Writers' Narrative eMagazine July 2025 by scottandlawson

WendyH.Jones-EditorinChief-isalsoourExecutiveCommissioningandFeaturesEditor.Sheisthe multi-award-winning,best-sellingauthorofadult crimethrillersandcozymysteries,children’spicturebooksandnon-fictionbooksforwriters.Inaddition,sheisawritingcoach,partnerin Auscot Publishing and Retreats andhoststheWritingandMarketingShowpodcast.

SheenaMacleodisourDeputytotheEditorinChief. Sheoverseestheday-to-dayproductionanddesign. Sheis authorofthehistoricalfictionnovels,ReignoftheMarionettesandTearsofStrathnaver,andco-authorofthenonfictionbookSo,YouSayICan’tVote!FrancesConnelly.

PaulineTaitisoursubmissionsmanager.Sheisamultiaward-winning,bestsellingauthorofchildren’spicturebooksandromanticmysteries.Herpicture bookssparkimaginationandsupportearlyliteracy, whilehernovelsfollowwomenovercomingextraordinarychallenges,findinglove,anddiscovering theirinnerstrength.

AllisonSymesisourCopyEditor.Sheisanawardwinning,publishedflashfictionandshortstorywriter. Shealsowritesaweeklycolumnontopicsofinterest forwritersforonlinemagazine, Chandler's Ford Today.

ShanayaWaghisaninternwithWriters’Narrative andoneofourcontenteditors.Shanayaisanaward -winningwriterofromanticmysteriessetinScotland.WrittenunderthepennameShanaFrost.

EditorinChief

Susan McVeyisourContentEditor.Susanwrites dystopianfictionandfantasynarratives,tailoredfor theyoungadultandteenageaudience.ShepublishesunderMartiM.McNair.Herworksinclude Island of Ruin (RuinorRedemptionBook1).

MaressaMortimeroverseesourmarketingandoursocial mediaengagement.MaressaisauthoroftheElabi Chronicles, Burrowed and Sapphire Beach.

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Featured AuthorInterview

WithSandraIreland

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WelcometotheJune2025issueofthe magazine.Icannotbelievehowfast theyearisgoing.AsIwritethisitisthe longestdayhereinScotland.Whatbettertime tolookatwritinghabitsthatwillhelpus throughtheremainderoftheyear.

Writinghabitsareimportantasthesearewhat helpusmoveourmanuscriptforwardwhatever wearewriting.Wereviewwritingbooksthatwill helpusdevelopgoodhabits.SandraIreland, ourauthorofthemonth,hashints,tipsand sageadvicewhichwillhelpusgrowthewayin whichwewrite.

Everyaspectiscoveredfromformingresearch habitsforchildren’sbooks,tocreatinggood writinghabitsthatstick.Areyouanightowlora morninglark?SheenaMacLeod’sarticlewill

helpyoudecideandhelpyouformhabitsthat workforyou.

OurpoetrythismonthcoversClogyrnachpoems,anewoneonme.Withourlibraryofthe monthandbookshopofthemonthandwise wordsfromSophietheofficedog,thereissomethingforeveryoneinthismonth’shabitforming edition.

Wendy H. Jones Editor in Chief

Wendy H. Jones Author, Publisher, Writing Coach

FeaturedAuthorSandraIreland

Interviewedby

WendyH.Jones

Sandra Ireland is the multi-award-winning author of Gothic Horror, Psychological Thrillers and Poetry. In addition, she runs writing workshops and has appeared in numerous festivals worldwide. Welcome Sandra and thank you for joining us here at Writers’ Narrative and taking time to answer questions which will help our readers.

Whatwritinghabitshaveyoufoundmost helpfulforstayingconsistentovertime?

I’velearnedovertimeIhavetowriteinthe morning.Thatseemstobemymostcreative time,especiallyfirstthing,beforethedayhas reallygotstarted.There’ssomethingaboutthe peaceofthattime,justmeandmywriting, whichhelpsmetoproducemybestwork.Like manywriters,Itendtosufferfromguilt-all thosethingsleftundonebecauseyou’redoing somethingyouenjoy!Bywritingveryearlyin themorning,Icantrickmybrainintothinking I’mnotwastingtime,whichissilly,butitworks forme.Ithelpsmebuildaregularroutine.At themomentI’mworkingonanovelandawork ofnon-fiction,soIdonon-fictiononMonday andTuesday,andfictioninanyoddgapsoftime thatIcanfind!

Whatadvicewouldyougivetowriterstrying tobuildadailyorregularwritingroutine?

Iwouldadvisethemnottobeoverlyambitious. Evenfifteenminutesofwritingproduceswords whichwouldn’totherwiseexistintheworld,so thatisabrilliantresult.Ihavefriendswhousea timertowritein‘batches’oftime,andthatcan worktoo-say20minutesofwritingand30 minutesfocusingonsomethingelse.The‘word sprint’isverypopular.Setyourtimerfor30

minutes,writefuriouslyandseewhatyouget! It’sallaboutfindingwhatworksforyouanddoingthatwhenyoucan.Iusedtowriteeveryday, thinkingthatwoulddevelopawell-structured routine,butI’mnotsostrictnowandstillproductive.SoIwouldsayjusttryandwrite ‘regularly’whateverthatmeansforyou.Itmight onlybeattheweekend,oracoupleofeveningsa week.Entirenovelshavebeendraftedinstray pocketsoftime!

Howcanwriterscreateaproductivewriting environment,eveninabusyordistractingsetting?

Personally,Ifindwritingalonelybusiness,soI reallyliketotakemyselfofftoacoffeeshop,hotelloungeorsomewherethere’sabitofabackgroundhubbub.Notloudenoughtobedistracting,butenoughtoprovideabackdropof‘real life.’

Lisa Turley is from West Virginia. She is on numerous ARC street teams and reads in multiple genres. She is passionate about helping authors get the wordoutabouttheirbooks.

Ifinditmucheasiertowriteinthatenvironment thantobesittinginsilence.Giveitago,writers, butifyoureallycannotstandanynoiseatall,use noise-cancellingheadphonesorgotoamuseum orgallery.AtmylocalmuseuminDundee,there arelotsofquietnookswhereyoucansitand

SandraIreland

scribble.Librariestendnottobequietthese days-Ilongforthedaysofthe’shushing’librarian-butifyoucanfindonewhichisold-school, that’sagoodplacetowritetoo.Compilea playlistofinspirationalinstrumentalmusicand listentothat.IanRankinfamouslywritestothe soundofrockmusic,butthatwon’tworkfor everyone!

Doyouthinkoutliningisessential,orcan writerssucceedwithamorespontaneousapproach?

It’sgoodtoknowwhereyou’reheaded,butthat said,thereissomethingexcitingaboutwriting intotheunknown!Idothink,atsomepoint,you willhavetoatleastjotdownsomekeypointsto helpyoumoveforward.

Itendtocarrythestoryinmyhead,butinevitablyIwillcometoastickingpointathirdofthe waythrough,andthat’swhenIdraftmyplanfor theremainder.SometimesIdothisattheoutset,butrarelydoIsticktoit.Iwenttoabook eventrecently,whereanauthorclaimedtohave writtenthefullnarrativeintendays-itjust emerged,withnoplanorsenseofanending. True,itwasnovellalength,buttheplotobviouslyevolvedinhisheadashewrote,whichisquite arareandwondrousthing.Novelsarelong,and ifIdon’thavesomekindofframework,Iforget keypointsandevencharacters’names!

Whatstrategiesdoyourecommendforovercomingcreativeblocksorlackofmotivation?

Thisisatrickyone.Inevergetwriter’sblock per se,butI’moftenunwillingtositatmydesk. Sometimes,Ithinkprocrastinationisoftenjusta cryforhelpfromyourbrain,soifyoureallycan’t getthewordsdown,heedthecallandgoanddo somethingelse.Allkindsofthingscanimpede thecreativeprocess-illness,bereavement,worry.Wejustneedtobekindtoourselves,andnurtureourcreativityratherthantryingtocoerceit. Itwillbethereforyouwhenyou’reready.

Alackofmotivationthathasnounderlying emotionalcausemightbearesultof ‘manuscriptfear.’Thatisnotanactual‘thing’, butsomethingweallexperiencefromtimeto timeastheplotthickens!Narrativesgetknotty, charactersbecomelameandlifeless,andwe wishwewerewritinganyotherbookbutthis. That’sentirelynormal.Juststartwritingatotallydifferentscene,maybeahookyou’vebeen lookingforwardtowriting,oreventheconclusion.Leavetheknottyproblemforyoursubconscioustoworkoutandloandbehold,itwillbe resolvedintheend.Youwillhaveaflashofinspirationwhenyouleastexpectit.

Mostofuswriteinalinear,chronologicalfashion,butit’sfinetomixthingsupandgetcreative.Veryoccasionally,youwillfalloutoflove withanovelorshortstory,andyoumighthave toaskyourselfisthisthenarrativeyoushould bewritingrightnow?Maybeitdoesn’thavelegs afterall.Thereisnoshameinabandoningunfinishedworkandtryingsomethingnew.

Howshouldwritersapproachediting-during thewritingprocessoraftercompletinga draft?

IeditasIgoalong,becauseI’mquitecontrolling andliketopolisheachscenebeforeItacklethe nextone.Thisisnotforeveryone,andIknow plentyofwriterswhorushthroughthefirstdraft andthengobackandredraft.Bothapproaches work.Withthe‘editingasyougo’method,you willbeabletoreadthroughyourfirstdraftwithoutcringing,andwillhaveabetterideaofhow itwillwork,butthat’sjustme!

Whenduringthedaydoyouthinkmostwritersarelikelytobemostproductive,and why?

Again,verysubjective.Mycreativetimeisthe morning,butIhaven’tactuallytriedtowriteat anyothertime.Maybeweshouldallexperiment andseeifworkingatdifferenttimesaffectsthe

writing.Maybeghoststoriesshouldbewrittenin theweesmallhoursandbouncyromanceat dawn?!NowI’mgoingtotrywritingatnightto seehowitfeels.Seriously,Ithinkifyou’refeeling tiredandoverwhelmedwith‘life’,it’sprobably notthebesttimetobecreative.Thatsaid,writingcanbeawonderfulescapefromreallife.

Aretheretools,apps,ormethodsyou’dsuggestfororganizingortrackingwritingprogress?

No,Idon’tuseanything.Ihavetriedinthepast, butIfindalotoftechthatisdesignedtomake lifeeasierisintrusiveandunnecessary.Ikeepan eyeonmywordcounteronWord,andthat’s aboutit.Idohaveanold-fashionedto-dolistto whichIwillsometimesaddmywritingsessions, butIdon’tlikeanykindofoutsidepressure.Iam quiteproductive,soIhaveaclearideamentally ofwhatIshouldbedoingandwhen.

Howcanreadinghabitssupportorinterfere withawriter’sowncreativeprocess?

Thisisagoodone!Ifinditterriblydifficultto readwhenmyfictionisflowing.Idon’tknow why,butassoonasIbegintoreadIwantto write.Ithinkit’ssomethingaboutseeingthe wordsonthepage.Maybereadingisawayof tacklingwriter’sblock!I’malsoworriedImight inadvertentlycopyanotherwriter’sideasor phrasesbecauseI’mabitofamagpieandI wouldhatetodothat,soItendnottoreadmuch ifIaminthemiddleofafertilewritingphase.

Itisgenuinelyhelpfultoreadnovelsinasimilar genretotheoneyouarewritingin.Onatechnicallevel,it’shelpfultoseewherethemainplot pointsfallandwhatthepacingislike.Reading booksaboutthewritingprocessisalsobeneficial,andIknowalotofpeoplewhoreadpoetry orbiographyjusttocleansethepalatebetween writingsessions.It’satrickybalancingact.

What’sonehabityouthinkallwritersshould try evenifitdoesn’tworkforeveryone?

Useanewpageforeachwritingsession.Ihavea (Worddoc)pagelabelled‘WIP’andaftereach writingsessionIcutandpastethatworkonto mymainmanuscript.Thisrelievesmeofthe ‘weight’ofaddingtoanexistingnovel.Even thoughwhatIwriteisstillpartofthatbodyof work,itfeelsfreeandfresh,givingmepermissiontoexperimentandplayaroundwiththetext untilI’msatisfied.It’sjustapsychological‘trick’, butitensuresIcometoeachsessionwiththe giftofacleanblankpage.It’sliberating.Tryit!

Tellusaboutyourownbooksandworkshops.

Ididn’tbeginmywritingjourneyuntilIwasin my40s.Istartedwritingasawayofcopingwith griefafterthedeathofmymother.Ibegananovel(whichhasneverseenthelightofday)andit wasanescapefromwhatwasgoingonaround me.Icaredformyfathertoo,whileparenting twosonsalmostsingle-handedly,socreativity wasreallyimportanttome.ItwassomethingI hadcontrolover,anditimprovedmywellbeing. Now,facilitatingtherapeuticwritingisahuge partofmylife.Iworkforvariouscharitiesinthe fieldandhaveobservedfirst-handhowtheact ofwritingcanchangelives.WhenI’mstruggling withmynovels,Itrytorememberthosebenefits.Todate,I’vepublishedfivepsychological novels.Thecurrentone The House on Devil’s Lane ismoreofaghoststory…orisit?That’sup tothereadertodecide!I’mcurrentlyworkingon afolkhorrornovelwithanelementofcrime-it’s leadingmealongaverydarkandsinisterpath! Inaddition,I’vebeencommissionedbyPen& Swordbookstowriteanon-fictionworkabout theLegendofLadyGodiva,whichisalotoffun andveryinteresting.

Findoutmoreaboutmeandmybookshere:www.https://sandrairelandauthor.com

TheHouseonDevil’sLanebySandraIreland

Reviewedby WendyH.Jones

ISBN:979-8333998415

Publisher: RedFernPress

Blurb

Whatifthehomeofyourdreamsturnsintoyourworstnightmare?

YoungmumKatRileyhasreasonsforwantingtoescapeherfamily. WhentaxidriverSteveBurnscomesintoherlifeinthemostunusualofcircumstances,sheseesawayout.WithherbabyMatthew, sheleavesbehindachaoticexistenceandallthatisfamiliarto makeanewlifeintheDurhamcountryside.

WhenKatfirstsetseyeson11Derville’sLane,shefallsinlovewith itsquaintcharm.Theinterior,however,tellsadifferentstory.RecentlyvacatedbySteve’sfather,Tommy,thereremainsalingering presenceandthesenseofsecretswaitingtoberevealed.SoonKat isstrugglingtocopewiththehouse'stroubledpastandherown darksecrets,whileherfledglingcareerasabloggersoonplungesherintoaworldofparanormalpodcasts, wildconspiracytheoriesandinternettrollswhothreatenhersafetyandhersanity. IsthehouseonDevil'sLanereallyhaunted,oraretheghoulsclosertohome?

Review

Iwasverymuchlookingforwardtoreadingthisbookanditliveduptoexpectations.It’snotoftenIread chillingparanormalstories–I’mmoreyourparanormalcozymysterytype-butasafanofIreland’swork IknewIwouldbetryingthisoneout.Withstrongcharacters,trulychillingscenesandontheedgeofyour seatturnsandtwists,thisbookkeptmereading.IwaswayoutofmycomfortzonebutwasgladIwas. TheendingwasnotwhatIexpectedbutthatisagoodthing.Ifyouwantrampedupchillsandagothic vibe,thisisthebookforyou.

Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition, she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

CreatingGoodWritingHabitsthatStick

Jenny Saunders shares practical ways for developing writing habits that will stand the test of time.

‘Habit is the intersection of knowledge (what to do), skill (how to do), and desire (want to do).’Stephen

R.Covey

Habitsareourdefault:writing,eating,exercise,andalloftheestablishedroutines whichmakeupthepatternofourdaily lives.Theymayappeartohavehappenedbyaccident,butthetruthistheyhavebeenformedby repetitionoveralongperiod,whetherbyintentionorinertia.Regularreviewsofthemarea goodideaforyourmental,physical,emotional andcreativehealth.Fortunately,givenenough thoughtanddiscipline,eventhemostingrained habitscanbechanged,whichisgoodnewsfor strugglingorfrustratedwriters.

Ican’trememberthefirstpersontoexplainto methoughtsleadtowordswhichleadtoactions andonwardstohabits,butStephenCoveyhas beensayingitforyearsinhisbook: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It’sconsideredtriedand testedwisdom.

Creatinggoodwritinghabits,likeanyother,requiresnotonlythedesire,wishoreventhewill, toestablishthem–mindovermatterwon’tcutit butthedisciplinedgrittofollowthroughrelentlessly.Sincelifeisnotlivedinisolation,eventhis isseldomsimpleorstraightforward.

Whetheryouwrite10,000wordsaday,orjust ten,maydependonyourstageoflife,youremploymentwithinthe9am-5pmwindowandyour responsibilitiesinthehourseachsideofthat.

Themorechaoticyourlifeis,perhapsdueto smallchildren,alongcommute,nightshifts,financialinstability,ageing/sicklyparents,travel schedules,thetrickieritistoensureconsistency withthetimeavailableforyoutowrite.Snatching shortinterveningperiodsofcalmforspontaneouswritingmaybethewayforwarduntiltheseasonoflifechanges.Irecommendyoutakewhat youcanget.

Ifyouarefortunateenoughtohaveasteadier shapetoyourweek,youropportunitiestobeconsistentlycreativearemultipliedconsiderably.If you’repaidforyourworkorhaveadeadlineto meet,thenyourmotivationwillgoupseveral notches.Youaremorecertaintocompleteyour taskevenwhencircumstancesarelessthanideal becausetheconsequencesoffutureworkdrying uparesufficientlyseveretocompelyoutodoso.

Herearesomepracticalwaysthatmayfacilitate yourdesireforawritinghabitthatservesyouina rhythmwhichdoesn’tleaveyousleep-deprived, discouragedandburntout.Youmayhavetried somebeforeoralreadyhavetheminplace;select theonesthatresonatemostwithyou.If,aftera sensibleperiod,maybetwoorthreemonths,they

JennySanders

don’tworkthencomebackandtrysomething else.Justdon’tgiveup.

Workoutifthereisaday,ortimeofdaythatis goingtoworkforyou.Areyouamorningperson,anightowlordoyoufindenergyfromusingyourlunchtimeslottoweaveyourwordstogether?

Inwhichsortofenvironmentdoesyourgift flourish? Somewritersoptforaquietcornerof thehousewithadesignatedspace.Personally,I likeafairlycleartableordeskwithanadjustablechairwhichallowsmetositataheightthat putsminimumstressonmybackandshoulders. Otherscanfunctionamidthehurly-burlyofa noisycoffeeshop;theylikehavingotherpeople around,eveniftheyopttowritewiththeirearphonesinplacetocutoutsomebackground noise.Perhapsyoumanagewithabalancedlaptoponyourkneesasyousitonthebedorsofa (butdolookafteryourback;you’llneeditfora fewgoodyearsyet).Thelocallibrarymayhavea dualattractionsinceitnotonlygetsyououtof thehouse,thusseparatingandcompartmentalisingdifferentpartsofyourlife,butprovidesan atmosphereoffocusedquietness.

Goodlightingisessential.Canyouposition yourselfbyawindow,ordoyouhaveadirectionallampthatcanilluminateyourscreen/ notebook/pilesofjottings,orareyourelyingon thelightfromyourscreen?Don’tstrainyour eyes(youneedthosetoo!).

Doyouliketoworkinsilence,totallyabsorbed bytheworldyou’recreating(whetherfictionor non-fiction),ordoyoufunctionbetterwitha radioon?Thisprobablydependsonthetypeof learneryouareandthereareeasyonlinetests forthat.Tryhttps://www.educationplanner.org/ students/self-assessments/learning-stylesor https://www.learningstylequiz.com/.Iusedto alwaysdomyschoolhomeworkwiththeradio on,butnowadaysfindYouTubeagreatsource ofcalminstrumentalmusic.LyricsareadistractiontoosoIamrigorouslyselective.

Mightitbeagoodideatobanishoratleastturn off/silenceyourphone?Aflowofthoughtcanbe

easilythrownoffcoursebythearrivalofamessageornotification. Alitupscreenclamoursfor attentionjustaswe’reonarollandbeforeyou knowitwe’velostourthread.Whilesomepeople managethatwithoutaglitch,othersfindthe wordswhichwerebeginningtocomesoeasily havemysteriouslydissipated.Likethesoapin thebath,theycanbedifficulttogetholdof again.Removingdistractionsofallsortswillcertainlyhelpyoufocusandstayontrack.

Iknowofseveralpeoplewholiketoworkina groupandthereareonlineforumsavailablein whichthereisnorequirementtointeractwith others,butwhichcreateanatmosphereofworkingtogetherforablockoftimewhichcanbea goodmotivationtopushthrough.Although manyofthesearedesignedforstudents,that contextmightworkforyou.Checkouthttps:// www.focusmate.com/andhttps://csw.live/study -together/top-10-websites-for-study-groups/

Somewritersliketosetupatimertoensurethey useeachoneofthoseassignedminutesconstructively.However,youmay,likeme,findthat anirritation,apressure-inducingthrowbackto thedaysofexamsinwhichspeedwasarequirementleadingtoquantitywithout,necessarily, quality;butit’sworthatry.

Bythesametoken,settingawordtargetmayor maynotworkforyou.Somesaywewillshapea habitbywritingeverysingleday,regardlessof textlength. Youmaylikeaspecificwordcount orbelessbotheredaboutthetimeframe.You needtofindwhatworksforyou.Mylifeincludes alotoftravelandit’simpracticaltotryandset upthiskindofschedule;itwouldsimplyleadto disappointment,self-recriminationandasense offailure.Sincewe’reoftenourownworstcritics anyway,wecanagreenoneofusneedstopile onanyextraguilt.

Consistencyissurelybetterthaninconsistency, soifthatmeansyoucanfindaslotoftimetwice aweek,thendiariseitandcrackon.Blockingthe timeintentionallyandrefusingotherinvitations/ appointmentswithinthattimewillhelpyouto takeyourwritingseriouslyandsendamessage

Habitsareourdefault:writing,eating,exercise, andalloftheestablishedroutineswhichmake upthepatternofourdailylives.Theymayappeartohavehappenedbyaccident,butthe truthistheyhavebeenformedbyrepetition overalongperiod,whetherbyintentionorinertia.Regularreviewsofthemareagoodideafor yourmental,physical,emotionalandcreative health.Fortunately,givenenoughthoughtand discipline,eventhemostingrainedhabitscan bechanged,whichisgoodnewsforstruggling orfrustratedwriters.

Creatinggoodwritinghabits,likeanyother,requiresnotonlythedesire,wishoreventhewill, toestablishthem–mindovermatterwon’tcut itbutthedisciplinedgrittofollowthroughrelentlessly.Sincelifeisnotlivedinisolation,even thisisseldomsimpleorstraightforward.

Whetheryouwrite10,000wordsaday,orjust ten,maydependonyourstageoflife,youremploymentwithinthe9am-5pmwindowandyour responsibilitiesinthehourseachsideofthat. Themorechaoticyourlifeis,perhapsdueto smallchildren,alongcommute,nightshifts,financialinstability,ageing/sicklyparents,travel schedules,thetrickieritistoensureconsistency withthetimeavailableforyoutowrite.Snatchingshortinterveningperiodsofcalmforspontaneouswritingmaybethewayforwarduntilthe seasonoflifechanges.Irecommendyoutake whatyoucanget.

Ifyouarefortunateenoughtohaveasteadier shapetoyourweek,youropportunitiestobe consistentlycreativearemultipliedconsiderably.Ifyou’repaidforyourworkorhaveadeadlinetomeet,thenyourmotivationwillgoup severalnotches.Youaremorecertaintocompleteyourtaskevenwhencircumstancesare lessthanidealbecausetheconsequencesoffu-

tureworkdryinguparesufficientlyseveretocompelyoutodoso.

Workoutifthereisaday,ortimeofdaythatisgoingtoworkforyou.Areyouamorningperson,a nightowlordoyoufindenergyfromusingyour lunchtimeslottoweaveyourwordstogether?

Inwhichsortofenvironmentdoesyourgiftflourish? Somewritersoptforaquietcornerofthe housewithadesignatedspace.Personally,Ilikea fairlycleartableordeskwithanadjustablechair whichallowsmetositataheightthatputsminimumstressonmybackandshoulders.Otherscan functionamidthehurly-burlyofanoisycoffee shop;theylikehavingotherpeoplearound,even iftheyopttowritewiththeirearphonesinplace tocutoutsomebackgroundnoise.Perhapsyou managewithabalancedlaptoponyourkneesas yousitonthebedorsofa(butdolookafteryour back;you’llneeditforafewgoodyearsyet).The locallibrarymayhaveadualattractionsinceit notonlygetsyououtofthehouse,thusseparatingandcompartmentalisingdifferentpartsof yourlife,butprovidesanatmosphereoffocused quietness.

Goodlightingisessential.Canyoupositionyourselfbyawindow,ordoyouhaveadirectional lampthatcanilluminateyourscreen/notebook/ pilesofjottings,orareyourelyingonthelight fromyourscreen?Don’tstrainyoureyes(you needthosetoo!).

Doyouliketoworkinsilence,totallyabsorbedby theworldyou’recreating(whetherfictionornonfiction),ordoyoufunctionbetterwitharadioon? Thisprobablydependsonthetypeoflearneryou areandthereareeasyonlinetestsforthat.Try

https://www.educationplanner.org/students/self -assessments/learning-stylesorhttps:// www.learningstylequiz.com/.Iusedtoalwaysdo myschoolhomeworkwiththeradioon,butnowadaysfindYouTubeagreatsourceofcalminstrumentalmusic.LyricsareadistractiontoosoIam rigorouslyselective.

Mightitbeagoodideatobanishoratleastturn off/silenceyourphone?Aflowofthoughtcanbe easilythrownoffcoursebythearrivalofamessageornotification. Alitupscreenclamoursfor attentionjustaswe’reonarollandbeforeyou knowitwe’velostourthread.Whilesomepeople managethatwithoutaglitch,othersfindthe wordswhichwerebeginningtocomesoeasily havemysteriouslydissipated.Likethesoapinthe bath,theycanbedifficulttogetholdofagain. Removingdistractionsofallsortswillcertainly helpyoufocusandstayontrack.

Iknowofseveralpeoplewholiketoworkina groupandthereareonlineforumsavailablein whichthereisnorequirementtointeractwith others,butwhichcreateanatmosphereofworkingtogetherforablockoftimewhichcanbea goodmotivationtopushthrough.Althoughmany ofthesearedesignedforstudents,thatcontext mightworkforyou.Checkouthttps:// www.focusmate.com/andhttps://csw.live/study -together/top-10-websites-for-study-groups/

Bythesametoken,settingawordtargetmayor maynotworkforyou.Somesaywewillshapea habitbywritingeverysingleday,regardlessof textlength. Youmaylikeaspecificwordcountor belessbotheredaboutthetimeframe.Youneed tofindwhatworksforyou.Mylifeincludesalot oftravelandit’simpracticaltotryandsetupthis kindofschedule;itwouldsimplyleadtodisappointment,self-recriminationandasenseoffail-

ure.Sincewe’reoftenourownworstcriticsanyway,wecanagreenoneofusneedstopileon anyextraguilt.

Knowing what youwanttowriteisinitselfa goodinitiatorforfollowingthrough. Thismay nothappenassmoothlyorasquicklyasyou’d prefer,butforcingyourselftositdownwitha blanksheetorblankscreenisalwaysthefirst step.Nothingisgoingtowriteitself,unless you’reusingAI(whichisawholeotherstory,of course).

Journalingcanbeagreatstartingpoint.Allofus navigateadayeverytwenty-fourhours. Ifyou findnootherinspiration,atleastwriteabout that.Itmightbeapoint-by-pointrecordof eventsthroughoutthedaytobeginwith;potentiallynotthatinteresting,butyourbrainwillengageinrecollectionandyourcreativejuicesmay begintoflow.Weaveastoryaroundtheperson yousawatthebusstop,onthetrainorinthesupermarketqueue.Thiswillbuildupaportfolioof workyoucancomebacktolater.Alternatively, tryanonlinewritingprompt;forexample: https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writingprompts/

Shouldyouhavetheluxuryofyourowndeskor study,andIdreamofsuchathing,preferablyone whereIcanputa‘DoNotDisturb’signonthe door,don’tforgettoalsoincludethedisciplineof gettingupandmovingregularly.Giveyoureyesa resteverynowandagain.Besuretohavesome freshairanddon’tforgettoeatanddrinkatsemi -regulartimessoyoursugarlevelsdon’tplummet,andyougrindtoastultifyinghalt.

Anothergoodhabitistowritewithoutreviewing, savingyoureditingforlater. Ifyoukeeprereadingandtweakingyourworkyoumayfind

youhitacreativewall,loseinterestandrecoil frompushingthroughtogetyourhabitestablished.Trapyourwordsonpaperandcome backtothem;youmaybesurprisedbyhow goodtheyare.

Whenyoursession,ofwhateverlength,comes toacloseIstronglyadviseyoutowritehalfa sentenceorleaveyourselfanote/bulletpoints foryourselfofwhatyouintendtocomenext, whethergenerallyorincludingthesubjectsyou wanttoincludeinthefollowingparagraphs. Thatway,whenyoureturntoyourwork ‘cold’ youwon ’thavetore-readawholeblockoftext andyoumaywellfinditeasiertoplugbackin toyourcreativeflowwithoutanabruptstopstart.

Aweeklyormonthlywritinggroupcanprovide aregularhabitforpickingupyourpeninan environmentwhereyoucaninteractwithothers,shareyourwork(ifyou’rebraveenough) andideas,aswellashavealevelofaccountabilityshouldyoufindthatlife-giving. Some groupsusewritingpromptsorexercisesto stimulatecreativitywhichtendstopropelyou toyetmorecreativity.

Anotherusefulhabittoincorporateintoallof thisis,ofcourse,toread,read,read. Writingis awonderfulgiftbutreadingwidelywillenrich yourwriting.You’llbeabletoexperiencea widearrayofthumpinggoodstoriesaswellas becomebetterabletorecogniseandappreciategoodwriting,fictionandnon-fiction,as wellasdifferentiatebetweengoodandbad writing,bothofwhichwilltheninformyour own.

OctaviaEButler,theawardwinningAfricanAmericanwritersaid, ‘First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice. You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it That’s why I say one of

the most valuable traits is persistence.’ (From Bloodchild and Other Stories)

Embracingallthosetruthswillhelpyoubeginto createahabitthatcanstandthetestoftime.Your contentissecondaryatthispoint.Iwouldsuggest youstartwithsomethingmanageable;achievable,measurablegoalsstandmorechanceofkeepingyouengaged.

Ifallofthisseemsoverwhelming,pickthethings thatarewithinreachforyou.Justmakeastart.If writingbecomesalaboriouseffortanddrudgery thenyouwon’twanttoestablishormaintainany habit,whichwouldrobbothyouandyourpotentialreadersofsomewonderfulwriting.Irecently joinedawritingwebinarwhichremindedmemost ofourwritingshouldcontainastrongelementof funevenifwe’rewritingaboutsomethingdeadly serious.That’ssoeasytoforget.

Ifyou’restillkeentodiveintoallthis,thentaketo heartthewordsofAnneFrankwho,atthetender ageofthirteen,wasconfinedinhidingfromthe NazisinAmsterdamfortwoyearsandsohadher desiretowriteinvoluntarilysqueezedintoa forcedhabitfromwhichgenerationshavebenefitted. ‘I can shake off everything if I write;’ shewrote inherdiary, ‘my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.’ (From The Diary of Anne Frank)

Goodluck.

Spiritual Feasting is Jenny’s faith-based exploration of authentic living in tough times. She explores the theme of being shaped for purpose in her latest book Polished Arrows. She has two collections of humorous children’s stories: The Magnificent Moustache and other stories and Charlie Peach’s Pumpkins and other stories. She is available for author visits for creative writing sessions with Key Stage 2 children in the UK.

LibraryoftheMonth

BodleianLibraries,Oxfordby

WendyH.Jones

Asthismonth’sissueisaboutwritinghabits,our libraryofthemonthhadtobeaUniversityLibrary.MuchasIwouldlovetohighlightthelibraryofmyAlmaMater,Idecideditwouldbe betterifwetookatriptotheoldestlibraryin Europe.

WhateveryonereferstoasTheBodleianLibrary isactuallyanetworkof26librariessituated aroundOxford.Ithasover13millionprinted

itemsinitscollection,aswellas80,000eBooks, andanextensivecollectionofrareitemsincludingbooks,maps,papyri,art,musicandprinted ephemera.IthasbeenoneoftheLegalDeposit LibrariesintheUKforover400years.Ithousesa ShakespeareFirstFolioandTottel’sMiscellany oneofthemostsignificantearlycollectionsof sonnetsandverse.Tottel’sMiscellanyhasnow beendigitised,andyoucanreaditonline.

TheoldestlibraryintheBodleianisDukeHumfrey’sLibrarynamedafterHumphreyofLancaster,1st DukeofGloucesterafterhedonated281 booksfollowinghisdeathin1447.

Thecollectionishousedin153milesofshelving over13acres.Thatismind-blowing.Hatsoffto thededicatedstaffwhodeliverbookstothecorrectreadersatthecorrecttimedayinandday out.Thisisnomeanfeat.So,noexcusenotto researchforyourbookswithlibrariessuchas thisavailable.

NightOwlorMorningLarkWriter:WhichOneAreYou?

SheenaMacleodsharesherexperienceofbeing anightowlwriteranddiscusseshowanunderstandingofhowourgeneticsandsleep-wake patternsshapeourcreativitycanhelpusbuild moreproductivewritinghabits.

I’vealwaysbeenanightowlwriter,regardlessofthetaskathand.I’vetriedtobecome amorninglark,butfindI’mneverascreative orasproductivethen.Asastudent,Istudied betterintheevening(andduringpartofthe night).Asawriter,Iproducemorewords,and inspirationoftenstrikesmeintheevening,more sothaniteverdoesinthemorning.

RegardlessofhowmuchImaywanttobecome amorninglarkwriter,andbelieveme,I’vetried, I’veneverbeenabletochangethisaspectofmy writinghabits.IsitbecauseItooreadilyallow otheractivitiesgoingonaroundmeduringthe daytodivertmyfocusandattentionawayfrom writing,oristheresomethingelsegoingonthat isstoppingmefromchangingmynighttime writinghabit?

Well,wouldyoubelieveit?Afterabitofreading aroundthesubject,itappearsthatbeinga morninglarkornightowlwriterisn’tjustdown topersonalchoiceorpreferences;itisinfluencedbyourcircadianrhythm(ournatural24hoursleep-wakecycle.Our24hourinternal bodyclock),genetics,andislinkedtocognitive function.Beinganightowlormorninglark,it appears,isdeterminedbyourchronotype(our body'snaturalpreferenceforwakefulnessor sleep).Variationsinsleep-wakecyclesinclude chronotypesfornightowl,morninglarkand someothercategoriesinbetween.(1)

DoesthismeanI’mstuckwithbeinganight owl?Forever?Theanswerappearstobeboth yesandno.Manyfactorsinfluencethis,both internalandexternal.Internalfactors,including

genetics,andexternalfactorssuchasdailywork patterns,socialactivitiesandevenleisurepursuitsallplayapartindeterminingourchronotype.So,whatdoesthismeanfornightowlwriterslikeme,whoarebusilyburningthemidnight oilwhentheyshouldbetuckedupinbedsleeping?

Bynature,humansarelargelydiurnalbeings (activeduringthedayandsleepingthroughout thenight).Thiswasmostcertainlythecasefor themajorityofhumanspre-industrialisation. Peoplelivinginhouses(orcaves)inbygone yearswithnoaccesstoelectricityorgashad littleoptionbuttosleepatnightandbeproductiveduringthedaywhennaturallightwasavailabletothem.Buteventhen,nightowlswere around,remainingawaketowatchoutfordangerswhileothersinthegroupslept.Couldpresent-daymorningbirdsandnightowlsbeanaturalevolutionofthishistoricalneedforsurvival?(2)

Thingshavegreatlychangedsincethoseearly times,requiringhumanstoadapt,andthisincludesoursleep-wakehabits.Wecannow choosetosituplateatnightwatchingTV, scrollingthroughsocialmedia,readingbooks onelectronicdevicesoreven‘writing’.Although natureintendedforustobediurnal,industrialisation,technologyandotherchanges,suchas

theuseofcaffeine,alcohol,artificiallight,loud musicandmanyotherdiscoveries,meanwecan remainawakelongintothenightifwechooseto. Shiftworkisanecessarypartofmanyjobs.

So,areyouanightowl,amorninglark,orsomewhereinbetween?Andhowmightunderstandingthishelpshapeyourwritingroutinesandincreaseyourcreativity?Likeourpredecessors, currentnightowlsandmorninglarksbothhave importantrolestoplayingettingthingsdone. Whatisimportantisthatyourwritinghabitsincludeatleastsomeofthosetimesoftheday whenyouareatyourmostcreativeandproductive,andthenbuildingthisintoahealthydaily work-restschedulethatworksforyou.

Sources/FurtherReading

(1) Chronotypes: Definition, Types & Effect on Sleep byDaniellePachecoandAnisRehman.1st March2024.https://www.sleepfoundation.org/ how-sleep-works/chronotypes(accessedonthe 10thJune2025)

(2) Why Some Of Us Are Early Birds and Others Night Owls: The Evolutionary Science Behind Your Sleep Cycle byLlewellynE.VanZyl.September 27,2024.-https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why -some-us-early-birds-others-night-owls-sciencebehind-van-zyl-t5zne/(accessedonthe10th June2025)

SheenaMacleod is authorofthehistoricalfictionnovels,ReignoftheMarionettesandTearsofStrathnaver,andco-authorof thenon-fictionbookSo,YouSayICan’tVote!FrancesConnelly.SheenablogsatAll AboutBooks

Creativity Matters: Finding Your Passion For Writing Compiledby

byWendyH.Jones

ReviewedbyMartiM.McNair

TITLE: Creativity Matters: Finding Your Passion For Writing Complied by Wendy H. Jones

ISBN: 978-1913372033

Publisher: ScottAndLawson

Blurb

Haveyoualwaysthoughtaboutwritingabookbutdon'tknow wheretostart?Areyouanexperiencedauthorandwanttospread yourwings?Areyoulookingforinspirationforeverystepinyour writingjourney?Thisisabookforeveryonewhowantstowrite, whetherhistoryorcontemporary,sciencefictionorhumour,local fictionorsetinamade-upworld,fiction,non-fiction,memoir, there’ssomethinghereforyou.Jointhirteenauthorsastheyshare theirpassionforwhyyoushouldwriteintheirgenreandfindyour ownpassionasyouread.

It'stimeforyoutospreadyourwings,followyourdreamsandfindyourpassionforwriting

Review

Creativity Matters,compiledbyWendyH.Jones,isavibrantandinspiringcollectionofreflectionsfrom thirteenauthors,eachwritingwithpassionandpurposeabouttheirchosengenre.It’snotjustahow-to, it’sarallyingcryforcreativityandacallforwriterstofindtheirtruevoice.

Whatsetsthisbookapartisitsformat.Readerscanchoosetoworkthroughthechapterssuccessivelyor dipintotheonesthatresonatemost.Thearrangementmakesitatrulyflexiblecompanionforwritersat anystage.Thetopicscoveredareasbroadastheyareengaging -fromchildren’sbooks,flashfiction, memoir,sciencefictionandfantasy,andhumour,tonamebutafew.Eachauthormakesacompelling casefortheirgenre,offeringinsights,motivation,andatouchofpersonalstorytellingthatbringstheir messagetolife.

Whetheryou'reawriterseekinganewdirection,someonedabblinginmultiplestyles,orabeginnerjust beginningtoexplore, Creativity Matters offerssomethingvaluable.Thetoneiswarm,conversational,and aboveall,encouraging.Thisisabooktoreturntooften -awellofinspirationthataffirms,aboveall,that creativitymattersdeeply.Creativityisnotonlyatoolforexpression,butsomethingessential.It’showwe connect,understand,anddefineourselves.

MariM.McNairresidesinAyrshire,nestledwithintheenchantingrealmofBurns country.Herpassionliesinthecreationofdystopianfictionandfantasynarratives, tailoredfortheyoungadultandteenageaudience.

TheGentlyMad

byWendyH.Jones

AvisittoEdinburghalwaysguaranteesone willfindthequirkyandunusual.Whenit comestobookshops,Edinburghisalways suretoentertainandenlighten.Thismonth’s bookshop,TheGentlyMad,isanantiquarian bookshopandbookbinder.Whocanresista bookshopwithanamelikethat?Whocanresist anhourortwobrowsingoldbookslookingfor thatgemwhichyoucanhavelovinglywrapped beforecarryingithome?

Thisbookshophasthebonusthatitisnotfar

This month’s bookshop, ‘The Gently Mad’, is an antiquarian bookshop and bookbinder in Edinburgh. .

fromthebotanicalgardenswhichalsohasan archive,solotsofscopeforbrowsing.Theycarry awideselectionofbooksincludingNaturalHistory,Children’sIllustrated,booksofScottishinterest,Architecture,ClassicFiction,Scienceand somuchmore.

Theownerssaytheylovepeopledroppingby, sayinghelloandbrowsingthebooks,soIam suretheywillgiveyouawarmScottishwelcome ifyouvisit.

DevelopingAProductiveWritingRoutineThatWorksForYou

Allison Symes looks at developing good writing habits which can save you time and help you to be more productive

Areyourwritinghabitsgood,bad,orabit ofboth?

WhenIstartedwritingseriouslyI“went forit”.Then,Ihadn’tdevelopedthewritinghabitsIusenow.Thesehabitshavebeenofsignificanthelpinbecomingapublishedauthor.So whataremymajorwritinghabits?

EstablishaWritingRoutinebutEditSeparately

Ifoundestablishingaregulartimeinwhichto justwritewasenormouslyhelpful.

Ialsofoundhavingaseparatetimetoconcentrateoneditingwasalsogreat.

Ilearnedtokeepthetwoactivitiesapart.Why? SimplybecauseIfoundIcouldn’teditwork properlyuntilIcompletedit.Idiscoveredthere isnosuchthingasaperfectsentence.Iwas hamstringingmyselftryingtogeteverything wordperfectbeforemovingontothenextsentence.

WhenIgotintotheroutineofwritefirst,editlater,Iwrotemorefluentlyandsignificantlyincreasedmyproductivewordcount.Ialsofound whenIreturnedtothepiece,afterabreak,I couldseethefaults.Youneedtimeawayfrom havingwrittenapiecetothenbeabletojudgeit objectively.

Thishasprovedtobeagreathabit-writefirst, haveabreakandwritesomethingelse,editthe firstpiece.Onceyouhaveeditedthefirstpiece, youwillbereadytoeditthesecondone.Thisis whathasincreasedmyproductivity.

AcceptingTimeLimitations

Lifeishectic.Thereareboundtobedayswhen youcan’twriteorwritemuch.Ithappenstous all.

I’vefoundagoodhabittodevelopistoplanmy writingovertheweek.Iknowwhenmybusier daysareandsosavethosetimesforwriting smallerpiecesofwork,suchasjottingdownideasforfuturestories,addingtoworkI’vestarted etc.

Formylongerwritingsessions,Ifocusonwriting stories,blogs,articleslikethisoneandsoon.I alsohaveeditingsessionsduringmylongersessions.Youcannotrushediting.

WhenIreviewtheweek,IwanttoseeIhavewrittennewstories,editedothersreadyforsubmission(andiftheyareready,sendthoseoff),writtenblogs,andcarriedouteditingandmarketing tasks.Isavecertaindaysoftheweekforspecific tasks.Iupdatemyblogonmywebsitetwicea weeksoonthosedaysIfocusongettingthat done.Afterthat,ifIhavemoretime,Iwillgeton withotherwritingbutwilldobetterwiththat, knowingI’vecompletedmymaintask.

Lisa Turley is from West Virginia. She is on numerous ARC street teams and reads in multiple genres. She is passionate about helping authors get the wordoutabouttheirbooks.

Getintothehabitoflookingatyourwritingtasks overalongertimeperiod.Itmayhelpfurtherif

Allison Symes

youknowyou’vegotamajortaskcomingto bookanappointmentwithyourselfinyourdiary toblockoutspecifictimetodothis.

Reading

Writersthriveonthewrittenword.Whatmade youwanttowrite?Byyourownloveofstories, yes?Ithoughtso!I’veyettomeetawriterwho wasn’tinspiredtowritethisway.

Welearnsomuchfromreading-howstoriesare laidout,wetakeintheRuleofThreesubconsciously,wediscoverwhatmakesastorywork, andwecanlookbackanddeducewhatitis aboutthecharactersweloved.Wecanapply whatwelearnheretoourownwork.Wetryto buildonwhathasgonebefore.

FrommyloveoftheclassicfairytalesasachildI knewsomethingwouldchangeonthethirdinstanceofsomethinghappeningtobringabout thehappyeverafter.Iwould’veknownsomethingwaswrongifthatdidn’thappen.

Readingfeedstheimagination.Itpaystokeep thatimaginationtoppedup,soreadwidelyin andoutofyourgenre.I’veoftenhadstoryideas cometomethankstoreadinganinspiringnonfictionarticleorbooksodon’tforgettoinclude thatinyourreading“diet”.

Agoodwritinghabittodevelopandsticktoisto readwidelyandwell,classicandcontemporary. Don’tforgetthenon-fictiontoo.

WritingCompetitions

IsendinshortworksforthesebutthemainhabitIdevelopedearlywasalwaystocheckthe backgroundofthecompetitionlongbeforewritinganythingforit.Therearescamcompetitions. Ihighlyrecommendregularlyvisitingwebsites suchas Writer Beware - https:// writerbeware.blog/category/contests-andawards/

Thissiteexposesawiderangeofwritingscams and,sadly,competitionscanbearipemarket

forscammers.Allthoseentryfees…yougetthe idea.

Alwayscheckthingsout.

Whenacompetitionisfine,allowplentyoftime tosubmityourpiece.Don’tbepartofthelastminute.combrigade.AhabitI’vedevelopedisto takeaboutaweekoffanydeadline.Imakethat mydeadlineanditwillbethedateIsendsomethingin.

Priortothat,Iwouldhavewrittenmydraft,restedit,andediteditatleasttwice.Iwouldedit onceforstorystructureandplot.Iwouldedita secondtimeforgrammarandspelling.It’s amazinghowpersistenttyposcanbe(andI havetreblecheckedthisarticle.Wheneveryou writeabouttypos,itpaystodothat).

I’vefoundthishabithaspaidoffbecauseIhave spottedsmallerrorsasIamabouttosend somethinginbutusingmydeadlinemeansI havetimetocorrectthatandstillsendmypiece ingoodtime.

Iknowsomeonewhorancompetitionsfora writingorganisationandtheytoldmeforone competitionsomeentriescameinat11.59pm, aminutebeforethedeadline!Don’tdoit,folks. Unsurprisingly,thosestoriesweren’tplaced.A rushedentrylikethattellsajudgetheauthor hasn’teditedproperly.

Conclusion

Writinghabitscansounddullbuttheyneednot be.TheonesIuseregularlyhavehelpedmegain moreacceptances.Anywriterwillwelcome that!

Allison Symes is a flash fiction/short story writer, blogger and editor based in Hampshire. She runs writing workshops, judges competitions, and writes weekly for writers for Chandler’s Ford Today. She has two flash fiction collections published (Chapeltown Books) with a third in the pipeline.

ExploringTheFormofClogyrnachPoems

This month, Lis McDermott explores a Welsh Poetic form, the Clogyrnach, and discusses line variants of an original six-line stanza .

ExploringTheFormofClogyrnachPoems

TheClogyrnachisaWelshpoeticform.Inits originalformitisasix-linestanzapoem,withno limittothenumberofstanzasoverall.The rhymeschemeandsyllablecountareasfollows:

Line1:8syllables A

Line2:8syllables A

Line3:5syllables B

Line4:5syllables B

Line5:3syllables B

Line6:3syllables A

Here’sanexampleIwroteawhileago.

Shewandered,lonelythroughthetrees butforthegentlyhummingbees.

Hereyesfilledwithtears, suchbeautyshehears, Calmsherfears, givesherease.

LisMcDermott

Ican’trememberwhere,butIalsofoundsome variationsontheform,andwrotethefollowing–alsoawhileago:

Fivelinevariant

Line1:8syllables A

Line2:8syllables A

Line3:5syllables B

Line4:5syllables B

Line5:6syllables–B A

Yourarmsheldmebeneaththemoon, Wrappedwithinourownlovecocoon ourheatcausedalunareclipse, asourheartsinjoy,didbackflips, meetinglips-kissesstrewn.

Four-linevariant

Line1:8syllables A

Line2:8syllables A

Line3:5syllables B

Line4:11syllables B A

Hergift,aheart-shapedredballoon

Slippedfromhergrasp,free,fartoosoon, flewupwardssohigh, First,causedhertosigh,thentocry,“Kissthe moon.”

Asyoucanseetheseareallveryshort-mainly writtenforInstagram,whereasthoseofyou whouseitknow,thereisn’talotofroomfor longpoems.

Therefore,IthoughtI’dhaveagoatwritinga longerversionofthepoem,whichyoucoulddo withanyoftheversions.I’vechosenthefour linedvariant.

Asusual,Ithoughtofanidea.InitiallyIwasgoingtowritewithsummerflowers,butthey don’talwayslendthemselveswelltorhyme. Instead,asI’mworkingonsomefictionatthe momentsetinaforestthatbecamemysetting forthepoemtoo.

Thenextjobwastolookforwordsthatwent withmythemeandtheideaofwalkingthrough aforestinthesummer.

Thismeanthavingthreematchingrhymesfor theAlines,andtwomatchingrhymesfortheB lines–foreachofthestanzas.

Theaddeddifficultywiththisversionofthepoemcanbecreatedbyhavingtohaveaword withtheBrhymefallingonthe5th wordofthe lastline,followingtheendrhymeofthe4th line. Ittakestimetofindwordsthatwork.

SometimesIgethung-uponideaswhichmake ithardertofindrhymingwords.Iwantedtoget swallowsintothepoem,asIlovetoseethemin

thesky.YoumaywonderwhyApolloappearsin thefirstverse–buttherearen’tlotsofrhymes forhollowsandswallowsthatworkedhere. However,ApollohasbeenrecognisedastheGod ofmanythings,includingpoetry(sorelevant), butalsoarchery.Plus,youmusthavegoodeyesighttobeproficientatthatsport–thereforeit matchedtheswallows.

Walkingthroughtheforest’shollows, Highaboveshesawswallows dartinghereandthere, lookingforfoodfare,witheyesofApollo.

Fromthewoodybowersshecame, Herhairgolden,withsuna-flame. Atonceheappeared, andshewasafeard,untilhecalledhername.

Hegaveherasingleredrose alongwithapieceofsweetprose. whichspokeofhislove forher,hissweetdove;thebeautythathechose.

Filledwithjoyandbothfeelingblessed, throughgrandavenuesoftreesdressed inallshadesofgreen,

Rev’llingineachscene,atlasttheyfoundtheir nest.

Haveagoatwritingoneversepoemsinthe differentvariations–seehowyougeton.Ienjoy writingthisformandfinditbothfunandchallenging.

Lis McDermott is a multi-genre author, poet and writing mentor. Visit Lis’ website: https://lismcdermottauthor.co.uk

WritingHabitsforChildren’sAuthors:SmallTweaks,BigImpact

Are you looking to build a writing routine that feels good? Pauline Tait describes small manageable writing habits that can be fitted around your other daily schedules.

Youdon’tneedtowriteforhoursadayto callyourselfachildren’sauthor.Nordoyou needastrictroutineoracolour-coded planner.Andyoucertainlydon’tneedtowakeup at5amtogetwordsontothepage,unless,of course,you like beingupat5am.

Whattrulymakesadifferenceisconsistency(not asscaryasitsounds).Small,manageablehabits thatfitaroundwork,theschoolrun,gymclass, andfamilylife.Habitsthatworkwhenyou’re tired,whenyou’rebusy,andwhenyou’veonly gottenminutesandasoggybiscuitforcompany. Ifyou’relookingtobuildawritingroutinewhich feelsgood,hereareafewgentlehabitsthatcan workwondersforyourcurrentwork-in-progress.

Writeinshortbursts

Children’sstoriesmightbeshort,butthey’re rarelysimple.Infact,theshorterthewordcount, themorepreciseyourwritingneedstobe.But thatdoesn’tmeanyouneedtowriteforhoursat atime.

Trywritinginten-to-twenty-minutesprints.Seta timer.Openyournotebook.Seewhathappens.

Youmightonlygetafewlinesdown,butthat’sa fewlinesmorethanyouhadbeforeyoustarted. Andifyourepeatthateveryday,orevenjusta coupleoftimesaweek,you’llbesurprisedhow quicklyyourstorystartstotakeshape.

PaulineTait

Pictureyourreader

Alwayscomebacktothechild.Thewigglyone. Thecuriousone.Theonewhointerruptsmidstorytoask,“Butwhatcolourarehersocks?”

Whenyouwrite,imaginethatchildsittingin frontofyou.Wouldtheylaughatthatline? Wouldtheyunderstandthatword?Wouldthey sitstillthroughthatsentenceorparagraph,or wouldtheirmindhavewandered,theirattention nowlonggone?

Readwhattheyread

Ifyou’rewritingforthree-tofive-year-olds,read bookswrittenforthree-tofive-year-olds.And notjusttheclassics.Scourtheshelvesofyour localbookshop.Whattitlesaregracingtheirpreciousdisplays?Whatarechildrenborrowing fromthelibrary?

You’llstarttonoticetrends,patterns,gaps.You’ll getafeelforrhythm,language,andtone.And you’llseeexactlywhereyourvoicefits,and whereitstandsout.

It’sallaboutunderstandingthemarketand knowingyouraudience.

Letyourfirstdraftbemessy

Perfectionisthequickestwaytostallastory.Let thewordscomeoutclunky.Letthecharacters ramble.Lettheplotwanderofftrack.Firstdrafts arealwaysscruffy,butthat’swherethespark lives.

Editingcomeslater.First,justgetthebonesof thestorydown.Therestcanbeshaped, smoothed,orbeefeduponceyouknowwhat you’reworkingwith.

Readitaloud

Children’sstoriesaremeanttobereadaloud. Whetherit’saparentdoingsillyvoicesatbedtimeorachildwhisper-readingtotheirdog,your wordsneedtosoundright.Oralflowiskey,and it’ssomethingI’malwaysreinforcingwithmyauthorclients.

Readingyourworkaloudwillshowyouwhat’s flowingandwhat’sfallingflat.You’llhearthe rhythm.You’lltripoverclunkybits.You’llspotthe sneakyrepetitionthatcreptinwhenyouweren’t looking.

Ifyourunoutofbreathinthemiddleofasentence,youryoungreaderswilltoo.

Topupyourcreativecup

Whenthewordsfeelstuck,don’tforcethem.Instead,dowhateverittakestomoveyourcreative juicesawayfromthestumblingblockthathas causedyourwordstostick.Ifindwalkingthe dogs,baking,oraspotofgardeningalwaysdoes thetrick,andIgetbackintomymanuscriptwith fresheyes.

Giveyourselfabreak

Somedaysthewordscomeeasily.Otherdays, notsomuch.That’snormal.

Ifallyoudotodayisjotdownatitleideaorname anewcharacter,that’sprogress.Ifyouopenyour notebookandstareatitforfiveminutesbefore

makingacupoftea,that’sstillpartoftheprocess. Youdon’thaveto“earn”yourplaceasawriterby hittingawordcount.Ifyoucareaboutstories,if you’rewritingforchildren,ifyou’reshowingup whenyoucan,you’realreadydoingthework.

Intheend…

Thebestwritinghabitsaretheonesthatsupport you,onboththegooddays and thewobblyones. Theonesthatmakewritingfeeldoableandenjoyable.

It’snotaboutsqueezingmoreintoyourday.It’s aboutfindingwhatworksforyouandtrustingthat small,steadystepswillgetyoutowhereyouwant togo.

Paulineisamulti-award-winning,bestsellingauthorofchildren’spicturebooksandromantic mysteries.Herpicturebookssparkimagination andsupportearlyliteracy,whilehernovelsfollowwomenovercomingextraordinarychallenges,findinglove,anddiscoveringtheirinner strength.Withapassionforstorytellinganda deepunderstandingofthepublishingworld, Paulineisalsoawriting&publishingmentor. www.paulintait.com

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PracticalTipsForProducingAnEngagingInterview

John Greeves shares some practical and helpful solutions to crafting an engaging interview.

Youmightbethebestwriterintheworld, butwithouttheskillofaskinggreatquestions,craftinganengaginginterviewcan betricky.

Preparationisthekey

Askmostprofessionalwriterstosharetheirsecretstoasuccessfulinterviewandyouarelikely toheartheword‘preparation,’whichappliesto manystagesoftheinterview.Preparationisvital throughoutthewholeprocessofpreparing,developingandundertakinganinterviewwhichwill informtoagreatextentthequalityofyourwritinglater.

IrememberonceinterviewingaMasterThatcher. Likemanyassignmentsresearchwaskey.Iread aboutthehistoryofthatching,thetypesofmaterialsused,fromstraw,reeds,heather,gorsebulrushtomarramgrassandsodsofgrasstocover aroof.Amultiplicityoftermshadtobeingested like‘combedwheat’,aswellasthelargearrayof toolsneededfromsparhook(thethatcherequivalentoftheSwissArmyknife)toLegget(which smoothsandbatsthestrawintoplace.)Quantitativeinformationwasalsoneededfrombodies liketheNationalSocietyofMasterThatchers (NSMT)longbeforeIeventhoughtaboutthe questions.

SettinguptheInterview

Onceyou’veresearchedyoursubjectthoroughly, it’stimetosetuptheinterview.

JohnGreeves

Ifyou’retalkingonthephone,beconfidentand professionalandestablishaday,timeandlocationattheirconveniencewheretheinterview willtakeplace.

Beclearandconciseaboutwhatyouwouldlike toachieveandwhatthetopicwillencompass.If thepersonseemshesitantorunsure,reassure themtheywillreceiveacopyofthedraftbefore itispublished.

Bepoliteandthankthem.Iftheyarenotsure aboutthetimes,tellthemaboutyouravailability forthenextweek.Includeeveningsandevena weekendspotifthissuitsthembetterandwill helpyouelicitatopinterview.

Preparingthequestions

Questionpreparationisavitalpartoftheprocess.It’smorethanalistandsetsthetoneofthe interview.Startwithbackgroundquestionsto learnmoreabouttheperson,followthisupwith in-depthquestions,andfinallythechallenging questionstowardstheend.Ifyouareanovice lookatexamplesofQandAarticlesonlineor readthroughyourfavouritecolumnisttounpick thetypeofquestionss/hemighthaveaskedto writeher/hiscopy.

Developingyourquestions

Indevisingmyquestions,Imightaskaboutan aspectoftheirpersonalhistoryortheirlatest achievement.Thiscanprovideagoodstarting pointforconversationandencouragetheintervieweetoopenupandtalkmorefreelybeforeI introducemorehard-hittingquestions.Iensure theinterviewisnotaboutme,myopinionsor whatIthink;it’saboutdevelopinganaturalrapportwiththepersonwhoremainscentraltothe processwiththequestionsdevelopedtoelicit thebestresponse.

My approach to developing questions

Startwithalonguncensoredlistofquestions, basedonresearchandwhatthereadermight wanttoknow.

Designtheinitialquestionstohelpmyinterview flowandencouragetheintervieweetoopenup. Avoidwastingthesubject’stimebyaskingquestionswhichcanbegleanedfromresearchand developquestionsinawaythatencouragesthe intervieweetoofferopinions,expressfeelings, provideexamplesandgenerateanecdotes.

Identifythemostcrucialquestionstobeasked. Includesomequestionstoprovidequantitative data.

Askquestionswhichhelptorevealtheroleof technicalprocessesclearlytothereader.

Don’tbeembarrassedtoaskaspecialisttoexplainmorecomplexlanguageorterms.

Asaroughguide,generatetwentyquestionsfor anhourlyinterview.

Preparea‘roguequestion’totossintothemix. Sometimesthiscanillicitsomefantasticinsight. Clusterquestionsintocategoriestocreate smoothtransitionsfromoneareatothenext.

InterviewFormats

Interviewscantakedifferentformatsandstyles

thatmayaffectwhichquestionsyouaskand howyouaskthem.ThesecoverInPerson, Phone,Online(videointerview)orevenemailinginterviewquestions.Inrecentyears,I’ve foundphoneinterviewshavebecomeverypopular.UsingsomethinglikeaTP8earphonewhich isplacedintotheearandthenpluggedtoaDigitalVoiceRecorder(whichfitssnuglyinsidea shirtpocket),amobilephonecanvirtuallybe usedtointerviewanyoneintheworld.

UndertakingtheInterview

It’sthedayoftheinterview.You’vepackedyour bagwithyourelectronicrecorder,notebook, contactdetails,yourlistofquestions,digital cameraandsparebatteries,andabottleofwater.You’redressedappropriately.Ifunsuretend todressup,notdown.ThesedaysIfindsmart casualoftensuffices.Ensureyougiveyourself plentyofleewaywithyourtravellingtime.Arrive shortlybeforetime,introduceyourselfandbrieflyreiteratethepurposeoftheinterviewandhow you’llundertakeit.

ThePreliminaries

Youneedtoappearconfident,preparedandprofessionalinallyourdealings.Youcan’tcontrol whatisbeingsaidinaninterview,butyoucan shapethedirectionofit.

Duringtheinterview:

Establisharapportfromthestart.Maintaineye contactanduseneutralbodylanguage.

Remainagoodandattentivelistenerwhichis reflectedinyourbodylanguage.

Allowthepersontotalk,it’snotaboutyou. You’renotheretoexpressyouropinions. Affirm whatthespeakeristellingyoubysayingthat’s interestingortellmemore.

Ifsomequestionsareprovocativeorsensitive makesureyouexpressthesecarefully.

Whenapersonisevasiveorfailstogiveyoua

properresponserephrasethequestionandask itagainlaterintheinterview.Iintervieweda personwhoranatankschool,butwhokeptside -steppingquestionsabouthismilitarybackground.Othermembersofhisteamweremilitarytrained,soIdroppedthislineofenquiry, knowinghehadprobablyneverservedinthe armedforces.

Allowingtimeforapersontocompletearesponse.Giveyoursubjectthinkingtimeeven whenthiscreatessilences.

Continuetobepatient,focusedandattentive anddoallyoucantoenablethepersontofeel relaxed.Bepreparedtodeviateifaninteresting areaemergeswhichcouldbecrucialtothearticle.

AvoidusingpoorEnglishlike‘youknow.’Be clearinhowyouframethequestion.Iftheinterviewrambleson,addingnothingnew,intervene bysaying,“That’sinteresting,butmayImove youon.Youmentioned...’

Youmightfindthepersoniscalledawayfora phonecallorasksyouifyou’dlikeacoffee.Use thetimetowritedownobservationofthesubject,settingandcontextofthatday.Recording thesevitalobservationsissometimesbetter thanaphotographandgivesbothvitalityand integritytoyourlaterwriting.

Don’tbeshytoaskforanametobespelt,orscientifictermsbeexplained.Inresearchingthe buildingofareplicaSuttonHooship,therewere stillareaswhereIneededclarificationtofully understandthebuildingprocessofaSaxonship.

Inconcludingtheinterview,Ioftenaskifthereis anythingelsetoadd.Iusuallyallowtimefor somephotographsattheendwhichgivesadded contextandmeaningtothearticle.

ConcludinganInterview

Aftertheinterviewfinishes,Ithanktheperson fortheirparticipation.Iexplainwhenandwhere thearticlewillbepublished.IsometimesaskifI couldcontactthemagain,ifanyfurtherclarifi-

cationisneeded.Thisseldomarises.

Forarticleswhichcontainagreatdealoftechnicalinformatione.g.AirAmbulancePersonnel andRoles,it’sessentialtoensureyourcopyis bothtrueandaccurate.Itmaywellbepartofthe agreementwiththepersonororganisationthey willseethearticledraftbeforeitgoestoprint.

Writingthefinishedform

“The best day is the one when I can write a lead that will cause the reader at his breakfast the next morning to spit up his coffee, clutch at his heart and shout, ‘My God, Martha, did you read this?

EdnaBuchanan,legendarycops’reporter, Miami Herald

It’stimetotranscribeyourinterview.I’mold schoolstillandtranscribemanually.Overtime, I’vecometorecognisewhatmightbeusedand whatissuperfluoustothearticle.Oncethetranscriptioniscomplete,Igothroughthefollowing steps:

Identifyingandhighlightingindifferentcolours, thekeyinformation,significantquotes,anecdotesandvitalpiecesofinformation.

AwayfromthecomputerIroughoutanarticle planwithoutlookingatthetranscript.What comestomindisprobablythemostimportant aspectstobeincludedandhelpsyoutodiscard otherunessentialdetail.

Iworkhardwithmyopeningsentenceandparagraphtograbthereader.Iwantthepersonto readonandhopetheendingtooisgiventhe sameweightingasthebeginning.

Irealiseagoodwritingtechniqueappliesequally acrossallformsofwriting.

Iaimfora50-50balancebetweendirectquotes andparaphrasing.Iftheintervieweeislessarticulate,generallyparaphrasemoreandquoteless. Somequotescanbeveryloose,fullofhesitant umsandrepetitions.Providingyoudon’tchange themeaning,‘cleaningup’aquoteispermissible.

Iusespeechtagslikesaid,stated,explainedratherthanloadedwordswithattitudelikeblurted,begged,whisperedwhichshoutatyouand jartheflow.

TheRealityofInterviewing

Likeallprocesses,interviewingcanhaveitsups anddowns.Overtheyears,I’vebeenveryfortunatetointerviewsomeinspiringpeople.Many haveovercomedifficultchallengesorhavewitnessedremarkablehistoricaleventsintheirlifetime,whileothershaveprovidedaninsightinto completelydifferentworlds.

Onthedownside,I’veencounteredpeoplewho areunreliable,self-promoting,pedanticand overdemanding.Noone,however,promised interviewersaneasyrideandresilience,asthey say,mustcome‘withtheterritory’.

Practicalissuestoomaycreatedifficultiesat timewithapersonsuddenlywithdrawingfrom aninterview,oraneditorimposingunrealistic deadlineswhichkeepsyouworkingunderconstantpressure.

Forme,therewardofascintillatinginterview alwaysoutweighstheirritantswhichmayexist alongtheway.Asawriteryoulearntofindsolutionstomanyoftheseproblemsandwithproper planningandexecutionyoucanavoidmanyof theobviouspitfallstobegiftedintheendwitha greatarticle.

WriteinTime

EnidMaryBlyton1897-1968

Withover750publishedbooks,EnidBlytonisoneofthemostprolificfictionwritersofalltime.Atonepoint,sheproduced morethan50booksperyear.Todate,over 500millioncopiesofherbookshavebeen soldworldwide.Around700ofherpublicationsarechildren’sbooks,includingthe well-knownseriesTheFamousFiveand TheSecretSeven.

EnidMaryBlytonwasbornin1897inEast London,England.Shewastheeldestof threechildrentoThomasCareyBlyton(a salesman)andTheresaMary,nèeHarrison. Herfirstpoemwaspublishedinamagazinewhenshewas14.

In1924,EnidBlytonmarriedMajorHugh AlexanderPollock(abookeditorwitha publishingfirm)andthenKennethDarrell Waters(asurgeon)in1943.

Herchildren’sbooksarebothwell-known throughouttheworldandcontroversial.

John Greeves originally hails from Lincolnshire. He believes in the power of poetry and writing to change people’s lives and the need for language to move and connect people to the modern world. Since retiring from Cardiff University, Greeves works as a freelance journalist who's interested in an eclectic range of topics.

Duringthe1930’sand1950’sherbooks werebannedfrombeingdramatisedon BBCradio.Startinginthe1950s,controversyaroundthethemesandcharacterportrayalsinherbooksalsoledtomanylibrariesandschoolsaroundtheworldbanning themasunsuitableincontent,limitedin theiruseoflanguageandplotsandunfit forchildrentoread.ManyofEnidBlyton’s bookswerelaterupdated,anddespitethe controversysurroundingthem,remained popularwithchildren.

ThestoryofEnidBlyton’slifewasdramatisedintheBBCproduction Enid,which wasfirstbroadcastonBBC4in2009.

Shediedin1968,aged71,diagnosedwith dementia.

WritingPrompts:Cheating?Motivation?Inspiration?

Wendy H. Jones discusses some of the various types of writing prompts available and how, as writers, we can use them to find inspiration and motivation.

ThroughoutmywritingcareerI’vehada ratherrockyrelationshipwithwriting prompts,despitethefactIhandthemout liberallytowriterslikeIboughtabagofathousandfromPoundland(othershopsareavailable).Infact,regularreadersofthemagazinewill noticethatIprovidewritingpromptsevery monthalongsideamazingphotographerTami Brown.So,Ithoughtitwastimetoclarifymy thoughtsandsharethemwithawideraudience akareadersofWriters’Narrative.

Cheating?

Thereisaschoolofthoughtusingwriting promptsissomehowcheatingasitstymiesoriginalthought.Thatasitcamefromelsewherethe idea,andultimatelythestoryorarticle,isnot originaltoyou.Let’slookatthismoreclosely.I wouldliketoputforwardthehypothesisthereis actuallynooriginalthought.

Beforeyouthinkthishasturnedintoascience lesson,staywithme.Mythoughtstodayare lendingthemselvestothefactourthoughtsare madeupofanamalgamationofeverythingwe see,hearanddo.Theyarearesultofourexperiences,whatweread,whoweknowandwhat wetakeinaroundus.

Thatoriginalthoughtmightactuallybebased onasnatchofconversationheardmanyyears previouslywhichhassatdormantinourminds ‘forsuchatimeasthis’.Asanexample,forsuch

atimeasthiscomesfromthebookofEstherin theBible.IfanyonehadaskedmeifIcould quoteanythingfromthebookofEsther,Iwould sayacategoricalno,yetthisphrasehadobviouslystuckinmymind.

Itwillprobablycomeasnosurprisetoyouthen, Idonotbelievewritingpromptsarecheating. PleasekeepreadingtofindoutwhyIthinkthey areusefulforallwriters.

Motivation?

Handsupanyonewhohasstaredatablank pagewhetheronscreenorinanotebook?Ifyou haveneverexperiencedthis,Iaminawe.The longeryoustare,themorethesheerwhiteness ofthepageglaresatyouwithamockingsneer, challengingyoutowritesomething–ifyoucan. Writingpromptsarearemarkablewaytoget youoverthatwhitepagesyndromewhichmany peoplecallwritingblock.Writedownawriting promptonthatdazzlingpageandsuddenly,the whitenessisbroken,yourbrainwilltakeover andwordswillflow.

WendyH.Jones

Inspiration?

Ofcourse,oneshouldalsoconsiderthefactthat alongsidetheblankpagesyndrome,wemight alsoneedalittlekickuptheinspiration.MostlyI ammoreinspiredthanIcouldeverwantorneed andkeepingupwithideasisafull-timejob. However,therearedayswhenIdon’tseemto haveanoriginalthoughtinmyhead.Imayhave ashortstory,apieceofflashfictionoranarticle towriteandmymindgoesblank.Writing promptsareasuperbwayofgettingideasand theymayjustsparkalightbulborafulldisplayof fireworksinyourbrain.

Inadditiontothis,writingpromptscanbeused toinspireyouwhenyougetstuckinthemurky middleofwritingyournovel.Ifyoufindyourself stalled,tryusingawritingprompttosparkideas. Itgivesyourbrainsomethingtoholdontowhilst itisworkingoutwheretogonext.

WritingWorkshops

Ifyouregularlyrunwritingworkshopswriting promptsareusefultogenerateconversationand toallowparticipantstowritepoetry,flashfiction,prose,thebeginningofnovels,articlesetc. Infact,anytypeofwritingyouwishthemtodo.

WritingPromptGenerators

ThisisallverywellIhearyousay,butwhereon earthdoIgetthesewritingprompts?GoodquestionandIfullyintendtoanswerit.Writing promptscanbeliterallyanythingasoutlinedbelow:-

Photographs

Artifacts

Music

Postcards

Books

Toys

Clothes

Pens

Rocks

Flowers

Proverbs

Words

Colours

Image1

Smells(Yes,smells.Thesereleasechemicalsin yourbrainthatstimulatecreativity.)

AsIsaytheycanbeliterallyanything,however, therearesomewritingprompttoolsyoucanbuy. Ihavethreedifferenttypesasfollows:-

PaintChipPoetry

Thisisagamewhereyouusecardswiththecoloursofpaintchipsonthem.Theideaisyoumake uppoetrywiththese.However,Ioftenusethe cardswithoutthepoetryaspectinwritingworkshopsandtoenhancemyowncreativity.The namesofthepaintchipsarethingslikeWhale Song,Potpouri,PurpleMountainMajesties,CabbagePatchandLostBalloon.Iaskparticipantsto choosethreecardsatrandom(theycannotsee thesidewiththecolourorname)andthenuse themasabasisforapoem,shortstoryorthebeginningofanovel.Initiallytheyareusuallyquite scepticalbutoncetheygetstarted,theysayitreallyenhancedtheircreativityandhelpedthem

StoryCubes

Thesearedicewithanimageofeachside.There areninediceintheboxandwithsixsidesthis meansthereare54differentimages.Irollthe diceonthetableandthenaskparticipantsto choosethreeimagesfromthetopimages.Again, thishasbeenasuperbwayofstirringcreative thoughtsandIalsousetheminmyownwriting.

PhoneApps

Therearenumerouswritingpromptappsinboth AppleStoreandGooglePlay.TheoneIuseis WritingPromptsbyWriting.Com.Youneedto typeintheentirephraseinordertofindthecorrectone.Itgivesyoutheoptionofwords,texts, scenesandsketches.Ifyoudon’tliketheoneyou havebeengiven,shakeyourphoneanduppops more.Iseriouslylovethisappandhavebeenusingitforyearstogenerateideas.

Itleavesmetosay,havingreadthis,whatdo youbelieve?Arewritingpromptsmotivational, inspirational,ordoyoustillbelievetheyare cheating?Myadviceistotrysomebeforeyou pinyourcolourstothewritingpromptmast.

Editor in chief, Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award -winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

WRITTEN: How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit That Lasts by

BecEvansandChrisSmith

ReviewedbyLouiseCannon

ISBN-10:1785789058

ISBN-13:978-1785789052

Publisher:IconBooks

Blurb

WithaForewordbyOLIVERBURKEMAN,bestsellingauthoroftheSunday TimesbestsellerFourThousandWeeks**Writtenisatransformativeguide thatanyonecanusetoovercometheirblocksandbuildasuccessfulwriting habit.Writingisimportanttomanyofus-forourcareers,studies,businessesorcreativefulfilment-butsittingdownanddoingitcanfeelimpossible. Weoftenstruggletogiveittheattentionitdeserves.Wecan'tfindtime.Our focusistorn.Distractionsareeverywhere.Ourinnercritickeepstellingus

we'renogood.Butwhatifyoucouldfindahighlyeffectivewritinghabitthatwasperfectforyou?BecEvansandChrisSmithhavehelpedthousandsofpeoplestopprocrastinating,overcometheirblocksand reachtheirwritinggoals.Now,they'veturnedtheirsuccessfulapproachintothislife-changingbookthat anyonecanusetowritemoreproductivelyandwithlessstress.Packedfulloftriedandtestedadvice, storiesyoucanrelatetoandthelatestresearchfrompsychologyandneuroscience,Writtengivesyouthe toolsyouneedtostartwriting,keepgoing-andfinish.

Review

Writtenhasavibethatsuggestsitisafriendly,usefulwritingcompanion.Thepresentationofthecontent isn'tarduous.Throughouttherearehandytips,advice,andanecdotesthataretheretosupportyourwritingjourney.What’ssetoutsoundsobtainableandrelatable.

Writtenissuitableforauthorsstartingoutandtryingtodevelopthewritinghabitaswellasthosewhoare established,butlookingforencouragementinbookform.Itcanalsoassistinovercomingwriter’sblockor infindingthemotivationtocarryon.

Thecontentisn'ttotallyprescriptive,ratheritaidsauthorstodiscoverwaysthatworkwellforthem.

Writtenisatimelessbookthatissuretohelpauthorsontheirway.

LouiseMichelleCannonlivesinCentralScotlandwithfamilyandacutebutwilycat. Shewritesablog–BookmarksandStages,reviewingbooks,theatre,festivalsand conductstheoccasionalQ&Asessions.

MonthlyWritingPrompts

Inspired by the theme of writing habits, Wendy H. Jones and Tami C. Brown present this month’s writing prompts. Why not give them a go?

Thismonth’swritingprompts

Words: Mywordisthelaw

Habits,likerules,aretheretobebroken

Ahabitinthehandisworthtworunningaround liketheyowntheplace

Music:

IWriteTheSongsbyBarryManilow

IAmARockbySimonandGarfunkel

PaperbackWriterbytheBeatles

WritingPrompts

(Photographic images by Tami C. Brown)

Images:

WendyH.Jones TamiC.Brown

Image1: ForkInTheRoad

Tami C. Brown loves to have her camera ready to snap beauty wherever she goes. Her family and friends, affectionately known as the Queenies, are well prepared for random stops along the journey to have a photo op. She’s grateful for all photography opportunities and the adventures that come along with it.

Image2:IncludeEverything

Image3:HelpOthers

AttackOfTheKillerPastries

Sophie, ably assisted by Peter Thomas, shares why we should always trust our instincts and do our own research when we come across anything that doesn’t look right

Thepicturewaseverywhereonsocialmedia.“Thispersonhasjustthrownaway thecentreoftheircinnamonswirl.The centre!Whatkindofamonsterdoesthat?”

Myspanielsensesstartedtingling.Everybody knowsthemiddleistheverybestbitofacinnamonroll.Butmorethanthat,Irecognisedimmediatelythebackgroundinthephotograph. Thisbizarreeventhadtakenplaceinourown favouritelocaldoggy-friendlycoffeeshop.With mynoseforagoodstory,Ihadtoinvestigate.

Itwasthehottestdayoftheyearsofarandit wasnotdifficulttopersuadeourDaddywe neededtogoforagentlestroll.Itwasadone dealhewouldchoosetostopoffforarefreshing beverageonthewayhome.TessaandIrecognisedtheladyfromthepictureassoonaswe entered.Shewassittingatatablebyherself, methodicallynibblingherwayclockwisearound hercinnamonswirl.WedraggedDaddytoa nearbyseattoenjoyhiscoffeeandBakewelltart obliviously.Lyingdownpretendingtobeasleep, askillalldogsmasteraspuppies,weproceeded towatchherintently.

Itdidn’tsmellright.Myspanielnosewaspicking upunfamiliarodours,butIjustcouldn’tputmy pawonwhatwasoutofplace.Thenmysuper earsnoticedsomething.FromthenexttableI coulddistinctlyheartwoheartbeats.Ihadinitiallyattributedthelady’sratherlargewaistline

toexcessiveconsumptionofpastriesbutperhapsshewasinsteadanexpectantmother.IrealisedhowfarfromthemarkbothofthosetheorieswerewhenIrecognisedthepulseswereextraordinary.Onewasjusttenbeatsaminuteand Idiscernedthatheartbeatwascomingfromthe lady.Butyoucouldhaveknockedmedownwith asquirrelwhenIworkedoutthattheothertwo hundredbeatsaminutewerecomingfromthe half-eatencinnamonswirl!

Icontinuedmyvigilanceuntilonlythecentreof thepastrywasleftontheplateandtheladyincomprehensivelystooduptoleavewithoutfinishingit.TessadistractedourDaddybypretendingtoclimbupontothetabletosnafflehis snack,somethingwhichofcoursewenever,ever do,whileIconfrontedthestrangeladywitha gentlewoof.“Areyoureallygoingtoleavethat?” Iasked.

Tomyastonishment,theladybarkedback. “Don’ttouchthat!”shewarned,withanaccent

SophieandTessa

reminiscentofaStBernard.“It’snotacinnamon roll.It’samalevolentalienlifeform.It’snotapatisserieviennoiserie.It’sapatisserieVenusian!”

The“lady”explained.Itturnedoutshewasnota monsteratall.Sheherselfwasfromtheplanet Xuixoandhadadoptedhumanappearanceto defendtheearthfromalieninvasion.Unknown tousall,the“cinnamonswirls”havebeen watchinghumanityfordecades,hidinginplain sightoncafécountersamongtheotherpastries. Infact,thosesneakyalienscanassumetheform ofanyviennoiseries:croissants,painauchocolat,painauxraisinsandevenDanishpastries. Beingapeacefulpeople,Xuixonsneverconsume theiradversaries,butonlyeatenoughtorender themharmless.

OnlytheXuixonscanspottheinvaders.Butnow weknowwhatwearelookingfor,socanspanielswithourhypersensitivenosesandears. We havebeenrecruitedtojoininthedefenceofthe wholeworldagainsttheattackofthekillerpastries.Spanielsassemble!Sothatwillbewhy, nexttimeyouaresittinginacaféenjoyinga tastysnack,thedogatthenexttablewilllookup atyouwithpleadingspanieleyes.Don’thesitate foramoment.Givethemyour“cinnamonswirl” andanythingelsetheymayaskfor.Youknowit makessense.Yourlife,andthefutureofthe planet,maywelldependonit!Don’tsayyou haven’tbeenwarned.

SubscriberNews

Tonominateyourlocallibrary orbookshoptobefeaturedinfutureissues emailwritersnarrative@gmail.com subjectheadedfortheattentionoftheEditor inChief.

Rev Peter Thomas has published three non-fiction books and is delighted now to assist Sophie in her creative writing projects. Originally a teacher and author in the fields of chemistry and computing, Peter retired in 2023 after 36 years as a Minister of local Baptist Churches. He continues to add to his blog and videos of more than a thousand sermons and reflections found at www.pbthomas.com.

PeterThomasandSophie

The Artist’s

Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

byJulia CameronReviewedbyShanayaWagh

ISBN-10: 1788164296

ISBN-13: 978-1788164290

Publisher: SouvenirPress(November2020)

Blurb

Sinceitsfirstpublication,TheArtist'sWayhasinspiredthegeniusof ElizabethGilbert,TimFerriss,ReeseWitherspoon,KerryWashington andmillionsofreaderstoembarkonacreativejourneyandfinda deeperconnectiontoprocessandpurpose.JuliaCameronguides readersinuncoveringproblemsandpressurepointsthatmayberestrictingtheircreativeflowandofferstechniquestoopenupopportunitiesforgrowthandself-discovery.

Arevolutionaryprogrammeforpersonalrenewal,TheArtist'sWaywillhelpgetyoubackontrack,rediscoveryourpassions,andtakethestepsyouneedtochangeyourlife.

Review

Creativityformeislikeatidalwave.Sometimesit’shighandwild,othertimesitslowandtame.However, it’swhenthetidesaremellowsomeonewhoreliesonthewrittenwordforsanitybeginstopanic. I’ve foundmyselfstaringatablankpageortypingawayatanovelthatisn’tstirringmysoulafewtimesinmy career.AndthefirsttimeithappenedIstillrememberthesenseofterroranddoomIfelt.

HowwasIevergoingtowriteanotherwordagain?Steppingawayfromthepagecouldn’t,surely,bethe answer.Afterall,whenyouhaveaproblemathand,youdon’tleaveitandwalkaway,doyou?SoIkept chippingawayatmylackofcreativity,butIwasonlytuggingmyfeetoutofquicksand.Andtheresultof allmypanickedeffortswasasyou’dexpect.That’swhenIstumbledacross The Artist’s Way byJuliaCameron.

JuliaCameronhasspentmorethanfourdecadeswritingnovels,screenplays,andotherliteraryworks. Butsheismostlyknownforthisguidebook. The Artist’s Way isa12-weekguidebuiltaroundthreecrucial pillars:theMorningPages,Artist’sWalks,andArtist’sDates.UnlikeanyotherprogramI’veexperienced, theexercisesforeachweekalmostanticipatedmyblocksastheycameup.Acrossthose12weeks, The Artist’s Way encouragedmetobebraver,playwithmycreativity,andtokeeplisteningandexpanding. Yearslater,theseebbsandflowshavebecomeparforthecourse.ButeachtimeIsitdownandstareat thatuninspiredpage,IcallonCameron’sguide.Andsomehow,thetidealwayschanges.

Shanaya Wagh writes award-winning romantic mysteries and suspense novels set in Scotland under the pen name Shana Frost. Her books promise page-turning suspense, strong friendships, and true love.

Rise From Ruin byMartiM.McNair

Reviewedby WendyH.Jones

ISBN:978-1916721067

Publisher:RebSamPublishing (June2025)

Blurb

InthegrippingthirdinstalmentoftheRuinorRedemptionseries, Jasminestandsattheprecipiceofhumanity’sfinalbattle.Having raisedanarmytochallengethemalevolentMalus,shefacesawar thatwilldeterminethefateoftheworld.Yetvictoryisonlythebeginningofherstruggle.Asthedustofbattlesettles,Jasminediscovers thattruehealingforherwar-tornworldliesinrekindlingthelost wondersofscience.Herjourneytakesaperilousturnwhenshebeginstoseekoutanancientundergroundreactor,thekeytounharnessingthesun’spowerandrestoringlifetothebarrenlands.With theweightofabrokenworldonhershoulders,Jasminemustventuredeepintoforgottencatacombs,confrontingbothphysicaland emotionaldemons.Timeisrunningout,andfailuremeanseternal darkness.WillJasmineunlockthesecretsofthereactorandignitethesparkofhope,orwillMalus’sshadowforevereclipsethesun?RisefromRuinisataleofcourage,sacrifice,andtherelentlesspursuitofa brighterfuture.ForJasmine,thestakeshaveneverbeenhigher,andeverydecisioncouldmeanthe differencebetweenruinorredemption.

Review

Havingreadthefirsttwobooksinthisseries,Iwasverymuchlookingforwardto Rise From Ruin. Thefirst twobooksintheseriessetthebarhigh,anditisalwaysaworrywhenreadingtheconcludingbookofa trilogythatitwillnotreachthatbar.Neverfear,book3notonlymetitbutvaultedoverit.

JasminecontinuestobeastrongprotagonistdespiteherhealthissuesandfindsherselfleadingtheforcestooverthrowMalusandhisfollowers.Jasmineissupportedbycharactersfromthefirstbooksandin thisoneweseethemgrowandstepintotherolesdestinyhascarvedoutforthem.Sayingittookmy breathawaymaybeacliché,butthisbookhadnumerousmomentssuchasthis.Theendingwasremarkableandreallywasdestiny.Icannotsaymuchmorewithoutgivingthegameaway.

Asapointofnote, The Ruin or Redemption trilogymustbereadinorderasfollows:

IslandOfRuin

RebelsOfRuin

RiseFromRuin

TenHabitsEveryAuthorShouldKnow.OrShouldThey?

Editor in Chief Wendy H. Jones dispels some myths about the advice ‘out there’ on how to establish a writing routine.

Whenstartingoutasawriteryouwillfind adviceisthrowntowardsyoulikeconfettiatarockstar’swedding.Youmust dothis.No,youmustdothat.Listentothisfamousauthor.Listentothatfamousauthor.Thisis whatIdo,youshoulddoitaswell.Howinthe goodheckdoesanynew,orevenestablished, writergetanyworkdonewithallthatadviceflyingaround.Let’sunpicktheseanddoaspotof mythbusting.Iloveagoodmythbuster,solet’s knuckledownandgettoit.

YouMustWriteEveryDay

Isthistrueorfalse?Whatdoyouthink?I’dsaythis ispartiallytrue.Developingadailywritinghabitis sensibleasitcanhelpyourcreativityandkickstartsyourbrainwhenyousitdowntowrite. However,everyday?Iknowofatleastonemajor authorwhowriteseverydayincludingChristmas Day.Ifthatworksforhim,fabulous.However,othersofusmayfeelthattheoddholidayorChristmasDay,ThanksgivingorEidoffisnotgoingto completelywreckourwriting.I’minthelatter camp.

It'sBettertoWriteintheMorning

Sayswho?Yes,ifyouarealark,youwillwrite blissfullyeverymorningandcrankoutwordsas thoughyouarebeingpaidapennyawordand you’vefivestarvingchildrentofeed.Ifyouarean owl,you’llapproachwritinglikeyou’reconsideringsendingthosefivestarvingchildrentothe nearestworkhouse.(Yes,Iknowthereareno

workhousesanymore).Writewhenyourbody tellsyoutowrite.ThearticleonLarkorOwlin thisissueofthemagazinewillhelpyoutodothis.

YouMustWriteXorYAmountofWordsEvery Day

Doyou?IthinkthiscamefromNaNoWriMowhere everyonepledgedtowrite1667wordsperday, everydayinthemonthofNovember.Thetruthis youshouldwriteasmanywordsasyouwantto eachday.Chasingawordcountcansometimes stiflecreativity.However,onecaveattothis–writingtenwordsperdayandtellingyourself you’veatleastdonesomething,isn’tgoingtoget thatmanuscriptwritten,farlesspublished.I’d sayaimforsomethingsensibleyoufeelyoucan manageandifyoubeatthattarget,happydays.

WritetheFirstDraftbeforeYouEdit

Inmanywaysthisissoundadvice.Gettingitall downonpapergivesyouafirmideaofwherethe storyisgoing.Onceitisdownyoucanworkon plotinconsistencies,grammar,spelling,punctuation,etc.Itisgenerallyregardedasanasset whichboostsyourcreativity.Also,goingoverthe samechapterumpteentimesisnotgoingto

moveyourmanuscriptforward.However,thisis whereitbecomesinteresting.Weallhavedifferentpersonalities.Forsome,notlookingatorcorrectingthepartofthemanuscripttheyhavealreadydone,stiflestheircreativity.Aswithother habitsorrules,itisuptotheindividualwriterto decidewhetheritfitstheirpersonality.

YouShouldPlanYourManuscriptOutBefore YouWriteIt

Shouldyou?Theplottersamongstuswillbe shoutingatthecomputersrightnow,‘Ofcourse youshould.’Thepanstersamongstuswillbe screaming,‘Notachanceinhell.’Theanswer,of course,isdoitinawaythatworksforyou.Ifyou areanaturalpantsterandaremorecreativeby writingonthehoof–haveatit.Ifyouneedevery meticulousdetailplottedtothelastletter–go forit.Ofcourse,thereisalsotheplanstermethodwhereyouhavealooseplan,butyoucanplay fastandloosewithitaccordingtoyourwill.All writersareindividual,andtheirworkhabitsand practicesshouldreflectthis.

SitDownandWriteEveryDayattheSame TimeandintheSamePlace

Icanfullyunderstandwheremanywritersare comingfromwiththisone.Likealljobsitisgood togetintothehabitofarrivingatyourworkplace ontimeandsittingdowntostarttheday’swork. Otherwriters,likeme,preferflexibility.Ilikebeingabletowriteanytime,anyplace,anywhere,as Idoalotoftravelling.Ioftentakemyselftoa coffeeshopandwriteortothelibrary.IfindIam morecreativewhenImovespace.

AllWritersMustBeReaders

ThisisoneIbelieveallwritersshouldgetbehind. Fillingthecreativewellissoimportant.Also,as weread,weabsorbtheprocessofstructuring sentencesincertainways.Weanalyse,evensubliminallywhatgoodwritingshouldbe.Wefind ourselvesscreamingatthepagewhenwefeel

thewriterhasgotitwrong.Readingmakesus betterwriters.Sofarweareallinagreement aboutreading.Whereitbecomescontentiousis whenwriting,shouldwebereadingbooksinthe samegenre?Manywriterssayreadoutsidethe genretokeepyourmindandyourideasfresh. Otherssayreadwhateveryouwanttoread. Quitefrankly,myviewisreadwhateveryou want.Myfavouritegenretoreadiscrimefiction. Iamalwaysintheprocessofwritingcrimefiction.I’mcertainlynotgoingtochangealifetime ofreadinghabitsandmovegenresjustbecauseI writecrime.

UseAdjectivesSparingly

Thisisagoodpieceofadviceandonehabiteverywritershouldlearn.Theyareusedtoshoreup weakverbsorpoorwriting.So,thisisoneyou willnotfindmearguingwith.Learntouse strongerverbs;yourmanuscriptwiththankyou forit.

UseTimedWritingSprintsSuchasthePomodoroMethod

Theideaofthisisthatyouwriteinaconcentratedmannerfor25minutes,thenrelaxforfive minutes.Manywriterslovetheseandwilldo themslavishlythroughouttheday.Adherents sayithelpsthemtofocuswithoutdistractionas theirbrainwillswitchontowritingbyknowingit isonlyashorttime.However,somewritersfind itdistractingastheyarekneedeepinintense writingwhenanalarmgoesoffanddisturbs them.Thereis,ofcourse,athirdmethodwhere youcanuseamixtureofbothdependingon whatsuitsyouataspecifictime.Oneusefulaspectofthismethodisthatitremindsyoutoget upandstretchatregularintervals.

KeepaWritingJournal

Thosewholovejournallingswearbykeepinga writingjournal.Thisallowsyoutofreewriteand getstartedonyourwritingbeforeyougetgoing

inthemorning.Thisisoftentiedinwithmorning pageswhereyouwritewhatyouwantforaset amountoftime,allowingyourunconsciousbrain totakeover.However–isn’ttherealwaysahowever–othersfeelthatitinterfereswithwhatthey arewriting,andtheyarewastingtimethatcan bespentonwritingtheirbook.MYadviceonthis oneis,tryitbothways,then,youwillfindwhich worksbestforyou.

Asyouwillseethereareplusesandminuseson bothsidesofeverywritinghabit.Now,let’sbe radical.Findoutwhatworksforyouandmake upsomewritinghabitsofyourown.Yourcreativebrainwillthankyouforit.

Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, bestselling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition, she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

BookReleases

RecentReleases

TITLE: The Artist’s Way Toolkit : How To Use The Creative Practices by JuliaCameron

ISBN-10: 1805222031

ISBN-13: 978-1805222033

Publisher: SouvenirPress(January2025)

Blurb

HailedastheQueenofCreativity,JuliaCameronistheauthorityonartisticwisdomandhastransformedthelivesofmillionsaroundthe world.

Guidingreaderstotheheartoftheirpractice,hereshepresentsherindispensableArtist'sWaytoolkitof MorningPages,ArtistDates,WalksandGuidance,alongwithnever-before-seeninsightsandaffirmations designedtosparkpurpose.

LayingouttheArtist'sWayphilosophyintoapreciseandaccessiblecollectionofready-to-usesteps,readerswillaccesstheirinnervoice,experiencedeeperintuitionandultimatelymeetthemselves -andothersonthepathwaytoself-discovery.Usedtogetheraspartofaspiritualpractice,thesetoolsformthebedrockofartisticexpressionandilluminatethewayforanycreativejourney.

TITLE: Arrow of Alba: Raiding Rivalry and Revenge In Dark Ages Caledonia BookOne:OdoTheFrankSeriesbyAllanWebster

ASIN : B0FBL4X2R4

Publisher:HildebordBooks(May2025)

Blurb

Betrayalanddeath...orjustdeath.

FleeingfromParis,wherehisfatherisfalselyaccusedoftreason,young warriorOdojoinsabarbarianking'swarbandinnorthernBritannia, fightingScotsandSaxoninvaders.

HefallsforSaxongirlElgiva,whomherescuesfromslavery.However,hisnewoverlord'swifehashereye onhim.

AspyingmissioninSaxonterritorymayprovideanescapefromthisdangerousdilemma -orleadtoan evenmoregruesomedemise.

SprintWithTheSisters

Lisa Harkrader discusses the writing sprints that take place during the Sisters in Crime’s regular write-in sessions and how scheduling focused attention on writing can be both motivating and rewarding.

‘‘Ready? Steady. Write!’

Thehostgivesthesignal,thewelcome messagepopsontothescreen,andfor25 minutes,membersfromaroundtheworld hunkerdowntotheirwritingtasks. They’reembarkingonawritingsprintduringa SistersinCrimewrite-in.

SistersinCrime,fondlyknownasSinC,was foundedin1986topromotetheadvancement, recognition,andprofessionaldevelopmentof womencrimewriters.Butit’snotforwomen only.SinCwelcomesanyonewholovescrime fiction allgendersandgenres offeringsupport,community,andlearningopportunitiesto its4500membersaroundtheglobe.

FivetimesadayonTuesdaysandFridays,and threetimesonSaturdays,SinCconductswriteinsviaZoom,hostedbyvolunteers.Withso manysessions,memberscanusuallyfindone thatfitstheirschedule.CindyMabe,awriter fromChicago,hasattendedeachofthesessions atleastonce.Oneofherfavoritesisthe1a.m. ET/7a.m.BSTsession.‘ThattimeisgreatforinteractingwithSinCmembersworldwide,’she says,‘includingtheU.K.,Denmark,theNetherlands,andAustralia.’

Eachwrite-inconsistsoftwo25-minuteswriting sprints,separatedbychatbreaks.They’representedinwebinarstyle,meaningonlythehosts areoncamera,sothere’snoneedforattendees toglamupbeforeloggingon.Theycanshowup injammies,rockingtheirbedhead,andnooneis

Harkrader

thewiser.Theyinteractwiththehostsandeach otherviathetypedchat.

Attendeeslikehavingaspecifictimetoshowup andwrite.‘Havingaschedulehelpsmeblock writingtime,’saysMadonaSkaff,authorofthe NayaInvestigatesmysteryseries.‘Itellothers thatI’minameeting,andsuddenlynoonebothersme.’

Theyalsolikehavingthetimebrokeninto chunks.‘Thesprintsarejustlongenoughtoget inagoodlyamountofwriting orwhatever you’redoing withoutbeingsolongthatyou startgettingbored,’saysJaneMurray,president oftheUpstateSouthCarolinachapterofSinC and,writingasJ.E.S.Hays,theauthorofshort storiesinanthologiessuchas The Untamed West, Under Western Stars,and Over Western Trails.

PennyManson,astoryteller,poet,andwriter whoseworkhasbeenpublishedinanthologies suchas Speak, Write, Dream and Listen to Your Mother,agrees.‘There’ssomethingaboutthe sprintsbeingforalimitedperiodoftimethatis verymotivatingforme.IpulledapieceIhave beenworkingonforeverbackoutandamworkingonitagain.’

SinCencouragesmemberstousethewrite-ins inwhateverwaybestsupportstheirwriting. ‘ThankstoSinC’sdecisiontonotfocusonword

Lisa

count,Ithinkthewrite-inshavebecomeever morewelcomingandusefulformembers,’says DiannaSinovic,certifiedbookcoach,editor,and authorofthenovel Scream of the Silent Sun and manyshortstories.Diannahasbeenhosting SinCwrite-insformorethanayear.‘Members feelfreetoworkonwhatevertheyneedto,not onlywriting,butalsorevising,plotting,research, brainstorming,orevenadministrativetasks.’ Flexibilityextendstothewrite-inscheduleas well.‘Whilethereisastartandendtimeforeach write-in,’saysCindyMabe,‘theparticipantsare freetopopinandoutdependingontheirown availability.SoevenifIsneakinattenminutes pastthehour,I’mwelcomedandnotpenalized forbeingtardy.’

Severaltimesayear,duringtheirJanuary Jumpstart,SummerScrawl,andNovemberMarathon,SinCschedulesadditionalwrite-ins,usuallyatleastfiveeachday,sevendaysaweek.The concentratedscheduleallowsmemberstogive focusedattentiontotheirwriting.PaulaBarr Skillicornisagrantwriterand,underthename PaulaBarr,authorofstoriesinanthologiessuch as So West: Wrong Turnand A Right Cozy Culinary Crime.‘Iwashavingtroublesettingasidetimefor myownwriting,’shesays.‘Iheardaboutthe JanuaryJumpstart.Itrieditand loved it.Althoughmypayingworkstillgetsinthewaysometimes,Ischedulethewrite-insonmycalendar andusuallymakeacoupleeachweek.’

Asimportantasthewritingisthesenseofcommunitythewrite-insfoster.Writersoftenshare whatthey’veaccomplishedduringeachsprint andcheereachother’ssuccesses.Theyshare writingproblemsthey’restrugglingwith,and othermembersofferadviceandencouragement. Attendeesalsopostinformationaboutwriting classes,conferences,helpfulbooksandwebsites,andpublicationsthathaveputoutcallsfor submissions.

‘Iabsolutelylovetheenergythatcomesoutof writingwithothers-eventhoughit’sinavirtual space andthegenerosityandsupportattendeesprovide,’saysDiannaSinovic.

‘Questionsareposed;answersandideasfreely given.Andwehavesomefun,aswell-sharing thehumorandironyinourlives.’

‘EvenondaysthatIstrugglewithputtingwords onthepage,thehostsensuremethat“those wordsaremorethanyouhadwhenyoustarted,” whichencouragesmetokeepmovingforward,’ saysCindyMabe.

Attendeesineachsessionhavegiventheirwriteinsaname,suchasWordWarriors,Champagne Pirates,WritersAkimbo,andSunrisers.The groupshavecreatedtheirownmugs,andthe Ponders-sonamedbecauseboththehostsand theattendeeshailfrombothsidesofthepond (theAtlantic)andbecausetheyliketoponderanythingthatcomesupinthechat-evenhavetheir owncheerchant: ‘We are the Ponders, the mighty, mighty Ponders!,’ whichhostWendyH.Joneswill singforattendeesifasked.

Manyhostsofferwritingprompts.MistySimon, hostoftheDicersonTuesdayandFridaynight, rollsasetofwritingcubesduringeachsessionto giveattendeesoptionalwords-suchas key, lightbulb,and turtle forinspiration.

‘Awrite-inislikeafunlittleclubwhereyougetto knoweveryoneandrootforthemtosucceedwith theirwritingcareer,’saysJaneMurray.

‘Ifyouhaven’ttriedit,youshouldgiveitawhirl.’

FindmoreinformationaboutSistersinCrimeat sistersincrime.org.

LisaHarkraderistheauthorofmorethan40 booksforchildren,includingAirball:MyLifein Briefs,winneroftheWilliamAllenWhiteAward, andTheMisadventuresofNobbinSwill,afairy taledetectivetrilogystarringadungfarmer’sson whobecomesPrinceCharming’sassistant.

SistersInCrimeWriteIns:APersonalPerspective

Elaine B. Johnson provides a personal perspective on how regular participation in the Sisters In Crime Write-Ins helped improve her time management.

Theweeklywrite-inshelpedmeintime managementanddiscipline.Letmeexplain,atonepointinmylifetimemanagementbecameobsolete,whichhappened shortlyafterretiring.Notpunchingthetime clockwasgreat,onlyforashortperiodoftime, andretiringatthebeginningofCOVID19didn’t makeitanyeasier.Ifellintothepatternof sleepinginlate,livingasifIwasonanextended vacation,andaimlesslywatchingtoomuchtelevision.Nowlookingback,afterretiringtime managementwasneveronmyradar.

However,inmycareerasacustomerservicerep timemanagementwasessential.Mondays throughFridays,9amto5pm,alldailycorrespondencesandweeklyreportsweredoneina timelymanner.Also,Iranamonthlynewsletter fortheofficeandpublishedmyfirstnovelprior toretiring.

WritinganothernovelwasnolongeracommitmentthatIwanttobefulfilled.Writingisasolitaryjob,andasforwriterswritingislikebreathing.Bothareimportantandtogobeyondthe comfortzonealittledisciplinedoeshelp.

Secondly,disciplineduringmyworkingyears wasimposedbythejobandthroughtheWriteInsthedisciplinewasself-imposed.Thepay-off ofshowingupattheofficewasapaycheck.I canhonestlysay,sincethatdisciplinewasgone, Ifeltuseless.Thedisciplineduringthewrite-ins wasbeingempoweredtocontinuewithmywritingalongwiththeothermembers.Asmentionedearlier,Ibecameunproductiveafterretirement.Ilostthedisciplinetodosimplethings

ElaineB.Johnson

likemaintainingoralhygiene,whichbecamea costlydentalbill.

InessenceIwasinthedumps,butthewrite-ins helpmelookattimemanagementanddisciplineintwoways,becomingmorecreativeand beingmoreproductive.

Tome,thequotebythelateIrishnovelist,Edna O’Brien,madeitsimpleindealingwithwriting, timemanagementanddiscipline.

“Writing is like carrying a fetus. I get up in the morning, have a cup of tea, and come into this room to work.”

EdnaO’Brien (1930-2024)

Elaine B. Johnson has been a member of Sisters in Crime since 2019 and is a chapter member of Desert Sleuths and Citrus Crime Writers. She is the author of Finding Jacob under the pen name, E. B Johnson. Elaine has been a finalist of the Six Word Contest twice, and was sponsored by the Rocky Mountains Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. Her work has been published in the Alfred Hitchcock magazine.

BookReleases

RecentReleases

TITLE: The Names byFlorenceKnapp

ISBN-10:1399624024

ISBN-13:978-139962402

Publisher: Phoenix(May2025)

Blurb

Itis1987,andintheaftermathofagreatstorm,Corasetsoutwithhernineyear-olddaughtertoregisterthebirthofherson.Herhusbandintendsfor hertofollowalong-standingfamilytraditionandcallthebabyafterhim. Butwhenfacedwiththedecision,Corahesitates.Goingagainsthiswishes isariskthatwillhaveconsequences,butisitrightforherchildtoinherit hisnamefromgenerationsofdomineeringmen?Thechoiceshemakesin thismomentwillshapethecourseoftheirlives.

Sevenyearslater,hersonisBear,anamechosenbyhissister,andonethatwillproveascataclysmicas thestormfromwhichitemerged.OrheisJulian,thenamehismothersetherhearton,believingitwillenablehimtobecomehisownperson.OrheisGordon,namedafterhisfatherandraisedinhiscruelimagebutistherestillachancetobreakthemould?

Powerfullymovingandfullofhope,thisisthestoryofthreenames,threeversionsofalife,andtheinfinite possibilitiesthatasingledecisioncanspark.Itisthestoryofonefamily,andlove'sendlesscapacitytoendure,nomatterwhatfatehasinstore.

TITLE: Raising Hare byChloeDalton

ISBN-10 : 1837260869

ISBN-13 : 978-1837260867

Publisher:CanongateBooks(May2025)

Blurb

Imagineyoucouldholdababyhareandbottle-feedit.Imaginethatitlived underyourroofandlollopedaroundyourbedroomatnight,drummingon theduvetcoverwhenitwantedyourattention.Imaginethat,overtwo yearslater,itstillraninfromthefieldswhenyoucalleditandsnoozedin yourhouseforhoursonend.Thishappenedtome.

WhenChloe,acity-dwellingprofessionalwithahigh-pressurejob,findsa

newlybornhare,endangered,aloneandnobiggerthanherpalm,sheiscompelledtogiveitachanceat survival-despitebeingtheleastlikelycaregivertothiswildanimal.

RaisingHareisthestoryoftheirjourneytogether.Itchroniclesanextraordinaryrelationshipbetweenhumanandanimal,rekindlingoursenseofawetowardsnatureandwildlife.Theirimprobablebondoftrust remindsusthatthemostremarkableexperiences,inspiringthemosthope,oftenarisewhenweleastexpectthem.

SUBMISSIONGUIDELINES

Writers’NarrativeeMagazine

We are interested in submissions on any aspect of writing and publishing and will accept simultaneous submissions.AllinterviewsmustbepitchedtotheEditorinChieffirstbeforedoingtheinterview.

We accept varying lengths of submissions depending on the topic - 500, 1000, 1,500. Book reviews can be shorter but should include a substantial review in addition to the book blurb. Only submit previously unpublishedwork(eitheronlineorinprint).

MonthlythemeswillbepromulgatedinboththemagazineandintheFacebookGroup.

Please use Hart’s Rules: The Oxford Style Guide. Light editing will be undertaken. If major editing is required, the article will be returned with general advice on what is required to bring it up to publication standard.

All submissions are to be in Times New Roman or Times, size 12 font, single spaced, with no formatting. Allformattingwillbecarriedoutbytheeditorialteam.

Theonlyimageswhichshouldbesubmittedwithyour articlesareyourauthorphotograph andbookcoversifdoingabookreview.Includeabriefbioandauthorphotographalongwithyourfirstsubmission.

Pleasestatethemonthforwhichyouaresubmittingyourarticle.However,thismaybechangedifitisfelt itbettersuitsadifferentissue.

Writers’Narrativeispublishedmonthly.Submissioncutoffdates:

January–7th November

February–7th December

March–7th January

April-7th February

May–7th March

June–7th April

July–7th May

August–7th June

September–7th July

October–7th August

November–7th September

December–7th October

Submissionsviaemailto writersnarrative@gmail.com

To nominate your local library or bookshop to be featured in future issues and for any queries including advertisingwithusemailwritersnarrative@gmail.comsubjectheadedfortheattentionofEditorinChief

Whilethereisamonthlythemeandfocus,thiswillnotbetheonlytopicforthemagazine.General articlescanalsobesubmittedforpublication.

Themesfor2025

January/

February Non-Fiction

March HistoricalFictionandNon-Fiction

April ScienceFictionandFantasy(It’sNationalScienceFictionMonth)

May Worldbuilding

June WritingfortheYAMarket

July WritingHabits

August CoverDesign

September Publishing

October ShortFormFiction

November NarrativeNon-Fiction

December DiversityinWritingandPublishing

Comingin August2025

Theme-CoverDesign

FeaturedAuthor CathyHelms

AvalonGraphics

Articles

BookReviews

Newreleases

Andmore….

August2025