When you’re struggling with internal forces like depression or grief, or external forces like caring for a child or dependent adult, it can seem impossible to focus on creative work. So sit down, take a deep breath, and let four creative people share their experiences on working through the difficult times. It’s okay to take a break. “My sister was seriously ill, and my concentration was just shot,” says author Valerie O’Riordan. Rather than getting stressed, Valerie advises taking some…
Blog: Writing
Network Like It’s Your Eighth Birthday Party
4th Jun 2018 in Writing
We all know that networking is vital to furthering your writing career: making contacts, giving a good impression, getting your business card into the right hands. We also know that networking can be scary – how can we come across as confident but not conceited, ambitious but not cut-throat? Well, I’ll tell you! When I was a little girl my mother had very particular rules for birthday parties, and these exact same rules can be applied to networking as a…
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Your novel is brilliant – but how can you convince an agent when they already have hundreds of unpublished manuscripts avalanching on their desk?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…