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Kirsty Logan

Hello! I’m Kirsty Logan, a writer of novels and short stories. My latest book is Now She is Witch, a medieval witch revenge quest. My other books are Things We Say In The Dark, The Gloaming, The Gracekeepers, A Portable Shelter, and The Rental Heart & Other Fairytales.

Latest News

Kirsty Logan

Hello! I’m Kirsty Logan, a writer of novels and short stories. My latest book is Now She is Witch, a medieval witch revenge quest. My other books are Things We Say In The Dark, The Gloaming, The Gracekeepers, A Portable Shelter, and The Rental Heart & Other Fairytales.

Blog

How to Query a Literary Agent

4th Jun 2018 in Writing

Your novel is brilliant – but how can you convince an agent when they already have hundreds of unpublished manuscripts avalanching on their desk? You have to entice them into reading your novel, but it’s tricky to walk the line between interesting and insane. Luckily, there is a standard format for agent queries – and it’s a little like a covering letter for a job application. A query is a one-page letter introducing you and your book, and all agents…

How to Get a Literary Agent

4th Jun 2018 in Writing

There are two main ways to get an agent: get them to request your writing, or send it unsolicited. Getting Solicited First of all, says agent and author Nathan Bransford, “If you are trying to find an agent and you are not a) a celebrity or b) a deity, you will need to have a finished and polished manuscript.” Whether it’s a novel or a collection of short stories, it must be complete before you start querying. If the agent…

How to Write Cover Letters That Will Charm Editors

4th Jun 2018 in Writing

Cover letters are important, but a great cover letter does not guarantee publication – if your story is unsuitable for the magazine, it’ll still be rejected. That said, if the editor likes how you come across in your cover letter they’re much more likely to send you an encouraging rejection, and they will read your next submission with more interest and enthusiasm than if you had annoyed or insulted them. Depending on how you submit your story, a cover letter…

How to Perform Your Writing

4th Jun 2018 in Writing

Now, more than ever, writers have to get out there and build an audience. Think of it like a gig for writers – when it comes to music everyone wants to say ‘I heard that band before they were famous’, and the same is true of writers. One of the best ways to be heard is to perform your stories and poems at spoken word nights or literary festivals. Be prepared “Ask questions, or if possible go and see the…

10 Steps to Becoming a Published Writer

4th Jun 2018 in Writing

1. Read. As well as showing you how narrative works, novels and short stories teach you about language: the rhythm of sentences, which phrases and images are fresh and which are cliché, and how to find the right balance between dialogue, description and action. Unusual non-fiction is great for potential story ideas too. 2. Write. It’s amazing how many people forget this step! It’s all very well reading books about writing, or listening to podcasts about writing, or discussing writing…

What the Slush Pile Taught Me

4th Jun 2018 in Writing

For two years I co-edited Fractured West, a print magazine for flash fiction. We received around 3,000 stories, and I read every single one. I also guest-edited a special UK-themed issue for PANK Magazine, for which I read around 500 stories, poems, and personal essays. What I am trying to say is: the slush pile is my friend. It teaches me what what works and what does not. For example, I have read dozens of stories with one (or more)…