My Womagwiter blog contains lots of advice, plus all the guidelines needed for submitting fiction to women’s magazines, lots of links to free entry writing competitions, opportunities to share your news and experiences, ask questions and connect with other writers.
The Facebook group WritingChat is also a great place to communicate with other writers.
If you’re looking for books to help with your writing, you may be interested in From Story Idea to Reader and A Year Of Ideas.
A YEAR OF IDEAS – 365 sets of writing prompts and exercises
All writers need ideas. We need topics and themes, prompts to get started and a little encouragement to keep going. New writers may be wondering where to begin, daunted by a blank page and want help to transform thoughts into fiction. Even the most experienced have dry periods when ideas don’t flow, or times when they appreciate a push to try something different.
Patsy Collins’ methods are proven to work. She’s employed them at workshops where she’s never failed to get her attendees, from brand new and nervous to burnt out, not just writing but producing interesting scenes, snippets and stories.
Each of the daily sets of prompts in this book have been used in some way by Patsy, to create her own work. She needs a lot of ideas as she’s completed five novels, co-written From Story Idea to Reader (an accessible guide to writing fiction) and produced nineteen collections of themed short stories, averaging two dozen per book. Hundreds and hundreds of her short stories have been published – mainly in women’s magazines. She blogs, writes articles, wins competitions and is always working on something new.
Whether you’re a new writer, or a more experienced one temporarily out of ideas, have hours to fill or just five free minutes, you’ll find something in this book to help get you writing – every day of the year.
Available as a paperback or ebook here, or the paperback version can be ordered through bookshops and libraries,
Review quotes –
I can honestly say A Year Of Ideas has much more than paid for itself.
E Thompson Amazon.UK 5 stars
Lots of practical ideas and inspirations
Julia Amazon.Uk 5 stars
Love this book! So helpful and inspirational.
Amazon customer 5 stars
It’s my new go to book for encouraging me to get my writing brain into gear.
Biff Amazon 5 stars
Lots of practical ideas and inspirations for those times when you feel like you’re running on empty.
Julia Amazon 5 stars
Get it here.
From Story Idea to Reader is an easily accessible guide to writing fiction. Whether you are brushing up on your writing skills or starting out, this book will take you through the whole process from inspiration to conclusion. No matter if you are looking to submit your work for publication, enter a competition, or want to self-publish, this practical guide will help you every step of the way.
Between them, Patsy Collins and Rosemary Kind have sold hundreds of short stories, written sixteen published books and produced numerous articles for Writing Magazine and similar publications. They’ve both judged writing competitions and run workshops, and Rosemary has read and edited thousands of short stories and published dozens of books for other writers.
With the information, help and encouragement in this book, you too could see your work in print. Buy it now and give your writing life a boost.
Available as a paperback, audiobook and ebook here.
Review extracts –
A useful book, very motivating!
S Chan Amazon.UK 5 stars
Everything you could possibly need to know about the writerly world and written in a chatty, informal way with loads of humour, some of which had me laughing out loud.
Bookworm Amazon.UK 5 stars
useful advice for everyone here to from what to write, through how to write it then where to sell it, if you want to.
Spabbygirl Amazon.UK 5 stars
For both the aspiring and accomplished writer, this book covers all.
PE Turner Amazon.UK 5 stars
Full of good advice
IM Lauder Amazon.com 5 stars
As someone who has already had over sixty short stories published, I found this book extremely helpful and informative.
Keith Amazon.UK 5 stars
I’ll keep this book close by, returning to it again and again. Because as well as being friendly and tremendously helpful, From Story Idea to Reader is a very good read!
Inkpen Amazon.UK 5 stars
I found the exercises particularly useful to get inspiration flowing.
Amazon customer 5 stars
particularly helpful if you are new to writing
Melqart Amazon.UK 5 stars
Friendly, accessible, and down to earth, I cannot recommend this book highly enough
Anne Phillips Amazon.UK 5 stars
When I saw the amount of information in this book it seemed a bit overwhelming, as a novice writer, however the information the ladies provide is in neat bit size chunks and easily understandable.
Amazon.UK 5 stars
get this book. It’s not a text book. It’s not dry.
Anne Rainbow Amazon.UK 5 stars
Get it here.