Welcome to my comprehensive guide to navigating the fascinating world of short story and flash fiction contests! Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just dipping your toes into the world of fiction, this resource is designed with you in mind. I’m here to demystify the process, offering insights based on my personal experience and answering … Read more
The 10 best epistolary writers are Richardson, Stoker, Shelley, Keyes, King, Walker, Atwood, Butler, Adiga and Chbosky. These authors have each created stories from letters or other kinds of documents they have written, which emulate real life and actual correspondence between people. The word ‘epistolary’ comes from the Latin word ‘epistola’, which means a letter … Read more
Yes, Enid Blyton remains entirely worth reading. In 1982, she was voted the most popular author by 10,000 eleven-year-old children. After Agatha Christie, Jules Verne and Shakespeare, she’s also the most translated author of all time. Where to Start Reading Enid Blyton? If you enjoy reading about topsy-turvy worlds and strange, illogical and funny characters, … Read more
The Victorian era roughly corresponds with the life of Queen Victoria (1837 – 1901), but according to some it does spill out a little to each side as well. Before the Victorian era comes the Georgian period, and the Edwardian period followed after. This period features Britain as the dominant global power, the Irish famine, … Read more
Yes, Barbara Cartland is worth reading. If you are writing Romance novels, and you haven’t read Cartland, there’s a big hole in your education! If you are a reader seeking out the greatest Romance around, Cartland’s offerings surely must entice you, as they have millions of others. Barbara Cartland is known as the Queen of … Read more
The best novella writers are Eliot, Márquez, Capote, Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Conrad. Novellas, longer than a short story but shorter than a novel, offer writers the opportunity to deeply affect a reader in a shorter space of time – perfect for attention spans which shrink every year! George Eliot The Lifted Veil by George Eliot … Read more
Flash fiction is a form that comes in and out of fashion, but has seized the attention of readers again partially due to the limited time it requires from time poor page turners. As attention spans shrink, works that are digestible in a single sitting become ever more valued. The best flash fiction stories are: … Read more
So, who are the funniest writers? Sometimes all the drama can be a bit of a downer, as we doom scroll social media, and click refresh on the news page. Sometimes we need to break up the grimness with a good laugh, an ironic take, and a satirical shrinking of the worst elements. The funniest … Read more
What is Flash Fiction? Flash Fiction is a term which appeared in the early nineteen nineties to refer to very short stories: typically tales of less than 1000 words. The form has, throughout history, been referred to by many other names of course, including short short stories, micro fiction, and sudden fiction. Very short stories … Read more
You’re likely to be familiar with Nicholas Sparks, even if you have never heard his name: he’s the author of The Notebook, and also the author of A Walk to Remember, two novels which were adapted into exceptionally successful films in 2004 and 2002 respectively. The film The Notebook became something of a romance phenomenon, … Read more