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

Editing your novel • In the first of an essential series, Sara Grant, author of a new guide to editing, sets out the vital questions you need to address in the process of transforming your first draft into a publishable manuscript

Mastering the art of the pitch • Want to get your writing project off the ground? Danny Fontaine outlines ten essential principles to give your pitch the best chance of success

How to submit your novel to agents • Finding a literary agent is one of the most difficult experiences for writers who want to be traditionally published. If you’re new to the process, knowing where to start and what mistakes to avoid can help you minimise the stress and maximise your chances of success. Sheila M. Averbuch, author of Pitch Your Book, the new guide for authors on how to submit, takes you through the process a step at a time.

Research skills for novelists • When you’re writing a novel, you need to make it ring true, but not let the research take over. Author Rebecca Wait outlines what to do, and the bits you can leave out

In the swim • There are parallels between writing and long-distance swimming as endurance sports, says author and tutor Lizzie Enfield, who has recently completely an epic swim

LOVE & (lotsof) laughter • For 25 years, Jenny Colgan has been an author at the very top of the romcom game. She tells Tina Jackson how comedy fuels her heartwarming, bestselling novels

REAL LIFE, great stories • This month Jenny Alexander looks at telling a story within a story

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

Description: PART THREE • There may be no absolutes when it somes to description, says writer and tutor Ian Ayris, but there are some very helpful guidelines to making it as effective as possible

HANNAH BRENNAN • The debut crime writer describes how she found her writing voice by drawing on her own experience of living with OCD

A slight case of overthinking • Lynne Hackles is cross with herself for interrupting her flow

LUCY FOLEY • The murder mystery thriller author sets out five books that stick in her crime-writer’s mind

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

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: THE GARDEN

POETRY • Gardens in the Seven Ages By Briege Brannigan

PROSE • Time for a Willow Tree By Linda Ford

WE WANT YOUR WRITING • (and we’ll pay you for it!)

Subscribers’ news

Capturing attention • Bestselling Irish author Faith Hogan explains why you can’t overstate the importance of making an impression on the reader with the beginning of a book

Starting with the shoes • Alison Chisholm explores a poem that maps a route through grief with a footwear motif

GETTING UNSTUCK • Got...