View All Posts of April 2015

1. Write about what you know – or you can find out about. 2. Enjoy your writing – don't look on it as a chore. 3. Read, read, read! Read as widely as possible. 4. Don't show others your work too early in the creative process. 5. Use all five senses – try to incorporate sight, sound, smell, touch and taste into your writing. 6. Always keep a...

Tomorrow is World Book Night when 20 books are selected and then 80,000 copies are distributed to people who wouldn’t normally read for pleasure or own books. It’s run by The Reading Agency, a national charity, and an army of volunteers distribute books in their communities. Have a look at the books that will be given out – they’re quite...

Writers can quadruple their chances of acceptance and double their fees by submitting photos with their words…and you don’t even need to be an expert photographer to provide saleable photos with your work. So here are some tips on profiting from your photography: 1. Remember that a good picture is worth a thousand words. If you can provide p...

Many novels and short stories get rejected because they don’t include enough dialogue – or their characters use sounds stilted and unrealistic. So here are some tips to help you make the most of what your characters say 1. When your characters start talking they must say something important – something that helps to push your plot forward. ...

Some people dismiss writing to the letters pages of magazines as beneath them. True – it’s never going to earn you a fortune, but we know many writers who make enough money to fund their leisure activities, or win themselves interesting and useful ‘gifts’. So here are some tips to make the most of your letter writing. Keep yo...