The sums on creative writing degrees don't add up. So why do we do them?
theguardian.com – Monday March 13, 2017
When I tell people I’m doing a creative writing degree there are two questions that people usually ask: the first is “Why?’” and the second, “How?”
The “how” is an interesting place to start. With university course fees rising and incomes for writers falling, the financial outlook of a creative writing degree is at best optimistic, and at worst downright crazy.
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Monday March 13, 2017
Publishes: Fiction; Nonfiction; Poetry; Scripts;
Areas include: Drama; Short Stories;
Markets: Adult;
Preferred styles: Literary
Annual literary magazine, publishing poetry, short stories, short plays, and creative nonfiction. Send 3-6 poems, up to 25 double-spaced pages of short fiction (or one or two short pieces of 1-3 double spaced pages), play scripts up to 10 minutes, or up to 25 double-spaced pages of nonfiction. Accepts work both by post and by email. See website for full details.
Writing Competition Seeks To Discover New Irish Talent
hotpress.com – Saturday March 11, 2017
An African-themed short-story and poetry competition aims to promote aspiring, emerging and established writers based in Ireland.
The competition marks Africa Day 2017 and this is the third year that the it will take place. Irish Aid has again teamed up with The Irish Times on an African-themed short story and poetry competition for writers of all ages.
DHH literary agency to hold writer pitch sessions
thebookseller.com – Saturday March 11, 2017
D H H Literary agency is to hold pitch sessions for unrepresented writers next month.
Five agents will be available for a 10-minute slot for an individual pitch session and each writer will receive "honest and valuable feedback". The agents are approaching this with a view to finding new clients. The pitch sessions will run from 4pm to 7pm on 12th April at Library Club on St Martin’s Lane.
Each writer will only be able to approach one agent on the team, with information on the event and each agent available on the DHH website. Writers will need to email their work in advance to apply for a place. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday 5th April.
Don’t like the way you write? An artificial intelligence app promises to polish your prose
qz.com – Friday March 10, 2017
I am a professional writer, but I often hate my writing. I wish it was more concise and powerful. And it certainly doesn’t read as smoothly as the work of my literary heroes. Recently, I began to wonder: Could a software program make me better at my job?
The Hemingway App, an online writing editor created in 2013 by brothers Adam and Ben Long, promises to do just that. “Hemingway makes your writing bold and clear,” the site claims, so that “your reader will focus on your message, not your prose.” If you listen to the app’s advice, it will rid your writing of run-on sentences, needless adverbs, passive voice, and opaque words. There’s no guarantee you’ll crank out the next Farewell to Arms—but the goal is to get you closer to Ernest Hemingway’s clear, minimalist style.
From 'alibi' to 'mauve': what famous writers' most used words say about them
theguardian.com – Friday March 10, 2017
When Ray Bradbury was asked to contribute his favourite word for the 1995 book The Logophile’s Orgy, he chose cinnamon: “The word cinnamon derives, I suppose, from visiting my grandma’s pantry when I was a kid. I loved to read the labels on spice boxes; curries from far places in India and cinnamons from across the world.”
Video: Children's writing fellowship announced in Seamus Heaney's honour
irishnews.com – Thursday March 9, 2017
A new 'children's writing fellow' honouring Seamus Heaney and his contribution to literature, is to be appointed to inspire future generations of creative talent.
Developed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Queen's University Belfast, the two year, part-time post will attract £15,000 a year.
Once in post, the children's writing fellow will perform a range of duties designed to promote an interest in reading and writing from an early age by encouraging creativity and engagement with books.
Australian science fiction authors feel let down by local publishers
abc.net.au – Thursday March 9, 2017
While the overall Australian publishing scene is robust, Australian science fiction writers believe their work is not being adequately supported by the industry.
"It's quite difficult to get a science fiction novel published by an Australian publisher," says Cat Sparks, a publisher of science fiction anthologies.
Ritchie leaves Curtis Brown for A M Heath
thebookseller.com – Thursday March 9, 2017
Literary agent Rebecca Ritchie is leaving Curtis Brown after five years to join A M Heath.
Ritchie is moving to her new role on 18th April to develop her list of commercial fiction and non-fiction. As well as co-founding Twitter initiative #PitchCB, Ritchie has worked alongside Sheila Crowley and represented authors herself such as Red magazine’s literary editor Sarra Manning, Alex Lake, author of After Anna (Harper), the Sunday Times Top 10 paperback bestseller and Iona Grey, author of last year’s overall Romantic Novel of the Year Letters to the Lost (Simon & Schuster).
New Literary Agency Listing
firstwriter.com – Thursday March 9, 2017
Handles: Fiction; Nonfiction
Markets: Children's; Youth
UK office of established US agency. UK agent handles fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults, but no material for adults, or picture books. Agents in the US office do consider material for adults. See website for submission guidelines.
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