One of the worst feelings for any writer is staring at a blank page, yet it’s a task I found myself doing more often than I would have liked, especially the first page of every new chapter. My problem wasn’t lack of ideas, or motivation. My problem was I didn’t use a detailed outline. I did have an outline. Sort of. Somewhere, lost in a pile of notes you’ll find a loose sheet of paper with one or two words for each chapter (well . . . at least ten chapters) and a story are sketched out on the other side of the paper, usually accompanied by coffee stains. Because that works for me. All writers fall into two categories, either you’re an outline writer or an organic writer. I’ve also seen them called plotters and pants writers, and George R.R. Martin refers to them as architects and gardeners. Discussing the pros and cons of both might take all day, but in short, an outline writer plans their stories, with meticulous detail, while an organic writer plops their characters on a blank page and allows the story to develop freely. An outline writer rarely keeps the page of any chapter or scene empty for long. I’m an organic writer though, which means I end up staring at a lot of blank pages. I might know what big event needs to happen in the scene, but the details are floating around in the air waiting for me to pull them out. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. My characters love the potential in that emptiness. Sometimes they love it so much, they have a hard time moving. I’ve spent many mornings writing the first couple paragraphs of a scene, only to delete them and start all over again. Twenty times… read more →

Books covers are a tricky issue when you are self-publishing. They are also a personal gripe of mine! There are some absolutely amazing book covers out there, but just as many (if not more!) utterly terrible ones. Overcoming this hurdle as a self-publisher is quite a difficult and very technical task. Like it or not, most folk do judge a book by its cover, so this is one of the first things you really need to get right (as well as writing an absolutely amazing book, no pressure!). There are a lot of companies and artists now springing up on the internet who specialise in the design of book covers for self-published writers. This is a great idea in my opinion. It helps artists get their work out there also, and as long as you are both thinking along the same lines there is a lot of potential. Having said that, some of the offerings I have seen out there probably would not grip me and convince me that I have to read this book immediately. It’s very tricky. My advice So…my first piece of advice is to be really careful when approaching the issue of your book cover. As we have established, it’s a massively important task. You want to ensure you have something professional that really captures the spirit of your book, reflects yourself as a writer and stands out to prospective readers. I’ll be honest – I’m still not entirely happy with my own book cover. It’s sort of an ongoing project – I’ll fiddle with a few ideas every so often, send various designs to people and ask their opinions, before going back to what it was originally, with a few minor tweaks. I have images in my head of what I would love it to… read more →

Destruction of the world as we know it. There’s just something about it, isn’t there? It shouldn’t be so satisfying to read and yet it is. Almost like picking a scab off a half-healed wound. It has inspired countless books and short stories of every type, from children’s books to adult fiction and everything in between. My own personal journey with dystopian fiction began in my final year at school when I was required to write an essay on a topic of my choice. Somehow I managed to gravitate towards the topic of dystopic fiction through Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Margaret Attwood’s Oryx and Crake. I followed the Oryx and Crake series, and incidentally, had the opportunity to attend the Edinburgh Book Festival in 2013 where Attwood launched the last of the series, Maddaddam. More recently there has been a boom in the number of dystopian fiction novels produced, particularly in the Young Adult section of publishing. This is perhaps thanks to the success of the Hunger Games book series and film tie-ins. Oddly enough, research done at the start of this year shows that those purchasing Young Adult styled novels are actually more likely to be over the age of 20, with 79% of the market being over the age of 18[1]. Is this due to a lack of adult dystopic fiction? Perhaps it is. Yet the genre has been around for so long that it is impossible not to find something worth reading. Perhaps they just want to read something new and shiny. Perhaps the films are just what make it appealing and therefore are more widely marketed and so people know what to look for? Whatever it may be, it’s safe to say that the genre is on the rise. But it is strange that… read more →

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new short story collection, Broken Worlds. In a future of bleakness and roboticism, a totalitarian government enforces upon the people a lifestyle that lulls them into a state of obedience. Your career and social status are predestined and you cannot alter it – this is a reality that walks a fine line between evoking sensations of fear and inducing a sense of futility. Broken Worlds takes a peep into an all too possible future. Narration and style change from story to story, but the core of this volume is human emotion. Coloured by their cultures and backgrounds, the storytellers featured in this volume take the idea of a society at extremes and weave a variety of outcomes. We invite you to read and hope you enjoy this collection. link=”http://www.amazon.com/After-Fall-Apocalypse-Collection-ebook/dp/B00FBOU8Z2″ size=” large” target=”_blank” icon=”book” color=”black” lightbox=”false”]Amazon[/button]          

Thomas Brown is the winner of this year’s short story competition. With the pending release of the anthology, which is themed around Dystopian Worlds, it seemed like a great idea to ask Thomas some questions about his writing career. Thomas is the author of a book called ‘Lynnwood’ and has some extremely interesting  insights into the world of horror and the themes that draw him to the genre. His answers to the questions are a truly inspiring read for any aspiring writer. Be sure to check out his work!   “A quintessentially British folk horror chiller [LYNNWOOD], with an escalating power of dread that is rendered deftly. A new voice in British horror, that you’ll want to read, has entered the field.” – ADAM NEVILL, author of THE RITUAL “Although [LYNNWOOD] is described as a horror, I would say that it is not entirely typical of this genre. […] The story is strange, dark and unsettling, but very beautifully crafted.” – READER, The People’s Book Prize “The author’s writing was very poetic and gave nothing away. [LYNNWOOD] is the type of book to read curled up in front of a fire, just don’t be alone…” – KATHLEEN KELLY, CelticLady’s Reviews   Christina Crook: When and why did you start writing? Thomas Brown: I’m sure I started writing off the back of my love for books. From an early age I was passionate about reading, so it seems natural that this passion might have led to me writing stories of my own. I still have the original copy of my first ever short story in a drawer under my bed. I must have been twelve or thirteen, and it was dark fantasy fiction about a vampire. I read a lot of fantasy then, so I suppose that purports the link between reading and the… read more →

We are delighted to announce the winning stories of the Broken Worlds short story competition, and a very creative competition it has been. This year’s winning story is by Thomas Brown. Thomas has not gone unnoticed in our previous competitions, but his entry this time around, The Sad Man, is a story that truly captivated our imagination, a brilliant and darkly escalating creation. Let us offer our sincere congratulations! We were looking for stories which made us see things a little differently, for writing that enabled us to transcend the ordinary and be transported elsewhere, and for characters who would remain in our mAinds afterwards. The 25 writers chosen for the shortlist have crafted works that offer a great deal of reading pleasure to the dystopian mind. We look forward to sharing their work with you. We would like to thank all who entered and commiserate with those who were not placed. Please keep writing, and we look forward to reading your stories in the future. Here are the shortlisted stories for ‘Broken Worlds’. We would also like to share with you the cover art for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy. Broken Worlds Winner: The Sad Man – by Thomas Brown Vision of Paradise – by Clare Banks The Deepening Well – by Sam Hurcom The Paperboy – by Gemma L Thompson The Farm – by George Vernon Dreg Town – by Steph Minns It Was the Best of Times – by Konstantine Paradias Urbanova – by Christian Cook Carved in Ice – by Doxa J. Zannou Watch – by Miles Gatrell Water Rats – by Terry Holland Pioneer – by Joe Saxon Leadership Gene – by Francis Beckett Equity Lamp – Adam “Bucho” Rodenberger Graduate Scheme – by Holly Seddon Silva’s Plague – by Ian Green Meat is Murder –… read more →

The world of literature is currently experiencing a wonderful resurgence of dystopian fiction. Many classic novels are set against futuristic new world orders, such as 1984, The Handmaid’s Tale and A Wrinkle in Time, but given our current awareness of developing technologies, social media and government investigation, writers are finding themselves with endless new scope for gripping dystopian fiction that could one day become our reality. Many feel we are getting closer and closer to a world not dissimilar to that of 1984. The media is filled with tales of surveillance and spies –  a total lack of privacy, and crossed with the instability of politics, the economy and society in general, our future is living up to be a bit of a scary place. Where will it go? The possibility of that is perfect for writers, and those with social awareness and a vivid imagination are coming up absolutely gripping novels that engage the reader and leave them dwelling on the future for days afterwards. Two of the most obvious examples of modern dystopian fiction would be the Hunger Games and the Divergent trilogies. Both have been adapted into films and are set in the remains of what used to be North America. Divergent sees its society divided into five factions, depending on the personality type of each individual. It is organised and overly structured, terrifying and bound to implode. Dystopian novels usually see some sort of uprising from rebellious protagonists who don’t want to be controlled. The plots play highly on fear, a lack of freedom and the forbidding of unique thought. It is in human nature to fight back against the controlling acts of others, and this makes for some fantastic fiction! I’m not sure about others, but for me, dystopia is like the big red button… read more →

As most writers will know, in order to produce the perfect piece of work, there are a number of elements that need to be aligned before you can really begin to create the tour de force you imagine in your head. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have sat down with the intention of producing something solid and wonderful. I have the time, I have the brainpower – so why is nothing coming out like it should? Writer’s block is something that has always plagued the writing profession. It can drive you mad, and sometimes gets worse and worse, like a dam of some sort is preventing the words from flowing. So how do we get around this? Obviously what works for one, won’t work for another, but I’ve always found that the best place to start is to step away from writing for a short while. If you’re not feeling it, you’re not feeling it, so why waste the time and words on something you know you won’t be able to do anything with? Have a sit down, read something inspirational, have a cup of tea, go outside! I always love walking in the woods behind my house. Getting back to nature never fails to calm my busy head. Another thing I like to do is just get out there and do ‘stuff’. See friends, go places, have an adventure, experience feelings that will make you want to write. Sometimes it feels like the last thing you want to do when there’s work to be done, but you’ll only have to go back to it later if you feel the work isn’t up to scratch. Often I’ll find a book, a song, or a movie – anything that makes me want to start creating again. Sometimes… read more →

Sometimes being a writer can be such a headache! And I mean that in the best possible way. To be a great writer without the help and advice of top editors, agents and publishers puts a lot of pressure on the shoulders of a DIY writer. You have to consider everything, going over and over your work until you begin to question the whole shebang and just can’t look at it anymore. I’ve found that each time I begin a new edit, I find things I want to change, tiny errors that I overlooked last time and even consider throwing the towel in completely (that only happened the one time though!). I just received my last proof (or so I hope!), but have noticed minuscule, but crucial changes that need making. Font size, aligning a paragraph that was added in later than the rest, perfecting the cover. It all has to be right, but when every detail is buzzing around inside your head like a gang of pesky wasps, it can begin to feel a little maddening. When it gets to a point where it’s one thing after another, you begin to wonder if the end will ever be in sight. At this stage, it’s very easy to forget the loveliness and enjoyment of writing and reading when you become so weighed down by this need for perfectionism, but it’s important not to give up. It can be tough to fit it in with everything else you have to keep up with in your daily life, but eventually you will get there, and so will I! Stick at it, even when you feel weary and lacklustre as a writer. Make the time and get on with what needs doing until you get excited again and realise what you’re doing this… read more →

As a writer I have found the Internet to be a wonderful and endless resource. For many of us, the Internet provides an important foundation for many aspects of the creative journey. We all have our own ideas and techniques that will get us writing. More often than not, our inspiration comes from real life places, people and the things that we experience, but we usually have to go one step further to really develop our ideas in stories and novels. After the initial ‘thought’, which I’ll generally scrawl down on scrappy bits of paper, I will usually spend a good few weeks procrastinating and doing absolutely nothing at all that could be considered productive! It’s only when I get online and look at what other people are doing that I decide to get my act together. I’m not sure about other writers, but to begin with I like to browse sites such as Deviant Art, Tumblr and Pinterest. I will pick out my favourite images to look at whenever I need a little writing inspiration and find the most fascinating, beautiful imagery that never fails to inspire me. Try it yourself! It could be a quote that strikes a chord with you, an image of a person or a place, anything at all. Within our daily lives it can be easy to lose inspiration, so it’s nice to take ten minutes to have a quick browse for anything that might motivate you to start writing if you’ve felt like you are in a bit of writing rut. The wonderful thing about the online world is that it’s been around long enough now for you to be very specific about what you are looking for. There are so many websites and articles out there, that should you have a specific… read more →