In my writing for children classes I often catch myself reciting the mantra: publishers aren’t interested in talking animals anymore. It’s what you hear at every writing conference and read on most publishers’ websites. And yet, I have published my own ‘talking animals’ book, Donovon’s Rainbow and many of the books I read to my three-year-old daughter feature talking animals too. Continue reading ‘Talking Animal Stories - Wind in the Willows MK II?’
Archive for the 'Competitions' Category
In this final session in the Crafty Writer’s Introduction to Creative Writing course, I would like to leave you with some advice on how to develop your writing further. If you’re so inclined, you can join a writers’ group (for UK groups; for US and international groups) or an online critiquing group (for poetry and short stories). Be warned though, you may have to ’shop around’ as many of these groups are filled with people who will just nod and smile and not give you constructive advice. Sometimes, you may have to pay for a critique to ensure you get a truly objective and constructive perspective. Continue reading ‘Creative Writing - markets, competitions and opportunities’
On National Poetry Day I was delighted to receive an invitation to judge a poetry competition at my daughter’s nursery, Westerhope Village Nursery School. Megan is only two-and-a-half, so it was the ‘big’ children who entered the My First Poem competition run by Forward Press. With over a dozen budding poets completing a ‘fill-in-the-gap’ sheet, it was desperately hard to pick three winners. These were the ones that caught my eye … Continue reading ‘My First Poem competition’
Unpublished children’s writers might want to check out this competition run by Chicken House and The Times. They’re looking for manuscripts of under 80,000 words in any genre, for 9 - 16 age group. Closing date is 17 November 2007.
‘Amateur’ (not sure if this means unpublished) children’s writers can enter the Academy of Children’s Writers competition. Any age. Any genre. Closing date 31 March 2008.
Short stories or books up to 1,000 words are wanted for the Writers’ Advice Centre Children’s Story Competition. Any age. Must be suitable for current market. Closing date: 31 August 2008.
If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration you may want to check out my free articles on writing for children: what makes a good children’s book, picture books, sex and romance, mysteries and thrillers. Or have a look at my children’s book Donovon’s Rainbow, which is available as a free download.
Welcome to The Crafty Writer, published by Fiona Veitch Smith, a freelance journalist, author, playwright and writing teacher. This site is full of information and resources to help you on your journey to become a better writer. 
