Category Archives: Writing

Literary Devices and their Use in Fiction

We’ve been talking about literary devices in my classes, which, perhaps oddly for a writing class, we rarely do. We’re usually focusing on dialogue or characterization or some other element of short stories. So here are just three literary devices … Continue reading

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Is Your Writing Smelly Enough?

Using the senses in your writing, especially the sense of smell, really helps to take the reader into your story.  However, it’s just as easy  to be cliché with smells as with any other writing so choose carefully and be … Continue reading

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New Year, New Approach to Writing

If writing more productively is one of your New Year Resolutions – it’s one of mine – these tips might help. Choose a market. Preferably one with a deadline like a competition. If you’re stuck for an idea. Why not … Continue reading

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Writing With Emotion – Four Top Tips

Writers are in the business of selling emotion. I forget who said that, but it’s true. We read – or at least I do – because we want to feel something. We might want to feel amused, uplifted, scared, touched, … Continue reading

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Womag Writer – Guest Post by Patsy Collins

It’s an honour to welcome Patsy Collins to my blog today to talk about the Womagwriter blog.  Patsy is a short story writer and novelist. Like myself, she has always found Womagwriter a brilliant resource for short story writers. So … Continue reading

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PR for Authors – The Final Frontier Guest Blog By Sarah E. England

PR is a subject which can strike horror into the hearts of authors everywhere.  Some love it, some hate it. Personally I quite like it but it’s hard work and very time consuming. I’m always fascinated to hear how other … Continue reading

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Short stories for Nanowrimo update – one week in!

This year, as I mentioned in my last blog, I’m attempting to write 50,000 words of short stories during the month of November for Nanowrimo. We are 7 days in. I thought you might like to know how I’m getting … Continue reading

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Six tips for writing shorts for Nanowrimo

As I mentioned in my last blog I’m busy doing Nanowrimo this month. But as usual I’m writing 50k of short stories in November not a novel. This is more useful for me, being as shorts are my day job. … Continue reading

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Nanowrimo 2014. 50k of short stories in a month!

It’s coming up to Nanowrimo again isn’t it? That’s National Novel Writing Month for the uninitiated. That’s when you sign up to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. Or 50,000 words worth of short stories in … Continue reading

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Winter Reading for 99p

Just Thought I’d pop in and mention that The Morning After The Life Before is 99p till this Thursday (22 October 15). So if you fancied reading the sequel to Ice and a Slice, now’s your chance 🙂 Nothing like … Continue reading

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