I – like many of you probably – have just got to the end of the NaNoWriMo month. The idea is to write a 50,000 word first draft of a novel in the 30 days of November. This year I managed 19,879 words, but that’s a huge success considering that last year I wrote about 244 before I gave up! Read the rest of this entry »
The winners of the Writers Bureau Poetry and Short Story Competition 2010 have now been announced and their entries are available on the website . If you are reading this and are one of those talented winners – congratulations – you deserve it!
One of the pleasant things about being a published author is that you are sometimes invited to give a talk at local libraries or book festivals. I always invite questions and one that is invariably asked is ‘Where do you get your ideas from?’
It’s hot, and although I love summer weather I can’t help feeling it’s largely a waste of time for those of us cooped-up in a city-centre office. You don’t get to enjoy the benefits and when you go home you have to face the tedium of filling and re-filling a degging can, just to keep those precious plants you bought alive and perky.
But let’s not be negative. Apparently if you think happy, positive thoughts, your whole life will be happier and more successful – well that’s the theory, anyway! So let’s be positive, instead. According to the Press Gazette over a billion consumer magazines were sold in 2009 and sales dropped just 1.3% in the second half of the year – despite the recession. So, if you’re a writer there’s still a huge market out there for your work.
I suspect the reason for the buoyancy is that magazines are still considered comparatively cheap – a small indulgence that can be justified even when times are hard and finances tight.
If you’re interested in writing fiction you could do worse than check out Fiction Factor where there are hundreds of useful articles on all aspects of the craft and links on book promotions and marketing.
Or, you might like to see what Ty Johnston has to say at Local Misanthropy, his blog on writing. A recent post considers whether writers really can make a living from writing only short stories.
So, now that we’re all feeling much more up-beat, I’m off to watch England’s third World Cup match, against Slovenia. But I’m wondering whether I’ll still be feeling as optimistic in a couple of hours’ time!
Hi!
Are you a mobile phone addict? I sometimes feel that I’m the only person on the planet who isn’t permanently glued to my mobile. When I go walking and come across someone at over 3000 feet, sitting at a trig point and talking into their mobile instead of admiring the view, I feel like taking it off them and throwing it over the nearest rock face (and that’s the censored suggestion).
So, as you can imagine, I’m not really into ‘apps’ but I saw an intriguing one last week – findatoilet.mobi. All you do is type in where you are and you’ll be told the location of the nearest public convenience. That’s OK if you’re in central Manchester, but you might not make it in time if you’re half way up Snowdon! I wonder if they suggest bushes or stone walls as alternatives?
We hear a lot these days about writers blogging or putting extracts of their work on the Internet and then getting spotted by a publisher or agent and taken on. How often does it really happen and what are your chances? I can’t answer that one but apparently crime writer Stuart Neville was discovered by his agent after he had posted a short story on Thuglit. In fact, his debut novel ‘The Twelve’, published by Harvill Secker is out now and has had some great reviews.
Or, if you’re an aspiring novelist but Thuglit isn’t your style, why not have a look at Authonomy? Launched by HarperCollins, this site allows you to upload your novel and have it read – and judged – by fellow members. It’s already highlighted some success stories and the best are currently being printed.
And finally, don’t forget the Writers Bureau 21st Birthday Caption Writing competition. You’ve just time to enter before the closing date of 30th May, giving you the chance to win a Freelance Journalism course.
Enjoy your writing over the bank holiday weekend!
