Writing Magazine

The saying goes that “everyone has a story in them” and it’s the mission of Writing Magazine to help you get yours out. Brought to you by real experts who know what it takes to improve your writing or get published, this monthly magazine is a must-have for all writers. Whether you write fiction, poetry, drama, children’s books, non-fiction or anything else, each issue features tips, practical exercises and real-life advice, that will not only help you get all that creativity onto the paper but also, get your name and profile out into the industry. With writing masterclasses from professionals, industry news, events listings, competitions where you can submit your work for fantastic prizes and real paid writing opportunities, Writing Magazine has everything you need to hone and improve your talents.

DEAR READER

WRITE YOUR BOOK in a year Is your New Year’s resolution to get that book written? • Helen Stockton sets out strategies so you can fulfil your promise to yourself

Turn your troubles around • Forewarned is forearmed as you plan your writing for the year ahead. Catherine Balavage looks at the bad things about being an author – and how you can deal with them

The route to Arcadia • In part two of his series on writing narrative non-fiction, James McCreet offers a creative non-fiction case study

RUNNING on empty • Lisa Jackson describes the process of writing through grief in her new memoir, and offers advice on how you can write your pain and loss

A TWIST IN CRIME • How do you make your psychological thriller feel fresh and relevant? Novelist Lisa Walker looks at reinventing the genre and giving it new angles

TIME and motion STUDY • Many of us don’t write in the same place every day. Novelist Indyana Schneider offers her ten unofficial rules for writing on the go

Back to Black • Historical novelist Louise Hare tells Tina Jackson about writing the Black presence in London’s 18th-century underworld, and the benefits of a creative writing MA in enabling her to give voice to characters whose stories are frequently overlooked

REAL LIFE, great stories • This month, Jenny Alexander looks at the power of place

A calendar of creative inspiration • Use the year creatively and refresh your writing every month, as Mary Ward guides you through a series of seasonal inspirations to give you ideas and help you find your flow

Your writing critiqued • James McCreet applies a forensic micro-critique to the beginning of a reader’s manuscript

Dialogue PART FOUR • Writer and tutor Ian Ayris talks you through the use of dialogue tags to make your characters’ speech stand out

SEAMUS SULLIVAN • The debut author of a novella-length retelling of the Daedalus myth describes his evolving relationship with the story of the relationship between the Ancient Greek craftsman and his doomed son, Icarus

Novel Ideas

JILL DAWSON • The acclaimed author of twelve novels and a poetry collection selects five books that have meant something to her

The world of writing • What goes through a writer’s brain? Readers’ letters and dispatches from the wide world of writing

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: IT HAPPENED HERE

Subscribers’ news

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Rejected & road-ready • Romantic novelist Julie Shackman describes how she sets up her heroine for a road-trip back home at the beginning of the latest in the Scottish Escapes series

Tune in for inspiration • Alison Chisholm explores a poem that began life with listening to a radio programme

Pulling the strings • Use sensory descriptions to enhance your stories and create impressions in your readers, says Helen Walters, with an example story by Virginia Woolf

Growing readers...