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

HOW TO WRITE BETTER THAN AI • Douglas McPherson road-tests some writing AI tools, and asks editors and writers what wordsmiths need to do to survive in a world of computer-generated content

A changing MARKETPLACE PART TWO • In the second part of this series on freelancing increasingly digital marketplace, Esther Chilton looks at different types of writing as ways you can earn from your work, including blogging, content writing and copywriting.

HORROR: The first time hurts • Author Grady Hendrix sets out the seven simple questions to ask before you write your first horror story if you want to increase your odds of survival

WADING IN deeper • Debut novelist Roisín O’ Donnell looks looks at making the leap from short story to full-length fiction with an idea that wouldn’t let go.

Murderous thoughts • Author James McCreet (writing as Matt Stanley), provides insights into getting inside the minds of serial killers in the process of writing from their perspective in his latest novel

Write moves • Police officer turned bestselling crime writer Clare Mackintosh tells Tina Jackson about how her own property obsession fuelled her new novel, and how the theme of grief underpins all her work

REAL LIFE, great stories • This month, Jenny Alexander exploistorical and cultural settings in your momoir

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

TENSE AND POINT OF VIEW: PART THREE • Look at using different types of the First Person PoV to allow varying persepctives in your fiction, with advice from author and tutor Ian Ayris

ALICE AUSTEN • The debut author describes how she never forgot Ken Kesey’s advice to collect the ‘acorns’ that would grow into a historical novel set in Brussels in WW2

Words as weapons • Cross a writer at your peril, says Lynne Hackles

SELALI FIAMANYA • The short story writer turned literary novelist picks five titles which struck a chord with him in the process of becoming a writer

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

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: YOUR WRITING The Gift

POETRY • Late Afternoon, December

PROSE • An ear for music

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

Subscribers’ news

Away from it all • Author Lucy Diamond describes creating the set up of her new novel, set in a Greek island hotel

Before and after • When is a poem finished? Alison Chisholm fine-tunes a competition winner to see if it might benefit from any further revisions

Meeting & greeting • Writing can be a solitary occupation, says Margaret James, as she reminds WM readers of the benefits of making real-life connections

Five quick questions 5

IT ALL ADDS UP • Helen Walters looks at the subtleties of conveying people and how they feel in your fiction, with...