First, thanks to Linda for her post which I found particularly interesting. I tend to enjoy a ‘good’ read (and by that I mean a long read – something that I can really get into and feel I know the characters like personal friends by the time I’ve finished). So, I usually prefer sitting down with a novel rather than a collection of short stories when I’m relaxing. But after reading last week’s blog I’ll definitely be going out and buying a copy of ‘Fiction Feast’ just to check what is currently being published as ‘commercial’ short fiction. Read the rest of this entry »

My name is Linda Lewis, sometimes known as Catherine Howard.

I’ve been writing full-time for a number of years. I began by signing up for a Writers Bureau course which led me to writing articles about tropical fish for magazines in the UK, South Africa and the USA. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m afraid we had a bit of a technical glitch in June but, hopefully, normal service has now been resumed!

As usual, thanks to Karen for her wise words on writing for children. Many people think that writing for children is an easy option. It’s not – or not if you’re going to make a success of it. But if that’s what you really want to do, don’t let anyone put you off. There are openings, if you persevere, whether in mainstream publishing, self-publishing or competitions. Read the rest of this entry »

Times have changed. The books children read, the clothes they wear, the games they play and even the way they speak are different to what I remember, and I’m sure you find the same. So how do you, as a writer of children’s stories, put yourself in their world? Here are some of the tips I’ve found useful: Read the rest of this entry »