Blog posts
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The latest free gratis Handy Hints for emerging writers deals with dialogue and can be found at Handy Hints- Characters/Sense of place accessed off the main menu. Enjoy!
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Writing starts with creativity, with a flash of imagination, an idea for a story, a character around whom a plot can be built, a place which could be the backdrop for a cracking yarn. But that’s just the beginning and, if they did not know it already, the emerging writer will realise the scope of…
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Dates have been announced for the Bloody Scotland crime writing festival which will be held in Stirling between September 18-20, 2026.Headlining the festival will be Lee Child, creator of Jack Reacher, on the evening of Friday September, 18, 2026 in conversation with crime writer Denise Mina. Other big names due to attend and released ahead…
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Author, actor and activist Cerrie Burnell has been announced as the keynote speaker for the Society of Authors’ Awards and Summer Party in June. More than £100,000 will be awarded for novels, non-fiction, children’s books, short stories and poetry. The winners of nine prizes will be announced at an event at Southwark Cathedral in London…
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A report has revealed the challenges facing the creators of comics, even though the sector is enjoying commercial success. The UK Comics Creators Research Report presents findings from a survey conducted by the Comics Cultural Impact Collective, the Association of Illustrators(AOI) and the Society of Authors (SoA), which showed that almost 90% of respondents who…
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There’s a real treat on offer for fans of bestselling Scottish crime novelist Aline Templeton, many of whose novels are based in Dumfries and Galloway. Her new novel, Truth to Tell, is published by Allison & Busby on May 22, 2026: ‘It is a bitterly cold night, with rain falling and an edge of snow.…
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Another Handy Hint for emerging writers facing the challenges posed by starting the writing process can be found at Handy Hints – Plotting, which can be accessed off the main menu on the home page. Summing it up, it’s ‘be yourself.’
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As someone who lived in Darlington for many years, including more than two decades running creative writing classes in the town, I am delighted to be able to give this excellent initiative a mention: Creative Storytelling Workshops Darlington library, every Thursday 12:00- 2:00 Join a series of welcoming creative workshops at the Centre for Local…
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Regular readers of this website will know that from time to time, I drop in free gratis Handy Hints for emerging authors and the latest one recalls a piece of advice from legendary crime fiction editor John Hale (pictured here) when it comes to plotting. You will find it in in Handy Hints – Plotting…
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The Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival will take place in Harrogate between July 23-26, 2026, and will feature more than 140 crime and thriller writers, making it the biggest event in the Festival’s twenty-three-year history. The line-up of bestselling authors and crime fiction names includes Richard Armitage, Ardal O’Hanlon, Denise Mina, Val McDermid, M.W.…
