Writers' Forum - Issue 245 - July 2022

68 Pages·2022·14 MB·English

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CHILDREN’S & SHORT FLASH
YA NOVEL STORY FICTION
For novels of at least 20,000 words by women For complete short fiction of For complete short fiction of
who are not yet published as novelists up to 3,000 words up to 300 words
1st Prize: £5,000 1st Prize: £3,000 1st Prize: £500
JUDGES JUDGE JUDGE
CRESSIDA COWELL MBE, DIANA EVANS AUDREY NIVEN
IMOGEN RUSSELL WILLIAMS,
CHLOE SEAGER
CLOSING DATE FOR ALL CATEGORIES: 19 SEPTEMBER 2022
CONTENTS
Welcome
4 HEADLINES 31 CHILDREN’S BOOKS
NewsfrontThe latest in A fairy tale with a twist
the world of writing Rachael Davis’s picture-book
6 SUBSCRIPTIONS hero doesn’t want to be
Writers’ Forum delivered a hero – and that’s okay,
direct to your door she tells Anita Loughrey
8 HOW I WRITE 34 KICKSTARTERS
For a few novels more In a seasonal slump? Our
Gun-toting western author fi ve-minute prompts will
Simon Webb tells Douglas soon have you pounding that
McPherson how he writes a keyboard!
book in 40 days – plus a call 36 STORY COMPETITION
for new writers from Dusty This issue’s winners
Saddle Publishing of £550 in cash prizes
12 GET STARTED 45 Writing Outlets with
Sticking to a brief Janet Cameron: Thinking
Douglas McPherson shares out of the box…
secrets from his successful 46 FICTION WORKSHOP
feature-writing career with Slightly undercooked
would-be freelances Fiction editoorr EEsstthheerr CChhiillttoonn
14 WRITERS’ CIRCLE samples a reader’s recipe-
Your letters plus a reader’s based story and suggests
First Draft challenge ways to spice up the
17 AGONY AUNT characters
Dear Della Writer Della 50 POETRY COMPETITION
Galton answers your queries Poetry judge Sue Butler
18 WRITING TECHNIQUE introduces this issue’s theme
Less is more Conversation plusExperiment
doesn’t need to be complex 52 POETRY COMP RESULTS
to be effective in your The winner of £100 for our
stories, says Adrian Ross ‘Why?’ competition
20 FICTION MARKETS 54 DIRECTORY
Don’t miss issue #246 on sale from 14 July Inside Story How Douglas Literary DiaryKate
McPherson wrote Taylor Medhurst’s pick of festivals,
Writers’ Forum AD SALES MANAGGEERR WWeennddyy KKeeaarrnnss Swift into a romantic short author events and courses
Select Publisher Services Ltd EMAIL [email protected] for older readers 58 MOTIVATION
PO Box 6337 TEL [phone] INSPIRATION The Mentor Emily
Bournemouth BH1 9EH CIRCULATION MANAGGEERR TTiimm HHaarrrriiss Ideas Store What’s Paula Cunningham comes to the
TEL [phone] PRODUCTION MANAGGEERR JJoohhnn BBeeaarree Williams doing with a red aid of a writer struggling
IT MANAGGEERR VViinnccee JJoonneess
PPUUBBLLIISSHHEERR TTiimm HHaarrrriiss wheelbarrow…? with a synopsis
EDITOORR CCaarrll SSttyyaannttss Subscription rates (12 issues) 24 FREELANCE MARKETS 60 WRITING KNOW-HOW
CHIEF SUB Wendy Reed UUEUKKR ££O44PE66 ,,£ D5D9 ,£ R1O1WW.5 0££ 66fo99r 3 issues The Magazine Scene Research Secrets Helen
Photography and artwork SUBSCRIPTION MANAGGEERR CChhrriiss WWiigggg Adam Carpenter’s regular Yendall’s debut novel is set
With thanks to Shutterstock EMAIL [email protected] round-up of industry news in WW2 – Anita Loughrey
COVER IMAGE Tithi Luadthong PRINTED BY William Gibbons & Sons, and opportunities plus fi nds out how she checked
26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, W Mids Diary of a freelance the historical details
© Select Publisher Services Ltd. No part of
this magazine may be reproduced without the DISTRIBUTED BY Seymour Ltd, 2 East hack 62 COMPETITION CALENDAR
written permission of the publisher. Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT 26 WRITING EXERCISE Full listings compiled by
Writers’ Forum cannot accept responsibility for Memorable characters Caroline Vincent
DATA PROTECTION For information about
any unsolicited material. Writers’ Forum is fully how we manage personal data, please see Readers need them and they 64 TALES OF MY GURU
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https://www.selectmagazines.co.uk/privacy-policy make the writer’s life easier Led by his invisible mentor,
of any company mentioned herein. All copyrights
and trademarks are recognised. Every effort has Registered in England. Registered Number too. Barbara Dynes shows Hugh Scott ponders the
been made to identify the copyright holders of 5450559. Registered Offi ce: Princecroft Willis one way to get to know your big writing question: do
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for inaccuracies or complaints arising from BH15 2PW. A catalogue record for this magazine
advertisements featured. is available British Library. ISSN 1467-2529 challenge abilities?
28 FLASH COMP 65 WHERE I WRITE
For submissions, visit www.writers-forum.com/contact-us Our writing contest is FREE Phil Barrington talks to
We reserve the right to edit any article or letter received. to subscribers plus results of Sue Blackburn in her
Please note that Writers’ Forum does not carry book reviews. our ‘The trouble with’ comp sunshiny snug
Writers’forum #245 3
HEADLINES
news
FRONT
The latest in the world of books, publishing and writing – written by you
BBC New Comedy
Awards open Men should read more books by female
authors says Women’s Prize judge
’
If you are an aspiring comedy
’
writer you still have time to Men fear ‘chick-lit’ and read far fewer books by
hone your work for this year’s female authors than male, says literary prize judge Mary
BBC New Comedy Awards. The Ann Sieghart. Speaking at the unveiling of this year’s
prestigious awards, established in Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist, Sieghart said men
1995, are a talent search to fi nd should broaden their horizons and read more books by
the best new stand-up, sketch and female authors – even if they come with a ‘chick-lit’ label.
digital comedians. Figures show that men read four books by male
BBC Director of Comedy authors for every one they read by a woman, whereas
Jon Petrie says: ‘We are very women’s reading is balanced between the sexes.
proud of the role that the BBC Sieghart, the writer and broadcaster chairing this
New Comedy Awards plays in year’s prize, said men avoid novels that are branded as
unearthing the British comedy ‘chick-lit’ – yet if the same stories were written by male
stars of tomorrow.’ authors and packaged differently, men would be happy
For the Digital Comedy Award, to read them. Sue Cawte
which is for a comedy sketch,
you must produce a short video
(one to three minutes). So get a Champion. The title, which fear of being nominated for the successful applicants, including
those phones out and start offers young people advice on Bad Sex awards looming over her. investment, mentoring and
recording. Entries need to be in how to achieve their potential Ali, 54, said she had previously training opportunities.
by 3 July 2022 and you can fi nd and fi nd success, was chosen from been able to avoid writing sex Find out more and apply by
out more at www.bbc.co.uk/ 12 individual category winners – scenes in her books, but when it searching ‘Young Writers’ Talent
newcomedyawards. Peter Caunt including Marian Keyes, Sir Billy came to Love Marriage, the sex Fund New Writing North’.
Connolly and Sir Paul McCartney was such a fundamental part of
– during the ceremony at the protagonist’s journey that she
Grosvenor House in London. couldn’t ‘bottle out’ of writing it.
Rashford scores Rashford, who previously ‘It wasn’t as bad as I’d feared,’ Library book returned
book prize launched a book club for Ali said, but noted that her after 64 years
vulnerable and under-privileged 20-year-old daughter was less
’ ’
Manchester United and children, thanked both his impressed. After reading a proof Staff at an Ipswich library
England footballer Marcus publisher Macmillan and copy of the book, she rang and had a pleasant surprise when a
Rashford has won Book of the co-author Carl Anka and said the said: ‘Mum! How could you? You novel taken out 64 years ago was
Year at the British Book Awards purpose of the publication was know Grandpa is going to read it?’ returned to them from overseas.
for his non-fi ction debut You are to give kids ‘the opportunity that The Loving Couple, written by
I never had’. He added: ‘It shows
that if we can get books in the
hands of children, it allows them Young Writers’ talent
to dream and believe in whatever fund closing soon
they want to achieve in life.’
’
Sam Todd Young people aged 16-25
living in the North East can
apply to the Young Writers’
Talent Fund until Thursday 30
Ali admits fear over June 2022. The fund provides
sex scenes development opportunities for
young creatives working across
’
Brick Lane author Monica Ali a range of writing forms and aims
has admitted to an audience at to make connections between
the Hay Festival that she was aspiring writers and producers,
‘terrifi ed’ to write the sex scenes and industry professionals. It
in her most recent novel, with the can offer bespoke support to
4 Writers’forum #245
NEWS
Virginia Rowans, was discovered
at a library in Dubrovnic. The Blue plaque for Cartland home
book, which was borrowed from
’
the library in 1958 and tells the River Cottage in Great Barford, Bedfordshire,
story of a married couple in the former home of renowned romance novelist
New York, was still in remarkably Barbara Cartland, is to be awarded a ‘blue
good condition. plaque’ to acknowledge that she lived there and
Kim Risby (pictured, below left), to celebrate her contribution to literature.
Library and Information Advisor The chocolate-box residence, complete with
at Gainsborough Community pink front door, has just gone on the market
Library, said: ‘It was such a with a guide price of £1 million. It features
surprise receiving a book back four bedrooms, two reception rooms, two
after all this time and from so bathrooms, a private mooring and an annexe.
far away – a really lovely gesture The property was home to Cartland from 1941
from our colleagues in Croatia. It to 1949. The author, who died in 2000, entered the Guinness Book of Records for the most books written
takes passion to work in libraries in a single year and sold a reported 750 million copies of her novels during her lifetime, making her the
and it’s nice to know that that is a third bestselling fi ction writer in history after Shakespeare and Agatha Christie.
feeling shared by other librarians
in other parts of the world.’
She added: ‘We’d also like to
ask our customers to return their as it had been written years Deadline cafe Kawai, occasionally stand behind
books a little bit before 60 years earlier in 2011, so the jury were them to stare at their laptop
’
have passed!’ Sue Cawte not allowed to consider it in their A new cafe has opened in screen.
deliberations. Tokyo aimed at those of us with Kawai dismisses social media
Written in the form of a a tendency to procrastinate. The concerns that he is heavy-handed
brainstorming exercise for appropriately named Manuscript with the monitoring of his
Romance author found writers, the essay discussed Writing Cafe opened in April customers. ‘I’m here to support
guilty of killing various options for committing and is for writers, editors, them,’ he says. ‘As a result, what
an untraceable killing. It begins: As proofreaders, video producers, they thought would take a day
’
A self-published romantic a romantic suspense writer, I spend manga artists and anyone else was actually completed in three
novelist who wrote an essay titled a lot of time thinking about murder struggling with the distractions of hours, or tasks that usually take
‘How to Murder Your Husband’ and, consequently, about police the home or offi ce. three hours were done in one.’
has been found guilty of fatally procedure. After all, if the murder is Patrons commit to a specifi c The cafe provides unlimited
shooting her husband. supposed to set me free, I certainly writing goal when entering the tea and coffee refi lls, wi-fi and tall
Nancy Crampton Brophy, 71, don’t want to spend any time in jail. cafe and then they have the chairs that discourage slouching
was found guilty of the second- Crampton Brophy has been choice of simply being asked to or relaxing. Kawai reports that,
degree murder of Daniel Brophy, in custody since her arrest in report progress when paying so far, everyone has fi nished their
a 63-year-old chef, in Portland, September 2018. She will be at the end of their session, or work, with only a few having to
Oregon in 2018. The judge had sentenced on 13 June. Her those in greater need of discipline stay past the cafe’s closing time.
dismissed the essay as evidence, lawyers said they would appeal. can have the proprietor, Takuya Sally Jenkins
ODD SPOT BY HUGH SCOTT
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Derek’s inspiration would have to wait until the cat woke up.
Writers’forum #245 5
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AUTHOR INTERVIEW
8 Writers’forum #245
HOW I WRITE
FOR A FEW
NOVELS MORE
Douglas McPherson saddles up to hear
how prolifi c word-slinger Simon Webb
writes a western every 40 days
M
any writers would like to Webb thought he’d fi nished writing for escapism. They’re not great literature
keep a gun on their desk to westerns a few years ago when Robert by any stretch of the imagination. They’re
deal with interruptions. But Hale Ltd, which published his novels pulp fi ction.’
that’s not why author Simon through its imprint Black Horse, ceased
Drifter
Webb keeps a scary-looking trading. Earlier this year, however, he was
19th-century Colt Navy pistol to hand. approached by genre specialist Dusty
‘Holding it helps me get into character Saddle Publishing and commissioned to Coming from a ‘thoroughly working-class’
for my westerns,’ Webb says, cocking his write seven new stories, to be delivered background, Webb found a life-long love
fi ring iron with an ominous click. ‘It lets at a rate of one every 40 days. of books at an early age. To this day, he
me explore what’s possible in a gunfi ght, ‘My wife thought I said seven books in can’t pass a secondhand bookshop without
such as how quickly can you cock a pistol? 40 days, which would be a bit of a stretch.’ buying a couple of tomes.
‘I get my wife to act out various things,’ Webb chuckles. ‘But a novel in 40 days is ‘My parents were not educated people,
the writer continues. ‘She’ll chop my wrist nothing at all.’ but there were always loads of books in
to see what happens if someone jogs you The 35,000-word books will comprise the house and we were always visiting the
when you’ve taken fi rst pressure on the a series of standalone stories about the library,’ he recalls. ‘That made a diff erence,
trigger. That makes it more real, because same character. because reading is the fi rst thing you need
then I’m describing something that I’ve ‘Dusty Saddle do what they call a to do if you want to write. It’s only from
really experienced.’ season: six or seven books with a tagline reading lots and lots of books that you get
Webb was born a long way from the like Seth Kincaid: Texas Ranger. Or, in my an ability to write, because you can analyse
Wild West, in London’s East End, but that case, Jethro Kyle: The Man from Pinkertons.’ things and see what sentences work.’
hasn’t stopped him writing more than Why did he choose to write about Not that Webb grew up with ambitions
50 cowboy stories under his own name the historically real Pinkerton National to write, or indeed with any kind of career
and a dozen aliases including Harriet Detective Agency? plan. Over the years he’s drifted through
Cade, Fenton Sadler and Brent Larssen. ‘Because everything else was taken! ‘millions’ of jobs, from solicitor’s clerk to
‘I grew up with westerns on television I had a look through the website and labouring on farms and building sites. He
– Gunsmmookkee,, Rawhhiiddee,, Bonanza – plus the they’ve got sheriff s, bounty hunters and also lived in Sweden for a time.
fi lms with John Wayne and so on. So the everything else. But I didn’t see anything ‘And I spent quite a lot of time in the
plots and background, that whole world is for Pinkertons, so I thought that was a Middle East as a young man,’ he says, ‘just
there in my head to draw on,’ he explains. gap worth exploring.’ sort of wandering around.’
He’s also written more than 20 non- To write so quickly, he simply plunges in. His most recent day job was teaching at
fi ction books on often forgotten history, ‘I start with a character and a rough a further education college, ‘until I found
such as The Suff ragette Bombers and British idea and see how it develops. If I started that writing was more profi table.’
Concentration Camps: a Brief History from plotting it out, that would take time and As a self-taught wordsmith, Webb says:
1900-1975. His latest, The Origins of the whole essence of the thing here is ‘Writing is one of those things where the
Wizards, Witches and Fairies, was published speed. So I think with my fi ngers. The only way to do it is to do it.
by Pen & Sword History in January. ideas come to me as I type. ‘Sinclair Lewis (the fi rst American to
Perhaps even more impressive than the ‘A lot of the time it’s simply a question receive the Nobel Prize in Literature) was
sheer number of books he has written of asking myself what I would do. I’m in invited just after the war to give a lecture
is that his fi rst, Unearthing London: The the street and someone is threatening me to the Columbia School of Journalism. All
Ancient World Beneath the Metropolis, was with a gun. What would I do? these hopeful writers were sitting there
published barely 11 years ago. ‘My books are very much action-driven,’ wondering what the great man would tell
‘I was 60 before I had any books Webb continues. ‘People don’t want long
published,’ he says. passages of description; they read them Continued overleaf ▲
Writers’forum #245 9
HOW I WRITE
Westerns… and romances
Continued from previous page If you think you could rustle up a series of
half a dozen westerns and deliver one every
them, and he just said: “I understand you 40 days, then Dusty Saddle Publishing would
want to be writers. So what are you doing be mighty pleased to hear from you.
here? Why the devil don’t you go home ‘The western market is extremely viable
and write?” And that’s pretty much how and there is a loyal readership out there
I feel – that that’s how you learn.’ looking for stories,’ says CEO Nick Wale.
Webb started writing as hobby and a ‘We have a shortage of talent. So if you’re
way of making extra cash. looking to become a writer, give westerns
‘I did bits and pieces like writing letters a shot. It may be how you break through.’
to newspapers where you’d get £50 for the The company, which was founded in 2014,
Star Letter. There were magazines like focuses on ebooks, with 96 per cent of sales
True Detective and Prediction where you’d in the US. It currently has a posse of 140
get £100 for a short piece and I’d turn out authors producing 200 books a month.
two or three of those a month.’ The books are commissioned in ‘seasons’
He’s also written for the Telegraph, the of between fi ve and seven books featuring
Independent and the Times Educational the same character. Authors are expected to
Supplement. deliver a 35,000-word novel every 40 days
Having had his fi rst non-fi ction book and they are published 30 days after that.
published by the History Press in 2011, The reason for such frequency? ‘The
Webb ‘knocked off ’ his fi rst western, The readers are voracious,’ says Wale. ‘They
Homesteader’s Daughhhttteeerrr,, iinn 22001133.. EEnnggaaggiinnggllyy don’t want to wait around for sequels.
written in the voice of a 15-year-old girl, There is leeway with the schedule, but
it was published by Black Horse and came if you want to keep the readers engaged,
out under the pen name Harriet Cade. that’s the formula. Some authors will fi nd it
a challenge, but once they start seeing some
Hired gun success it becomes a lot more fun for them
to work to those deadlines. The top writers
The Black Horse books were primarily sold are making very good money but those at
to libraries and Webb used multiple pen the bottom end make money too. We pay
names because libraries didn’t like buying royalties every month.’
too many books from the same author. What makes a good western?
‘The publisher wanted as many as they ‘Plenty of action,’ says Wale. ‘A likeable
could get and there were about a dozen main character with strong moral fi bre
of us writing under diff erent names. and good values. A very unlikeable villain.
Sometimes I had three or four published Keep descriptive writing short. Use lots of
in a month,’ he recalls. dialogue and tie up the story with a good
The secret of his success, he says, is solid ending.’
concise pitches and reliability. The most popular characters in the
‘Publishers want to be able to glance at Dusty Saddle catalogue are mountain men
your email and see at once if they want and gunslingers, but violence shouldn’t be
what’s being off ered.’ too graphic and readers like the good guy
Once commissioned, he never bothers to win at the end of each book.
his editors. ‘I simply say I will deliver a ‘We don’t draw a line on violence as
book on such-and-such date, and deliver it.’ publishers,’ says Wale, ‘but the readers will
He begins his writing day at 7.30am draw a line in terms of sales and coming back
and is happy to work on several books for the sequel. Sometimes you get a reader
simultaneously, as well as producing on the phone and ask what’s the problem and
articles for magazines and websites. they say, “Well, it was too violent for me.”’
‘If I’m sitting at the keyboard, I’m always
writing something,’ he says. ‘I’m currently Last year, Dusty Saddle expanded into
writing a book about Roman London. So western romances and it is currently open
I’ll write about that for a bit. Then if I get to contemporary romance and paranormal
stuck, I’ll switch over to the western.’ romance too.
The idea of getting writer’s block makes
him laugh. Submissions
‘Trollope wrote that for a writer to
lack inspiration would be as absurd as a Westerns should be 35,000-40,000 words,
shoemaker who couldn’t work because he and romances 45,000-50,000 words. Send
didn’t have the inspiration. And that’s the a cover letter, a synopsis of up to 1500 words
way I view it. It’s trade. I do it for a living, and the fi rst three chapters to info@
and the more you do, the easier it gets.’ dspublishingnetwork.com. For more
information visit dspublishingnetwork.com
(cid:149) See simon-webb.com
10 Writers’forum #245