Andrea Mara on having the confidence to write a novel
irishexaminer.com – Friday June 2, 2017
THIS time three years ago, I got up, put on a dress and heels, and drove to my office in Dublin’s Financial Services Centre to look at my long to-do list.
I know this not because it stands out in any way, but because back then it’s what I did every day.
Today, I’m sitting at my kitchen table in jeans and flats, looking at an equally long but very different to-do list, and getting set to launch my first book, a psychological thriller about a woman who sees something strange in her next-door neighbour’s garden.
Crediton Short Story Competition 2017 Shortlist announced
firstwriter.com – Thursday June 1, 2017
The shortlisted entries for the Crediton Short Story Competition 2017 have been announced:
- Echoes From The Somme by Frances Colville
- Entanglement by Alex Reece Abbott
- The Apple and the Tree by Mary Sheehan
- Down at the End of Lonely Street by Roger Tayler
- Being Beryl by Eleanor Westwood
The shortlisted entries can be read at: http://credfest.co.uk
Lanny Noveck & Liz Robinson Launch Boutique Literary Management Firm
deadline.com – Thursday June 1, 2017
Literary representation veterans Lanny Noveck and Liz Robinson have teamed to form Signature Ltd., a boutique literary management firm. This is a re-teaming of the duo who first worked together as agents at the William Morris Agency.
Stuck While Writing? Try This Brilliant Advice
themarysue.com – Wednesday May 31, 2017
Every writer knows that while there are the blessed moments where words seem to pour forth in a magical river, sometimes the act of writing is like pulling teeth. Actually, pulling teeth sounds a lot easier than attempting to write when you’re blocked. The following approaches to getting unstuck could prove extremely helpful—I know they’ve helped me.
Inkitt Free Novel Writing Competition 2017
firstwriter.com – Wednesday May 31, 2017
Inkitt is now accepting submissions of novels of 20,000 words and over for its Free Novel Writing Competition: an ongoing writing competition which every month selects a new novel for publication.
The competition is free to enter, and is open to any genre of novel, and writers from anywhere in the world.
New Publisher Listing
firstwriter.com – Tuesday May 30, 2017
Publishes: Fiction; Nonfiction; Poetry; Scripts;
Areas include: Arts; Autobiography; Biography; Business; Crime; Culture; Current Affairs; Fantasy; Finance; Health; Historical; Humour; Lifestyle; Literature; Media; Military; Music; Mystery; Nature; Philosophy; Politics; Psychology; Religious; Science; Self-Help; Sociology; Sport; Travel;
Markets: Academic; Children's; Professional; Youth;
Preferred styles: Commercial; Literary; Popular
Publisher with offices in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. Accepts queries by email. See website for detailed instructions.
Scribbling at Sea
By Lesley Middleton
firstwriter.com – Monday May 29, 2017
Successful author, Diane Janes is interviewed by novice writer, Lesley Middleton
Most people boarding a cruise ship are looking forward to sightseeing, socialising and, perhaps most of all, relaxing on deck soaking up the sun. Not author Diane Janes though – at least not whilst she's on board as a guest speaker. When she's not enthralling passengers with talks about famous authors and real-life crime mysteries, she uses her time on the ship to write her own books. There are few interruptions and plenty of food and drink readily available so maybe more writers should follow her example.
As a novice writer, I was thrilled to meet Diane on a recent cruise on P&O's Oriana. Diane is generous in her encouragement to new writers. She will happily chat to cruise passengers with ambitions to see themselves in print and has tutored several courses for would-be authors, despite never having had any ambitions to become a teacher. She very graciously agreed to being interviewed by me.
20 Writing Prompts To Jumpstart Your Summer Writing
bustle.com – Monday May 29, 2017
Summer is prime time for creative writing. With school on break and the sun shining, it's the perfect opportunity to get outside and put pen to paper. Maybe this summer you can finally buckle down on a big project, or perhaps you want to take it easy with some fun experiments.
When I was in school, I would always kick off every summer vacation by heading to my favorite coffee shop for a blissful night of writing for me. Summer means you can really have some freedom with your writing. This summer, challenge yourself not to hold anything back.
But even as exciting as summer writing is, I know that sometimes writing can seem impossible. We all have those days when nothing can come out. With hope, these writing prompts will get your pen moving and spark some ideas for your summer projects. And remember, just getting something (anything!) down on the page is already a huge accomplishment.
Poetry? Short stories? Maybe even a novel? No matter what kind of writing you prefer to do, these writing prompts are sure to get your creative juices flowing. Of course, feel free to adapt them in whatever way best springboards your creativity. Happy writing!
Micro fiction: The new-age writing fad
freepressjournal.in – Sunday May 28, 2017
Whether it is for an enhanced taste for socio-culturally relatable writing, the growing preference for succinctness in narration or the rapidly plummeting attention spans of readers, micro fiction seems like the order of the day. For the uninitiated, flash or micro fiction is a condensed form of story telling, typically involving 300-400 words, or as few as 20-30 words.
How Eleanor Oliphant changed a writer's life, and set the publishing world ablaze: an interview with Gail Honeyman
heraldscotland.com – Saturday May 27, 2017
GAIL Honeyman shakes her head, as if to shrug off the shades of a dazzling but unbelievable dream.
We are meeting in a cafe bar in the west end of Glasgow, where her debut novel, the source of that sense of slight but delighted bewilderment, is also largely set. Her book is entitled Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. It is a moving, funny, and by the end, devastating novel, and also a rare thing: a debut novel from Scotland which pitched the literary world into a kind of delirium. Ms Honeyman, 45, wrote the novel while she worked at Glasgow University - she created it, as many aspiring writers do, in snatched parcels of precious time - in the morning, in the evening, on holiday. But when it was complete, and in the hands of her agent, it ignited the publishing world. "It was a massive shock," she says.
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