poem, £10 for two and £12 for three.
writing credits if applicable. • The writing without restrictions category is wide open. Entries may be
Up to ten shortlisted writers will be invited to a one-day anything you have written that doesn’t fit into the other categories. There
pitching masterclass and then will have three weeks to write are prizes of £200, £100 and £50. This year’s judge is Jessica Axe. The
up their pitch and series outline. The runner up will get entry fee is £5.
development opportunities with ITV and the winner will get a There is also a special £100 Western Gazette Best Local Writer
script commission. Award for a shortlisted entry by a writer living in the Western Gazette
The submission window opens on 27 March and closes on distribution area.
3 April. The closing date is 31 May.
Website: www.redplanetpictures.co.uk/the-red-planet-prize Website: www.yeovilprize.co.uk

76 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk

 WRITERS’ NEWS

UK MAGAZINE MARKET
Fly high with FlyPast
Tina Jackson

FlyPast magazine explores aviation history, vintage aircraft NEW Battle of Britain Aircraft Series Hurricane
restoration, the latest news on museum activity and The Heart Of
Aviation Heritage

airshow reports.
‘You’ll see plenty of wartime legends such as the w w w. Ke y. A e r o

Defending the
Supermarine Spitfire and P-51 Mustang, but we also Lowlands
Dutch Fokker
D.XXIs vs the
focus on classic civil machines and airliners,’ said editor Luftwaffe

Chris Clifford. ‘Superlative air-to-air photography is Write till times are done
–

guaranteed.’
Topics are wide and varied. ‘Our focus sometimes Silver Apples Magazine is a lively American
You’ll never
centres on a classic aircraft in detail, but other articles believe... magazine which bridges literary and genre work
describe famous aviators or aircraft designers, record- GLOBA L ...what you'd see at
Dhahran Airport
1969-71
with themes and a quirky attitude to what makes
breaking pilots, “aces”, prototypes and pivotal air battles,’ VOYAGER good writing. Currently accepting subs for issue
epic
said Chris. ‘A FlyPast team member or contributor The Silver Spitfire’s ht thirteen with the theme of ‘Very Superstitious’,
round-the-world flig
may also get to fly in a classic aircraft and impart the Boeing 707 World-beating jetliner FLYPAST CLASSICS
MARCH 2020 £4.90 Can $11.25 Aus $13.25 UK £4.90

the editorial team want genre fiction and poetry,

experience to the readers – and delve into the machine’s particularly SF, ‘crime, horror, westerns, trashy
history. And our popular Women in Aviation series continues to highlight famous and romance… you name it, we want it!’ The team
lesser-known female flyers, civilian and military.’ always publish ‘stories and art across all genres and
A typical reader of FlyPast would be someone who regularly visits airshows and mediums.’
museums. ‘The readers vary in age and aviation tastes; the “average” purchaser is in The team always accept submissions in all
their forties or fifties (but the age span runs from teens to people into their eighties and genres, including children’s and graphic novels.
nineties). Most will be died-in-the wool enthusiasts, but we also have many former and Submit two short stories or creative non-fiction
current service personnel reading FlyPast – and some have made the leap into writing pieces, or a one-act play, up to 3,000 words. For
for us.’ poetry submit three poems.
As editor, Chris always bears in mind that FlyPast aims to be the first port of call for Submit doc or docx attachments with a short
anyone wanting the latest news in the heritage aviation world. ‘We are proud of the bio (max 50 words).
fact that many restorers/aircraft owners come to FlyPast first to seek coverage for their Response ‘might take us a few weeks’. There is
latest project. With histories, we strive to write and source features that make readers only a token payment for first publication righrs.
get out of their comfort zone and want to learn about something new – whether it’s Details: Silver Apples Magazine, email:
about an aircraft type, pilot or squadron.’ submissions@silverapplesmagazine.com or
Chris and his team have recently relaunched FlyPast. ‘Part of our mission is to silverapplesmag@gmail.com; website: https://
report in depth on professional and grass-roots restorations in every edition, getting silver-apples.squarespace.com
the engineering and operator perspectives. I do like to have some form of air combat
history each month, and as many Cold War aircrew are still with us, it’s great to have
their personal accounts too. A fascinating feature recently explored the role of the Big win for
Portuguese Air Force during its operations in Africa in the 1960s-70s, so there’s plenty
of variety.’ unsung hero
Keeping knowledgeable readers entertained and accurately informed is paramount. Jack Fairweather’s The Volunteer
‘Above all, it needs to be an interesting read – not some dry account cribbed word for wins Costa Book of the Year.
word from a squadron Operational Record Book, or overly technical that it baffles the The £30,000 prize was
readers,’ said Chris. ‘We usually take a reverent tone with veterans and known aircrew awarded for a biography of Polish
members, but some stories demand that we highlight someone’s full character. Pilots, resistance hero Witold Pilecki.
such as “Dambuster” Guy Gibson, had flaws or could be hard taskmasters, but that’s In The Volunteer, former war
all grist to the storytelling mill. Quality imagery is vital too; we need high-resolution reporter and Washington Post
photos (scans of originals) or decent archive shots. We do have our own large photo correspondent Jack uncovered the
collection though, so can often fill in the gaps. We don’t accept photos ripped from the story of one of WW2’s greatest
internet. unsung heroes. Witold Pilecki
Above all, potential freelances need to bear in mind the need for accuracy. ‘There are was an underground resistance
some very knowledgeable readers out there, especially ex-service people, and they are operative who volunteered to be imprisoned in
certainly not shy of telling us if something’s incorrect. Any author should contact me Auschwitz, where his activities included sabotaging
first to pitch an idea and be keen enough to write in accordance with our house style facilities, murdering Nazi officers, gathering
guide. Reliability, and keeping to a deadline, are also vital.’ evidence of the mass murder of Jews and getting
Chris is happy to hear from prospective freelances. information to the Allied forces.
‘Do your homework. As I mentioned, accuracy is Sian Williams, chair of the final judges, said:
key but then again, so are the journalistic basics. And ‘The judges were unanimous in choosing The
do try to unearth stories that are seldom told, which Volunteer by Jack Fairweather. It’s an incredible
always heightens reader interest.’ Send a brief stating story; pacy like a thriller, it reads like fiction and
the proposed story and its components, and sources of yet it’s not, it is fact. It is a story none of us have
imagery. read before – this is an extraordinary and important
Payment is £60 per 1,000 words, £20 for a colour book that people need to read.’
photo and £10 for black and white. Jack was awarded the £30,000 Costa Book of
Details: email: chris.clifford@keypublishing.com; the Year Award at ceremony that took place one
website: https://flypast.keypublishing.com/ day after the 75th anniversary of the liberation of
Auschwitz.

www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 77

WRITERS’ NEWS

FLASHES GLOBAL LITERARY MARKET UK FICTION MARKET

Win $50 for a Paying more than pennies A new chapter for
short spec fic story
between 500 and
Jenny Roche HarperColllins
5,000 words in
Pressfuls Horror and
Based in California, the Jenny Roche
Fantasy Short Story
Competition. Entry is quarterly Threepenny Review
free and the closing accepts submissions of poetry,
date is 31 March. articles, stories and memoir
Website: https:// online or by post and pays $400
writ.rs/pressfuls per story or article and $200 per One More Chapter launched in 2019 as a
poem or Table Talk item. new digital-first division of HarperCollins
The Sun newspaper Critical articles may be about that combines HC’s digital imprints Harper
has taken on
books, films, theatre performances, Impulse, Killer reads and Avon under one
fifteen trainees
after launching
art exhibitions etc and there is a banner.
a programme formatting guide on the website. One More Chapter’s mission is to publish
in November to The articles should be in the form the best commercial fiction and be able to
improve its diversity of an essay which is ‘broader than respond quickly to trends in the market.
and find journalists the specific event it covers and of Submissions of original, unpublished
‘from all walks of interest to people who cannot see commercial fiction are welcomed by the team,
life.’ Five of the the event,’ which does leave the which has Kimberley Young as publisher and
new trainees have field open to essays on international Charlotte Ledger as editorial director.
no journalism events. For an idea of articles and Details: email: onemorechapter@
experience. Six
are from a BAME
other published content selective harpercollins.co.uk; website: www.
background. Nine pieces can be read online. harpercollins.co.uk
are women. Word limits are 1,200-2,500 words for critical articles, 4,000
words for stories and memoir, 1,000 words for Table Talk pieces
The National and 100 lines for poetry. All submissions must be doc files and Poets get ready to emerge
Archives’ exhibition while poetry may be single or double spaced, everything else
With Love: Letters should be double spaced. Win €1,000 for the best poem written for children
of Love Loss and Simultaneous submissions and work that has been published in the The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2020.
Longing, which elsewhere is not wanted. The international poetry competition from
launched on
Submit one article, story or memoir only, and group a Irish story and poem magazine for children The
Valentine’s Day and
runs until 5 July,
maximum of five poems into a single document. Include Caterpillar is for a single unpublished poem for
includes letters your name and contact details on both your work and the children aged 7-11.
and documents submission form. It is requested you do not submit any further This year’s competition will be judged by
relating to love, pieces until you have gained a response, which may take two Roger McGough. The winner will receive €1,000
including Edward days to two months. and be published in the summer edition of The
Vlll’s abdication If submitting by post include a SAE for a reply and post to: Caterpillar.
document, the The Editors, The Threepenny Review, PO Box 9131, CA Poems may be of any length and on any subject.
will of Anne Lister, 94709, USA The entry fee is €14 per poem.
leaving her estate For full details and online submission form see the website: The closing date is 31 March.
to her partner Ann
Walker, and a letter
www.threepennyreview.com/submissions.html Website: www.thecaterpillarmagazine.com
from Dudley, Earl
of Leicester, to
Elizabeth l where he Stories to make a meal of
writes ‘I humbly kiss
your foot.’ After Dinner Conversation is a fascinating concept. The
editorial team provide a short story, with accompanying
Never grow up. I audio and video podcast discussions, with the aim of
don’t mean don’t stimulating ‘deeper discussions with friends and family’.
become an adult
They like work across genres. Each story must be ‘an
with responsibility
and the weight of accessible example of an abstract ethical or philosophical
the world on your idea and is accompanied by suggested discussion questions.’
shoulders. I simply Read the guidelines carefully as this team want a
mean if you’re specific type of writing and they give three examples to
writing or directing read at the website. They want thoughtful, well-written,
give yourself enough stories. Fantasy, biography, western, horror, erotica are
time to play. Play the all welcome, as long as the story fits their requirements.
fool. Goad. Shock. They do accept children’s stories but read their example
Laugh.Trip over
first. The team accept writing of any genre, and from
something that isn’t
there.Try something.
any perspective, but it should be interesting as a short accepted but ‘no more than three submissions per
And never be afraid story, with ‘a deeper point for a longer discussion’. six months’. Submit well edited work in a standard
to fail.That failure is Lengths required are: children’s stories, under 1,500 publishing format, saved as a PDF file, by email: info@
useful too. It’s just words, YA, under 3,500 words, and adult stories, afterdinnerconversation.com
another building 1,500-10,000 but note that shorter stories – 5,000 Responses have a ‘two-month backlog’. Payment is 1¢
block. words and under – are preferred. per word (max $50).
Ricky Gervais Reprints and simultaneous submissions are Website: www.afterdinnerconversation.com

78 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk


UK HORROR MARKET
Go dark
Gary Dalkin
For 30 years Tartarus Press have produced beautiful editions
of classic supernatural tales and work by many of the finest
contemporary writers of dark fiction. Run by writers and editors
RB Russell and Rosalie Parker, Tartarus has won five World
Fantasy Awards, finding mainstream success with the publication
of Andrew Michael Hurley’s The Loney, which went on to win
the Costa First Novel award.
Now Tartarus is marking its anniversary with a volume of
contemporary literary strange tales, for which Rosalie Parker
is accepting submissions until 10 April. You should send one
original, previously unpublished story between 2,000-6,000
words. It must be on the literary strange/horror/supernatural
spectrum. Payment will be by a share in profits.
Tartarus is also open, without a deadline, for submission of
short story collections and novels between 75,000 and 120,000
words. Submissions should be strange, literary supernatural
fiction. No high fantasy, violent horror or young adult. Avoid
the more cliched trappings of horror fiction. Payment is by
negotiation. Do not send a complete manuscript, but rather
the first three chapters / three stories, and a synopsis when first
getting in contact.
All submissions should be sent to rosalieparker@btinternet.
com as a doc or rtf attachment. However, if this is not possible
please post your submission to Tartarus Press,
Details: Coverley House, Carlton, Leyburn, North Yorkshire
DL8 4AY; website: www.tartaruspress.com
Quiet man, impressive prize
The 2020 QuietManDave Prize is a
new award in honour of the much-
loved Manchester writer and critic Dave
Murray. It has first prizes of £1,000 for
short-form fiction and non-fiction.
Writer, blogger and theatre critic Dave Murray, who died last year
aged 53, came to writing later in life and was a lover of flash fiction
and non-fiction. The new prize in his memory is being run by
Manchester Writing School in association with Manchester School
of Theatre.
The QuietManDave Prize is for flash fiction and non-fiction up to
500 words. Entries must be original and unpublished, and may be in
any form and style.
The first prize in each category is £1,000. There are runner-up
prizes in each category of £200 and £50. The judges are Kate Feld,
Tania Hershman and Shane Kinghorn.
The entry fee is £5 per piece of writing. Sponsored entries are
available for writers who would struggle to pay the entry fees.
The closing date is 17 April.
Website: www2.mmu.ac.uk/qmdprize/
www.writers-online.co.uk
WRITERS’ NEWS
Diversity paramount
Plays written in either English or Italian on topics ‘affecting the
LGBTQ+ community and the promotion of diversity in love, society,
politics and culture’ are invited for the Carlo Annoni Award.
There is a prize of €1,000 for the winner in each language category
and also special mentions for:
• a play on the theme of asylum seekers who leave their country
because they are victims of sexual orientation persecution.
• a maximum ten-minute play or video on the topic of diversity in
schools, clubs, conferences, events and meetings, social media platforms
or online.
• a LGBTQ+ themed comic play on relationship life.
Plays which have been previously staged are eligible and there are no
limitations on length or on cast numbers.
All entries will be assessed by Award organisers who will be looking
for creative content, play form, pertinence with the topic and the play’s
social impact.
The organisers would like to create a virtual library of plays received.
You should say clearly on your application whether you would like your
play to be included or not.
Submit your work before the deadline of 30 April with your name,
email address and a telephone number for any further communication.
Email to: info@premiocarloannoni.eu; website: http://
premiocarloannoni.eu/guidelines/?lang=en
A call to action
Stelliform Press is a new Canadian small indie for novellas, novels, short
story collections and creative non-fiction ‘which address our world’s
most pressing problems: climate change, ecological destruction, and the
effect of these issues on how we relate to each other and to the other
beings that live with us in the world’.
Practising what they preach, the press has an environmentally-
conscious publishing plan, limiting use of paper, which is all recycled,
using vegetable inks not polluting metallic ones, using print on demand
technology, use of conferencing technology and no air travel for long-
distance events. They also participate in the Tree Neutral or Tree Canada
Programme to offset their carbon emissions.
Works must ‘address environmental issues from many different
perspectives and are, foremost, emotional and relational or
interconnected narratives which can help us to find the strength and
inspiration we need to confront the uncertain future’.
Submit genre fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but ‘literary
fiction with some genre crossover’ will also be considered. Lengths are
17,500-39,999 words for novellas, 70,000-100,000 for novels. Short
story collection subs, 40,000-60,000 words, open later this year.
Send the first 15-20 pages, a short covering letter, explaining the story
in under 250 words, its length and genre, a brief statement about the
main conflict, and how the story fits the Stelliform vision.
Response time is ‘reasonable’. Payment is a Can2¢ per word advance,
plus royalties, for first world English electronic and print rights. The
contract includes clauses for rights reversion should the author and/or
publisher wish to terminate their relationship.
Details: Stelliform Press, email subs to: submissions@stelliform.
press; website: www.stelliform.press
APRIL 2020 79
WRITERS’ NEWS

FLASHES GLOBAL LITERARY MARKET

Bitesize Stories runs
Southword bound
a monthly flash
fiction contest for PDR Lindsay-Salmon
stories no longer
than 999 words, and Southword Journal is an Irish print 5,000 words, or up to six poems, as
a drabble contest literary journal published by the doc, docx, rtf or txt files. No reprints,
for stories of exactly Munster Literature Centre. The multiple or simultaneous subs.
100 words. Entry is editorial team are proud of the Response time is ‘before the end
free and the outright journal’s reputation and welcome of June’. Payment is €40 per poem
winner gets £30.
international submissions to and €250 per short story published
Website: www.
bitesizestories.co.uk
publish along side their Irish in our new print editions. Payments
writers. Do read the journal – there to contributors outside Ireland
Struggling online is plenty online – to see what they can only be made through Paypal.
retailer The publish. Submissions are open now All contributors also receive a
Book People has to fiction submissions; poetry subs complimentary copy.
collapsed owing open in December. Website: www.munsterlit.ie/
£2.1 million to Submit fiction, no more than Southword%20Journal.html
creditors. It went
into administration
in December.

Writers Sarah Welsh poetry and a new award

Ladipo Manyika,
Will Eaves and The International Welsh Poetry Competition 2020 is for the best poetry books
Chris Power will open for entries. Running alongside the competition are produced by indie writers
join Dr Frances the inaugural Poetry Book Awards. and self-published authors,
Wilson on the The judge for the 14th International Welsh Poetry or independent and small
judging panel for Competition is Sally Spedding. presses.
this year’s £10,000 There is a first prize of £500 and second and third Both print books and
Goldsmiths Prize,
prizes of £250 and £100. The winners and seventeen ebooks may be entered.
which celebrates
mould-breaking
runners-up will be published online and in an Books may have been
novels. Sarah anthology. published in any year, but
was shortlisted The entry fee is £6 for one poem and different rates must still be in print.
in 2016 and Will for entries of more than one poem. The prizes are £200, £100 and £50.
in 2014 and 2018. The closing date is 31 May. Entry is £25.
In 2019, eligibility Website: www.welshpoetry.co.uk The closing date is 30 June.
was extended • The Poetry Books Awards is a new annual award Website: www.poetrybookawards.co.uk
to international
citizens resident
in the UK or
Ireland. The Go for the big win Sharpen
winner was Lucy
Ellman’s Ducks, your pencils
Newburyport. The Bridport Prize 2020 is inviting international
Submissions, by entries The BPA First Novel Award 2020 is
publishers, close on The categories are: inviting entries.
27 March. • Poetry: the prizes are £5,000, £1,000, £500 and The Bluepencil Agency’s competition
10 x £100. Enter original, unpublished poems up to for unpublished novelists has a first prize
‘Writers of the 42 lines. The entry fee is £10. of £1,000
quality of Kafka and
• Short story: the prizes are £5,000, £1,000, £500 The competition is for unpublished
Gogol do not run
away from reality.
and 10 x £100. Enter original, unpublished short and unrepresented novelists in any genre.
They have too much stories for adult readers up to 5,000 words. The entry fee is £12. The winner gets £1,000 and an
integrity, both as • Flash fiction: the prizes are £1,000, £500, £250 and 3 x £100. Enter introduction to a literary agent. The
artists and human original, unpublished flash fiction up to 250 words. The entry fee is £9. runner-up prize is a manuscript review
beings, to indulge • Peggy Chapman Andrews First Novel Award: the prizes are £1,500 and agent introduction, and the third
in escapist flights. plus a year’s mentoring from The Literary Consultancy and a detailed prize is agent introduction.
Especially sensitive, judge’s critique, £750 plus a full manuscript critique and TLC Industry The judges are literary agents Caroline
they are especially Day, 3 x £150 plus a 50-page manuscript appraisal and Industry Wood and Carrie Plitt of Felicity Bryant
vulnerable, and they Day. Enter between 5,000 and 8,000 words from the opening of an Associates and author Anna Hope.
escape nothing…
The artistic value of
unpublished manuscript plus a 300-word synopsis. Writers entering must To enter, send the opening chapters up
their work endures not be represented by a literary agent. The entry fee is £20. to 5,000 words and a 300-word synopsis
because it is also • Young Writer Award: a new award for 2020 with a prize of £500 for of an original, unpublished novel
a part of reality. the highest-placed writer aged 16-25 in any category. manuscript. Shortlisted writers will be
It is conscious, • Dorset Award: £100 for the highest-placed writer from Dorset in any asked to submit 20,000 words.
uncompromising, category. The entry fee is £20 per novel.
personal, true. It is Winners will be published in an anthology. The closing date is 31 May.
life.’ The closing date is 31 May. Website:
Anna Kavan Website: www.bridportprize.org.uk https://bluepencilagency.com/

80 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk

 G OW
I NRG
ITE
TOR SM
’NAERW
KSET

ONLINE ARTICLE MARKET

Food for houghtCo
Gary Dalkin

Established in 1997, ThoughtCo

contains over 40,000 articles produced
by hundreds of writers, and has over 13
million visitors a month. It is ranked
as one of the top ten information sites
in the US by comScore. The editorial
team, headed by VP and general
Looking back
manager Molly Fergus, associate editor
Your ‘unused’ files may
Olivia Valdes and content manager contain work that fits a
Hildara Araya, are always interested to modern market, suggests
hear from experienced online freelance writers who can write in-depth well-researched content
that leaves readers feeling educated, empowered, and understood.
Patrick Forsyth
Showing the range of the site, recent articles have included strategies for controlling a
drought, a history of flash fiction from Baudelaire to Lydia Davis, a ten-step guide to conflict I enjoy mixing and comparing
resolution, an introduction to medical anthropology, and a biography of Russian abstract art notes with other writers and
pioneer Kazimir Malevich. All these pieces are aimed at the intelligent general reader and range spend regular time so doing.
between about 800 and 1,500 words. For example, I delight in being
ThoughtCo publishes articles about Science, Math, Social Sciences, Computer Science, one of comparatively few men
Animals & Nature, History & Culture, Visual Arts, Literature, English, Geography, members of the SWWJ (Society
Philosophy. The site also has a section devoted to learning languages, English as a Second of Women Writers & Journalists),
Language, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin and Russian. The Issues especially when, as recently, I came
section covers Geo-Politics from a US perspective, as well as Women’s Issues, Civil Liberties, second in one of their short story
Terrorism and more. competitions.
ThoughCo pays professional US rates by negotiation. As a first step toward writing for When I thought back to how I
the site email contact@thoughtco.com to introduce yourself and tell the editors about had decided on my entry it made
your professional expertise. Don’t pitch a specific article, just explain why you are really me think. I have written a good
knowledgeable about a particularly topic, however obscure. many short stories, many of which
You can see the editorial guidelines, including bios of all the main staff, at www.thoughtco. are buried unused in my computer,
com/about-us so I went back to my archive to see
if any such met the brief (a story
with a twist at the end). Sometimes
Stimulate the memory doing this is unsatisfying – what
on earth made me write that? – but
Hippocampus is an online press for it can also be pleasing. I found
books, and associated magazine, both a forgotten story I had written a
aiming to entertain, educate and engage couple of years ago, that I liked and
with quality creative non-fiction. which I thought would appeal to
They want work which is ‘quirky… the judge.
edgy… witty… gritty… smart,’ from It needed a little editing, partly
diverse voices. They like to ‘root for to adjust the length to make it fit
the underdog, and we appreciate the competition, but also, as ever,
resilience’. Hybrid forms and unique because I thought I could improve
structures which will work online are its flow and description. And it
welcomed. Science, nature, and travel worked (well not producing a win,
pieces are also welcome if they have a but close) and a cheque followed.
personal element. Many writers find this
The magazine enthusiastically welcomes unsolicited, previously unpublished, reassessment process useful.
creative non-fiction, no more than 4,000 words. Memoir excerpts are okay if they Amongst your unused material there
are self-contained. Flash non-fiction is welcome, up to 800 words. Submit through may be much that is saleable. Not
the website: www.hippocampusmagazine.com necessarily as it is, but with some
Books can be memoirs, essay collections, personal narratives, or anything that degree of adaptation or editing. Of
may not yet have found a home because it doesn’t conform to ‘traditional’ standards course, much writing must begin
of topic, format, voice, or style, craft of writing books, and non-fiction for young with a blank sheet of paper, but
readers. Book submissions open on 1 August. sometimes it can be useful to look
Submissions are open for two anthologies in the Way Things back and you may find a significant
Were series, reflecting on ‘the good ol’ days (or not)’. Road needs percentage of mothballed work is
stories about true road trips, from around the globe. Corner needs saleable. Just because something did
stories that are set in or revolve around a corner bar/dive bar (or not find a home immediately does
small pub or tavern). Submissions for both should be no more not mean the idea was rubbish; it
than 5,000 words, submitted by 15 June. may be gold.
Response time is ‘four months’. Payment is $40 for the Look back, adapt and you can
magazine. $50 for the anthologies. create new, usable material, and
Website: https://books.hippocampusmagazine.com improve productivity too.

www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 81

WRITERS’ NEWS

FLASHES GLOBAL LITERARY MARKET

Head for Southampton
Sharon Reid, editor PDR Lindsay-Salmon
of Yours fortnightly,
needs treasured The Southampton Review is a US literary journal with a
photos and the fine reputation, publishing ‘fiction, non-fiction, plays,
memories of them, screenplays, poetry, literary cartoons, photography and
200-250 words,
for Year Book
art’. Its doors are open to writers worldwide whose work
2021. Published is compelling.
memories earn For fiction submit short stories and novel excerpts, no
a £10 high street more than 7,500 words, and flash fiction is welcome.
voucher. For poetry submit up to five poems, any style. For
Details: Yours nonfiction submit memoirs, personal essays, and craft
Magazine, lectures no more than 7,500 words. For plays and
Media House, screenplays submit no more than twenty pages set out to
Peterborough industry standards. Fine art, photography, illustration,
Business Park,
cartoon are always wanted.
Peterborough PE2
6AA; email: yours@
Submit through the website, www.
bauermedia.co.uk; thesouthamptonreview.com
website: www. If their monthly quota of 1,000 free submissions $100+ for prose, $75 per poem, $200 for art portfolios
yours.co.uk has been reached expect to pay a submission fee of $3. and $100 per page for illustrations plus one copy. Online
Submissions are open 1 Feb-1 April and 15 Aug-15 Oct. contributors receive a one-year subscription, for the usual
A website has been Response time is ‘reasonable to slow’. Payment is first rights.
setup as a portal
for events and
commemorations
celebrating the life Ware it’s at
and work of writer
and artist Alasdair There is a prize pot totalling £1,050 Include that information on your
Gray, who died on on offer in the Ware Poets Open entry form or a separate sheet. If
29 December, 2019. Poetry Competition in addition entering for the Ware Sonnet Prize
The ‘cultural to a prize of £150 for the winner include an ‘S’ in the top right hand
trailblazer’ and of the Ware Sonnet Prize. You corner of your work.
Lanark author have until 30 April to submit The entry fee is £4, £12 for four,
requested no original unpublished poetry of a £3 each subsequent, in the same
memorial service maximum fifty lines on any subject. submission (cheques to Ware Poets
of any kind.
Submissions should not have been Competition). Include an additional
Glasgow Libraries
are hosting a book placed in any other competition, or amount of £4 if you would like be notified of these.
of condolence and be under consideration or accepted a copy of Ware Competition Details: The Competition
an exhibition of his elsewhere. Anthology 2020 with the eventual Secretary, Ware Poets Competition,
work is at Glasgow Submit poems, max fifty lines, winning and shortlisted poems. 21 Trinity Road, Ware SO12 7DB;
Print Studio until 29 on separate pages without any Include SAE(s) marked ‘Receipt’ website: www.poetrypf.co.uk/
March. other form of author identification. and/or ‘Results’ if you would like to comps/ware20.pdf
Website: http://
thealasdair
grayarchive.org
Be seen at your best Gateway for magical realism
I feel more and
more that comics The Aesthetica Creative
are capable of Writing Award is open The Gateway Review: a
dealing even with for entries. Journal of Magical Realism is
the most difficult The competition, a literary journal publishing
of subjects – an now in its fourtenth ‘the best contemporary
ability that has to year, supports the magical realism, surrealism,
do, I think, with work of emerging and and new fabulism writing’,
their relative lack established writers of prose and poetry. There is a £1,000 including poetry and non-
of words. Unlike
prize in both categories. The winners and a further sixty fiction about writing the genre.
a novel, they can
make full use of highly commended writers are published in the Aesthetica Submissions are open, 15 Jan-15 March, then 15 Aug-
silence. Pain may Creative Writing Anthology. The poetry winner receives a 15 Oct, for ‘work which will blend the magical and the
be seen in a glance year’s membership of The Poetry Society and the prose real in some way to lead to some truth about the human
on the faces of winner gets a consultation with Redhammer Management. condition, all while being attentive to the possibilities of
their characters; Winners also receive a selection of titles from Vintage and the English language.’
foreboding may be Bloodaxe Books and a year’s subscription to Granta. Submit stories, 1,000-4,000 words, non-rhyming
found in the sky Enter poetry up to forty lines and prose fiction up to poems, up to forty lines, non-fiction, under 1,000 words,
and the trees. 2,000 words. on the craft or importance of magic realism, or reviews.
Rachel Cooke,
The entry fee is £12 per poem and £18 per short story. Response time is one month. Payment is one copy, plus
The Guardian,
reviewing Tian
The closing date is 31 August. an ‘Editor’s Choice’ award of $15 for first North American
Veasna’s Year of Website: www.aestheticamagazine.com/creative- serial rights.
the Rabbit writing-award/ Website: https://gatewayreview.wordpress.com

82 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk

 WRITERS’ NEWS

UK QUEER MARKET
Enter the Corpus
Here and queer Submissions are open
for two anthologies from
Tina Jackson Corpus Press, pubishers
of horror and weird
Cipher Press is a new independent fiction, ‘modern pulp that
publisher of queer fiction and non- emphasises plot over gore’.
fiction. Needing submissions are:
‘We know this is a broad scope, • Two-Page Terrors, deadline 31 March, for either
and in a way that’s intentional,’ serious or comedic/bizarre horror, 400-550 words.
said co-publisher Jenn Thompson. • In Darkness, Delight: Fear the Future (Vol 3), is for
‘We want to publish the many ‘truly terrifying stories that deal with futuristic themes,
different stories that make up the set in the near future or far’, whether earth-based or
queer community, whether they take the form of short stories, sci-fi, crime extraterrestrial. Post-apocalyptic stories will not be
fiction, essays, experimental writing, memoirs, or anything in between. Our one accepted and the editors are ‘more interested in “fiction”
stipulation is that our books fit somewhere within the literary bracket. We’re not than “science”’ and ‘this is a horror anthology first
looking to publish poetry, YA, or children’s literature at this time.’ and foremost, not a science fiction anthology’. Submit
The first Cipher Press title will appear in the summer. ‘We wanted to start a stories, 2,500-4,000 words, by 15
queer press for a long time, mostly as a response to the lack of dedicated queer November.
publishing in the UK,’ said Jenn. ‘We started seriously thinking about it in 2019, Submissions are currently
and now will publish our first book in August 2020. It feels like the right time; closed to novella, collections and
independent publishing is thriving, and readers generally seem more open to Kindle Shorts submissions.
books by diverse and underrepresented authors.’ Payment for Two-Page Terrors
Jenn points to the lack of queer owned and queer run publishing houses in the is $5 for world rights. Payment
UK as another driving factor behind the launch of Cipher Press. ‘In the 1980s for In Darkness, Delight is 3¢ per
and 90s there were quite a few but they don’t exist anymore,’ she said. ‘Now seems word up to $150 plus two free
like a great time to launch something new, something updated that reflects the copies.
way our community has evolved and changed. There is a huge push for diversity Website: www.corpuspress.com
coming from the big publishing houses at the moment, but small presses have
always championed minority voices. The world of independent publishing is
a huge inspiration to us, and we’re excited to be publishing alongside so many Poetry from wise women
incredible indie presses.’
The Cipher Press team have worked in publishing, editorial, and design for Believing older women ‘have a lot to say, and they say
years. ‘We feel like we just about have the experience to launch Cipher Press. I’m it with style’ the independent Grey Hen Press Poetry
sure it will be a steep learning curve, but we’re ready for it.’ Competition is for women over the age of sixty years and
Initially Cipher Press will be publishing three or four books a year. ‘But we there are prizes of £100, £50 and £25 for first, second and
hope to grow this number as Cipher Press evolves,’ said Jenn. ‘We hope the press third winners. If you reach your sixtieth year by the end of
helps to encourage a new queer literary scene in the UK, and that we can work June 2020 you are eligible for the competition.
alongside other incredible publishers, literary mags, and organisations to boost the Poems should be a maximum forty lines, be previously
voices of our authors and to publish more great books. We’re really excited by all unpublished and not have been accepted for future
the support and enthusiasm we’ve had so far, and our hope is that Cipher Press publication. Your name and contact details should
will not only find amazing new authors but keen new readers. We have a lot of appear on the entry form only and this is available from
plans and projects on the go and are absolutely thrilled to be bringing Cipher into the website or by post with an SAE.
the world.’ The closing date for submissions is 30 April and
A submission window is open until the end of March. entry fees are £3 per poem or £10 for four poems with
‘We say on our website that we’re, “looking for stories that transcend genres and cheques being made payable to ‘Grey Hen Press’. The
explore the many dimensions of queer identity.” We’re aware that queer stories results will be posted on the website by 30 June.
aren’t always straightforward, and so we’re open to any high-quality writing by As email entries will not be accepted post your work
queer authors that reflects some aspect of the queer experience. The LGBTQI+ with an SAE marked ‘Results’ if this is required. As no
community is hugely diverse, and we expect our catalogue to be the same. We’re entries will be returned, keep a copy.
especially keen to publish work from BAME/POC, working class, trans and Details: Grey Hen Press, PO Box 269, Kendal,
gender non-conforming authors.’ Cumbria LA9 9FE; website: www.greyhenpress.com
Cipher Press is looking for writers with fresh slants and original ways of telling
their stories. ‘A good book for us is honest, weird, smart, original, and unique. We Exciting voices for Brick Lane
like old stories told in new ways and characters we can relate to. You can win us
over with a perfect sentence; we’re very focused on the writing as well as the plot. The 2020 Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prize is
Ultimately, a good book can be of any genre as long as it affects us in some way.’ looking for new, original and diverse voices in UK fiction.
Jenn is happy for writers to rip up the rule book. ‘Our advice would be to The winner will get £1,000. There are second and
be bold and take risks. To try and tell the story you want to tell as honestly as third prizes of £250 and £100. The winning and
possible. To drift away from the mainstream and from literary conventions. longlisted stories will be published in the Brick Lane
And to just write whatever you want, whether that be erotica, a western, or an Bookshop Short Story Prize Anthology. The judges are
experimental essay. Or a mixture of all three.’   Dialogue Books publisher Sharmaine Lovegrove, literary
Submit by sending the first three chapters of a agent Harriet Moore and Chris Power, author of the
novel, or the first twenty pages if the work is non- short story collection Mothers.
fiction, along with a brief synopsis and bio. Enter original, unpublished short stories for adult
Cipher Press will publish in print and ebook, and readers between 1,000 and 5,000 words.
pay and advance and royalties. The entry fee is £10 per story.
Details: email: submissions@cipherpress.co.uk; The closing date is 15 May.
website: www.cipherpress.co.uk Website: www.bricklanebookshop.org/
www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 83
WRITERS’ NEWS

FLASHES GLOBAL SPECFIC MARKET

Farnham Have a healthy approach
Flash Fiction
Competition has Jenny Roche
a first prize of
£75 and a runner-
A bimonthly lifestyle magazine ‘promoting physical
up prize of £25.
The best entry health, mental agility and spiritual balance from a
featuring Farnham practical Christian point of view’ Vibrant Life is looking
will win a special for articles that have an informal style, are interesting,
£25 prize. The easy to read and avoid medical jargon.
competition will ‘We especially like features on the latest breakthroughs
be judged by in medicine, health, nutrition and exercise and interviews
author Joanna with leading personalities on health topics.’ Articles are
Barnard. The entry welcome promoting a happy, healthy outlook and pieces
fee is £5 per story.
are preferred with a positive, holistic approach to the
The closing date
is 23 June.
topic and show the benefits to readers.
Website: Particular areas of interest are articles on health,
https://writ.rs/ exercise, nutrition, self help, family, spiritual balance,
farnhamflashfic challenges and triumphs, environmental stewardships, completed article with your contact details and the rights
informational articles, interviews and profiles. you are offering.
The Plot Against Feature articles should be a maximum 1,000 words Payments rates for first world serial rights and reprint
America, Philip and if informational should include at least one sidebar. rights are $100-$300 and three complimentary copies of
Roth’s 2004 Short articles of 450-650 words are always in demand. your published article. Previously published articles will
alternative history Any information used must be reliable and be correctly be considered for a lower fee.
novel, has been
documented if scientific in nature. For all submissions a Submit completed articles to: heather.quintana@
adapted by David
Simon (The Wire) doc file is preferred. pacificpress.com
into a six-part There is no need to pitch ideas here so submit your Website: www.vibrantlife.com
HBO mini-series. It
follows a working-
class Jewish
family in New
Jersey as aviator
GLOBAL LITERARY MARKET
and xenophobic
populist Charles Black Mountain days
Lindbergh
becomes Gary Dalkin
president and
turns the US Bathtime
toward fascism.
Starring Zoe
Based in Asheville, North
Carolina, The Black rota
Kazan, Winona Mountain Press is a small The Bath Short Story Award
Ryder and John non-profit independent 2020 is inviting entries.
Turturro, it literary publisher now in Win a first prize of £1,000 in
premieres on 16 its 26th year. The focus is the international competition
March in the US,
on collections of poetry, for unpublished short fiction
and comes to
Sky Atlantic in memoirs, literary novels and Now in its seventh year, the
autumn. collections of short stories. Bath Short Story Award is for
The editors seek the highest original, unpublished short
‘This is an quality literary fiction, fiction up to 2,200 words on
industry full creative non-fiction and any theme or subject.
of people who poetry, works with a distinct voice and vision. This year’s shortlist judge
are unashamed No children’s or young adult literature, plays or self-help books. The is agent Kate Johnson from
enthusiasts editors say ‘We do not publish romance, science fiction, thrillers, detective Mackenzie Wolf Literary
for books and
fiction, horror stories, westerns, unless written in a unique, literary, never Agency. There is a first prize
reading in every
form. To step into
seen before, style.’ of £1,200, a second prize of
this world after Submissions must be either by post to The Black Mountain Press, PO £300 and a third prize of £100.
so many years 9907, Asheville, NC 28815, USA, or via the Submittable here: https:// There is also a £100 Acorn
outside it, and thehalcyone.submittable.com/submit/107991/submissions-to-the-black- Award for the best entry by
find so many mountain-press. Note, there is an $8 fee for online submission, but this is an unpublished writer and a
kindred spirits, is less than the cost of posting a manuscript to the USA. There is no charge for runner-up prize of £50 in book
intoxicating.’ postal submissions. All submissions must be at least 64 pages. Response time tokens from Mr B’s Emporium
Private Eye writer is around six months. If you have not had a reply by then contact the Black of Books in Bath.
and QI researcher Mountain Press, email: carlos@theblackmountainpress.com The entry fee is £8 per story.
Andrew Hunter
The press is part of the Flood Fine Art Center, and also publishes a quarterly The closing date is 20 April
Murray on
publishing his literary magazine, The Halcyone. Find out more on the website: www. 2020.
debut novel, The thehalcyone.com Website: www.
Last Day bathshortstoryaward.org

84 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk

 WRITERS’ NEWS

INTRODUCTIONS
Writing Magazine presents a selection of pet publications currently accepting contributions.
We strongly recommend that you read back issues, familiarise yourself with their guidelines
before submitting and check websites for submission details.

Your Cat, edited by Parrots magazine, Reptiles is an

UK ONLY

£1,250-worth
FREE collector’s badge! OF GIVEAWAYS
● Cat beds
● Dental OVER
THE WORLD’S LEADING MAGA ZINE ON PARROTS AND PARAKEETS
care kits 75
● Cat PRIZES

Michael Hallam, is the edited by John international,

blankets
● Food and treats
● Books
● Cat care bundles
UK ONLY Issue 266

BRITAIN’S BEST-SELLING
CAT MAGAZINE
ZINE
LLING

UK’s bestselling cat CAREERS

WITH CATS
Being an
Catchpole, bimonthly
The travelling RSPCA
cat sitter:
I’m seeing the
world, one cat
magazine, packed with instructor
www.parrotmag.com
covers everything March 2020
magazine that
at a time

How cats
practical information Psittacine of interest to covers all aspects
breeding tips
change New series! about cat care, health The cat Planning the year ahead people owning of owning and
people’s lives cafe tour

NOT TO WORRY
MAKE YOUR CAT
and wellbeing plus Visiting the
country’s
cat cafes
Lovely lories and caring for caring for reptiles
LESS STRESSED

inspiring tales of cats and pet parrots and and amphibians.

Interview with:
The Cat Man
of Aleppo
Their fascinating colours
and behaviour The value
their relationships with parakeets. Feature The content
March 2020 £4.50
03
R11

BREED FOCUS:
9 771353 260175 of light
THE RARE AND DELIGHTFUL EGYPTIAN MAU Favoured desertion Vitamin D & calcium
1 YC Cover Mar20 CS MH.indd 1

their owners. Michael 31/01/2020 14:37 My bird’s gone off me!

content includes is aimed at
The power of GSE Spike the
is happy to accept contributions of True Its effectiveness
against pathogens
Caique expert advice beginners as well
Some more of
Cat Tales – real life stories about people’s The Grey-breasted on parrot health his story
as experienced
Parakeet
cats (500 words, usually paid at £40); short and care as well herp owners, and features on the herp care
£3.99
03>

How nest boxes 9 771476 020038

magazine

came to the rescue Parrots on Facebook – www.facebook.com/ParrotsMagazine

fictional stories about cats (500-1000 words, as accounts of make up the bulk of the content. Breeding,
usual rate £80-£100) and feature ideas from life with parrots, personalities in the parrot experiencing herps in the wild, herp
experienced journalists or cat professionals world and parrot-related clubs, shows and healthcare and herp conservation are also
which should be pitched as ideas in the first activities. John is happy to accept pitches popular topics. Pitches for feature articles
instance. He also accepts submissions for My from writers with specialist knowledge. in these areas are welcomed, with detailed
First Cat (recounting the story of your first Contact him with ideas through the guidelines available for writers.
cat) and Golden Oldie (telling us about your website. Payment varies. Payment for a 2,000-5,000 word article
cat who is over twelve years old) and these Website: www.parrotmag.com with photos is $300.
contributions are voluntary. Details: email: reptileseditorial@gmail.
Details: email: editorial@yourcat.co.uk; Pets Magazine com; website: www.reptilesmagazine.com
website: www.yourcat.co.uk is a free digital
pets and lifestyle Animal Wellness is
magazine edited the US’s number
by Marie Carter- one natural health
Robb with a magazine for pets,
growing monthly with an aim to
readership provide helpful
of 24,000. educational advice
The magazine to pet owners to
The Bark (featured in WM Nov 19) has features new and help animals lead
ceased print production from the March luxury products, happy, healthy
2020 issue and is now a digital-only pampering for lives. Coverage
brand aimed at modern dog owners and people and includes animal
enthusiasts. Feature content is based their pets, pet friendly reviews, activities wellbeing as
round a dog-owning lifestyle and the for pets and owners as well as pets in the well as physical
bonds between dogs and humans, ie not news, advice columns, health and wellbeing healthcare. Pitches and completed article
specific breed advice. Topics covered in tips, pet owning celebrities, other news submissions with the focus on holistic
thebark.com include food, health, training, and informative articles of interest to pet health care for pet animals are welcomed.
activities and dog-related news. Editor owners. Marie accepts contributions on The usual length is 500 to 1,500 words and
in chief Claudia Kawczynska is currently a voluntary basis from freelancers and all healthcare facts and statistics should be
accepting submissions of online content is happy to consider all submissions, accurate and come from accredited sources.
tailored for The Bark’s intelligent and particularly those with accompanying good Payment is for all rights. Submit ideas or
culture-savvy readership. high resolution images. completed articles through the website.
Details: email: editor@thebark.com; Details: editor@petsmag.co.uk; website: Website: https://
website: https://thebark.com/ www.petsmag.co.uk animalwellnessmagazine.com/

The mystery of travel

The Globe Soup Spring 2020 Travel Writing travel writing in any form, including personal
Competition is a new non-fiction contest with essay, destination piece and opinion piece.
a mystery theme. Entries must be no longer than 1,000 words.
The theme will be revealed when writers The entry fee is £5 per piece up to 1 March,
enter the competition. The winner will receive and then £8.
£1,000 and Globe Soup will print their entry. The closing date is 1 April.
Enter original, unpublished non-fiction Website: www.globesoup.net

www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020 85

WRITERS’ NEWS

GLOBAL HISTORY MARKET

FLASHES
Take a trip back in time
Woman’s Weekly Jenny Roche
women’s magazine
lifestyle director
Geoffrey Palmer Based in North America and published six times a year, History Magazine aims to publish
invites reader input. articles that are more interesting than academic. ‘We prefer that our articles be wrapped
His remit includes around a particular phenomenon, achievement or occasion… we like it when an item or
recipes, craft custom that’s now part of our lives is taken and the story of how it came to be is told.’
makes, puzzles and Articles should not be first person narratives and should generally be focused on an era
books. between the fall of the Roman Empire and the end of the 1950s. Check out the website
Details: 161 Marsh for examples of articles used.
Wall, London At the moment the magazine is only accepting queries so rather than submitting a
E14 9AP; tel: 020
completed piece email a brief descriptive proposal of your idea along with a proposed
3148 500; email:
WomansWeekly
word count of a preferred 2,000 words. There is also a preference for the inclusion of
PostBag@ suggested section headings and a list of reading recommendations. A research sources list
ti-media.com; is not required but it is suggested you keep hold of such a list in case it is later requested.
website: www. You may include as many images as you think necessary so long as these are copyright free
womansweekly. or you have written permission from the copyright holder to use them.
com Payment rates for first world and electronic rights is 8¢ per word and $7 for any image
which is used. Writers from America and Canada are paid in their own currency and
YouWriteOn, writers from other countries may be paid in their currency by negotiation.
the manuscript Send your query with ‘History Magazine Query’ in the subject line to: edward@
development
moorshead.com
community led
by Bloomsbury Website: www.history-magazine.com/anotes.html
and Orion, which
offered critiques
from publishers
themselves for
the highest rated
CHRONIC Nature poets take flight
stories, has closed.
The website, www.
youwriteon.com,
CONDITIONS The Rialto Nature and Place Poetry Competition 2020 is
open for entries.
There is a £1,000 first prize in the contest for poems
remains online as
an archive.
that deal with any aspect of nature.
Poetry journal The Rialto works with the RSPB, Birdlife
Kitty Flanagan has International and the Cambridge Conservation Initiative
won the inaugural to present its prize for poems that explore nature.
$5,000 Booktopia There is a first prize of £1,000, a second prize of £500
Favourite Australian and a third prize of £250. There is an additional prize of a
Book award, for personal tour of East Anglia with celebrated nature writer
her book 488 Rules The Barbellion Prize is a literary new prize dedicated to Mark Cocker. The judge is Pascale Petit.
for Life. The award, work that furthers ill and disabled voices in writing will Enter original, unpublished poems up to 40 lines.
which replaces
Booktopia’s annual
be awarded in 2021 The entry fee for the first poem is £7, and £4 for
Australia’s Favourite The awarded work may be in any genre: fiction, subsequent poems. Up to six poems may be entered in
Author poll, was memoir, biography, poetry, critical non-fiction. It may one batch.
determined by an be traditionally or self-published. It is named in honour The closing date is 1 May 2020.
online public vote. of the diarist WNP Barbellion, who wrote about living Website: www.therialto.co.uk
Kitty beat Rachael with multiple sclerosis before his death in 1919, and
Johns’ Just One will be awarded for an author’s presentation of life with
Wish and the young a long-term chronic illness or disability. Authors who
adult edition of are not ill may enter works that articulate life with
Heather Morris’s
illness but authors who suffer from illness or disability
The Tattooist of
Auschwitz. She
will take priority in the expression of their experience
sold 99,500 copies and selection for the prize. The prize money is £600.
between October Entered works should be published this year. The
and December 2019. closing date is 31 October.
Website: www.thebarbellionprize.com
‘I frequently don’t
finish books. I used
to feel obliged, but
now I think life is POEMS IN PRINT
too short. If they
haven’t grabbed
me by page 100 The Rialto Open Pamphlet Competition 2020 is up to £200 in travel expenses. The winner and three
they are off the inviting entries. runners up will have a poem published in The Rialto,
pile. I feel it’s mean Enter 18-24 pages of original poetry. Individual poems and the shortlisted poets will have a poem published
to name them, may have been published in magazines and anthologies online. The competition judge is poet Will Harris.
though.’ but not in a pamphlet or collection. Entry is £24 per pamphlet.
Jojo Moyes The winner’s poetry pamphlet will be published by The closing date is 15 May.
The Rialto and they will be given a launch event and Website: www.therialto.co.uk

86 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk


GLOBAL LITERARY MARKET
Make your words sing
PDR Lindsay-Salmon
Clare Songbirds publishes work by poets and writers as limited
edition fine art volumes. They publish chapbook manuscripts and
art quality poetry broadsides in ‘an accessible way to promote the
art of words in order to resonate with, and impact on, readers not
yet familiar with the siren song of poets and writers’.
Manuscripts are considered on a rolling basis throughout the
year from 1 January to 1 November. Some previously published
poems, stories, essays, excerpts may be included in the manuscript,
but provide those details in the body of your email. Submissions are
open for non-fiction and short fiction chapbooks of no more than 40
pages; full-length poetry collections may be submitted after 1 July.
Submit by email, as an attached doc, docx or pdf file. A cover
letter is not required but chat about a writer’s literary process
and goals, and how they heard of the press, are welcomed.
Response time is 8-12 weeks. Payment and rights are
discussed with the contract.
Details: Clare Songbirds Publishing House, email:
submissions@claresongbirdspub.com; website: www.
claresongbirdspub.com
Dearly anticipated
Margaret Atwood’s first poetry collection in 13 years, Dearly,
will be published in November. Her first collection, Double
Persephone, came out in 1961. The new volume will explore
‘absences and endings, ageing and retrospection’.
Speaking for publisher Chatto & Windus, editor Becky
Hardie said, ‘Every poem in Dearly rings with all Margaret
Atwood’s characteristic curiosity and energy ... It is a pure
delight which stretches heart and mind.’
The book will address environmental themes, and also
feature, ‘werewolves, sirens, aliens and dreams.’
Margaret, who recently shared the Booker prize with
Bernardine Evaristo for her sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale,
will narrate the audio book version herself.
FOR RAZOR SHARP Comic line up
NOIR CRIME
The next BBC Script Room
submission window will be for
Switchblade has an comedy scripts, and will open on
editor who loves 23 March.
‘punk noir.’ he Writers identified through the
calls his magazine open submission window will
‘a cutting edge be invited to take part in the
magazine of noir, Comedy Room, which is a six-
featuring no-limit month development programme
outlaw fiction.’ that includes monthly meetings,
He doesn’t want targeted training and workshops, as
‘police procedurals, well as networking opportunities.
or cosy murder The BBC is looking for
mysteries.’ He wants ‘a twisting crime culture distinctive new voices in comedy
story that’s 100 proof, and far too prurient and writing. To submit, send a comedy
politically-incorrect for the herbal tea crowd at script of at least thirty pages for
Ellery Queen.’ Please do check out the website and TV, film, radio, stage or online.
read what’s there. Study the guidelines, the editor The submission window will
is open to new submissions in April. open on 23 March, and close on
Submit dark and twisty tales through the 20 April.
website: Website: https://writ.rs/
www.switchblademag.com; comedyscriptroom
www.writers-online.co.uk
WRITERS’ NEWS
Novel
Ideas
Surprise
yourself
A bit of bravery goes a long
way, says Lynne Hackles
I’ve a little book in which I write down
quotes that appeal to me. Most of them
are about writing. All of them are positive.
They are there to remind me to never give
up, to stay cheerful and to believe you’re
never too old to have a new dream. I read
through them often and close the book
feeling good.
When I see something that inspires me,
be it a few words, a poem or a long quote,
I add it to my book.
Recently I added a new one to the
collection. It was from the late Denholm
Elliot, an actor who was rarely off
television and also appeared in many
films. He said, ‘Surprise yourself every
day with your own courage.’
I could have done with that quote when
I started out and worried far too much
about sending out any work. Then, one
day, someone said, ‘The editor wouldn’t
know you from Adam.’ Yes, we’ve all
heard that one but on that day it meant a
lot to me. I imagined the editor opening
my work and reading it. They’d look at
the name and it would mean nothing to
them. They didn’t have a picture of me.
They didn’t know me. They couldn’t point
at me in the street and say, ‘She’ll never
write as long as there’s a hole in her head.’
It was a light bulb moment. My stories
could be sent out to markets and, in spite
of having my name on them, they’d be
anonymous to the editor. My work went
out. Acceptances came in. I surprised
myself with my own courage and became
a writer.
You can do the same. Why not start
your own book of positive quotes. You
could begin with, ‘Surprise yourself every
day with your own courage.’ Then you act
on it.
NOVEMBER
MARCH 2019
2019 87
87
WRITERS’ NEWS

FLASHES UK NON-FICTION MARKET

Rosie Nixon is
Hero born of Legend
editor in chief
of weekly Hello! Tina Jackson
magazine,
but editorial
queries should Hero Press is a new imprint from Legend regardless of subject
be addressed to Press that will publish non-fiction books to matter,’ said Liza.
Holly Nesbitt- inspire, provoke conversation and spark ideas. ‘It can be business,
Larking, tel: ‘We are invested in discovering new voices cultural, or
0207 667 8721; within general non-fiction, well-being, gift, psychological but
email: holly. popular science and culture,’ said Legend’s it has to have an
nesbitt-larking@ product and development manager Liza essence or spark that will propel
hellomagazine.
com
Paderes. ‘We are open to any kind of non- the reader to be inspired and to motivate
Details: HELLO! fiction content, as long as it’s inspiring or conversations with friends, family and
magazine, motivational – anything from business, colleagues. A good book will takes the reader
Wellington House, science, psychological, cultural, biographies on a compelling journey. It has to be written
69-71 Upper or mind, body and spirit/well-being. well and have a purpose to it. To tell a story,
Ground, London Hero evolved from the Legend Business to advice, to inform, or provide a compelling
SE1 9PQ. imprint. ‘Under that we have published a argument or debate.’
variety of books with educational, corporate Good non-fiction need to be written with
After stints as and non-fiction trade appeal,’ said Liza. ‘The a reader in mind, says Liza. ‘What’s your
WH Smith High
seeds of development began quite organically motivation for writing a book? What is the
Street head of
children’s books, early last year, when we had the opportunity main aim of the book to the reader? Asking
adult fiction and to publish some special-interest titles, such these questions should help you to identify
non-fiction, Lucy as Conquer the Web (Legend Business) and who your reader is. All of your content should
Swinburn is now The Hockneys (Legend Press). With the then be created and curated with that reader in
the chain’s overall acquirement of University of Buckingham mind, which will help the publisher to market
head of books. Press (UBP) in spring 2019, we felt that our and sell your book. Also remember that writing
She replaces business titles would have a better fit under non-fiction is like fiction: you are telling a
Pete Selby, that imprint, giving us some the freedom to story that needs to have a beginning, a middle,
who has left to
create a brand new non-fiction imprint to and an end.’
‘pursue other
opportunities’.
suit both our trade business titles and our To submit, email a detailed synopsis and
new inspirational acquisitions.’ the first three chapters with an introductory
The US Andrew Hero is looking to publish 7-8 titles in statement containing information about why
Carnegie Medal 2020, with the plan to publish 10-12 each you think Hero Press is the right publisher for
for Excellence year for the first three years. ‘We are focused you, details of any previous publications and
in Fiction, 2020, on building a reputable list and establishing competition successes and the names of at least
has gone to Lost Hero as a publisher who produces essential two comparable titles published in the last five
Children Archive reading for stimulating and motivating years that are similar in style, subject matter
by Valeria Luiselli. change. It would also be great to have a and/or readership.
The Andrew
prize-winning title in the future, such as the Hero Press will publish in various formats.
Carnegie Medal
for Excellence in Baillie Gifford Prize.’ Contracts are individually negotiated.
Nonfiction was Hero Press is currently open for submission. ‘I’m Details: email: hero@hero-press.com; website: www.
won by Midnight looking for titles which are inspirational and entertaining legendpress.co.uk
in Chernobyl
by Adam
Higginbotham. Grow your Test the climate Get in with
‘All of my books,
at their heart, are
own collection The Everything Change the outsiders
Climate Fiction Contest The theme for the Momaya
about loneliness.
About feeling
erbacce-press is inviting entries for the 2020 from the Imagination Short Story Competition 2020 is
outside of the erbacce prize for poetry 2020. The and Climate Futures ‘Outsiders’.
normal human winner will be awarded a publishing Initiative at Arizona State The international competition
experience, contract for a collection with erbacce- University is inviting invites original, unpublished
of feeling press. Two runners up will be considered entries of eco-fiction for its third stories up to 3,000 words.
disconnected, for publication of a collection or competition. Stories may have been previously
dissociated... I’m chapbook. Four other entrants will be There is a first prize of $1,000 and nine published as long as the writer
not interested in featured poets in issues of the quarterly runners-up prizes of $100. Winners will holds copyright.
displaying brains in-house journal erbacce. be published in a digital anthology. The The prizes are $150, $75
and education
To enter, send five pages of lead judge is Claire Vaye Watkins, author and $35. Winners and seven
or class. I’m
interested in poetry. Some poems may have been of Gold Fame Citrus. honourable mentions will be
the underneath previously published but some must be Enter original, unpublished short published in the Momaya Short
of everything, unpublished. fiction in any genre up to 5,000 words. Story Review 2020.
the inside of Entry is free. Entry is free. The entry fee is $14.
everything.’ The closing date is 8 May. The closing date is 15 April. The closing date is 30 April.
Eimear McBride Website: http://erbacce-press. Website: https://climateimagination. Website: https://
webeden.co.uk/ asu.edu/clificontest/ momayapress.com/

88 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk


US website
McSweeney’s Internet
Tendency provides
‘Daily humor almost
every day’. Read the
content at the website
and the extensive
guidelines, which are
both informative and
an excellent example of the kind of humour
and writing that they are looking for.
Submit in the body of an email to the
address for each section. Sections include
humorous lists, ‘Reviews of New Food’ and
‘Open Letters to People or Entities Who Are
Unlikely to Respond’. Timely submissions are
welcome for topical news responses.
Keep work to a maximum 1,200 words
but note that shorter pieces are more
readily accepted.
Average response time is ‘7.39 days’.
There is payment for all accepted work, for
first rights.
Website: www.mcsweeneys.net
The Squeaky Times is
Australia’s satirical and
humorous ‘Not The
Real News’ website.
Read the content
and guidelines at the website, then submit
‘satirical nonsense’ in the form of fake news
articles, 25-300 words.
The team want humour but not ‘gore,
erotica, political extremism, racism,
homophobia, etc’. Submit a doc or rtf file or
paste into the email body.
Response time is ‘around three weeks’.
Payment is $2.50.
Details: The Squeaky Times, email:
thesqueakytimes@gmail.com; website:
https://thesqueakytimes.com
The Forge Literary Magazine is ‘open to
all genres and voices, and stories with
any background, race, ethnicity, gender,
sexual and personal identity from all
over the world’. Each submission is read
anonymously by a rotating cast of editors
INTERNATIONAL
ZINE SCENE
with ‘wide-ranging and eclectic tastes’.
Submit fiction and nonfiction, not over 5,000
words and preferably under 3,000. Flash and
micro prose are particularly welcome.
Submit through the website, where there is
a submission fee after the first of each month.
Response time is ‘currently four to eight
months.’ Payment is $60 per piece regardless
of length, ‘for exclusive worldwide English
language rights for a period of three months.’
Website: https://forgelitmag.com
Eternal Haunted Summer is an ezine of
poetry and short fiction about the heroes
and divine entities of the world’s many pagan
traditions. Everything published must have
a pagan focus or otherwise interest its pagan
readership.
Issues are themed. Submissions open 1
May-1 June for the summer, ‘Holy Days’
issue, for explorations of holy days, sacred
festivals, and important dates, from Beltane to
Walpurgisnacht, Dia de Muertos to Diwali, in
fiction, poems or essays. Pagan and spiritual
topics are welcome, but not ‘Atlantis, Mu,
UFOs, aliens, or subterranean civilisations’
There is no length limit, but under 5,000
words is preferred. The team are interested in
essays which ‘address the nature of the deities,
the mythologies of the various pantheons,
folklore, ritual, etc’, and stories and poems in
any form or genre, ‘provided the deities and
heroes are treated respectfully’.
Submit one story, up to three reviews, or
up to three poems, per submission period,
as an attached rtf, txt or doc file, by email:
lyradora@yahoo.com
Response time is ‘reasonable’. Payment is $5
per piece for first electronic publishing rights
Website: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com
Malefaction is a
new Edinburgh-
based magazine of
‘genre fiction with a
criminal twist’. Any
genre is acceptable, but all submssions
must feature a crime or be related to
crime in some way, eg stories set in
a courtroom, or featuring a forensic
www.writers-online.co.uk
WRITERS’ NEWS
by PDR
Lindsay-Salmon
scientist protagonist, or about a victim.
The team want writers who can ‘explore
the huge potential of crime fiction through
genre blending’, although pure crime stories
are accepted too. Each issue has a theme,
which can be interpreted broadly. Give them
‘characters whose identities and/or cultural/
ethnic backgrounds have historically been
marginalised, erased from, or misrepresented
within crime and genre fiction’ and break the
trope rules. Submit one or two short stories,
no more than 2,000 words or one to three
flash fiction pieces under 750 words. Poetry,
no more than five poems, may be in any style.
Submit a doc or docx by email:
malefactionmag@gmail.com
Response time is ‘reasonable’. Payment is
£20/€22 per short story, £15/€17 per flash
fiction; and £10/€11 per poem for the usual
rights.
Website: www.malefactionmag.com
3:AM Magazine is a US online journal of
radical literature and philosophy. The editorial
team know exactly what they want: there are
clear and specific guidelines at the website.
It publishes literary criticism, fiction, poetry
and ‘interviews with writers, philosophers and
intellectuals’. Fiction and poetry will re-open
in April if they manage to clear the backlog.
Non-fiction subs are open now. Submit
pitches and queries to the relevant editor or
submissions@3ammagazine.com
Website: www.3ammagazine.com
Whales of Arcadia is a fledgling literary
magazine with an editorial team which
‘appreciates literature, classicism, and art’. It
needs submissions which the writer ‘really
cared about writing’.
Submit no more than five poems,
maximum ten pages, up to 6,000 words
of prose (one short story or three flash
pieces); no genre work for non-fiction avoid
academic style
Submit all work in a single doc or pdf file
through the website, https://whalesofarcaida.
art.blog (sic)
Response time is 2 to 4 months. Payment
and rights are decided on acceptance.
APRIL 2020 89
WRITERS’ NEWS

FLASHES GLOBAL BIZARRO MARKET

A new Australian
You bring your good thing
literary award offers
an Aus$15,000 prize
Gary Dalkin
for unpublished
fiction or creative Founded in 1999 in Portland, Oregon, Eraserhead Press is an
non-fiction, up independent publisher of bizarro fiction, by which they mean the
to 5,000 words, weird, the surreal and the unclassifiable. In two decades they have
on the theme of published over 400 books by around 150 authors, including Piers
‘Australian life’, by Anthony, Carlton Mellick III, Brian Keene, Molly Tanzer, JF Gonzalez and Laura Lee Bahr.
writers resident From 1 April to 30 June, Eraserhead has an open window for submissions, and head
in Australia. The
editor Rose O’Keefe will be looking for original novellas and novels, 20,000-100,000 words.
winner of the
Furphy Literary
She says, ‘We want surprising, unique, well-crafted weird stories with compelling plots,
Award will also eccentric characters, and never-before-seen concepts. We want a balance of both plot and
receive a university character – we love weird characters with weird problems in weird places. We are looking for
residency exciting concepts that make people say “I have to read that!” and well-developed characters
opportunity and they can fall in love with along the way.’ She adds, ‘We’re most drawn to darkly absurd tales
chance to get that are addictive to read and contain a strong emotional core. We love fiction that is both
published. heart-rending and fun. While it may or may not be funny, we are interested in more than
There is no entry just a joke. If you can make us both laugh and cry or creep us out and draw us in, we will
fee and the closing love your book.’
date is 30 April.
Submit quality, original (in every sense) boundary-pushing weird fiction; no simultaneous
Website: www.
furphystory.com.au submissions, story collections, non-fiction, poetry or comics/graphic novels, reprints or
experimental formatting. Eraserhead Press pay a 50% net royalty on both print and digital on
A Gallup poll worldwide print and ebook English-language rights. All other rights remain with the author.
revealed that last Submit by email as a doc, docx or rtf attachment. In the body include an author bio and a
year the average 3-5 sentence summary of your book written like a back cover description. Also attach a one-
American visited a page synopsis of your novel or novella. All submissions will receive a response by 31 July.
library more often Details: Eraserhead Press, PO Box 10065, Portland, OR 97296, USA; follow the full guidelines at https://
than they went to eraserheadpress.com/submissions/
cinemas, concerts,
museums or sports
events. Not only
that, but as Gallup
noted, ‘Despite
the proliferation
of digital-based GLOBAL LITERARY MARKET
activities over the
past two decades
– including digital
Aim for the crown
books, podcasts,
streaming Gary Dalkin
entertainment
services and Persea Books is a New York-based publisher of literary fiction and creative
advanced gaming non-fiction. Co-founder and editorial director Karen Braziller and poetry
– libraries have editor Gabriel Fried are pleased to receive enquiries from unagented
endured as a place authors. They will consider literary fiction including short story collections,
Americans visit creative non-fiction, memoirs, biography, literary criticism, and books on
nearly monthly on contemporary issues – feminism, LGBTQI+, multicultural, etc. They will also
average.’ consider literary young adult fiction.
Most of all Persea is looking for the ‘fresh voice, a clear point of view, the
‘Years of always
well-written work that will endure.’ They will publish debut books and stay
chasing your
quarry and looking
with an author through further works. Persea Books have published several
for a glimpse – for hundred titles to date, notably works by Anzia Yezierska, Christine de Pizan,
one of those very Pulitzer Prize-winner Oscar Hijuelos, Carl Friedman, Paul Celan, Nazim
special moments Hikmet, Thylias Moss, and Laura Riding.
when you suddenly Queries should include a cover letter, author background and publication
see the full man. history, a synopsis of the proposed work, and a sample chapter. Do not send a
It can be a story complete manuscript. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but state that
detail or a snippet this is the case when submitting, and notify right away if your book is accepted
you find in the elsewhere.
archive.’
All submissions should be sent by email to info@perseabooks.com or by
Journalist and
author Jack post to Persea Books 90 Broad Street, Suite 2100, New York, NY 10004.
Fairweather on Allow at least five months for a response to a mail submission.
the five years that Email submissions will only receive a response if the editors are interested in
went into writing your proposal.
the Costa Book of Full submission guidelines and contact details at on the website: www.
the Year-winning perseabooks.com/contact
The Volunteer.

90 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk


GLOBAL TRAVEL MARKET
Nomads want emotional and sensory travel stories
Jenny Roche
Aiming to ‘uncover the best, the funniest, the freshest,
the most gut wrenching or just the most beautiful
stories’ World Nomads is looking for travel writers,
photographers and film makers around the world to
contribute their ‘personal, authentic stories about
life changing journeys and experiences’. Love, fear,
discovery, connection and transformation are the emotional experiences to
aim for in addition to the sensory experiences of journeys.
To help with submitting articles suitable for this magazine the website
guidelines have a list of questions to ask of your story together with
examples of published stories. There are also lists for photographers
and filmmakers to ask of their stories. To help further, the website has
‘storytelling tips from the pros’.
In the first instance pitch your idea for an article making sure the
theme, content and tone fit with the magazine. Include a title of a
maximum forty characters and a synopsis of no more than 250 words
explaining the story subject, format, category, what makes it emotionally
compelling and why you are the right person to tell it. Also say a little
about yourself and your professional experience. There is an example of a
good pitch on the website.
Payment rates on publication of written stories of 600-800 words is 50¢
per word. See website for photo essay and video story payments.
Website: www.worldnomads.co.uk
Fine words in four categories
The 2020 Segora creative writing competitions are open for entry in four
categories.
• Poetry competition for original, unpublished poems up to 50 lines. The
prizes are £300, £100 and £50. The entry fee is £5 for one, £7.50 for two,
£10 for three, £12.50 for four, £15 for five and £17.50 for six.
• Short story competition for original, unpublished short stories between
1,500 and 3,000 words. The prizes are £300, £100 and £50. The entry fees
are £8 for one, £14 for two and £20 for three.
• Vignette competition for vignettes of 300 words. There is a prize of
£100. The entry fees are £5 for one, £7.50 for two, £10 for three, £12.50 for
four, £15 for five and £17.50 for six.
• One act play competition for original, unpublished and unproduced/
performed playscripts up to 35 minutes. The prizes are £150 and £50.
The closing date is 15 June.
Website: www.poetryproseandplays.com
Long smoke, quick flash
The SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction is open
for entries and has a first prize of $2,000. The winner will
also be nominated for The Best Small Fictions, the Pushcart
Prize and be published in The Smokelong Quarterly in June.
The second prize is $200 and the third, $100. The
runners up and finalists will be published in The Smokelong
Quarterly and finalists will get $50.
Enter original, unpublished short fiction up to 1,000 words. Stories
written in a non-English language accompanied by an English translation
may be entered.
The entry fee is $13.50 up to April 26 and $15.50 after that, and is for up
to two stories in the same submission.
The closing date is 24 May.
Website: www.smokelong.com
www.writers-online.co.uk
WRITERS’ NEWS
E L W RI
V T
IN
TR
G
W
N
K
O W-H O
How are you
feeling?
Patrick Forsyth suggests going beyond
facts to bring your travel writing to life
ukhothai is a World Heritage site, the ruins
S of an ancient city, which now takes the
form of the remnants of stone buildings
spread across an area of parkland. The
wooden buildings that predominated
are long gone. All this is outside a modern town set
an hour’s flight north of Bangkok. I think it attracts a
good many tourists, but they must spread out, certainly
when I visited I found few people around to spoil the
tranquillity. The place is very atmospheric.
While visiting I climbed to Wat Saphan Hin (meaning
‘temple of the stone bridge’). It is approached up a long
steep stretch of uneven steps. The first part is actually
a ramp, a path built up with rocks and stones with an
increasing drop on either side. Half way up irregular steps
take over, but a sure foot is still needed to mount it safely.
The path progresses, pretty much in a straight line until the
ruined Wat is reached 300 metres above the starting point;
it is a hot climb.
In this kind of place there is a lot for a writer to describe.
A carved stone Buddha figure more than twelve metres
high, named Phra Attharat, stands looking across the ruins
of the small temple. There is little there but the outline of
a building surrounded by trees. Whatever there is can be
described factually: the rocky path up, the Buddha figure
(draped with yellow silk), the view over the park and so on.
But in such a place I am reminded that there is another way
to approach this – or indeed any other place you visit. That
is how it makes you feel.
One paragraph I wrote about this was:
It had seemed quiet in the area below. Up high the quiet
took on a whole new dimension. I sat alone for a while on a
stone wall looking out over the area spread out far below: its
various largely terracotta buildings, statues and ruins widely-
spaced amidst the tree scattered parkland displayed minimal
signs of other visitors. Everything seemed a long way off. The
extreme serenity and quiet beauty of the place around me took
over. I could have stayed there, content in the silence, for a
very long time.
The reflective mood brought on by such an atmospheric
place was just one aspect of how I felt, which included
more mundane thoughts: for example I was getting very
hot sitting in the sun after a tiring climb. In reviewing
descriptions that you write it is useful to think separately
about the factual description, what you can actually see
around you, and the feelings that you experience prompted
by your surroundings. You can decide which aspects you
should give priority to and check that together they provide
an impression that fits your intentions.
OCTOBER 2019 91
WRITERS’ NEWS

GLOBAL LITERARY MARKET

FLASHES
Autosport,
Look on the bright side with Book*hug
subtitled Britain’s
best motorsport PDR Lindsay-Salmon
magazine weekly,
is edited by Kevin
Turner. Book*hug Press call themselves ‘a radically optimistic
Details: Autosport, Canadian independent literary press’. They publish
Sport Media innovative and contemporary books of literary fiction,
UK Ltd, 1 Eton nonfiction, literature in translation and poetry. They
Street, Richmond want ‘work that meaningfully contributes to and reflects
TW9 1AG; 020 culture and society; books that challenge and push at the
3405 8100; email:
boundaries of cultural expectations.’
autosport@
autosport.com;
Check out the publishing list at the website, read the
website: www. detailed guidelines and what the editors want. Submit a
autosport.com disposable manuscript by post. Include ‘an introductory
letter’ describing the work and which two other
Children’s Book*hug titles the work is closest to, or which authors
publishers Puffin the work is similar to.
are to publish a Response time is ‘approximately six months’. Rights
new middle-grade and royalties are discussed with the contract.
book from Charlie Details: Book*hug Press, 260 Ryding Avenue,
Higson, billed as
‘Adrian Mole for a
Toronto, Ontario M6N 1H5 Canada; email: jay@
new generation’. bookhugpress.ca; website: https://bookhugpress.ca
Worst. Holiday.
Ever. is ‘a warm
and funny story
about facing
fears, dealing with Be part of the Find your voice for Frome
worries, and how
it’s okay to be poetry canon The 2020 Frome Festival Short Story Competition is open for entries.
anxious, scared,
The international competition is for original, unpublished short stories
and sometimes a
little bit brave’, out
Live poetry organisation Live between 1,000 and 2,200 words. There is a first prize of £400, a second prize
in May. Canon has three competitions of £200 and a third prize of £100, with additional local prizes for writers living
inviting entries. within a 25-mile radius of Frome Library. This year’s judge is Bel Mooney.
Chocolat author • The 2020 Live Canon The entry fee is £8 per story.
Joanne Harris Pamphlet Collection is for The closing date is 31 May.
has been pamphlets between 18 and 35 Website: www.fromeshortstorycompetition.co.uk/
appointed Chair poems. Four winning pamphlets
of the Society of will be selected for publication
Authors’ board.
She succeeds
by Live Canon Poetry Press. The Encouraging emerging writers
David Donachi for
entry fee is £12 per pamphlet.
a two-year term The closing date is 31 March. The Belfast Book Festival is inviting entries for the Mairtín Crawford Awards for
as Chair of the • The 2020 International Poetry and Short Story.
SoA Management Poetry Competition has a first The Awards are aimed at emerging writers who have not yet published a full
Committee, which prize of £1,000 for a single poem. collection of poetry or short stories, or a novel.
sets the society’s There is also a £100 prize for There is a £500 in each category and prize winners will be invited to read at
strategy and the best entry written by a poet the Belfast Book Festival .
policies. living, working or studying in the Enter 3-5 poems or short stories up to 2,500 words.
Website: www. London Borough of Greenwich. There is a £6 fee per entry.
societyofauthors.
Winners and longlisted poets will The closing date is 29 April.
org.uk
be published in an anthology. Website: www.belfastbookfestival.com/mairtin-crawford
‘I’ve always Enter poems of any length. The
enjoyed the entry fees are £6.50 for one
idea of total poem, £12 for two, £16 for three,
mundanity, and £20 for four and £35 for ten. The Find new words for Wasafiri
the struggles and closing date is 12 May.
the happinesses of • The 2020 Live Canon The Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize 2020 is open for entry.
ordinary life, and Collection Competition is for full There are three categories, each with a £1,000 prize: fiction, poetry and life writing.
then contrasting collections of 35+ poems. There Winners will be published in print and online, and will be offered the Chapter and
it with something
a bit strange;
are categories for first collection Verse or Free Reads mentoring. Shortlisted writers will be published online and
the possibility and second and subsequent may be offered Free Reads mentoring. The judges are Simon Prosser (fiction), Aida
of magic in the collections. Three books will be Edemariam (life writing) and Raymond Antrobus (poetry). The chair of judges in
everyday.’ selected for publication with Live Kadija Sesay. Writers entering the competition must not have published a book-length
Naomi Ishiguro, Canon. The entry fee is £12 per work in the category they are entering. Self-published writers may enter.
whose debut short manuscript. The closing date is Enter original, unpublished work up to 3,000 words, or up to three poems.
story collection is 25 May. The entry fee is £10 for a single entry in one category and £16 for a double entry.
out now Website: www.livecanon. The closing date is 1 June.
co.uk Website: www.wasafiri.org/new-writing-prize/

92 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk


UK MAGAZINE MARKET
Finding new ways of being a Lady
Tina Jackson
pin down an age, now? I think we need to
talk about age in a new way, and that’s why
The Lady has survived. We get readers who
are in their nineties, and write in about
having got their first job as a nanny or
cleaner through The Lady. And then you get
young people who love it because they’ll get
jobs through the small ads. And then there
are the forty and fifty-year-olds, so we stand
between Grazia and Good Housekeeping.’
The Lady’s coverage is as wide-ranging
as its readers’ interests. ‘We cover literally
anything,’ said Maxine. ‘Everything that
you’d have in a women’s magazine. This issue
we’ve got Miranda Hart on the cover – she’s
a perfect person for us – very intelligent,
talented, had a bit of a problem in her
thirties and forties with what she wanted
to do. And then she came back, and she’s
talking about friends and friendships and the
people who supported her. We don’t want to
be Vogue or Grazia or Hello! We want to say,
The Lady, the UK’s longest running weekly this is what normal life is like, and it can be
magazine for women, is reinventing itself for difficult. It’s okay to say, I’ve been depressed,
a wide-ranging modern readership. I’ve gone through the menopause.’
‘I think what we’re trying to do is Health and wellbeing coverage is realistic
reach a slightly younger audience than and practical. ‘The new issue of has Britt
people assume – people assume it’s for Ekland talking about having Botox in her
60-somethings,’ said editor Maxine sixties. So our health message is, if you want
Firth. ‘I’m 47, and trying to aim for my to have the tweakments, this is our advice.
demographic and above, fifty-somethings. And these are the alternatives. I think what
And not assuming it’s all people with we’re trying to do is say that age doesn’t have
children. Our readers are individuals. Liz to be a number. How we think about age no
Hodgkinson, who writes for us, really fits is so different.’
our demographic. She’s 72, has children, The Lady’s jobs ads are a unique selling
grandchildren, but she still works, and needs point for readers interested in widening
to. She’s fit and healthy, is always doing their horizons. ‘Most of our readers are
things, not sitting at home.’ people who have done the most amazing
Maxine is passionate that her readers aren’t things,’ said Maxine. ‘Lots of our readers
pigeonholed or stereotyped. ‘How do you answered an advert in The Lady which
Audience participation
with Punchdrunk
The Third Day, the world’s first immersive TV drama from
Punchdrunk, will air on Sky and HBO in May.
The first episode of The Third Day to be screened will
be Summer, which sees Sam (played by Jude Law) drawn
to a mysterious island whose inhabitants are determined to
preserve their traditions.
Following Summer, there will be an immersive live
theatre event from world-renowned company Punchdrunk
where audience members will be able to inhabit the story
as it happens. Audiences will also be able to follow the events online.
The Third Day will conclude with three episodes of Winter, starring Naomie Harris and
written by Kit de Waal, Dean O’Loughlin and Dennis Kelly.
The Third Day has been created by writer Dennis Kelly and Punchdrunk artistic director Felix
Barrett. It will screen in May on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in the UK and Ireland, and HBO
in the US.
Website: www.punchdrunk.com/project/the-third-day/
www.writers-online.co.uk
WRITERS’ NEWS
meant they could work abroad. The
Lady opens doors. People see it as an old
fashioned magazine because it’s been going
since 1885 but the reason it’s lasted as long
as it has is that it’s got people appeal. I never
want to patronise those readers. You can be
100 years old, you can be forty or fifty or
twenty, and you can be having an incredible
life. That’s the unique thing about The
Lady. Our readers want to live and see the
world and do their own thing. If I were a
nineteen, twenty-year-old woman then why
not look at The Lady and say, I’m going to
be a housekeeper for a really rich person in
London, or Russia, or Italy?’
A good feature for The Lady gets to the
heart of the issue. ‘It should be well-written,
very honest, and prepared, if it’s first
person, to talk about their lives and include
something that would make the feature
personal,’ said Maxine. Factual accuracy and
grounding the piece in relatable detail are
also important. ‘Back it up with some facts!
Find some good facts and figures and add a
little bit of emotion as well.’
Maxine is happy to accept freelance
contributions. ‘As long as the writer has a
good idea, and a good pitch. Be very specific
about what you can do, and what you want
to write about. The thing that really annoys
me is people who email me and haven’t read
the magazine – pitch something specific
that you think the editor will actually like.
Write for women who are probably 45 and
upwards – 45 to 75. Write as you feel. And
also, interview people as you feel. We need
interesting stories about how people feel.’
The starting rate is 20p a word.
Email: editors@lady.co.uk; website:
https://lady.co.uk
Vision thing
The theme for the HG Wells Short Story
Competition 2020 is ‘Vision’.
The competition is for original,
unpublished short stories between
1,500 and 5,000 words on the theme.
There are two prize categories. The
£1,000 Margaret and Reg Turnhill
Prize is for writers under 21. The
Grand Prize for writers over 21 is
£500. Winners and runners-up will be
published in an anthology.
There is no entry fee for writers under
21. In the over-21s category, the entry
fee is £10 per story, and £5 for students.
The closing date is 6 July.
Website: https://hgwellscompetition.
com/
APRIL 2020 93
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISE HERE Contact Louise Clarke
Tel: 0113 200 2915 or email: louise.clarke@warnersgroup.co.uk

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94 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk
 Competition rules and forms
Enter online at www.writers-online.co.uk or by post, with the ref code in the address,
to: Writing Magazine Competitions (Ref Code xxxxx), Warners Group Publications, West
Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH. Remember to add a front sheet with full contact
details and the name of the competition you are entering (see Rule 3)

To enter:
• 750-word short story competition • Haunted short story competition
(see p33) (see p33)
For stories, maximum 750 words,
on any theme; entry fee £6, £4 for For short stories, 1,500-1,700 words, on
subscribers; closing date, 15 April. the theme ‘haunted’; entry fee £6, £4 for
Ref Code: Mar20/750 subscribers; closing date, 15 May.
Ref Code: Apr20/haunted

• Subscriber-only Journey competition • Wordsworth poetry competition

(see p55)
For writing, 1,500-1,700 words, on Poems, up to 40 lines, a ‘Wordsworth’
a journey of some kind; free entry, theme; entry fee £6, £4 for
subscribers only; closing date, 15 April. subscribers; closing date, 15 May.
Ref Code: Mar20/Journey Ref Code: Apr20/Words

How to enter Competition Entry

Competition Rules
1 Eligibility
All entries must be the original and unpublished work of the
entrant, and not currently submitted for publication nor for any other
competition or award. Each entry must be accompanied by an entry
form, printed here (photocopies are acceptable), unless stated.
Open Competitions are open to any writer, who can submit as many
entries as they choose. Entry fees are £6, £4 for subscribers.
Subscriber-only Competitions are open only to subscribers of
Writing Magazine. Entry is free but you can only submit one entry
per competition.
2 Entry Fees
Cheques or postal orders should be payable to Warners Group
Publications or you can pay by credit card (see form).
3 Manuscripts
Short stories: Entries must be typed in double spacing on single
sides of A4 paper with a front page stating your name, address, phone
number and email address, your story title and word count and the
name of the competition. Entries will be returned if accompanied by
sae. Electronic entries should be a single doc, docx, txt, rtf or pdf file
with the contact details, etc, on p1, and your story commencing on the
second page.
Poetry manuscripts: Entries must be typed in single spacing with
double spacing between stanzas on single sides of A4. Entrant’s name,
address, telephone number and email address must be typed on a
separate A4 sheet. Entries to poetry competitions cannot be returned.
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with the contact details, etc, on p1, and your poem on the second page.
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www.writers-online.co.uk MARCH 2020 95
 My Writing Day
A
na Johns, a former
competitive martial artist,
studied journalism and
worked over twenty years
in the creative arts field
before turning her hand to fiction.
‘I’ve always loved writing but
didn’t attempt a full novel until a life-
changing diagnosis of multiple sclerosis
in 2008 provided the opportunity to
pursue it,’ she says.
‘To regain my mobility and health,
I sold my business, hired a nutritionist,
then started training with my two (then)
young boys in Okinawan karate, which
now makes me laugh. I couldn’t balance
so chose a sport that demanded it. My
goal was to keep our family’s focus on
something positive. It worked. My oldest
son and I travelled all over the country
competing in the professional karate
circuit while working toward our black
belts. Within two years, I earned the
title in kata forms for both national and
international divisions. I knew then I’d
won more than just trophies... I’d won
back my life. So, what was I going to do
with it? Write!
‘Now, as a full-time writer, I tend to
stick to a schedule. I’m up between 4 and
5am and most days hit the gym before
settling in at my desk. When our boys
were still at home, my workday ended
when they arrived home from school,
otherwise the interruptions were constant,
but now, as empty nesters I’ve found if
I’m in the zone I’ll just keep writing.’
Described as ‘a powerful and
heartbreaking literary debut’ The Woman
In The White Kimono is based on the
author’s own family story.
‘Several highpoints have occurred
with the book’s publication,’ Ana
continues. ‘Not only did we debut on
the Globe and Mail’s bestsellers list in
Canada, but the novel is still sitting on
96 APRIL 2020
ANA
JOHNS
The US writer tells Lynne Hackles how a
life-changing diagnosis led to a novel inspired
by real-life events linked to a little-known
era in US and Japanese history
their historical fiction bestsellers list.
Another bright spot was the midwest
book tour my US publisher, Park Row
Books with Harper Collins/Harlequin,
sponsored. And when The Woman In
The White Kimono was chosen as a
BBC Radio2 Book Club Pick my UK
publisher, Legend Press, flew me to
London for the live interview. Such a
thrill! But the readers’ response to the
novel has been the absolute highlight.
I’ve received countless letters and
messages from people telling me the
novel resonated on a deeply personal
level. Learning their heart-breaking
stories has meant the world.
‘Although The Woman In The
White Kimono is a work of fiction,
it’s crafted from historical events, real
people, and true stories, including my
father’s story of the beautiful Japanese
girl he loved while enlisted in the US
Navy. Her family had invited him to a
traditional tea, but despite him learning
the required etiquette and practicing
his Japanese, upon meeting him, an
American sailor, they refused him as a
suitor. His story, and hundreds just like
it, inspired the novel.
‘The novel is told in dual narratives.
In the first, Tori Kovac in present-day
America, put her career as an investigative
reporter on hold to act as caregiver for
her dying father. When Tori finds and
reads a tattered letter covered in Japanese
symbols, she learns a shocking revelation
– one that calls into question everything
she understood about her father, her
family, and herself.
‘In the second narrative, we unpack
the secrets of the letter and meet Naoko,
a seventeen-year-old Japanese girl in
post-WWII 1950s Japan. A time when
ancient traditions clashed with American
culture forcing unimaginable choices
with consequences that would ripple
www.writers-online.co.uk
across generations.
‘I endeavoured to make both
narratives as historically accurate in
both environment and social protocol
as possible. This research was labour
LISTEN intensive, six years, with some days
TAP HERE only a single paragraph making it onto
To hear an the page. The internet was invaluable,
extract from not only for its numerous articles and
The Woman
in the White resources, but for the ability to virtually
Kimono travel the world and meet those with
first-hand experience – US vets and
Japanese brides. But it was in finding
and meeting the one hundred adult
children born to Japanese women
and American servicemen who were
surrendered to the Elizabeth Saunders
Home orphanage in Japan that
made all the difference. To put it in
perspective, ten thousand babies were
born to Japanese women and American
servicemen before, during, and after
the occupation, but most didn’t survive.
They did.
‘While The Woman In The White
Kimono began with my father’s story and
evolved with characters inspired by US
military vets and the adoptees, it’s really
not a story about them so much as for
them. I hope they see it as a love letter.
One of hope and ultimately triumph
because they survived.’
Website: www.anajohns.com
Writing place
‘I’m fortunate to have a dedicated home office where I
sit at a white French writing desk with a pretty tree-
lined view. A small chandelier from my old studio holds
sentiment and the light just so overhead and the walls
are lined with white bookcases, favourite novels, and
small framed photos of family and friends. Oh, and
the opposite wall is home to a large project table my
husband built for me with idea board. It’s a lovely place
to lose myself in a story and work.’
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 N OT E S F R O M T H E M A R G I N
Male
order
Writers often fall unwittingly into
creating gender stereotypes, says
Lorraine Mace, as she gives them
– and herself – a dressing down
I
have been wondering how many writers are subconscious
sexists. I don’t mean the deliberate nastiness of putting anyone
down because of gender, but in the sense of writing our
characters into gender confining boxes without even realising
we are doing so.
This is not something I would normally think about, but a writer
friend recently told me he was shocked to find he had pigeonholed
one of his characters and only saw what he’d done when his wife read
the story and challenged him on it.
My friend (who has asked to remain nameless, so I am going to call
him John) had crafted a story with a strong female lead. He thought
he’d really hit the right note by making her subordinate sidekick male.
The pair were on the trail of a seedy minor drug dealer, not realising
they were straying into much deeper waters. The minor dealer was
working for a very dangerous man indeed. So far so good. The female
called the shots and the man followed her commands. That is, until
she was caught by one of the goons who worked for the drug baron.
At this point, everything John had intended went out the window and
the old stereotypical pattern kicked in.
The helpless female needed to be rescued by her gallant male
partner. Not only that, but her gratitude caused her to look at him in
an entirely new light. He was her hero!
John’s wife threw the pages at him when she’d finished reading. ‘I
thought you were going to make the woman the strong character in
the story,’ she said. ‘But I did,’ said John, truly believing he had. It
was only when she made him read the final pages in isolation that he
realised he should have had the man captured and the woman carry
out the rescue. As John said, ‘I really didn’t intend to be that kind of
stereotypical writer, but that’s how my male brain took the story!’
To be fair, it’s not just a male trait. An author I worked with
years ago, a woman this time, had a tendency to make her female
characters run away, scream, cry, wail and shake, while all the male
characters were bold, brave, courageous and keen to protect their
families from flesh-eating monsters. I can remember asking her at
98 APRIL 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk
the time what she would have done if someone or something had
tried to eat her own children. Would she have run away and left
them to their fate? ‘Absolutely not,’ she replied. ‘I’d have picked
up anything I could find to use as a weapon and gone at them, no
matter what size, to protect my babies.’
I’m pleased to say she got the message and the women of her world
fought bravely alongside the menfolk – apart from one or two females
who were either cowards or collaborators, but as that applied to a few
of the men as well, that was fine.
Which brings me on to a male author whose book I worked
on. He created a fabulous fantasy world based on a matriarchal
society. However, when that society came under attack, all
the heroes with one exception, were male. The person sent to
find help was male. The leader of the group of mercenaries he
brought back to the village was male, as were all the fighters
under the prince’s command, bar one solitary female who was
so emotionally damaged she made mistakes that put the others
at risk. To be fair, in the final scenes she sacrificed herself to
save everyone else, but this was her only claim to courageous
behaviour. Surely, in a matriarchal society there would be
female warriors?
Why create such a society if you are still going to perpetrate gender
stereotypes within it?
So then I started thinking about my own writing. Was I also guilty
of subconscious gender bias? I was fairly certain I wasn’t. How could
I be when I’d created Detective Sergeant Cathy Connors? Known as
CC to her friends and those few colleagues she allows to get close
enough, she is a forceful character who doesn’t take nonsense from
anyone. She terrifies the local bad guys because of her martial arts
skills. She’s intelligent, funny, loud, outrageous in dress and attitude
and I love her to bits.
I was feeling really smug until it hit me that CC is the only strong
female I’ve created. My books are very much male dominated. Note to
self: stop being sexist!
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106 MARCH 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk
 Why Not Be
A Writer?
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 Competition
Guide
OVERION
2020
£1 MILL
to be wo n
izes
in writing pr
MORE THTOAENNTE7R50
COMPS

INSIDE OUR BIGGEST

COMPETITION GUIDE YET:
DETAILS OF OVER 750
COMPETITIONS TO ENTER
PRIZE MONEY TOTALLING
£1.1 MILLION
READ WINNING ENTRIES You can
FROM PAST COMPETITIONS
PLUS: GET A SNEAK PEEK AT
do it!
UPCOMING WM COMPETITIONS
 NEWL
DIGITA
SPECIAL

Take a deep dive into Dickens’ iconic novel to understand his storytelling techniques
and style, and how those might be applied to your own work.
This guide includes a detailed look at Oliver Twist’s style, structure, characters and more.

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 EDITOR’S LETTER

Competition
Guide
OVER
£1 MILLION
to be won
in writing prizes
2020 Competition Special 2020
Dear Reader
MORE THAN 750
TO ENTER
COMPS

INSIDE OUR BIGGEST

COMPETITION GUIDE YET:
Long-term WM readers will know that I usually like to use this
DETAILS OF OVER 750
COMPETITIONS TO ENTER
spot to encourage you to enter competitions and spread your
PRIZE MONEY TOTALLING
£1.1 MILLION
wings, and this year is no different!
You can
READ WINNING ENTRIES
FROM PAST COMPETITIONS
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The fact is, entering competitions is great for your writing in
PLUS: GET A SNEAK PEEK AT
UPCOMING WM COMPETITIONS so many ways: encouraging you to try something different or
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Assistant editor: Tina Jackson I guarantee you will find something new in the next thirty pages:
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Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk 3

 COMPETITION GUIDE 2020

Open competitions £250

Sharpen your pencils and plots with a sneak peek at our TO BE WO
competition programme for the end of 2020 EVERY MO N
NTH
All the competitions previewed on this page are open to any writer. Enter online at
www.writers-online.co.uk or see the relevant issue of Writing Magazine for more
details. Prizes are £200 and £50 each month, with publication in WM for the winner.
Please note, competitions will open for entries on publication of the full competition
details in the relevant issue of Writing Magazine.

JULY
Dark tales
From creepy spec fic to bleak psychological
thrillers, make you story nasty and ghastly so it
puts the frighteners on us to win this competition.

Who loves who and how the situation

SEPTEMBER
Dystopian
Whatever genre you chose
to write and whatever issues
caused your dystopia to exist,
explore the idea of ‘what if’ to
create future and alternative
worlds in stories you enter.
AUGUST plays out is up to you – we’re looking for
all kinds of love stories, from those that
Love break your heart to the ones that make
you believe in happy ever after.
OCTOBER
500 Words
Keep it short to get a
sweet result. Make every
word count as you tell any
kind of story, in any kind of
style or form as long it’s no
longer than 500 words.

NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Epistolary
Open
People writing to each other is a great
way for writers to drip-feed their story, The choice is yours for this competition
so tell yours via letters, emails, tweets, – any story, any style, any genre.
texts... even smoke signals! It’s up to you. Just make sure
it’s a winner!

4 www.writers-online.co.uk Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020

 COMPETITION GUIDE 2020

SUBSCRIBER–ONLY
Short story competitions £125
TO BE WO
The short story competitions previewed here are open only to subscribers
EVERY MON
of Writing Magazine. Enter online at www.writers-online.co.uk or see the NTH
relevant issue of WM for more details. Prizes are £100 and £25 each month, with
publication in WM for the winner.

SEPTEMBER
First person
JULY
Whether your first-person narrator is reliable or
Stranger unreliable, letting your story unfold in their own
words lets you experiment with voice, style
Who is the stranger and point of view.
in your story, are
they friend or foe,
and what effect
do they have on
the fictional world
they enter? We’re
looking forward
to meeting the
strangers in your NOVEMBER
stories. Senses
Play with texture and style in your
fiction by bringing the senses to
life in words. Sight, sound, touch,
taste, hearing – how will you
convey these in your story?

Open poetry competitions £150

TO BE WO
EVERY MON
NTH

AUGUST
Different reality
Use your poetic imagination to depart
from reality and conjure different
OCTOBER
possibilities in poems of any style. Crime poem
Crimes against a person?
Crimes against humanity?
Chose any style, from ballads to
beat poetry, to rhyme the crime
DECEMBER and win this competition.
Open
What’s the best unpublished poem
you’ve written all year? Whatever style
it is, and whatever subject, that’s the
one to enter in WM’s annual Open
Poetry Competition.

Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk 5

COMPETITION
COMPETITION GUIDE 2020
2020

CO M P E T I T I O N
GUIDE 2020 Pick your favourites and start scheduling
your entries with over 750 competitions to
enter. This could be the year you win big!

APRIL Orison Books Poetry and Fiction Tusculum Review Poetry

Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize
Prose on the theme ‘Forgiveness and
Retribution’ up to 2,500 words
Prizes: £10,000; £3,000, £2,000
Free entry
Closing date: 1 April
Black Lawrence Press Hudson
Prize
An unpublished collection of poems or
short stories
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 April
Cowles Poetry Book Prize
Poetry collections, 48-100 pages
Prizes: $2,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 April
Four Way Books Levis Prize in
Poetry
Poetry collections, 48-100 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 1 April
Globe Soup Travel Writing
Competition
Unpublished travel writing, up to 1,000
words
Prizes: £1,000 and publication
Entry fee: £8
Closing date: 1 April
Killer Nashville Claymore Award
Unpublished manuscripts with elements of
thriller, mystery, crime or suspense
Prizes: $3,000 prize fund, plus publication
Entry fee: $40
Closing date: 1 April
Prizes Chapbook Prize
Novels, novellas or fiction collections of Poetry manuscripts, 20-30 pages
at least 30,000 words; poetry collections, Prizes: $1,000 and publication
50-100 pages Entry fee: $20
Prizes: $1,500 and publication in each Closing date: 1 April
category
Entry fee: $30 Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry
Closing date: 1 April, annual Contest
Highly enjoyable annual competition for
The Pinch Literary Awards humorous and spoof poetry, up to 250 lines
Fiction and non-fiction, each under 5,000 Prizes: $1,000, $250, ten $100 Honorable
words; up to 3 poems, any length Mentions
Prizes: $1,000 and publication in each Free entry
category Closing date: 1 April
Entry fee: $20, $10 each additional Tel: +1 413 320 1847
Closing date: 1 April adam@winningwriters.com
www.winningwriters.com/wergle
Red Hen Press Non-Fiction Award
A non-fiction manuscript, over 150 pages Puerto Del Sol Competitions
Prizes: $1,000 and publication Fiction and non-fiction, max 25 pages; up
Entry fee: $25 to 3 poems
Closing date: 1 April Prizes: $500 and publication in each category
Entry fee: $9
Saturnalia Books Poetry Prize Closing date: 2 April
Poetry collections, longer than 48 pages
Prizes: $1,500, $500 and publication Torch Prize for Creative Non-Fiction
Entry fee: $30 One piece of creative non-fiction, up to 30
Closing date: 1 April double spaced pages
Prizes: $500 and publication
Short Grain Contest Entry fee: $23
Poetry, max 100 lines, or fiction, max 2,500 Closing date: 2 April
words
Prizes: Can$1,000, $750, $500 and Edge Hill Short Story Prize
publication, in each category Published short story collections
Entry fee: $40, international entries $60 Prizes: £10,000, £1,000 Readers’ Prize
Closing date: 1 April Free entry
Closing date: 3 April
SPR Book Prizes
Books published on Amazon before entry, Red Planet Prize
never available elsewhere New TV series drama scripts
Prizes: SPR reader review packages on Amazon Prizes: Script commission and masterclasses
Entry fee: $30 with award-winning writers
Closing date: 1 April Free entry
Closing date: 3 April

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 COMPETITION GUIDE 2020

Furious Fiction York Poetry Prize Loraine Williams Poetry Prize

500-word short stories, written in 55 hours Poems up to 40 lines Up to three poems, up to ten pages total
Prizes: Aus$500 Prizes: £600, £150, £75, £50. £40; £100 Prizes: $1,500 and publication
Free entry for best international entrant; York postcode Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 5 April, first Sunday each month prize £50 Closing date: 15 April
Entry fee: £7.50, £12 for 2, £15 for 3
Kraken Book Prize for Middle- Closing date: 13 April Magpie Award for Poetry
Grade Fiction Unpublished poems up to 100 lines
Middle-grade books, 120-350 pages Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry Prizes: $500, 2x$50
Prizes: $750 and publication Poetry collections, 48-100 pages Entry fee: $25, $10 each subsequent
Entry fee: $25 Prizes: $1,000 and publication; $500 Closing date: 15 April
Closing date: 6 April Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 April New Ohio Review Prizes
Wainwright Golden Beer Book Fiction and non-fiction, up to 20 pages,
Prize Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest and poetry, up to 6
Novels on the outdoors, nature and UK- Deliberately bad opening lines to novels, Prizes: $1,500 in each category
based travel writing comic writing inspired by Edward Bulwer- Entry fee: $20
Prizes: £5,000 Lytton’s notorious Paul Clifford opening, Closing date: 15 April
Free entry ‘It was a dark and stormy night...’
Closing date: 8 April Prizes: Modest prizes ($250 Grand Prize), but Panther Creek Book Award in
a lot of interest non-fiction
GVCA New Deal Writing Free entry Unpublished book-length non-fiction
Competition Closing date: 15 April Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Short stories, up to 10,000 words, inspired Entry fee: $20
by a painting, shown on the website CantoMundo Poetry Prize Closing date: 15 April
Prizes: $200, $100, $50 Poetry collections, 48-90 pages, by Latinx
Entry fee: $5 writers RA & Pin Drop Short Story Award
Closing date: 10 April Prizes: $1,000 and publication Short stories up to 4,000 words
Entry fee: $28 Prizes: A reading by a special guest at an
Oberon Poetry Prize Closing date: 15 April, TBC evening at the Royal Academy of Arts
Single poems, submit up to 3 Free entry
Prizes: $1,000 and publication Etel Adnan Poetry Prize Closing date: 15 April, TBC
Entry fee: $18 Poetry collections, 48-90 pages, by a writer
Closing date: 10 April of Arab heritage Slope Editions Book Prize
Prizes: $1,000 and publication Unpublished poetry collections, 40-90
Laura Literary Awards Entry fee: $25 pages, by US poets
Short stories, up to 1,500 words; poems, up Closing date: 15 April Prizes: $1,000 and publication
to 60 lines Entry fee: $25
Prizes: Aus$780 prize fund Everything Change Climate Closing date: 15 April
Entry fee: $10 Fiction Contest
Closing date: 10 April Short fiction, up to 5,000 words Zone 3 Press Award
Prizes: $1,000, 9x$100 Poetry manuscripts this year, 48-80 pages
NYC Midnight Screenwriting Free entry Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Challenge Closing date: 15 April Entry fee: $20
Screenwriting tournament in three heats Closing date: 15 April
spanning four months Gulf Coast Contests
Prizes: $3,750, $1,250, $500, $300, $200; Stories and essays, up to 25 pages, or up to C Michael Curtis Prize
plus software 5 poems of no more than 10 pages Short story collections, 140-220 pages, by
Entry fee: $45-$55 Prizes: $1,500, 2x$250, in each category writers who lived in the US southern states
Closing date: register by 12 April Entry fee: $23 Prizes: $10,000 and publication
Closing date: 15 April Entry fee: $25
Retreat West Micro Fiction Closing date: 1 April
Competition Hektoen International Essay
Fiction, 100 words exactly, to a prompt Competition Prism Grouse Grind Prize for V
posted on the website at the start of each Articles, up to 1,600 words, related to Short Forms
month medical humanities Fiction and non-fiction, up to 300 words
Prizes: 50% of total entry fees received Prizes: $3,000 plus publication; $800 Prizes: Can$500, $150, $50
Entry fee: £4 Free entry Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 12 April, monthly Closing date: 15 April, TBC Closing date: 16 April

Omnidawn Broadside Poetry
Prize
Single poems, 8-24 lines
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $10, $5 each additional
Closing date: 13 April
Leicester Writes Short Story
Prize
Short stories up to 3,000 words
Prizes: £125, £50, £25
Entry fee: £7, £3 Leicestershire writers
Closing date: 20 April
Sustainable Societies: Full-
length Film Screenplays
Film screenplays on sustainable living
Prizes: £500, £200, £100, 3 x £50
Free entry
Closing date: 18 April, TBC

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COMPETITION GUIDE 2020

Quiet Man Dave Prize Mairtín Crawford Awards Craft Short Fiction Award
Flash fiction and non-fiction, up to 500 3-5 poems; short stories, up to 2,500 words Short stories up to 5,000 words
words Prizes: £500 and invitation to read at Belfast Prizes: $2,000, $500 and $300, and
Prizes: £1,000, £200, £50 Book Festival publication
Entry fee: £5 Entry fee: £6 Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 17 April Closing date: 29 April Closing date: 30 April
Tel: 0161 247 1787
writingschool@mmu.ac.uk Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry Dark Tales Short Story
www2.mmu.ac.uk/qmdprize/ Up to three poems, max 10 lines total Ongoing monthly comp for horror and sci-
Prizes: $1,500 fi short stories, up to 5,000 words
Dr William Henry Drummond Entry fee: $15 Prizes: £100 for each monthly winner plus
Poetry Contest Closing date: 30 April publication in Dark Tales
Poems, up to 50 lines, by Canadian residents Entry fee: £4, £8 with critique, £20 with edit
Prizes: Can$300, $200, $100, 8x$75, 8x$50 Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize and critique
Entry fee: $10 Poetry collections, over 48 pages, by Closing date: monthly, last day each month
Closing date: 19 April, TBC unpublished poets
Prizes: $5,000 and publication Diagram/New Michigan Press
Bath Short Story Award Entry fee: $25 Chapbook Contest
Short stories up to 2,200 words, in any style Closing date: 30 April Chapbook-length prose and poetry
and on any subject manuscripts, 18-44 pages
Prizes: £1,200, £300, £100, £50 for the best Aitken Alexander Non-Fiction Prizes: $1,000 and publication
local writer, £100 Acorn Award for the best Prize Entry fee: $20
story by an unpublished writer First book proposals, 3,000-4,000 by Closing date: 30 April
Entry fee: £8 academics
Closing date: 20 April Prizes: £25,000 and publication FanStory
Free entry Busy programme of competitions, closing
53-word Story Contest Closing date: 30 April every few days, for flash, short stories,
Stories of exactly 53 words, to a different poetry and more
prompt each month Al Blanchard Award Prizes: $100 each comp
Prizes: Publication in Prime Number Crime fiction, up to 5,000 words, set in Free entry, but for (paid) site members only
magazine; free book New England or by authors from there Closing date: 30 April, constant
Free entry Prizes: $100
Closing date: 21 April, and 21st of each month Free entry Furphy Literary Award
Closing date: 30 April Unpublished fiction or narrative non-fiction
Poets Meet Politics International on the theme ‘Australian life’, under 5,000
Open Poetry Competition Berkshire Prize words, by Australian residents
Poems up to 40 lines, related to politics Poetry manuscripts, 48-88 pages, by Prizes: Aus$15,000, university residency,
Prizes: €500, €250, €100 poets who have had no or one collection publication
Entry fee: €12 for up to three published Free entry
Closing date: TBC, 22 April in 2019 Prizes: $3,000 plus publication Closing date: 30 April
Entry fee: $30
Sixfold Short Story and Poetry Closing date: 30 April Ghost Story Supernatural
Contest Fiction Award
Short stories, up to 20 pages, and poetry, up Bristol Short Story Prize Short stories, 1,500-10,000 words, with
to 10 pages Stories on any theme, up to 4,000 words supernatural themes, broadly defined
Prizes: $1,000 and publication, in each Prizes: £1,000, £500, £250, 17 £100 Prizes: $1,000, 2x$250
category shortlisted. All published in prize anthology Entry fee: $20
Entry fee: $5 Entry fee: £9 Closing date: 30 April
Closing date: 23 April, quarterly, 23 July and Closing date: 30 April
23 October Grey Hen Poetry Competition
Carlo Annoni Prize For poems, up to 40 lines, by women 60+
Holland Park Press For plays in Italian or English on issues Prizes: £100, £50, £25, website publication
Poems, up to 50 lines, on the theme ‘Is relating to the LGBTQ+ community Entry fee: £3, £10 for four
royalty relevant?’ Prizes: €1,000 in each language Closing date: 30 April
Prizes: £200 and publication Free entry Tel: 01535 645711
Free entry Closing date: 30 April
Closing date: 27 April Hastings Writers Room
Cranked Anvil Short Story ‘Misrepresentation’
Grindstone Literary Prizes Competition Short stories, up to 1,500 words, on the
Short stories, up to 3,000 words; poems, up Short stories, up to 1,500 words; quarterly theme ‘misrepresentation’
to 40 lines Prizes: £150, £75, £30 Prizes: Gold and silver memberships of
Prizes: £500, £200, 4x£50 in each category Entry fee: £5, £3 for second, £2 for third Retreat West
Entry fee: £8 Closing date: quarterly, 30 April, 31 July, 31 Entry fee: £6, £10 for two
Closing date: 28 April, for short stories, 28 October Closing date: 30 April
May for poems enter@crankedanvil.co.uk comps@hastingswritersroom.org
https://crankedanvil.co.uk/shortstory/ www.hastingswritersroom.org/competitions

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 COMPETITION GUIDE 2020

Hillary Gravendyk Prize Nimrod Literary Awards Tom Howard/John H Reid

Poetry collections, 48-100 pages, by US Fiction up to 7,500 words or 3-10 pages of Fiction and Essay Contest
poets poetry, by US residents Short stories, essays or other prose, up to
Prizes: $1,000; $1,000 for best entry from Prizes: $2,000, $1,000 in both categories, 6,000 words. International entries welcome
South California plus publication Prizes: $3,000 and ten $100 honourable
Entry fee: $20 Entry fee: $20 mentions, in each category
Closing date: 30 April Closing date: 30 April, annual Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 30 April
Inkitt Short Story and Fanfic Poetica Christi Press Annual Tel: +1 413 320 1847
Contests Poetry Competition adam@winningwriters.com
Monthly competitions for short stories, Poems on a theme TBA, max 50 lines, by www.winningwriters.com/tomstory
5,000-10,000 words, and fanfic, over 7,500 Australian residents
words Prizes: Aus$300, $100 Trio Award for first and second
Prizes: $150, $50, $30 Entry fee: $7 Poetry Books
Free entry Closing date: 30 April Poetry collections, 48-70 pages, by US poets
Closing date: 30 April, last of each month Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Poetry International Prize Entry fee: $25
Iowa Poetry Prize Poems, submit up to 3 Closing date: 30 April
Poetry collections, 50-150 pages Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Prizes: Publication by University of Iowa Entry fee: $15, $3 each additional
Press under a standard contract Closing date: 30 April
MAY
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 30 April Preservation Foundation Carter V Cooper Short Fiction
General non-fiction contest Competition
John Byrne Quarterly Award Non-fiction, 1,000-10,000 words Short fiction, up to 10,000 words
Quarterly prize for any creative work by Prizes: $200, $100 Prizes: Can$10,000, $5,000
Scottish residents Free entry Entry fee: $30
Prizes: £500 Closing date: 30 April Closing date: 1 May
Free entry
Closing dates: quarterly, 30 April, 31 July SA Writers College Short Story Crucible Poetry and Fiction
and 31 Oct Competition Competition
Short stories, up to 2,000 words by Short stories up to 8,000 words; up to 5 poems
Louise Bogan Award unpublished South African writers Prizes: $150, $100
Poetry collections, 48-70 pages, by US poets Prizes: R10,000, R5,000, R2,500 Free entry
Prizes: $1,000 and publication Free entry Closing date: 1 May
Entry fee: $25 Closing date: 30 April
Closing date: 30 April Curt Johnson Prose Awards
SI Leeds Literary Prize Fiction and non-fiction, up to 8,000 words
Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize Biennial prize for unpublished fiction Prizes: $1,500, $500 and publication in each
Poetry collections, 48-84 pages (novels or short story collections, no less category
Prizes: $1,000 and publication; 2x$250 than 30,000 words) by Black and Asian Entry fee: $20
Entry fee: $25 women in the UK Closing date: 1 May
Closing date: 30 April Prizes: £3,000, £1,250, £750, plus training
and consultations Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize
Momaya Press Short Story Entry fee: £10 Unpublished short stories between 2,000
Competition Closing date: 30 April and 5,000 words
Short stories up to 3,000 words on the Prizes: Aus $5,000, $3,000, $2,000, £2,500
theme of ‘outsiders’ Sow’s Ear Poetry Review between 3 commended
Prizes: £110, £55, £25 Chapbook Contest Entry fee: $25
Entry fee: £11 Poetry collections, 22-26 pages Closing date: 1 May
Closing date: 30 April Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $40 international entries Francis MacManus/RTE Radio 1
Flash Fiction Day (NZ) Prize Closing date: 30 April Short Story Competition
Short stories, up to 300 words, by New Stories between 1,800 and 2,000 words
Zealand residents Ware Poets Open Poetry from writers from Ireland
Prizes: NZ$1,000, $400, $100; $200, $100 Competition Prizes: €3,000, €2,000, €1,000, 7x€250
and $50 youths Poems up to 50 lines Free entry
Entry fee: $10 Prizes: £600, £300, £150, £150 sonnet prize Closing date: 1 May, TBC, early May
Closing date: 15 April Entry fee: £4, £12 for four, £3 thereafter
Closing date: 30 April Gwendolyn MacEwen Poetry
New Women’s Voices Award Competition
Chapbook poetry collections, 16-35 pages, Writing Quarter A suite of poems, up to 24 pages
by unpublished women Monthly; short stories, up to 3,000 words Prizes: Can$1,500, $1,000, $500 best poem
Prizes: $1,000 and publication Prizes: Aus$30 by a Canadian
Entry fee: $16 Free entry Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 30 April, annual Closing date: 30 April, last of each month Closing date: 1 May, TBC

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COMPETITION GUIDE 2020

The Hal Prize Writers Digest Self-Published Nick Darke Award

Fiction and non-fiction, up to 2,000 words;
poems, no more than a page, by US writers
Prizes: Cash prizes and publication
Entry fee: $5
Closing date: 1 May
Julia Darling Fellowship
Travel fellowship for published/produced
writers living in the north of England
Prizes: £2,000
Free entry
Closing date: 1 May, TBC
Malahat Review Far Horizons
Awards
Up to 3 poems, up to 60 lines each; short
stories, up to 3,500 words
Prizes: Can$1,000
Entry fee: International entries$35
Closing date: 1 May
Meyerson Fiction Prize
Short stories, up to 8,000 words, by writers
who have not had a book published
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 May, TBC
Peseroff Prize
Up to three poems, any form or content
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 1 May
Poetry London Clore Prize
Poetry up to 80 lines
Prizes: £5,000, £2,000, £1,000, 4 x £500
Entry fee: £7, £3 subscribers
Closing date: 1 May
Questions Writing Prize
Short stories, 1,500-2,000 words by
Australian writers aged 18-30
Prizes: Aus$2,000
Free entry
Closing date: 1 May
Rialto Nature and Place Poetry
Competition
Nature poems up to 40 lines
Prizes: £1,000, £500, £250
Entry fee: £7 for the first poem, £4 thereafter
Closing date: 1 May
Richard Snyder Publication Prize
Poetry collections, 48-96 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $27
Closing date: 1 May
Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize
Unpublished full-length poetry collections,
50-70 pages
Prizes: $2,500 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 May
Book Awards Full-length stage plays
Fully self-published books in English Prizes: £6,000
Prizes: $8,000; $1,000 for best in each of 8 Free entry
categories Closing date: 4 May
Entry fee: $125, $99 before 1 April
Closing date: 1 May Leapfrog Press Fiction Contest
Book-length fiction, over 22,000 words
Shore Scripts Short Film Fund Prizes: $1,150 advance and publication; $150
Short scripts between 3 and 13 pages for finalists
Prizes: Production budget of up to $15,000 Entry fee: $33
Entry fee: $50 Closing date: 5 May, TBC
Closing date: 2 May
Wilbur Smith Author of Tomorrow
London Independent Story Prize Adventure stories by writers aged 12-21
Short stories, max 1,500 words; flash, 300 (1,500-5,000 words), or under 11 (up to
words; screenplays, max 30 pages 500 words)
Prizes: £100 for stories and flash, Final Draft Prizes: £1,000, ages 16-21; £100, 12-15;
software for screenplays £100, under-11s, plus book tokens for school
Entry fee: £7, £5 for flash, £10 for Free entry
screenplays Closing date: 5 May
Closing date: 3 May, quarterly
entry@londonindependentstoryprize.co.uk Iota Shots Awards
www.londonindependentstoryprize.co.uk For short poetry pamphlets, 16-20 pages,
up to 40 lines a page
Stringybark Tales with a Twist Prizes: up to two poets will receive 50 copies
Award of their ‘poetry shots’, published by Templar
Short stories, up to 1,500 words Poetry, with launch events and opportunity to
Prizes: $350, $250, $125 appear at live Templar Poetry events
Entry fee: Aus$14 Entry fee: £17 (£18 online)
Closing date: 3 May Closing date: TBC, 6 May in 2019
Stringybark Times Past Award Booksie Flash Fiction Contest
Short stories, up to 1,500 words Flash fiction, up to 500 words, inspired by
Prizes: $350, $250, $125 a picture on the website
Entry fee: Aus$14 Prizes: $500, $100
Closing date: 3 May Entry fee: $6.95
Closing date: 8 May
Anthony Cronin International
Poetry Award Erbacce Prize for Poetry
Poems up to 40 lines Up to five pages of poetry
Prizes: €300, €200, €100 Prizes: Publishing contract
Entry fee: €10 Free entry
Closing date: TBC, 4 May in 2019 Closing date: 8 May
Billy Roche One Act Play Award Live Canon International Poetry
One act plays Competition
Prizes: €300, €200, €100 Poems of any length
Entry fee: €10 Prizes: £1,000, £100 Greenwich Prize,
Closing date: TBC, 4 May in 2019 performance and publication for shortlist
Entry fee: £6.50, £12 for two, £16 for three
Colm Tóibín International Short Closing date: 12 May
Story Award
Short stories, 1,800-2,000 words Atlanta Review International
Prizes: €700, €500, €300 Poetry Competition
Entry fee: €10 Up to three poems, any length
Closing date: TBC, 4 May in 2019 Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $10
Times/Chicken House Children’s Closing date: 15 May
Fiction Comp
For full-length novels, 30,000-80,000 Atlantis Short Story
words, suitable for readers aged 7-18 Competition
Prizes: Publication deal worth £10,000. All Short stories up to 2,500 words
longlisted writers receive an editorial report Prizes: $300, $100, $50, feedback and
Entry fee: £15 publication
Closing date: 4 May Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 15 May, TBC

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 COMPETITION GUIDE 2020

Brick Lane Bookshop Short Ploughshares Emerging Writer Smokelong Quarterly Award for
Story Prize Contest Flash Fiction
Short stories, 1,000-5,000 words Fiction and non-fiction, each under 6,000 Fiction, up to 1,000 words
Prizes: £1,000, £250, £100 words; 3-5 pages of poetry Prizes: $2,000, $200, $100; finalists, $50
Entry fee: £10 Prizes: $2,000 in each category, plus Entry fee: early bird $13.50 for up to 2;
Closing date: 15 May publication $15.50 after 27 April
Entry fee: $24 Closing date: 24 May
Janet B McCabe Poetry Contest Closing date: 15 May, TBC
2 poems, up to 40 lines Live Canon Collection
Prizes: $1,500, $300; plus publication Prophecy Creek award for Competition
Entry fee: $20 Speculative Fiction Poetry collections of 35+ poems
Closing date: 15 May Unpublished book-length speculative Prizes: Three will be chosen for publication
fiction Entry fee: £12
Lorian Hemingway Short Story Prizes: $1,000 and publication Closing date: 25 May
Competition Entry fee: $20
Short stories up to 3,500 words Closing date: 15 May Wigtown Poetry Competition
Prizes: $1,500, 2x$500 For poems, up to 40 lines in English, Scots
Entry fee: $15 before 1 May, then $20 Raymond Carver Short Story or Scots/Irish Gaelic
Closing date: 15 May Prize Prizes: £1,500, £200; Gaelic Prize £500,
Annual competition for short stories, up to £200; Scots Prize £500, £200
Pleiades Press Editor’s Prize for 10,000 words Entry fee: TBC, in previous years, £6.50, £17
Poetry Prizes: $1,500, £500, $250, two $125 editor’s for three, £5 after that
Poetry collections, over 48 pages choices Closing date: 29 May
Prizes: $3,000 plus publication Entry fee: $17 Tel: 01988 402036
Entry fee: $25 Closing date: 15 May mail@wigtownbookfestival.com
Closing date: 15 May, TBC www.wigtownpoetryprize.com
Willowdown Books Cunningham
Stanley Kunitz Memorial Prize Short Story Competition Black Orchid Novella Award
Up to three poems, three pages total Short stories, 1,000-3,000 words Traditional mystery novellas
Prizes: $1,000 and publication Prizes: $125 Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $15 Entry fee: $12 Free entry
Closing date: 15 May Closing date: 15 May Closing date: 31 May

This internationally acclaimed competition

is open for entries on 1 January, offering 20
opportunities for all writers. Now in its
seventeenth year, we know several past
winners have achieved success in the
20
publishing world.

There are FOUR categories, with

significant cash prizes.
WELLS
Festival of Literature
NOVEL
Synopsis and opening chapters, up to 15,000 words International Competitions
F ro m 1 A p r i l t o 3 0 Ju n e 2 0 2 0
SHORT STORY
Up to a maximum of 2,000 words POETRY
POEM £1000, £500, £250 Entry fee £6
A poem with a maximum of 40 lines and the Hilly Cansdale local prize of £100
WRITING WITHOUT RESTRICTION SHORT STORY
Exciting and original - write whatever you like!
£750, £300, £200 Entry fee £6
CLOSING DATE 31st MAY 2020 and the Wyvern local prize of £100
The competition is organised by the Yeovil Community Arts Association
with highly esteemed guest judges from the literary world
A BOOK FOR CHILDREN
For full entry details please see our website at £750, £300, £200 Entry fee £6
and a local prize of £100
www.yeovilprize.co.uk
01749 673244

YOUNG POETS
Or write to Liz Pike at YCAA, The Octagon Theatre, £150, £75, £50 Entry fee £3
YEOVIL, BA20 1UX for an entry form. Please send an SAE.
The Yeovil Community Arts Association is a registered charity wellsfestivalof literature.org.uk
wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk
(no 299372). All profits from The Yeovil Literary Prize are used to competitions@wellsfestivalof
wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk
literature.org.uk
promote the arts and artistic endeavours in and around Yeovil.

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COMPETITION GUIDE 2020
Bacopa Literary Review Contest
Short stories (1,000-1,500 words), creative
non-fiction (up to 2,500 words), poetry (up
to 3 pieces, 88 lines each), haiku and mixed
genre; all details TBC
Prizes: $300 in each
Free entry
Closing date: 31 May
Bath Novel Award
For the first 5,000 words of a novel, plus
one-page synopsis
Prizes: £3,000; 2nd: agent introductions
and manuscript feedback; 3rd: Cornerstones
online course
Entry fee: £28
Closing date: 31 May
Tel: 07791 974681
Black River Chapbook
Competition
Unpublished poetry chapbooks, 16-36 pages
Prizes: $500 and publication
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 31 May, biannual, and 31 Oct
Bluepencilagency First Novel
Prize
The first chapter of an unpublished novel
up to 5,000 words
Prizes: £1,000, manuscript review,
introduction to literary agent Nelle Andrew
Entry fee: £20
Closing date: 31 May
Bridport Prize
For short stories (up to 5,000 words),
novels (first 8,000 words), poetry (up to 42
lines) and flash fiction (up to 250 words)
Prizes: £5,000, £1,000, £500 and ten £100
highly commendeds for short stories and
poetry; £1,000, £500, £250, three £100
highly commendeds for flash fiction; £1,000,
£500, 3x£100 for novels, plus editorial
guidance
Entry fee: £9 per flash fiction, £10 per poem,
£12 per short story, £20 novel
Closing date: 31 May
kate@bridportprize.org.uk
www.bridportprize.org.uk
CBC Poetry Prize
A single poem or collection, totalling up
to 600 words, by a Canadian citizen or
resident
Prizes: Can$6,000, 4 x $1,000 runners-up
Entry fee: Can$25
Closing date: 31 May
Eden Mills Writers Festival
Literary Contest
Short stories and creative non-fiction up to
2,500 words; up to 5 poems. All details to
be confirmed.
Prizes: Can$250 in each category
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 31 May
12 www.writers-online.co.uk
Elixir Press Fiction Award
Novels and short story collections, 120-500
pages
Prizes: $2,000 and publication
Entry fee: $40
Closing date: 31 May
Frogmore Poetry Prize
For poems, any theme/style, up to 40 lines
Prizes: 250 guineas, 75 guineas, 50 guineas,
plus subscriptions to The Frogmore Papers
Entry fee: £4
Closing date: 31 May
Frome Festival Short Story
Short stories, 1,000-2,200 words, any
theme
Prizes: £400, £200, £100, extra prizes for
local entrants
Entry fee: £8
Closing date: 31 May
Hastings Writers Room 5/29
Flash Fiction Competition
For sequences of five 29-word stories, which
should work as a collection
Prizes: Gold and silver memberships of
Retreat West
Entry fee: £7, £10 for two
Closing date: 31 May
comps@hastingswritersroom.org
www.hastingswritersroom.org/competitions
International Welsh Poetry
Competition
Poems up to 50 lines
Prizes: £500, £250, £100, plus 17 runners-up
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 31 May
Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for
Veterans
Creative writing in any genre, up to
20 pages, by a US military veteran or
personnel
Prizes: $1,000 plus publication, $750, 3 x
$500 runners-up
Free entry
Closing date: 31 May
Reflex Quarterly Flash Fiction
Stories between 180 and 360 words
Prizes: £1,000, £500, £250
Entry fee: £7
Closing date: 31 May, quarterly, 30 Aug and
30 Nov
Southword Fiction Chapbook
Competition
Novella, short story collection, collection
of flash fiction or a mixture of stories and
flash, 10,000-15,000 words
Prizes: Two winners (Irish and International)
will have their chapbook published with €250
advance and 20 complimentary copies
Entry fee: €25
Closing date: 31 May
Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020
Retreat West Novelette in flash
Prize
3,000-8,000 words total, made up of flashes
up to 500 words each
Prizes: mentoring, Retreat West membership
Entry fee: £10
Closing date: 31 May
Shooter Short Story Competition
Stories up to 5,000 words
Prizes: £400, £100
Entry fee: £7, £10 for two
Closing date: 31 May
Shore Scripts Screenwriting
Contest
Contests for feature, TV pilot and short
film scripts
Prizes: prizes totalling $20,000
Entry fee: $40
Closing date: 31 May, early deadline
Yeovil Literary Prize
For novels (opening chapters and synopsis,
up to 15,000 words), short stories (max
2,000 words, poems (up to 40 lines),
writing without restrictions, Western
Gazette best local writer
Prizes: Novel: £1,000, £250, £100; Short
story and poetry, £500, £200, £100; Writing
without restrictions: £200, £100, £50; Local
prize: £100
Entry fee: Novel: £12; Short story: £7;
Poetry: £7 for one, £10 for two, £12 for three;
Writing without restrictions: £5
Closing date: 31 May
JUNE
Boulevard Poetry Contest
Groups of three poems by a writer who has
not had a book published
Prizes: $1,000
Entry fee: $16 each category
Closing date: 1 June
Gertrude Stein Award
Short stories, up to 8,000 words
Prizes: $1,000
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 1 June
Lush Triumphant Literary Awards
Short stories, max 3,000 words, creative
non-fiction, max 4,000 words; up to five
poems, max 15 pages
Prizes: Can$1,000 and publication in each
category
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 1 June, TBC
Moon City Press Poetry Award
Poetry collections, over 48 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 June, TBC
 COMPETITION GUIDE 2020

Room Creative Non-Fiction

Contest
Essays, up to 3,500 words
Prizes: $500, $250, $50 and publication
Entry fee: International entries $42
Closing date: 1 June
Short Fiction Prize
Short stories, up to 7,500 words, by current
students of North American universities
and colleges
Prizes: $1,000 and a place at the
Southampton Writers Conference
Free entry
Closing date: 1 June, TBC
Sustainable Societies: Novel
Full length novels touching on ideas of
sustainable societies
Prizes: £500, £200, £100, 3 x £50
Free entry
Closing date: 2 June
Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting
For full-length (at least an hour) new stage
plays written in English, which have not
been published or professionally performed
Prizes: £16,000 for the winner, Judge’s Award
£8,000, Original New Voice Award £8,000
Free entry
Closing date: 5 June, TBC
Farnham Flash Fiction Competition
For flash fiction, up to 500 words, on any
subject
Prizes: £75, £25, £25 for best entry featuring
Farnham
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 5 June
competition@farnhamflashfestival.org.uk
http://www.farnhamfringefestival.org
Writers Digest Annual Writing
Competition
Prose, various lengths, 2,000-4,000 words;
poetry up to 32 lines
Prizes: $5,000 overall; $1,000, $500, $250,
$100, $50, 5x$25 in each of 9 categories
Entry fee: Stories $35, poetry $25; $30/$20
before 4 May
Closing date: 5 June
Christopher Smart Poetry Prize
Poetry collections, 48-120 pages
Prizes: $2,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 6 June
Writers’ Weekend Winchester and
Writing Magazine Short Fiction Contest
The Writers’ Weekend Winchester and Writing Magazine are teaming up to run the
Short Fiction competition to celebrate the opening of the first Writers’ Weekend,
10-12 July, at the University of Winchester. 65 Literary agents, commissioning
editors, published authors and industry professionals will visit the Hampshire city to
give 19 talks, 18 workshops, and over 700 one-to-one sessions with emerging writers
keen to pitch their work and receive supportive feedback. Competition winners will
be announced at the Writers’ Weekend.
For all details and to book, visit: www.writersweekend.uk
Writing Magazine and Writers’ Weekend Short Story Competition
Submit quality short stories on any subject, theme or period (no children’s stories).
Length should be 1,500-3,000 words for each entry.
Each entry must be a complete story. Entries will be judged by Writing Magazine, for
their originality and storytelling excellence.
First prize is £250, publication in Writing Magazine
and one year’s subscription to Writing Magazine, with
subscriptions for second and third.
The closing date is 19 June and the entry fee is £10,
or £8 for WM subscribers.
To enter, visit: https://writ.rs/wmwinch
Other Writers’ Weekend competitions are:
Skylark Fabulous Fiction for Fives to Teens Competition
For the first 3,000 words of a fiction book for children, aimed at three age groups
(5+, 8-12, or 12+). Specify the audience you are writing for and include a one-page
synopsis, with the finished word count (if complete), in the same file.
First prize is £500, with a one-to-one editorial consultation by phone or Skype for
first, second and third.
The Bright Agency Picture Book Competition
Submit a text of no more than 600 words in prose or verse for children aged 3-6.
First prize is £500 and a one-to-one editorial consultation by phone or Skype, with
written editorial feedback for second and book prizes for third.
The Opening of a Novel Competition
Submit the first three pages (12pt double-spaced) of their novel,
plus a 600-word maximum synopsis. Any theme or period.
First prize is £250, with book prizes for second and third.
Written feedback offered on this competition for an additional fee.

Goi Peace International Essay Deadline for all competitions is 19 June

Contest for Young People
Essays of 700 words or fewer in English,
Winners will be announced at the Writers’ Weekend Winchester,
German, Spanish, French or Japanese, by 10-12 July, and on the Writers’ Weekend website.
writers aged under 25
Prizes: ¥100,000, 2x¥50,000, in each
category For all details and to enter, please visit: www.WritersWeekend.uk
Free entry
Closing date: TBC, 15 June in 2019

Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk 13

COMPETITION GUIDE 2020
Hastings Literary Festival
Writing Competition
Short stories, up to 2,500 words, short
stories by BAME writers, up to 5,000
words, poems, up to 40 lines, and flash
fiction, up to 500 words
Prizes: £200, £100, £50 each category, plus
bespoke writer’s surgery for best entry from a
Sussex writer
Entry fee: £7.50, £5 each subsequent
Closing date: 7 June
ALCS Award for Educational
Writing
Traditionally published non-fiction that
enhances learning
Prizes: £2,000
Free entry
Closing date: 10 June
Victoria University Short Story
Prize for New Writers
Short stories up to 3,000 words
Prizes: Aus$6,000, 2x$1,000
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 10 June, TBC
Aurora Poetry & Short Fiction
Open Competition
For short stories up to 2,000 words and
poems up to 40 lines
Prizes: £500, £150 and a Writing School East
Midlands course £50 in each category; £100
and development for the best entry from an
East Midlands writer
Entry fee: £9, £7 for subsequent entries
Closing date: 8 June TBC
Canterbury Festival Poet of the
Year Competition
Poems up to 60 lines
Prizes: £200, £100, £50, £25; people’s
choice, £25; best read, sparkling wine
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 15 June’
Crabbe Competition
Poems, up to 50 lines, by Suffolk poets/
members of the Suffolk Poetry Society
Prizes: £600, £300, £150, 2 x £75
Entry fee: £3
Closing date: 15 June
Creative Future Writers’ Award
Poetry up to 200 words, short fiction up to
2,000 words, by disadvantaged writers
Prizes: £10,000 in development
opportunities
Free entry
Closing date: 15 June, TBC, 15 June in 2019
Hummingbird Flash Fiction
Prize
Short fiction, up to 1,000 words
Prizes: Can$300, $75
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 15 June
14 www.writers-online.co.uk
Living Springs Publishers Stories
Through the Ages Competition
Short stories, 900-4,000 words, by writers
in various adult age ranges
Prizes: $500, $200, $100 in each category
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 June
Narrative Prize
The best short story, novel excerpt, poem,
play, graphic story or piece of literary non-
fiction published in Narrative
Prizes: $4,000
Free entry
Closing date: 15 June, TBC
Omnidawn Poetry Chapbook
Contest
Poetry collections, 20-40 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $18
Closing date: 15 June
Queen Mary Wasafiri New
Writing Prize
Poetry (up to five poems), fiction and life
writing up to 3,000 words
Prizes: £1,000 in each category plus
publication in Wasafiri
Entry fee: £10 for one category, £16 for two
categories
Closing date: 15 June
Segora Short Story and Poetry
Competitions
Short stories between 1,500 and 3,000
words, poems up to 50 lines, vignettes up
to 300 lines, one-act plays
Prizes: £300, £100, £50 for poetry and short
story, £100 for vignettes; £150, £50 for plays;
prize presentation in France, TBA
Entry fee: £5 poems and vignettes, £8 story,
£12 play
Closing date: 15 June
Tel: 00 33 5 49 80 22 96 
jocelynsmms@gmail.com
www.poetryproseandplays.com
Sunday Times/University of
Warwick Young Writer of the
Year Award
The best full-length published or self-
published work of fiction, non-fiction or
poetry by an author under 35
Prizes: £5,000, 3 x £500
Free entry
Closing date: 15 June, TBC
AAWP Slow Canoe Creative
Non-Fiction Prize
Unpublished, narrative-driven non-fiction,
to emerging writers from Australasia
Prizes: Aus$500 and a fully subsidised visit
to the Australasian Association of Writing
Programs (AAWP) conference
Entry fee: Aus$20
Closing date: 30 June
Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020
Bath Flash Fiction Award
Thrice-yearly competition for flash fiction
up to 300 words
Prizes: £1,000, £300, £100, 2x£30
Entry fee: £9
Closing date: 16 June, and October TBC
Eyelands International Short
Story Competition
Short stories up to 2,500 words on the
theme ‘numbers’
Prizes: A week’s holiday for two on Serifos
Entry fee: €10 TBC
Closing date: 20 June
A Midsummer Tale Narrative
Writing Contest
Literary fiction and creative non-fiction,
1,000-5,000 words, on a theme TBC
Prizes: $50, $15, $10 Amazon gift cards
Free entry
Closing date: 21 June, annual
McLellan Poetry Prize
Poems up to 80 lines
Prizes: £1,500, £300, £150, 6x£25
Entry fee: £6, £5 additional
Closing date: 21 June, TBC, 21 June in 2019
Wild Words Summer Solstice
Writing Competition
1,000 words of poetry, prose, song or
spoken word. Theme TBC
Prizes: One-hour mentoring session, online
publication
Entry fee: £7
Closing date: 21 June
Troubadour International Poetry
Prize
Poems, up to 45 lines
Prizes: £2,000, £1,000, £500; smaller prizes
Entry fee: £5, €6, $7 per poem
Closing date: 22 June
Adelaide Plains Poetry
Competition
Poems, up to 60 lines, on theme ‘vision’
Prizes: Aus$700 fund
Entry fee: $10, $5 additional
Closing date: 26 June
James White Award
Science fiction (broadly defined), 2,000-
6,000 words, by non-professional writers
Prizes: £200, plus publication in Interzone
Free entry
Closing date: 28 June, TBC
Retreat West Themed Flash
Fiction Prize
Fiction, up to 500 words, themed each
quarter
Prizes: £200, 2x£100
Entry fee: £8
Closing date: 28 June (theme ‘music’); 27
Sept (theme ‘glass’); 29 Dec (theme ‘bridges’)

VS Pritchett Memorial Prize
Unpublished short stories between 2,000
and 4,000 words
Prizes: £1,000 plus publication in RSL
Review and Prospect online
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 28 June, TBC
Audio Arcadia Short Story
Competition
Short stories up to 5,000 words
Prizes: Anthology publication, royalties
Entry fee: £6.50
Closing date: 30 June
Aura Estrada Short Story Contest
Short stories, up to 5,000 words, theme TBC
Prizes: $500 and publication
Entry fee: $20 for US/Can/Western
European entrants; otherwise free
Closing date: 30 June
Blue Mountain Arts Poetry Card
Competition
Biannual competition for greetings card
poems
Prizes: $350, $200, $100
Free entry
Closing date: 30 June
Boston Review Annual Poetry
Contest
Up to 10 pages, of up to 5 poems
Prizes: $500 and publication
Entry fee: $20 for US/Can/Western
European entrants; otherwise free
Closing date: 30 June
British Czech & Slovak Association
Short stories and non-fiction, up to 2,000
words, exploring the links between Britain
and the Czech/Slovak Republics at any
time. The suggested, but optional, theme
for 2020 is ‘sporting’
Prizes: £400, £150, publication in the British
Czech & Slovak Review
Free entry
Closing date: 30 June
British Fantasy Society Short
Story Competition
For any kind of fantasy short stories, horror,
sf, magic realism etc, up to 5,000 words
Prizes: £100, £50, £20, plus year’s
membership of BFS and publication BFS
Horizons
Entry fee: £5, free for BFS members›
Closing date: 30 June, TBC
Divine Chocolate Poetry Comp
For poems on a chocolatey theme, ‘Where
does the chocolate journey begin?’, in two
kids’ and one adults’ categories
Prizes: Divine chocolate, goodies, book
tokens
Free entry
Closing date: 30 June, TBC
Drue Heinz Literature Prize
Short fiction collections by writers with a
record of publication
Prizes: $15,000
Free entry
Closing date: 30 June
Earlyworks Press Flash Fiction
Flash fiction, up to 100 words
Prizes: £100; cash and books
Entry fee: £5, £20 for up to 6
Closing date: 30 June
Earlyworks Press Poetry
Competition
Poems, up to 40 lines
Prizes: £100; cash and books
Entry fee: £5, £20 for up to 6
Closing date: 30 June
Flash 500 Competitions
Flash fiction, up to 500 words
Prizes: £300, £200 and £100
Entry fee: £5, £8 for two
Closing date: 30 June, quarterly, 30 Sept, 31 Dec
Henshaw Short Story Competition
Quarterly competition for short stories up
to 2,000 words, any theme
Prizes: £200, £100, £50
Entry fee: £6
Closing date: 30 June, quarterly, 30 Sept, 31 Dec
Hidden Review Arts
Playwrighting Award
Full-length, unpublished and unproduced
play scripts
Prizes: $1,000 and a script in hand reading
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 30 June
Impress Prize for New Writers
Full-length debuts from unpublished
fiction and non-fiction writers. Submit
book proposal and sample chapter totalling
no more than 6,000 words
Prizes: £500 and publication by Impress Books
Entry fee: £25
Closing date: 30 June, TBC
L Ron Hubbard Writers of the
Future
Quarterly competition for fantasy and SF
short stories
Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500 each quarter;
overall $5,000 for best of year
Free entry
Closing date: 30 June, quarterly, 30 Sept and
31 Dec
Lascaux Prize for Flash Fiction
Short stories, up to 1,000 words; up to 3
per entry
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 30 June
Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020
COMPETITION GUIDE 2020
Marystina Santiestevan First
Book Prize
Poetry collections, 48-90 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 30 June
Moth Short Story Prize
Short stories up to 5,000 words, any theme
Prizes: First €3,000; second, writing retreat at
in France and €250; third, €1,000
Entry fee: €15
Closing date: 30 June
New Millennium Writing Awards
Fiction and non-fiction, up to 7,499 words,
flash fiction, up to 1,000 words, up to three
poems, total five pages max
Prizes: $1,000 in each category
Entry fee: $20, $35 for two, $45 for three
Closing date: 30 June
North Street Book Prize
Self-published books, max 200,000 words,
in the following categories: mainstream and
literary fiction, genre fiction, creative non-
fiction & memoir, poetry, children’s picture
book, graphic narrative
Prizes: $5,000 overall winner, $1,000
category winners, $250 honorable mentions
Entry fee: $65
Closing date: 30 June
Tel: 1 413 320 1847
adam@winningwriters.com
https://winningwriters.com/north
Poetry Book Awards
Independently or self-published poetry books
Prizes: £200, £100, £50
Entry fee: £25
Closing date: 30 June
Preservation Foundation
biographical non-fiction contest
Biographical non-fiction, 1,000-10,000
words
Prizes: $200, $100
Free entry
Closing date: 30 June
Scribble Quarterly Short Story
Ongoing quarterly competitions for short
stories, up to 3,000 words
Prizes: £75, £25, £15 in each issue
Entry fee: £3 (£5 with critique); free for
annual subscribers
Closing date: 30 June, Quarterly
Tel: 01451 831053
Sentinel Literary Quarterly
Poetry Competition
Poems up to 50 lines
Prizes: £250, £100, £50, £30 x 3, £15 x 3
Entry fee: £5, discounts for more
Closing date: 30 June, quarterly, 30 Sept, 31
Dec
www.writers-online.co.uk 15
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COMPETITION GUIDE 2020
Tupelo Broadside Prize
3-5 poems, max 21 lines each
Prizes: $350 for three winners
Entry fee: $22
Closing date: 30 June
University of Canberra Vice-
Chancellor’s International Poetry
Poems, max 50 lines
Prizes: Aus$15,000, $5,000, 4x$50
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 30 June, TBC, 30 June in 2019
Wells Festival of Literature
Short stories between 1,000 and 2,000
words; poems up to 35 lines; stories for
children (first three chapters); young poets,
up to 35 lines)
Prizes: £1,000, £500, £250, £100 local prize;
£750, £300, £200, local prize of £100, in
poetry and children’s categories; £150, £75,
£50 in young poets’ category
Entry fee: £6 each category, £3 for young poets
Closing date: 30 June
Tel: 01749 673244
admin@wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk
www.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk
JULY
Canadian Stories Contest
Prose up to 3,000 words; up to 3 poems
– worldwide writers welcome but entries
must pertain to Canada
Prizes: 6xCan$350, 2x$175, 2x$50
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 1 July
Conium Review Innovative
Short Fiction Contest
Short stories and flash, up to 7,500 words –
as a single or multiple stories
Prizes: $500
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 1 July
Beth Chatto Writers’ Prize
For short stories, novel extracts or creative
non-fiction in which a garden or landscape
is an essential element, by writers in Essex
Prizes: £200, £100, £50
Entry fee:
Closing date: 1 July
Mere Literary Festival Poetry
Competition
Poems up to 40 lines
Prizes: £300, £100, £50, 3 x £15
Entry fee: £4.50, £3.50 for each subsequent
Closing date: 1 July
William Van Wert Fiction Award
Short story or novel extracts, up to 25 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $17
Closing date: 1 July
18 www.writers-online.co.uk
HG Wells Short Story Petrichor Prize
Competition Finely crafted unpublished fiction
Short stories between 1,500 and 5,000 manuscripts, 120-350 pages
words on the theme of ‘vision’ Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Prizes: £1,000 prize for writers under 21, over Entry fee: $25
21s £500 Closing date: 15 July
Entry fee: £10, £5 under 21
Closing date: 6 July Prism Creative Non-Fiction
Competition
Boardman Tasker Award for Creative non-fiction, max 6,000 words
Mountain Literature Prizes: Can$1,500, $600, $400
Book-length literature (fiction, non- Entry fee: International entries $45
fiction, drama, poetry) concerned with the Closing date: 15 July
mountain environment
Prizes: £3,000 Ledbury Poetry Festival Poetry
Free entry Competition
Closing date: 15 July Poetry up to 40 lines
Prizes: £1,000 and a week at Ty Newydd
Crab Orchard Series in Poetry Entry fee: £5.75, £3.50 each additional
First Book Award Closing date: 16 July
Poetry collections, over 48 pages, by US
citizens Beverly Prize for Literature
Prizes: $2,500 and publication Book-length manuscripts of fiction, non-
Entry fee: $25 fiction, poetry, drama, memoir, or criticism.
Closing date: 15 July, TBC Prizes: £1,000 and publication
Entry fee: £25
Doris Gooderson Short Story Closing date: 21 July
Competition
Short stories up to 1,200 words, open theme Hawk Mountain Short Story
Prizes: £200, £100, £50, winning entries may Collection Award
be published in the annual anthology Unpublished short story collections
Entry fee: £5 Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Closing date: 15 July Entry fee: $20
wrekinwriters@gmail.com Closing date: 30 July
www.wrekinwriters.co.uk
AAWP/UWRF Translators’ Prize
Fitzcarraldo Editions Novel Prize Translations of prose, up to 3,000 words, or
Unpublished novels over 30,000 words poems, up to 30 lines, into English
Prizes: £3,000 advance, publication by Prizes: A fully subsidised visit to the
Fitzcarraldo Editions Australasian Association of Writing
Free entry Programs (AAWP) conference, including
Closing date: 15 July accommodation and air fares
Entry fee: Aus$20
Francine Ringwold Closing date: 31 July
Fiction up to 5,000 words or up to 5 pages
of poetry Craft First Chapters Contest
Prizes: $500 in both categories, plus The first chapter(s) of an unpublished novel
publication Prizes: $2,800 and publication
Entry fee: $12 Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 15 July, annual Closing date: 31 July, TBC, 1 April in 2019
Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial F(r)iction Literary Contests
Poetry Award Thrice-yearly comp for fiction and creative
Poems up to 40 lines non-fiction, 1,000-7,500 words, poems, up
Prizes: $1,000, $250, $100 to 3; flash, up to 750 words
Entry fee: $5 Prizes: $1,000 for short stories, $300 each for
Closing date: 15 July poetry and flash
Entry fee: $15 stories; $8 flash, $12 for 3;
AAWP Australian Short Story $10 poems, $12 for three
Festival Short Story Prize 2020 Closing date: 31 July, TBC, thrice yearly
Short stories, up to 3,000 words, by writers
across Australasia Foyle Young Poets of the Year
Prizes: Conference, travel and Poetry from writers aged 11-17
accommodation for the Australian Short Story Prizes: Publication in an anthology,
Festival mentoring, Arvon writing residency
Entry fee: Aus$20 Free entry
Closing date: 31 July Closing date: 31 July, TBC
Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020
 COMPETITION GUIDE 2020
Competition Listings

HISSAC Annual Open Short Story
Short stories up to 2,000 words, flash fiction
up to 500 words. No connection to Scotland
is needed either by theme or entrant.
Prizes: £200, £75 and £50 in both categories
Entry fee: £5, £12 for three, £18 for five
Closing date: 31 July
Tel: 01862 932266
info@hissac.co.uk
www.hissac.co.uk
Ilkley Literature Festival Short
Story and Walter Swan Poetry
Competitions
Short stories, 1,000-2,000 words; poems up
to 30 lines
Prizes: £200 for short stories, £200, £100,
£75 for adult poems, £100, £75, £50 for 18-
25s’ poems
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 31 July, TBC
Lune Spark Young Writers’ Short
Story Contest
Short stories, up to 1,500 words, by writers
aged 10-13 or 13-16
Prizes: $500, $250, $100; Book Cover Prize,
$100
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 31 July
London Magazine Poetry Prize Seán Ó’Faoláin Short Story Comp
Poems up to 40 lines Short stories up to 3,000 words
Prizes: £500, £300, £200 Prizes: €2,000, week-long at Aman Cara
Entry fee: £10 Writers’ and Artists’ Retreat, €500, 4x€250
Closing date: 31 July, TBC Entry fee: €18
Closing date: 31 July
Norwich Writers’ Circle Olga
Sinclair Open Short Story Winchester Poetry Prize
Competition Poems up to 40 lines
Short stories up to 2,000 words on the Prizes: £1,000, £500, £250, £100 for a
theme of ‘news’ Hampshire-based poet
Prizes: £500, £250 and £100 Entry fee: £5, £4 for subsequent entries
Entry fee: £9, £7 each subsequent Closing date: 31 July
Closing date: 31 July
Tel: 07585 308604 Wirral Festival of Firsts Open
norwichwriters@hotmail.co.uk Poetry Competition
http://norwichwriters.wordpress.com Poems up to 40 lines
Prizes: £200, 2x£50, £50 for best Wirral poet
Red Hen Press Novella Award Entry fee: £4, £10 for three
Novellas, 15,000-30,000 words Closing date: 31 July
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 31 July
AUGUST
Scribble Annual Article Comp Buzzwords Open Poetry Comp
Articles, up to 1,500 words on the theme Poems up to 70 lines
‘My Writing Life’’ Prizes: £600, £300, 5 x £50, Gloucestershire
Prizes: £50, £25, £15, publication in Scribble Prize of £200
Entry fee: £3 Entry fee: £4, £10 for 3
Closing date: 31 July Closing date: August, TBC

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Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk 19

COMPETITION GUIDE 2020
Sydney Hammond Memorial
Short Story Competition
Short stories, up to 1,000 words, on the
theme ‘if only...’
Prizes: Aus$250; anthology publication
Entry fee: Aus$10
Closing date: 1 August
London Independent Story Prize
Short stories, max 1,500 words; flash, 300
words; screenplays, max 30 pages
Prizes: £100 for stories and flash, Final Draft
software for screenplays
Entry fee: £7, £5 for flash, £10 for
screenplays
Closing date: 2 August, quarterly
entry@londonindependentstoryprize.co.uk
www.londonindependentstoryprize.co.uk
TS Eliot Prize
First poetry collections, published in the
UK this year
Prizes: £25,000, 10x£1,500
Free entry
Closing date: 2 August
Constance Rooke Creative Non-
Fiction Award
Creative non-fiction, 2,000-3,000 words
Prizes: Can$1,000
Entry fee: International entries $45
Closing date: TBC, was 5 Aug in 2019
Costa Short Story Award
Short stories, up to 4,000 words
Prizes: £3,500, £1,000, £500
Free entry
Closing date: 5 August, TBC
Over The Edge New Writer of
The Year
Poetry (three poems of up to 40 lines or one
of 100 lines); short stories, up to 3,000 words
Prizes: €1,000 in cash prizes (€300 each for
winning poet and short story writer, €400 for
the overall winner), publication for winning
poet, plus readings at Over the Edge
Entry fee: €10, €7.50 for each of multiples
Closing date: 7 August, TBC
1/2 K Prize
Prose, under 500 words, in any genre
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 15 August
Broadside Poetry Prize
Two poems, 10-30 lines each
Prizes: $500
Entry fee: $12
Closing date: 15 August
Omnidawn Open
Poetry collections, 40-120 pages
Prizes: $3,000 and publication
Entry fee: $27
Closing date: 17 August
20 www.writers-online.co.uk
Dreamquest One Poetry and
Writing Contest
Stories in any format, double spaced, max 5
pages; poems, up to 30 lines
Prizes: $500, $250, $100 for writing
category; $250, $125, $50 for poetry
Entry fee: $10 writing, $5 poetry
Closing date: 15 August
Tel: 1 773 633 9179
alwest56@hotmail.com
www.dreamquestone.com
Iowa Prize for literary non-fiction
Book length literary non-fiction, 40,000-
90,000 words
Prizes: Publication by University of Iowa
Press under a standard contract
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 15 August
Room Poetry Contest
Up to 3 poems, max 150 lines total
Prizes: $500, $250, $50 and publication
Entry fee: International entries $42
Closing date: 15 August
Bodley Head/FT Essay Prize
Essays up to 3,500 words by writers
between 18 and 35
Prizes: £1,000, £500, publication
Free entry
Closing date: TBC, 16 August in 2019
Retreat West Novel Prize
Unpublished novels
Prizes: Retreat West publishing contract and
£500 advance, MS critique and editorial report
Entry fee: £15
Closing date: 18 August
Elyne Mitchell Writing Award
Fiction or non-fiction, up to 2,500 words,
on the Australasian rural experience
Prizes: Aus$1,000, $500
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 22 August, TBC
Robert Graves Prize
Open competition for poems up to 40 lines
Prizes: Winners will be published in POEM
magazine
Entry fee: £5, £3 each additional
Closing date: 23 August, TBC
Biographers’ Club Tony Lothian
Prize
An uncommissioned biography by a first-
time biographer. Submit a proposal of no
more than 20 pages, including synopsis,
sample chapter (both double-spaced), CV,
sources and a note on the market for the
book. Mandatory entry form available on
the website.
Prizes: £2,000
Entry fee: £15
Closing date: TBC, 30 August in 2019
Tel: 0207 359 7769
Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020
Fischer Prize
Poems, up to three pages, by US poets
Prizes: $1,000 plus $500 travel to awards
ceremony; 5x$200 plus $100; $500 for best
entry from a Colorado poet
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 30 August
Thomas Paine Award
Unpublished book-length political writing
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $22
Closing date: 30 August
Aesthetica Creative Writing
Short stories up to 2,000 words, poetry up
to 40 lines. Any theme, form or style
Prizes: £1,000 for winners in each category,
publication in Creative Writing Annual,
a year’s subscription to Granta, books
courtesy of Bloodaxe Books and Vintage, a
consultation with Redhammer Management
for the fiction winner, full membership of
The Poetry Society for the poetry winner
Entry fee: £12 per poetry submission; £18
per short fiction submission
Closing date: 31 August
Tel: 01904 629137
office@aestheticamagazine.com
www.aestheticamagazine.com/creative-
writing-award
Autumn House Poetry Chapbook
Poetry chapbooks, 15-30 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 31 August
Blue Mesa Review Summer
Competition
Fiction and non-fiction, up to 6,000 words;
up to 3 poems
Prizes: $500 in each category
Entry fee: $12
Closing date: 31 August
Cinnamon Pencil Mentoring
Competition
10 poems, two short stories or the first
10,000 words of a novel
Prizes: A place on the Cinnamon Pencil
mentoring scheme
Entry fee: £12
Closing date: 31 August, TBC
Diana Woods Memorial Award in
Creative Non-fiction
Essays, up to 5,000 words; biannual
Prizes: $250 plus publication in Lunch Ticket
Free entry
Closing date: 31 August, (and 28 Feb)
Exeter Flash Competition
Flash fiction up to 750 words
Prizes: £200, £100, £50
Entry fee: £6
Closing date: 31 August, TBC

King of the
Roundabout
by Liz Gwinnell
Liz Gwinnell is a solicitor specialising
in prison law. When she is not behind bars,
she enjoys creating things out of words, wool
and food and keeping three unruly cats in order at
her home in Wiltshire. She collects vintage items
and loves anything from the 1970s and 1980s.
Liz had her first short story published in Writers’
News in the 1990s and has since written articles for
the Wiltshire Times, The Bath Chronicle, The Lady,
Teddy Bear Scene and Wiltshire Life and a licensing
law handbook. She has won prizes in the Frome
Short Story Competition, the Eyelands Greece
Competition, Mslexia Flash Fiction Competition,
and been short- and longlisted in the Bath and
Bristol short story awards.
S
ometimes, things came
flying over the fence.
And sometimes, the woman
next door shouted.
She shouted a lot before the wicker
chair came over.
‘Good job we wasn’t sunbathing,’
Dad said.
Usually he threw the stuff back
but you couldn’t throw a chair back.
What if someone was on the other
side of the fence?
‘They didn’t care about that when
they threw it over,’ Mum grumbled.
Dad put the chair in the shed
and I went inside to do my
homework. I had to write an essay
about Kings and Queens and What
Makes Them Important.
The next day, the man next door
went to live on the roundabout.
‘What do you mean he’s gone to
live on the roundabout?’ Mum said,
Also shortlisted in the Timely Topic: Throne Competition were: Lesley Evans, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire; Patricia Marson,
Kirkcaldy, Fife; Caroline Newbury, Ditton, Kent; Annie Percik, Enfield; Paul Robinson, Brackley, Northamptonshire.
S H O R T S TO RY C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N E R
pummelling Dad’s shirt with the
iron.
I showed her, pointing out the
window at the top of the stairs.
‘Well,’ she said. ‘He must be mad.’
I got more sense out of Dad.
‘Why is he living on the roundabout?’
I asked him later that night.
‘Well son,’ Dad said, rubbing his
chin.’Perhaps he don’t think he’s
important.’
‘Do people go and live on
roundabouts if they don’t feel
important?’ I asked.
‘Probably,’ he said. ‘I can’t think of
no other reason.’
That night, as I was going to
sleep, I thought about roundabouts
and people who didn’t think they
were important. And the next day I
made him a throne. A throne would
make him feel important. Kings felt
important when they sat on thrones.
I blew up balloons and I tied them
around the wicker chair in the shed.
I squirted glue and shook glitter and
added a length of tinsel from the
Christmas box. When I’d finished,
I sat on it to test it out and it did
make me feel a bit important or as
Timely topic:
Throne
1st place
£100
important as a ten-year-old boy
could feel although I’m nearly eleven
so I’ll be more important soon.
I carried the chair to the
roundabout and I ran between a gap
in the cars and hoped Mum wasn’t
looking out the window and I left it
there for him to find when he woke
up because I could hear him snoring
somewhere inside the scrubby bushes.
Dad saw him first.
‘Ere! Ella! You’ll never guess what!’
They were staring out of the
landing window as the street lights
came on. The man was sitting on the
throne and it glowed and sparkled in
the headlights of the cars. Some of
the drivers tooted and he raised his
arm and waved, just like a king.
‘Whatever is he doing sitting out
there like that,’ Mum said, tea towel
in hand, drying a plate that was
already dry.
I shrugged.
‘Maybe he’s being important,’ I said.
That night, as I went to sleep, I
thought about Kings and Queens and
people who felt important again. And
I thought that the next day, I might
make him a Crown.
COMPETITION GUIDE 2020

Exeter Story Prize Quill Prose Award Michael Marks Awards

Short stories, any theme, up to 10,000 words
Prizes: £500, £150, £100
Entry fee: £12
Closing date: 31 August
Tel: 07722 144357
creativewritingmatters@virginmedia.com
www.creativewritingmatters.co.uk
Fool for Poetry International
Chapbook Competition
Short collection of poetry, 16-24 pages
Prizes: €1,000, €500, chapbook publication
for both winners plus 25 copies
Entry fee: €25
Closing date: 31 August
Tel: +353 (0)21 4312955
Gabo Prize for Literature in
Translation
For translations of poetry or prose Prizes:
$200 plus publication in Lunch Ticket
Free entry
Closing date: biannual, 31 Aug and 28 Feb
Gemini Magazine Flash Fiction
Contest
Short stories, up to 1,000 words
Prizes: $1,000, $100, 4x$25, and publication
Entry fee: $6
Closing date: 31 August
Haunted Waters Press Awards
Fiction, max 7,500 words; up to 3 poems;
up to 3 pieces of flash, up to 500 words
Prizes: $250 and publication in each category
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 31 August
Hysteria Writing Competition
Short stories up to 600 words, poetry up to
12 lines, flash fiction 100 words
Prizes: £25 each category, anthology publication
Entry fee: £1 per entry
Closing date: 31 August
New Voices Award
Children’s picture book manuscripts by US
writers of colour and indigenous writers
Prizes: $2,000, plus standard publishing
contract; $1,000
Free entry
Closing date: 31 August, TBC
Preservation Foundation Travel
non-fiction contest
Travel non-fiction, 1,000-10,000 words
Prizes: $200, $100
Free entry
Closing date: 31 August
Prole Poetry Pamphlet
Competition 2018
Up to 35 pages of poetry
Prizes: £100, publication
Entry fee: £12
Closing date: 31 August, TBC
Any prose work, over 150 pages, by a writer For poetry pamphlets up to 36 pages, and
who identifies as queer for the publishers of poetry pamphlets
Prizes: $1,000 and publication Prizes: £5,000 for each award
Entry fee: $10 Free entry
Closing date: 31 August Closing date: 12 September, TBC
Scarlet Stiletto Awards Hektoen International Summer
Crime and mystery short stories, up to Essay Competition
5,000 words, by Australian women Articles, up to 1,600 words, on a medical
Prizes: Aus$9,760 prize fund humanities theme TBC
Entry fee: $25 Prizes: $2,500 plus publication; $800
Closing date: 31 August Entry fee:
Closing date: 14 September, TBC
Science Fiction Poetry Award
Poems in three categories, dwarf (1-10 New Voices Competition
lines, or up to 100 words); short (11-49 First page of a novel and a one-page
lines, or up to 100 words); long (50+ lines synopsis by a first-time writer
or 500+ words) Prizes: Start Up mentoring package
Prizes: $100, $50, $25 Entry fee: £10
Entry fee: $2 Closing date: 14 September
Closing date: 31 August
Sustainable Societies: Writing
St Lawrence Book Award for Children
Unpublished first collections of poems (45- For picture books and middle grade stories
95 pages) or short stories (120-280 pages) for children on sustainability issues
Prizes: $1,000 and publication Prizes: £200 in each category
Entry fee: $25 Free entry
Closing date: 31 August Closing date: 14 September
Teens of Tomorrow Gingko Prize for Ecopoetry
Future-focused diverse teen fiction, 2,000- Poems up to 54 lines on ecological themes
5,000 words Prizes: £5,000, £2,000, £1,000
Prizes: £200, £100, £50, anthology Entry fee: £7, £4 for each subsequent entry
publication by Odd Voice Out Closing date: 15 September, TBC
Entry fee: £4
Closing date: 31 August Kore Press Institute Poetry Prize
Poetry collection manuscripts, 48-100 pages
UNO Press Publishing Lab Prize Prizes: $1,500 and publication
Full-length works of fiction Entry fee: $28
Prizes: $10,000 and publication Closing date: 15 September
Entry fee: $28
Closing date: 31 August Surrey International Writers’
Conference
Short stories, 2,500-5,000 words
SEPTEMBER Prizes: Can$1,000, $150
Entry fee: $19
Southampton Review Short Closing date: 15 September
Fiction Prize
Short stories, up to 350 words Transitions Abroad Writing Contest
Prizes: $500, $300, $200 Essays or guides, 1,200-3,000 words on
Entry fee: $5 living, moving or working abroad
Closing date: 1 September Prizes: $500, $150, $100; $50 for all finalists
Free entry
Diana Brebner Prize Closing date: 15 September
Best poem, up to 30 lines, by a resident of
Canada’s National Capital Region Stroud Book Festival
Prizes: Can$500 International Writing Competition
Entry fee: $25 Poetry up 40 lines, flash fiction up to 500
Closing date: 4 September words; Katie Fforde Award for Mainstream
Fiction excerpt up to 3,000 words and 200-
Wellcome Book Prize word synopsis
Fiction or non-fiction with a medical or theme Prizes: £500, £250, £100 in each category
published in 2019, submitted by publisher for poetry and flash fiction, £100 and 4-night
Prizes: £30,000 writing retreat, £50 Katie Fforde award
Free entry Entry fee: £5, £3 each additional
Closing date: 9 September, TBC Closing date: TBC, 22 Sept in 2019

22 www.writers-online.co.uk Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020

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COMPETITION GUIDE 2020
Manchester Fiction Prize
Short stories, up to 2,500 words
Prizes: £10,000
Entry fee: £17.50
Closing date: 18 September
Tel: 0161 247 1787
writingschool@mmu.ac.uk
www2.mmu.ac.uk/writingcompetition/
Manchester Poetry Prize
Portfolio of poetry (3-5, maximum 120
lines)
Prizes: £10,000
Entry fee: £17.50
Closing date: 18 September
Tel: 0161 247 1787
writingschool@mmu.ac.uk
www2.mmu.ac.uk/writingcompetition/
Val Wood Prize
Short stories up to 1,500 words, theme TBC
Prizes: £100, £50, 2x£25, web publication
Free entry
Closing date: 21 September, TBC
TulipTree Review Genre Contest
Fiction and non-fiction, up to 10,000
words, any genre, on the theme ‘underdogs’
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 23 September
KSP Writers Centre Short Fiction
Competition
Short stories, up to 2,500 words, by
Australian residents or citizens
Prizes: Aus$300, $150; $100, $50 for youths
Entry fee: $10, $15 for 2, $20 for 3
Closing date: 25 September
New Guard Contests
Fiction, up to 5,000 words, and up to three
poems, total 150 lines max
Prizes: $1,500
Entry fee: $22
Closing date: 27 September, TBC
Acheven Book Prize
Young adult fiction, 120-350 pages
Prizes: $750 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 30 September
Bracken Bower Prize
Best proposal for a business book on the
challenges and opportunities for growth
from a writer under 35
Prizes: £15,000
Free entry
Closing date: TBC, 30 Sept in 2019
Caterpillar Story for Children Prize
Short stories up to 2,000 words for children
aged 7-11
Prizes: €1,000
Entry fee: €12
Closing date: 30 September, TBC
24 www.writers-online.co.uk
Crab Orchard Review Student
Writing Awards
Fiction or non-fiction, up to 4,000 words,
or up to 3 poems, by US students
Prizes: $250 in each category
Free entry
Closing date: 30 September, TBC
Crowvus Christmas Ghost Story
Competition
Spooky stories, up to 4,000 words
Prizes: £100, £75, £50
Entry fee: £3, £5 for two
Closing date: 30 September
Darling Axe First Page
First double-spaced page of a novel
Prizes: Can$200 minimum
Entry fee: $5
Closing date: 30 September, TBC
Dzanc Prizes
Novels (40,000 words+), novellas (18,000-
40,000 words) and book-length short story
collections
Prizes: $5,000 for novels, $2,500 for ss
collections, $1,500 for novellas
Entry fee: TBC
Closing date: 30 September
Ecologisers’ EcoSanta-themed
Short Story Competition
Short stories for children featuring Santa as
an eco-champion, under 1,000 words
Prize: £100
Free entry
Closing date: 30 September
Tel: 01851 820308
gaiadance@btinternet.com
www.ecologisers.com
Lascaux Prize for creative non-
fiction
Creative non-fiction, up to 10,000 words
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 30 September
Mslexia Women’s Fiction Awards
In 2019 Short Story, Flash Fiction, Novel,
Monologue
Prizes: £10,000+ prize pot
Entry fee: TBC
Closing date: 30 September, TBC
Red Hen Press Fiction Award
Book-length fiction manuscripts, 150 pages
minimum
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 30 September
Salisbury Story Prize
Short stories, max 500 words
Prizes: Writing academy place
Free entry
Closing date: 30 September, TBC
Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020
Edinburgh International Flash
Fiction Competition
Stories up to 250 words
Prizes: £600, £300, £150; £300 Scottish prize
Entry fee: £6
Closing date: 30 September
Hammond House International
Literary Prize
Short stories, 1,000-5,000 words, poems up
to 40 lines and scripts, up to 10 pages, on
the theme ‘survival’
Prizes: Short stories £500, £100, £50; poems
£100, £30, £20; scripts, £100
Entry fee: £10
Closing date: 30 September
Iowa Short Fiction Award
Short story collections, at least 150 pages, by
authors who have not had a book published
Prizes: Publication by University of Iowa Press
Free entry
Closing date: 30 September
Salopian Poetry Society’s
annual open poetry competition
Poetry, any length
Prizes: £250, £150, £100
Entry fee: £4, £10 for 3, £15 for 6
Closing date: 30 September
The Short Story Competition
Short stories, 1,000-5,000 words.
Prizes: £500, £100
Entry fee: £8
Closing date: TBC, 30 September
Tom Howard/Margaret Reid
Poetry Contest
Poems in two styles: open and traditionally
rhymed, up to 250 lines.
Prizes: $3,000 and ten $100 honourable
mentions, in each category
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 30 September
Tel: +1 413 320 1847
adam@winningwriters.com
www.winningwriters.com/tompoetry
World Around Us Chapbook
AnthologyContest
Poems, no longer than 36 lines
Prizes: Can$100, $75, $50, $25x2
Entry fee: $5, 3 for $10
Closing date: 30 September
OCTOBER
Aryamati Poetry Prize
Poems up to 40 lines, promoting peace and
social change
Prizes: 250 copies of your poem printed on
special postcards, £100 worth of books, plus
critiques
Entry fee: £3, £1 each extra
Closing date: 1 October

American Literary Review
Awards
Short stories, up to 8,000 words, creative
non-fiction, up to 4,000, and poems, up to 3
Prizes: $1,000 and publication, each category
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 1 October
Anton Chekhov Award for Flash
Fiction
Short stories , 500-1,500 words
Prizes: $1,250, 3x$100
Entry fee: $16
Closing date: 1 October
Mary C Mohr Awards
Short fiction and creative non-fiction, up to
30 pages, poetry, up to 10 pages
Prizes: $2,000 and publication, each category
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 1 October
Mighty River Short Story Contest
Stories, max 30 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 1 October
Miller Williams Poetry Prize
Poetry manuscripts, 60-90 pages
Prizes: $5,000 and publication
Entry fee: $28
Closing date: 1 October
Missouri Review Jeffrey E Smith
Editor’s Prize
Fiction and non-fiction, up to 8,500 words,
any number of poems, up to 10 pages
Prizes: $5,000 in each category
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 October
Patricia Dobler Poetry Award
Up to 2 poems, each up to 75 lines, by US
women aged over 40
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 1 October
Peter Porter Poetry Prize
Poems up to 70 lines
Prizes: Aus$7,000, 4x$500
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 October
Psychopomp Short Fiction Award
Short stories, 6,000 words max, pushing
the boundaries of genre/form
Prizes: $500 and publication
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 1 October, TBC
Wilda Hearne Flash Fiction Contest
Flash fiction up to 500 words
Prizes: $500 and publication
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 1 October
Virginia Prize for Fiction
For unpublished novels, at least 45,000
words, by women
Prizes: development and publication of the
winning novel
Entry fee: £25
Closing date: 1 October, TBC
Zoetrope All-Story Short Fiction
Competition
Short stories, 1,000-5,000 words
Prizes: $1,000, $500, $250 and publication
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 1 October, TBC
Imison Award
For original radio plays by new writers
Prizes: £3,000
Free entry
Closing date: 4 October
Tinniswood Award
Original broadcast radio drama scripts
Prizes: £3,000
Free entry
Closing date: 4 October
Dalkey Creates Festival Prize
Short stories up to 2,000 words; poems up
to 30 lines
Prizes: €1,000 in each category
Entry fee: €15
Closing date: 6 October
London Short Story Prize
Short stories up to 5,000 words by writers
with London postcodes
Prizes: £1,000, 2x£250
Entry fee: £10
Closing date: 7 October, TBC
KSP Writers Centre Poetry
Competition
Poems, up to 50 lines, by Australian
residents or citizens
Prizes: Aus$300, $150; $100, $50 for youths
Entry fee: $10, $15 for 2, $20 for 3
Closing date: 9 October
Sustainable Societies: Short Film
Short films (between 3 and 20 minutes)
touching on ideas of sustainable living
Prizes: £500, £200, £100, 3 x £50
Free entry
Closing date: 10 October, TBC
Gerald Cable Book Award
Poetry collections, over 48 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 October
Jake Adam York Prize
Poetry collections, over 48 pages
Prizes: $2,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 October
Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020
COMPETITION GUIDE 2020
Observer/Jonathan Cape/Comica
Graphic Short Story Prize
Graphic short stories
Prizes: £1,000 plus publication; £250
Free entry
Closing date: 11 October, TBC
Omnidawn Fabulist Fiction
Chapbook Contest
Single fantastical or magic realist stories, or
collections, totalling 7,500-17,500 words
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $18
Closing date: 12 October
Arkansas International
Emerging Writers Prize
Short stories, up to 7,500 words, by writers
who have not had a book published
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 13 October, TBC
Writers Digest Popular Fiction
Awards
Short stories, up to 4,000 words in the
genres mystery/crime, horror, romance, SF/
fantasy, thriller/suspense or YA
Prizes: $2,500, 6x$500; plus vouchers,
consultations, publication
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 14 October, TBC
Calvino Prize
Fiction, up to 25 pages, in the style of Italo
Calvino
Prizes: $2,000 and publication, $300
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 October
Event non-fiction contest
Creative non-fiction, max 5,000 words
Prizes: Can$1,500, $1,000, $500; publication
Entry fee: $34.95
Closing date: 15 October
Poets Out Loud Prize
Poetry collections
Prizes: 2x$1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $28
Closing date: 15 October, TBC
Prism Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize
Up to three poems, max 100 lines each
Prizes: Can$1,500, $600, $400
Entry fee: International entries $45
Closing date: 15 October, TBC
Tennessee Williams New
Orleans Literary Festival
Plays (one-act, entry fee $25, closing date
1/10, prize $1,500), poetry (2-4, max 400
words total, $15, 15/10, $1,000), fiction
(up to 7,000 words, $25, 1/10, $1,500) and
flash (up to 500 words, $10, 15/10, $500)
Prizes: all prizes include VIP festival passes
Entry fee: $10-$25
www.writers-online.co.uk 25
COMPETITION GUIDE 2020

Raven Short Story Contest Barbellion Prize Deborah Rogers Foundation

Fiction, 250-2,500 words Books in any style or genre, self or
Prizes: Can$300 traditionally published, about life with
Entry fee: $20 long-term illness or disability
Closing date: 15 October Prizes: £600
Free entry
Sequestrum New Writers Awards Closing date: 31 October
Fiction and non-fiction, up to 12,000
words; poems, up to 3, max 50 lines each Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award
Prizes: $400, $100, $25, both categories Poetry collections, 48-96 pages
Entry fee: $15 Prizes: $3,000 and publication
Closing date: 15 October Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 31 October
Steve Kowit Poetry Prize
Poems, any length Blue Light Books Prize
Prizes: $1,000, $250, $100, and publication Poetry manuscripts, 48-75 pages
Entry fee: $15 Prizes: $2,000 and publication
Closing date: 15 October Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 31 October
Voices Israel Reuben Rose
Poems, up to 41 lines Bradt ‘New Travel Writer of the
Prizes: $500, $150, $50 Year’ Competition
Entry fee: $6 Travel writing, 600-800 words, containing a
Closing date: 15 October, TBC phrase TBC, by unpublished travel writers
Prizes: A holiday and article commission
Dinesh Allirajah Prize Free entry
Short fiction, 2,000-6,000 words, theme tbc Closing date: TBC, 6 October in 2019
Prizes: £500 and publication by Comma
Press and on the Northern Soul website Cannon Poets Sonnet or Not
Free entry For 14-line poems that in some way reflect
Closing date: 25 October, TBC the sonnet form, or not
Prizes: £500, £250, £150, up to ten £10
Retreat West Flash Fiction Prize Entry fee: £5, subsequent entries £2.50
Fiction, up to 500 words Closing date: TBC, 31 Oct in 2019
Prizes: £350, £200, £100, £15 for shortlisted
Entry fee: £8 CBC Short Story Prize
Closing date: 27 October, TBC Short stories, up to 2,500 words, by
Canadian citizens or residents
Retreat West Short Story Prize Prizes: Can$6,000, 4x$1,000
Short stories, 1,500-5,000 words Entry fee: $25
Prizes: £400, £250, £150, £20 for shortlisted Closing date: 31 October
Entry fee: £10
Closing date: 27 October Charles Causley Poetry Comp
Original, unpublished poems on any
VanderMey Nonfiction Prize subject up to 40 lines
Non-fiction, up to 5,500 words Prizes: £2,000 and writing residency at
Prizes: $1,500 Cyprus Well, £250, £100, 5 x £30
Entry fee: $20 Entry fee: £7, £4 each subsequent
Closing date: 27 October Closing date: 31 October TBC
Writers Award
Between 20,000 and 25,000 words of a
prose WIP by a first-time author
Prizes: £10,000, £1,000 for runners-up
Free entry
Closing date: 31 October, TBC
Earlyworks Press Short Story
Short stories in two categories: up to 4,000
words, and up to 8,000
Prizes: £200; cash and books
Entry fee: £5 for up to 4,000 words; £10 for
4,000-8,000
Closing date: 31 October
Eric Gregory Trust Fund Awards
For a published or unpublished volume of up
to 30 poems by a UK author aged under 30
Prizes: A share of up to £24,000
Free entry
Closing date: 31 October
Finishing Line Press Open
Chapbook Award
Chapbook poetry collections, 16-35 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 31 October
Flash 500 Novel Opening
Chapter & Synopsis Competition
Novel opening, up to 3,000 words, and synopsis
Prizes: £500, £200
Entry fee: £10
Closing date: 31 October
Indiana Review Creative Non-
Fiction Prize
Creative non-fiction, up to 5,000 words
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 31 October
James Hearst Poetry Prize
Up to 5 poems
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $23
Closing date: 31 October

Cinnamon Press Literature Award
10 poems, 2 stories or 10,000 words of a novel
Prizes: Publishing contract
Entry fee: £16
Closing date: 30 October
Craft Flash Fiction Contest
Short stories up to 1,000 words
Prizes: $1,000, 4x$250, and publication
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 31 October, TBC
River Teeth Literary Non-Fiction
Creative non-fiction, 150-400 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $27
Closing date: 31 October

Minds on Fire Open Book Prize
Poetry collections, 48-90 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 30 October
Elixir Press Poetry Award
Poetry collections, over 48 pages
Prizes: $2,000 and publication
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 31 October
Sow’s Ear Poetry Review Contest
Up to five poems
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 31 October

Momaya Poetry Competition
Poems on the theme of ‘touch’
Prizes: £70, £35, £20, and publication
Entry fee: £7 ($9)
Closing date: 30 October
Honickman First Book Prize
Poetry collections, over 48 pages
Prizes: $3,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 31 October
Vassar Miller Poetry Prize
Poetry collections, 50-80 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 31 October, TBC

26 www.writers-online.co.uk Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020

 SHORT STORY WINNER TIMELY TOPIC: ISLAND

Antony Reid
writes multi-
1st
genre fiction and place
poetry from a
curious spit of land between the Dee, the
Mersey and the Irish Sea where he tries
to keep company with ‘the gold-hearted
Hashtag £100

Junket
silver-tongued and quicksilver-minded’.
He e-published a novella, A Smaller
Hell, a few years ago, and is seeking
representation for several novels, a
feature screenplay and TV pilot.
by Antony Reid

First time in Scotland. #ArrivingInStyle #GetToTheChopper
Island’s beautiful, but guarded like Area 51 or somethin. Check
out these guys. #MP5 #HecklerKoch
En route to junket. Check out the castle. Wonder if Nosferatu’s
home?
They laid on AAALLL the goodies. #Champagne #Caviar
@DungerMoss Sweet. You didn’t get any weird stuff in your
room?
@JamesLeGibbon Jim I need sleep man. Champagne wiped
me out.
Tryin to get to sleep and this security guy knocks on my door, tells
me to get showered and put on a robe. WTF? Guess it’s part of
publicity stunt like Dunger said. #TheThingsWeDo #ActorsLife

Look who else is here! #OldBuddies So here I am walking through the castle’s main hall in my robe. Hair
#SummerBlockbusterBoys still wet. This security guy is pushy as hell. #hospitality #junket

Gotta say, the grand dame does NOT look seventy years old.
Must be black magic. She’s givin a great speech. Can’t wait for
screening tomorrow. #director #visionary
Any of yall know what this is? Just got back to my room n found
it painted on my door. Looks like some voodoo sh*t. Maybe I
was right about the dame? #Witchcraft
Creepy old elevator takin us waaayyy down. Startin to get some
bad vibes lol. Anyone know how to fly a chopper? Need to get
me off this island. Jk it’s all good. Security dude got some body
odeurrrr tho lol. #SmellsLikeAZoo
They just stripped me naked. Moss, I swear, if this is a prank,
you’ll be hearing from my lawyer lol.

Ok, I’m seriously freaked out right now. The thing on the door
ok, but the bathroom mirror? Moss, if you’re playin with me, Ima
get you back.
What the hell you paint this with, Moss? Your own blood?
Shoulda took that therapist’s number off me back in Malibu,
dude. This mess is sick. #TooFar
@DungerMoss Listen, man… I’m sorry about you know who back in
December. Had no idea you guys were dating. I thought we were ok?
@JamesLeGibbon You high, dude?
@DungerMoss Lol nah just champagne. What’s the symbol?
Some PR stunt. I’m standing naked in a crypt surrounded by
extras in white masks. WHOOO creepy lmao. #MustTryHarder
Ooh, the symbol. Ooh, more fake blood lol.
@DungerMoss Is that you to my 12? Sniff if it is.
@DungerMoss I knew it. Smelled your cheap moisturiser rofl.
What the hell’s goin on? Twitch your robe if this is for the PR.
@DungerMoss Prank?
@DungerMoss You’re freaking me out. What’s the weird knife
for? Props do that for you?

@JamesLeGibbon Have literally no idea what ur talkin bout lol @DungerMoss How you getting my msgs? Earpiece?

Also shortlisted in the
Timely Topic: Island
Competition were: Jake
Blandford, Swindon,
Wiltshire; Sarah Clark,
Ipswich, Suffolk; Simon
Pressinger, Godalming,
Surrey
@DungerMoss You didn’t paint it?
@JamesLeGibbon Errrr no lmao. Ask
ur agent. Probly publicity stunt for
junket.
@DungerMoss About the other thing
@JamesLeGibbon Bruh, thats done
forget it.
Yall got me haha. Not funny anymore.
Yo, somebody call the cops. Something ain’t right here. HELP.
PLEASE.
This post has been deleted.
This post has been deleted.
This post has been deleted.

www.writers-online.co.uk 27
COMPETITION GUIDE 2020

Jessie Bryce Niles Poetry
Chapbook Contest
Poetry collections, 25-34 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 31 October
Larry Brown Short Story Prize
Short stories up to 4,000 words
Prizes: $500, 2x$50
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 31 October
Lexi Rudnitsky First Book prize
Poetry collections, over 40 pages, by US women
Prizes: $1,000, publication; Italian retreat
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 31 October
McKitterick Prize
For the best first novel, published or
unpublished, by an author aged over 40
Prizes: £4,000
Free entry
Closing date: 31 October
Poetry Society National Poetry
Competition
For poems, up to 40 lines
Prizes: £5,000, £2,000, £1,000, 7x£200
Entry fee: £7, £4 each additional
Closing date: 31 October, TBC
Sunken Garden Chapbook Prize
Poetry manuscripts, 20-36 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 31 October
Tom Gallon Trust Awards
Short stories, up to 5,000 words, by
authors who have had work published
Prizes: £1,000
Free entry
Closing date: 31 October
Vern Rutsala Book Prize
Collections of poetry/flash, 60-90 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 31 October, TBC
Writeidea Short Story Prize
Short stories, 1,000-3,000 words, by writers
from Tower Hamlets
Prizes: Mentoring from Kerry Hudson
Free entry
Closing date: 31 October, TBC
NOVEMBER
Briar Cliff Review Contest
Short stories and essays, up to 5,000 words,
or up to 3 poems
Prizes: $1,000 in each category
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 1 November
Brick Road Poetry Contest
Unpublished poetry collections, 50-100 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 November
Caledonia Novel Award
The first 20 pages plus 200-word synopsis of
a novel by an unpublished writer
Prizes: £1,500, trophy
Entry fee: £25
Closing date: 1 November, all details TBC
Catherine Doctorow Innovative
Fiction Contest
Book-length manuscripts by writers with at
least 3 books of fiction published
Prizes: $15,000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 November
Commonwealth Short Story Prize
Original, unpublished short stories,
2,000-5,000 words, by writers from five
Commonwealth regions
Prizes: £5,000, £2,500 for each regional winner
Free entry
Closing date: 1 November
Cutthroat Writing Awards
Up to 3 poems, max 100 lines each, short stories
or creative nonfiction, up to 5,000 words
Prizes: $1,200, $250 in each category
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 1 November, TBC
Gabriele Rico Challenge for Fiction
Non-fiction, up to 5,000 words
Prizes: $1,333
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 1 November
John Steinbeck Award for Fiction
Short stories, up to 5,000 words
Prizes: $1,000
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 1 November
Treehouse Climate Action Prize
Poems that emphasise the vulnerability of our
ecological condition
Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500
Free entry
Closing date: 1 November, TBC
London Independent Story Prize
Short stories, max 1,500 words; flash, 300
words; screenplays, max 30 pages
Prizes: £100 for stories and flash, Final Draft
software for screenplays
Entry fee: £7, £5 for flash, £10 for screenplays
Closing date: 1 November, quarterly
entry@londonindependentstoryprize.co.uk
www.londonindependentstoryprize.co.uk
Nilsen Literary Prize
Unpublished novels, novellas or collections,
by unpublished US writers
Prizes: $2,000 and publication
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 1 November
Ronald Sukenick Innovative
Fiction Contest
Book-length fiction manuscripts
Prizes: $1,500
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 November
Scribble Annual Short Story
Competition
Stories up to 3,000 words on the theme of
‘haunted’
Prizes: £100, £50, £25, publication in Scribble
Entry fee: £4
Closing date: 1 November
Tel: 01451 831053
parkpub14@hotmail.com
www.parkpublications.co.uk
Writers Digest Poetry Awards
Poems, up to 32 lines
Prizes: $1,000, $250, $100; vouchers,
consultations, publication
Entry fee: $25 ($20 before 1 Oct)
Closing date: 1 November, TBC
WS Porter Prize
Short story collections, 100-350 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 November
Odyssey House Victoria Short
Story Competition
Short stories up to 1,500 words, with a
reference to drugs or alcohol, theme TBC
Prizes: Aus$1,000, $100, $50
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 2 November, TBC
Alice James Award
Unpublished poetry collections by US poets
Prizes: $2,000, publication, $1,000 speaking fee
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 4 November

Edwin Markham Prize for Poetry Walt Whitman Award Carve Magazine Prose and Poetry
Up to 5 poems Manuscripts, over 48 pages, by US poets Fiction, non-fiction and poetry
Prizes: $1,000 Prizes: $5,000 plus publication Prizes: $1,000 in each category
Entry fee: $20 Entry fee: $35 Entry fee: $17
Closing date: 1 November Closing date: 1 November Closing date: 15 November

28 www.writers-online.co.uk Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020


Malahat Review Open Season
Awards
Fiction or creative non-fiction, up to 2,500
words; up to 3 poems, under 100 lines each
Prizes: Can$2,000, publication, each category
Entry fee: international entries $45
Closing date: 5 November
Perugia Press Prize
First or second poetry collections, 45-87
pages, by US women
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $27
Closing date: 15 November
Robert C Jones Book Contest
A prose manuscript of more than 60 pages
Prizes: $2,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 November, TBC
Yale Series of Younger Poets
Poetry collections, 48-64 pages, by emerging
US poets
Prizes: Publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 November, TBC
Judith Wright Poetry Prize
Poems by poets who have had no more than
one collection published
Prizes: Aus$6,000, $2,000, $1,000
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 17 November, TBC
Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize
Short stories up to 3,000 with a ‘travel’ theme
Prizes: Aus$4,000, 2x$500
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 17 November, TBC
Poetry Kit Autumn Competition
Poetry of any length on any subject
Prizes: £100, £50
Entry fee: £3.50, £8 for 3, £10 for 5
Closing date: 20 November, TBC
New Media Writing Prize
Interactive fiction or non-fiction written
specifically for digital delivery
Prizes: £1,000, student prize of £500, £500 Dot
Award, £750 journalism prize
Free entry
Closing date: 22 November, TBC
Shooter Poetry Competition
Poems up to 100 lines
Prizes: £100, £50, publication
Entry fee: £3, £8 for three
Closing date: November TBC, 24th last year
Brunel Uni African Poetry Prize
Groups of ten poems, up to 30 lines each, by
African writers or whose parents are African
Prizes: £3,000
Free entry
Closing date: TBC, 30 Nov in 2019
COMPETITION GUIDE 2020
Bath Children’s Novel Award Paul Torday Memorial Prize
For unpublished and independently A first novel by a writer 60 and over
published writers of children’s novels. Send Prizes: £1,000
first 5,000 words and synopsis Free entry
Prizes: £3,000, manuscript feedback, Closing date: 30 November
Cornerstones online course worth £1,800
Entry fee: £28 Queen’s Knickers Award
Closing date: 29 November Illustrated book for children aged 0-7
published in the last year
Aeon Award Prizes: £5,000, £1,000
Short stories up to 10,000 in any spec fic genre Free entry
Prizes: €1,000, €200, €100 Closing date: 30 November
Entry fee: €8.50
Closing date: 30 November Robyn Mathison Poetry Prize
Poems up to 40 lines, theme ‘earth’
Betty Trask Prize Prizes: Aus$200, $50
For published or unpublished, traditional or Entry fee: $10
romantic (not experimental) first novels by Closing date: 30 November
authors under the age of 35 on 31 Dec
Prizes: £20,000 total, to use for foreign travel ServiceScape Short Story Award
Free entry Short stories, up to 5,000 words, any theme
Closing date: 30 November Prizes: $1,000
Free entry
CP Cavafy Poetry Prize Closing date: 30 November
Poems, submit up to 3
Prizes: $1,000 and publication Somerset Maugham Awards
Entry fee: $15, $3 each additional Published work of fiction, non-fiction or
Closing date: 30 November poetry by an author under 30
Prizes: prize fund of £10,000, to use for travel
Fish Short Story Competition Free entry
Short stories up to 5,000 words Closing date: 30 November
Prizes: €3,000 for first, a week at Anam Cara
Writer’s Retreat in West Cork plus €300
expenses for second, €300 for third TBC
DECEMBER
Entry fee: €20 for the first, €10 thereafter TBC
Closing date: 30 November, TBC Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize
First or second book-length poetry
Gregory O’Donoghue collections, 48-88 pages
International Poetry Competition Prizes: £2,000 or $3,000, plus publication
Poems up to 40 lines Entry fee: $27
Prizes: €2,000, week’s residency at the Tyrone Closing date: 1 December
Guthrie Centre; €500, €250, 10 x €50
Entry fee: €7, €30 for five poems Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize
Closing date: 30 November Creative non-fiction about Brooklyn or its
residents, up to 2,500 words
Littoral Press Full Collection Prizes: $500
Poetry Competition Free entry
Collections, 50-100 pages, by unpublished Closing date: TBC, 1 Dec in 2019
UK poets, predominantly on nature themes
Prizes: Publication and 50 copies Cafe Writers’ Open Poetry
Entry fee: £20 For poems on any theme, up to 40 lines
Closing date: 30 November Prizes: £1,000, £300, £200, 5 x £50, £100
Norfolk Prize
Observer/Anthony Burgess Prize Entry fee: £4, £10 for three, £2 each extra
for Arts Journalism Closing date: TBC, 1 Dec in 2019
An 800-word cultural review
Prizes: £3,000 and publication of prize essay in Jeff Marks Memorial Poetry Prize
the Observer, 2 x £500 Up to 3 poems
Entry fee: £10 Prizes: $1,500, $500 and publication
Closing date: 30 November, TBC Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 1 December
Prairie Fire Contests
Short stories, max 10,000 words; non-fiction, DWL Short Story Contest
max 5,000 words; 1-3 poems, max 150 lines Stories up to 5,000 words on any subject
Prizes: Can$1,250, $500, $250, each category Prizes: $375, 3 x $100
Entry fee: $32 Free entry
Closing date: 30 November Closing date: 7 December, TBC
Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020 www.writers-online.co.uk 29
COMPETITION GUIDE 2020
Fresh.ink competition
Short stories (up to 7,500 words), novelettes
(7,500-17,499), novellas (17,500-39,999) and
novels (40,000+)
Prizes: $1,000 (SS), $1,500 (novelette), $2,000
(novella), $3,000 (novel)
Free entry
Closing date: 1 December, TBC
Sillerman First Book Prize
Poetry collection manuscripts, over 50 pages,
by unpublished African poets
Prizes: $1,000
Free entry
Closing date: 1 December
Strokestown International
Poetry Prize
Unpublished poems for open competition.
Unpublished comic poems for Percy French
Prize for Comic Verse
Prizes: €2,000, €700, €400; 7x€300
Entry fee: €6
Closing date: TBC, 6 Dec in 2019
HE Bates Short Story
Competition
Short stories up to 2,000 words
Prizes: £500, £200, £100, £100 for best short
story by a Northampton writer
Entry fee: £6, £10 for two
Closing date: 9 December, TBC
Irish Imbas Celtic Mythology
Short Story Competition
Short stories drawing on Celtic/Gaelic
mythology
Prizes: $500, $250, $100 and publication
Entry fee: $7
Closing date: 10 December
Sunday Times Audible Short
Story Award
Short stories, up to 6,000 words, by authors
with a record of publication
Prizes: £30,000, five £1,000 shortlisted
Free entry
Closing date: TBC, 13 Dec in 2019
Chorley & District Writers’ Circle
Annual Short Story Competition
Short stories, max 2,500 words, theme TBC
Prizes: £100, £50, 3x£20
Entry fee: £6, £10 for two
Closing date: 15 December, TBC
Four Way Books It’s No Contest
Book length manuscripts by New Yorkers
Prizes: Publication
Free entry
Closing date: 15 December
Jhalak Prize
For book of the year by a writer of colour
Prizes: £1,000
Free entry
Closing date: 15 December
30 www.writers-online.co.uk
Moon City Short Fiction Award
Collections of short fiction, 30,000-
65,000 words
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 December, TBC
Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript
Development Prize
Book length manuscripts of commercial
fiction or non-fiction, up to 80,000 words
Prizes: Author coaching, structural and line edit
Entry fee: Aus$45
Closing date: 18 December
Writers Digest Short Short Story
Awards
Short stories, up to 1,500 words
Prizes: $3,000, $1,500, $500, 6x$100; plus
vouchers, consultations, publication
Entry fee: $30 ($25 before 15 Nov)
Closing date: 19 December, TBC
Lazuli Literary Group Writing
Contest
Your best writing of any kind
Prizes: $100
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 20 December, TBC
Young Walter Scott Prize
Historical fiction, 800-2,000 words, by
writers aged 11-15 or 16-19
Prizes: £500 travel grant in each category
Free entry
Closing date: 20 December, TBC
Dead of Winter Horror Fiction
Contest
Fiction in any dark genre, word count TBC
(3,000-5,000 last time)
Prizes: $50, $15, $10 Amazon gift cards
Free entry
Closing date: 21 December
Dorset Prize
Poetry collections, 48-88 pages
Prizes: $3,000 and publication
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 31 December
Tamaqua Award for a Collection
of Essays
Unpublished essay collections
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $22
Closing date: 31 December, TBC
For up-to-date competition details, all the latest
competition launches and publication opportunities all
year round, subscribe to Writing Magazine:
www.writers-online.co.uk
Writing Magazine - Competition Guide 2020
Wild Words Winter Solstice
Writing Competition
1,000 words of poetry, prose, song or
spoken word, inspired by one of four
quotes listed on the website
Prizes: A Wild Words one-hour 1-1
mentoring session, online publication
Entry fee: £7
Closing date: 21 December
Ruth Rendell Short Story
Competition
For short stories, up to 1,000 words
Prizes: £1,000 and commission to write four
further stories over the course of one year
Entry fee: £15
Closing date: 22 December, TBC
Arkbound Short Story
Competition
Short stories between 500 and 1,000 words
on the theme of time
Prizes: £100, £50, £25, 3 x £10
Entry fee: £3. Arkbound will sponsor entries
from disadvantaged people.
Closing date: 31 December
Boulevard Emerging Writers
Competition
Fiction or nonfiction up to 8,000 words, by
a writer who has not had a book published
Prizes: Fiction, $1,500; non-fiction, $1,000
Entry fee: $16 each category, includes a
subscription to the mag
Closing date: 31 December
Lascaux Prize for short fiction
Short stories, up to 10,000 words
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 31 December
Moth Poetry Prize
For a single unpublished poem
Prizes: €10,000, 3 x €1,000 plus publication
in The Moth
Entry fee: €15
Closing date: 31 December
Ouen Press Short Story
Competition
Short stories, 4,000-10,000 words on a
theme TBC
Prizes: Cash prizes and publication (£300, 2
x £100 last time)
Free entry
Closing date: 31 December, TBC
 WIN £1,000 in the
inaugural WRITING MAGAZINE
GRAND PRIZE

CLOSING
Win up to £1,000 in the first ever Writing DATE
Magazine Grand Prize, a new open competition 30 JUNE
for your short stories in any form, on any topic.
The only stipulation is that your story should ENTER NOW:
be a maximum 2,000 words. • Online, at
http://writ.rs/wmgrandprize
Runners-up prizes are £250 for second, £100 for third, a • By post, using the form
WM Course mini-critique for fourth and a twelve-month
on p95 of the main
subscription for fifth.
Writing Magazine
Stories will be judged by the Writing Magazine
The entry fee is £15, or £10 for WM
editorial team – editor Jonathan Telfer and subscribers. Your submissions should be
assistant editor Tina Jackson – and the winner in a single document, with your contact
published in the October details on the first page. For full formatting
guidelines, please see p95 of the main
Writing Magazine Competition Supplement. Writing Magazine.
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