Writing Rules!

Haven't done a thread for writers for AGES. Let's remedy that right here and now. Eight ways to find the agent of your dreams and only one of them is querying. Written 🔥 posted ❄️ 🧵

I haven’t done a 🧵for writers for a while - here’s my current take on stages in writing, editing & revising (mainly narrative prose, but adaptable to poetry and scripts.) I teach a whole arse workshop on this process & it seems to work, so, here it is. Written 🔥 posted ❄️ 🧵

Writerly Feedback - you’re in a workshop, you’ve made it to Editor of a magazine that gives feedback, you’ve been asked to beta read by a friend. What to do? First things first & the bottom line? Don’t be a dick. How do you avoid that? Here’s an intemperate🧵written🔥, posted❄️

Coming in Feb - The Woodwose Wedding - a new piece, commissioned by @BBCRadio4 for the Short Works slot. bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00… Broadcasting on 10th at 15:45 & 12th at 00:30 & available online thereafter. Warmest thanks to John & Julian. Bespoke print of opener - @GailMyerscough

Writers block? You’ve heard of it? You have it? You had it & never want a repeat? You hate it, & shudder at the thought? Ok. I know there’s a debate about whether it even exists. But if you’re feeling stuck, what to do? Here’s a 🧵 of tried & trusted ideas. Written 🔥 Posted ❄️

Writer CVs You’ve decided to start sending out work & you’ve got a nice spreadsheet or table to keep track, right? You’ll also need a writer CV ready for all those awards, residencies & grants you want to apply for. Start as you mean to go on. Here’s a🧵of what to include.

G.O.A.L.S for Writers - not everyone likes them, needs them, or thinks in these terms, but hopes, intentions, aspirations or goals can be a supportive tool. Like all tools they take a bit of practice getting what works for you, & what doesn’t. So, here’s a 🧵 written 🔥 posted ❄️

Mentors - Wading into the world of writing can be intimidating &/or baffling. Someone to steer you through? May be worth their weight in gold. Finding them? Takes a bit more time. Here’s an over-researched try-before-you-buy, yup, truly, I‘ve done them all 🧵written 🔥 posted ❄️

Thursday's thread isn't SM - but - 5 things to check b4 you sign up somewhere: 1. Who owns the copyright on anything posted on the site 2. What are the terms of service 3. Who owns the platform 4. Who & how many moderators are there 5. Is the site legally data/privacy compliant

Finding Your Crew - as a writer there are several aspects to being part of a crew - finding or making one, building it up, and keeping it going thereafter. In that sense, a writery crew is like any intentional community that has a specific focus. But why bother? 🧵

Submissions to journals & magazines I did a thread 2 months ago which dealt with competitions. The link is below. Some of the things apply to journals, but there are a few differences. Buckle up, here’s a combobulated 🧵 written hot, posted cool

Stepping out as a writer? Keen to know what you don’t know & get fancy with what you do? I love making it easier 😘 So, now the ink is dry, here’s 🎉 news - my writer threads will be a book. Coming from @AdHocFiction in 2023, in time for @FlashFicFest Big thanks to Jude 1/

Hoping to make a living from writing? Sadly, most books don’t find an agent & sell in a 6 way auction. It means diversifying your portfolio. The writing gig economy can be as tiring as ‘gig’ sounds. Still interested? Here’s a looong intemperate 🧵of possibilities

Dealing with declines Everyone, at every stage of writing, no matter how experienced, will have their work declined. It might be a book, or a chapter, or a story that needs a rework. All writers have to find a way to deal with it. How do you do that? Yeah. Ok. Scandalous 🧵

Titles! Love ‘em or hate ‘em, it’s hard to deny their importance. I used to weep in frustration. But. Slowly. Slowly. I’ve learned a few things from reading around & analysing what the best titles ‘do’. Here’s an intemperate🧵written hot, posted cool. 1/24

There is always a way through the woods, even if it is a strangled path. Like the scrawl through the trees at the top of the lane. Underfoot, the ground crunched with last year’s beech mast and mouse-holed filberts.

When my tinker granny died, I was given her skep of bees. I had a way with them, on the quiet side, mild, slow to scare. She bequeathed me all the equipment - smokers, smock and her suffocating bee veil. When an aunty died I was given another hive. Later still, a third.

I did a recent thread on what to consider when submitting to a prose comp. What emerged that might be worth exploring? The first thing is possible differences between a short short story & a flash. So, here’s a highly opinionated 🧵 written hot & posted cool.

This year I’ve read or judged six competitions and read hundreds of pieces. I said I’d do a thread of things to pay attention to before submitting. So. Yeah. Here’s an awfully opinionated 🧵 written hot, posted cool.