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Fiction

Masterclass fiction - LBF 2006

Thu, 28/07/2016 - 10:39pm
A special report from the 2006 Masterclasses at the London Book Fair

In four packed sessions at the London Book Fair, the Daily Mail Masterclasses provided excellent coaching for aspiring writers. Our second report deals with writing fiction.  Read more

Masterclass children - LBF 2006

Thu, 28/07/2016 - 10:39pm
A special report from the 2006 Masterclasses at the London Book Fair

In four packed sessions at the London Book Fair, the Daily Mail Masterclasses provided excellent coaching for aspiring writers. Our third report deals with writing for children.  Read more

Writing romance

So you want to be a romance writer?

You’ve made an interesting choice because, although a lot of people scoff at romance, it is the most stable genre of all and has continued to keep its faithful readers when other categories have changed radically and sometimes lost their audiences.  Read more

© Chris Holifield 2016-22

Writing historical fiction

So you want to write historical fiction?

Well, your timing is good, because historical fiction is fashionable again after many years in the doldrums. In fact it's so popular that it has virtually reinvented itself as a category.  Read more

© Chris Holifield 2016-22

Synopsis-writing service

Commission a synopsis which will present your manuscript in the best possible light for submission

Are you ready to submit your synopsis and sample chapters to agents or publishers, but worried about whether your synopsis is letting you down? A good synopsis is an essential part of the submission package, as very few agents or publishers will look at a complete manuscript.  Read more

© Chris Holifield 2001-19
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'People say, "What advice do you have for people who want to be writers?" I say, they don't really need advice, they know they want to be writers, and they're gonna do it. Those people who know that they really want to do this and are cut out for it, they know it.'

— R L Stine

Carcanet open submissions window

Information

Closing date: 
20 January 2023
Entry: 
Poets with full-length poetry manuscripts in English, or translation No entry fee
Prize: 
Publication by Carcanet Press

Independent UK press Carcanet is launching an open submissions window to find new poetry talent.

Carcanet has revealed the dates of its next submission window, which will open on 2 January 2023 and close on 20 January 2023.  Read more

'Poetry is for them'

3 October 2022

‘Poetry Prompts is my invitation to the nation, young and old, to become poets. We turn to poetry at weddings, funerals and births because it goes beyond mere words and translates the soul. But there is baggage associated with poetry that I want everyone to put down - to allow everyone to reclaim the birth right of poet.  Read more

The Pedant: how to make your editor happy 3: Bells and whistles? The use of bold, italics and capital letters in prose fiction

Fri, 30/09/2022 - 12:57pm
Bells and whistles? The use of bold, italics and capital letters in prose fiction

There are times when, no matter how well you write, you need typographical support to emphasise a point. English is a wonderfully flexible and suggestive language, but it can't do everything by itself, and replacing plain type with, for instance, italics, can really help the reader to understand what's happening in your story.  Read more

19 September 2022 - What's new

September 2022
  • ‘I do think the scope of what studios can do has really proved itself in modern live-action adaptations of fantasy novels. Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings were so huge in scope and delivery that people were able to imagine epic fantasy in live action as something that felt tangible.
  Read more