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Steve Cole: 5 Ways to Avoid Disaster During an Author Event
WritingYou will have disasters.Perhaps not the most inspirational introduction of all time, but it’s true. I’ve been presenting book events to audiences since 2005 and I love it, but the nature of...
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Five Ways to Stay Focused on Your Writing over the Holidays
WritingThere are certain times of year when getting yourself into the writing frame of mind is harder than others. The festive period is definitely one them. There’s a good chance you’ll be struggling...
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5 Tips for Organising a Spoken Word Event
WritingOrganising a spoken word event is a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun. Whether you’re looking to put on your own show or host a cabaret of other performers, there are a few things you can...
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Five Ways to Perk up Your Writers’ Group
WritingWriters’ groups play a vital role in the literary ecosystem: at regular intervals, they transform a solitary occupation into a mutual endeavour. But even the most committed collective can...
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5 Ways to Spring Clean Your Writing
WritingIf you’re used to working amidst teetering stacks of paper and mouldering coffee mugs, you’re certainly not alone. It’s normal to let things get a little messy when you’re knee deep in a writing...
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Five Reasons to Publish an Ebook
WritingAmazon claim that their Kindle platform has revolutionised publishing. Now anyone with a manuscript and a cover image can publish an ebook.A more useful description of the ebook “revolution” is...
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How to Write Your Author Bio
WritingWhether you’re just starting to send your first bits of writing out to magazines or you’re a seasoned pro, a solid author bio is one piece of writing you want to have nailed.If a publisher,...
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5 Routes into Writing for Games
WritingScholastic Publishing recently reissued Fighting Fantasy, a series of games disguised as books. The reader becomes the hero in a swords-and-sorcery adventure, and has to make decisions which can...
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5 Tips for Writing a Rounded Disabled Character
WritingHow many times have you opened a book and found a character with additional needs inside? For me, as a deafblind teenager: disappointingly few. It's a sad fact that people with additional needs...
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5 Tips for Running a Successful Comic Kickstarter
WritingHave you ever thought about writing a comic? Well, thanks to crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, anyone with a bit of marketing savvy can raise the cash they need to make...
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5 Tips for Approaching an Agent
WritingReady to start submitting your novel to agents? Be sure to read through these handy tips from Laura Macdougall of United Agents first. Edit, edit, editUnless you’re very lucky, you will only get...
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5 Poets to Read if You Hate Poetry
WritingI don’t mind when people tell me they hate poetry. I mean, I say I hate jazz music, but who knows? Maybe I’ve never been introduced to the right kind of jazz, the kind that would stop me in my...
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No Writer's a Geek
WritingI remember primary school—a long, long time ago in a school far, far away. What a nightmare. I recall when writing poetry and prose was viewed, at best, as an unusual trait; at worst as a weird...
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5 Questions to Ask When Redrafting Your Novel
WritingFirst of all, congratulations! Because if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve finished at least one draft of your novel, so hopefully you’ve given yourself a pat on the back and a...
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Five Things Literary Agents do for Writers
WritingBefore I worked in publishing, I didn’t know what a literary agent did. In fact, most people outside the publishing industry don’t know what a literary agent does - even, sometimes, authors who...
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Writing tips: How to handle criticism
WritingIf you’re planning to get your work out there in the world, you’re going to have to get used to dealing with criticism. We’ve pulled together a few of the challenges you might face, as well as...
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How to tackle a difficult second novel
WritingIn April 2017, I secured a publishing deal with Legend Press for my debut psychological thriller, She Chose Me. Champagne was consumed. Once the euphoria wore off, however, I found myself facing...
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Five ways to include more scent in your writing
WritingWould you do something for me?Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and imagine the scent of freshly mown grass.What came to mind? The first days of spring? Sports fields and ball games? Hay...
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Five tips for researching fiction from author Polly Clark
WritingAuthor Polly Clark shares a few of insights into the research process she’s developed during the writing of her two novels, Larchfield and Tiger.Research is an icebergSo much of the best...
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