Writers' & Artists' Blog

It hasn't been easy for our judge Linda Strachan. Faced with an impossible choice, to pick one from six brilliant stories, she's finally delivered her verdict.

But before we reveal the winner, Linda has a few words to say about what she was looking for in the story. 

Linda: It was a very difficult decision to make as all of the shortlisted stories were strong and appealed for different reasons. I wanted a story that was well written, original in concept and yet still able to grab the reader it was aimed at and made me want to read on.  

Writing a synopsis is always a challenge but it was also important to understand where the story is going and if it would be strong enough to sustain any initial promise to a satisfying conclusion.

So, without further ado, we can announce that the winning story is...

Wildlands by Emma Murphy

Congratulations, Emma!  

Linda: I was torn between all the stories on the shortlist, but Emma's entry combined great writing with a …

Ahead of the announcement of our winner on Monday, we're delving a bit deeper into the 6 shortlisted entries. Read on to find out a bit more about each story. 

Demon (ish) by Jenny Ireland

12 year old Carey makes a deal with a demon. The demon will help her bring her mum back from the dead under the condition that Carey helps her graduate at Halloween. Problem is, this demon is hopeless at being evil, it’s her last chance to pass, and Halloween is imminent. If the demon fails to graduate, she’ll be dusted, and she’ll drag Carey to the underworld with her.

Hallowsgate - Olivia Wakeford

London, 1884. Fred thinks if he can prove himself as an apprentice at his father’s time emporium, his father will reveal something - anything - about his long-lost mother. When his fourteenth birthday arrives, he’s sure his dream is about to come true. Except for one small problem - his father is closing up shop, and sends Fred away to work in a train yard. 

Desperate to know what’s …

With Christmas fast approaching, if you're not just yet in the festive spirit then we hope our book giveaway get you there.

If you haven't yet got your Christmas reading lined up, then be sure to keep your eyes peeled from Monday 16th December to Tuesday 24th December, as we'll be giving away some brilliant titles. 

To enter, it's simple: watch out for our Christmas tweet every morning and just RT and follow to be in with a chance of winning.

Here's the line-up of books featured:

Monday 16th December: Dark Skies: A Journey into the Wild Night by Tiffany Francis

Tuesday 17th December: The Mother of all Jobs by Christine Armstrong 

Wednesday 18th December: Bone China by Laura Purcell

Thursday 19th December: Extraordinary Birds by Sandy Stark-McGinnis

Friday 20th December: Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

Saturday 21st December: Ravi's Roar by Tom Percival

Sunday 22nd December: She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey

Monday 23rd …

Are you at the stage of writing when you're ready to revisit your manuscript? If you've got a first draft - but have put it away for a few weeks, even a month - to give yourself the head space you need, well done! You might not even need to read on as it sounds like you know what you're doing.

But if you're a sucker for writing-related tips, you've come to the right place.  

We've compiled four tips to help with the editing stage of your story. 

1. Make and keep copies of your drafts

This one isn't for everyone - Jeanette Winterson professes to deleting files and burning papers of manuscript that she's worked on and felt just didn't work.

But if you're not one for creative, dramatic flair, then it might be a good idea to hold onto previous drafts. However you work - whether that's on Google Drive, Word Doc etc., create a folder for your WIP and keep all the different iterations of your story in one place. 

If not only to see how your story has developed, but also to read …

Lucy Kissick’s debut novel Plutoshine has won the inaugural Writers & Artists Working-Class Writers’ Prize.

We launched the prize in March calling for writers who consider themselves to be from a working class background and without current publishing contract or agent.

Kissick, who was selected from more than 200 entries, will receive editorial feedback on their writing from author Natasha Carthew as well as a complimentary place at one of W&A’s How To Get Published events held at Bloomsbury Publishing.

Since being shortlisted for the prize, Kissick has signed as a client with literary agent Julie Crisp of Julie Crisp Literary Agency.

Kissick said: “Receiving this Prize means so many things to me. The pride I now feel for my work means I can hold myself taller – call myself a writer and feel like one. Moreover it means my writing is no longer just a pastime: last week I signed with a literary agent, Julie Crisp,  and now I could be one step closer to my dearest …