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How can I gain experience as a writer
August 21, 2013
9:58 pm
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Claire-Louise
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Many of you guys on here know I’m currently studying towards a history degree but away from my required essays I genuinely enjoy writing :)

I’m interested on writing both fiction and non fiction, articles, short stories, and I even have had a go at novel writing (just as a hobby)

I was wondering however if anyone knows how to gain experience. The university magazines are completely run my journalism students so it is impossible to get any opportunities there.

I would love to know if there is anywhere online that accepts small article submissions by amateur writers?..particularly in regards to history?

Claire-Louise x

August 21, 2013
10:32 pm
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Steve Callaghan
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Hi, Claire-Louise. Smile
Here’s some useful links:

A website which offers you the chance of being published by HarperCollins. Upload a 10,000-word sample of your writing, and perhaps your work will top the Authonomy charts:
http://www.authonomy.com/

Writing competitions ~ short stories, poetry, novel extracts etc:
http://www.prizemagic.co.uk/ht….._comps.htm

Paying ‘markets’ (magazines etc) for short fiction and more:
http://www.duotrope.com/index.aspx

A superb resource, for all genres. Tremendously useful – it even informs members of which publishers & agents to trust and which to avoid:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/f…../index.php

August 21, 2013
10:48 pm
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Anyanka
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NNWM http://nanowrimo.org/

or you could try writing fanfics…it worked for E L JAmes. She started of as a Twilight ficcer.

It's always bunnies.

August 24, 2013
7:07 am
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Olga
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The best thing to do in the meantime is start your own blog. It’s good to have an online presence, and to have a body of work to show to publishers.
Nearly every blog I read is begging for guest posts as well, it’s not paid work but it is experience, and it’s something else for your CV.

August 24, 2013
12:23 pm
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Steve Callaghan
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Avoid the myriad distractions of the internet! Assuming you’re still reading this…I am easily distracted by online stuff, and the direct result was that my first “book” contained a grand total of 21000 words (this post is probably longer than the book).

August 29, 2013
11:43 pm
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Boleyn
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I think the best advice I can give is have fun with what you are writing. You don’t have to rigeriously stick to dates times and places, after all it’s a fictional novel not a factual one. S.W.M.N.B.N certainly has a gift for writing fantasy historical novels and has made a fortune from them.
I also feel that you should read both factual and fictional novels from the time period you are writing about to give you ideas on how to help your storyline develop. Ambiguity is a big word but use it’s meaning in your work it doesn’t do any harm. It also helps if you have a vivid imagination, keep a pen and paper with you at all times, as you never know when something you see in the modern world will tickle your fancy enough to want to put it in your book, of course remembering to make sure that it is appropiate and suitably modified to fit the era you are writing in. Can’t suddenly have Butch Cassady and the Sundance kid come ridding in on a double decker bus to rescue Anne Boleyn from the Scaffold (Well I suppose you could if it was something written by S.W.M.N.B.N) can you? Or maybe even Luke Skywalker come in and find out that Henry 8th is in fact his father.. Henry “Luke I am your Father” and Princess Leia is in fact his mother. Nah just won’t work. Not to mention Chewbacca being Henry’s 4th wife..

Lastly jump right in as Claire told me once everyone has at least one book in them, and most of the reason to why they don’t get written is because you lack confidence to write it. Confidence will come the more you write it and don’t give up either, keep going. If you get stuck then save it put it down for a few days and then you will find things that you can inprove on when you pick it up again.
Good luck to all budding writers…..

Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod

September 1, 2013
9:54 pm
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Claire-Louise
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Thanks for your responses everyone that has been very helpful :)

Boleyn have fun with what I’m writing is a great piece of advice..worrying about writing and the fact that it doesn’t sound proffesional/right/viable is the reason why my novel which first came into my head a couple of years ago has only made small progress

What does concern me with the net is the whole copyright thing..i.e if I don’t have an agent or something how can I stop my writing getting plagiarised?

September 2, 2013
10:09 am
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Boleyn
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I had much the same problem Claire Louise many years ago, when I tried to write a book. I got so tied up in the facual side of tings that I completely forgot that it was a fictional piece of work, and got frustrated and gave up.
I think as far as agents go etc it’s just a case of keep looking on the net and wrting emmail after email in finding an agent who is prepared to take you on. The trick is to never give up, eventually someone will be interested, and whatever you do make sure that you read carefully the deal you are being offered by an perspective publisher.
Good luck Claire Louise.
LOL I wonder if Claire knew when she started this site up that she would have members who would do as she has done and write books? Perhaps Claire is Anne’s re-incarnation, and has put a spell on us saying come on people write books? I find it re assuring to have someone like Claire in the background giving us the boost to do as she has done, in short anyone can write a book, and in my case you don’t have to have the best education, or have been to college or univercity to do it. All you need is a good imagination, the confidence and the drive to do it.

Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod

September 3, 2013
3:38 pm
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Olga
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Claire-Louise said

What does concern me with the net is the whole copyright thing..i.e if I don’t have an agent or something how can I stop my writing getting plagiarised?

Your agent doesn’t really help with that, you are the intellectual property owner, and your own work is automatically subject to copyright.

http://www.copyrightservice.co…..l_property

October 17, 2013
9:09 pm
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Claire-Louise
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Thanks Olga

Boleyn I think its my confidence holding me back, every time I write something I re read it about a month later and go ‘oh thats rubbish’ and just scrap it Yell

October 17, 2013
9:55 pm
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Boleyn
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Claire-Louise said

Thanks Olga

Boleyn I think its my confidence holding me back, every time I write something I re read it about a month later and go ‘oh thats rubbish’ and just scrap it Yell

I felt just the same, but I use the crappy bits, to give me an idea on how I can inprove upon it. and Claire you can do it. Trust me. If this is something that you are 100% sure you want to do it, you will do it. Just tell yourself each morning “Come on Claire you can do it.”
I believe you can do it.

Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod

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