View All Posts of September 2014

Make That First Fifteen Seconds Count!So, you’ve finished your short story and you’re itching to approach a magazine or website with it. Fifteen seconds, that’s all the time you have to hook an editor. No matter how interesting the middle and ending of your short story are, it won’t see the light of day if you bore the editor in the fi...

Avoiding Competition ScamsWe all know how tempting it is to enter competitions. The thought of being chosen as the winner is exciting and you start imagining yourself on the podium, accepting your award and prize money. Okay, that may be a little over the top, but you get the idea. I’m sure we’ve all looked at those ads for a poetry or shor...

Ten Top Tips for Finding IdeasHaving a mental block when it comes to ideas is a writer’s worst nightmare! So, here are some simple tips to kick-start your imagination. 1. Listen to music. Song lyrics and titles can be a great source of ideas. You can either listen to the song or go online and use song lyric websites, such as Song Lyrics, ...

Organising Yourself So That You Have More Time To WriteOne of the biggest barriers to people becoming writers is finding the time to actually write! I know it seems strange that anyone wanting to be a writer would find it difficult to fit writing into their life, but it’s true. So, here are some hints and tips to help you get organised. You�...