George B @GeorgeWrites

✨Could you be one of the UK and Ireland's next writing stars?✨ The Nero New Writers Prize in association with @Bruneluni is back & submissions are now open. Enter your story (up to 5,000 words) at the link in our bio!

We are looking for children to help judge the Children's Booker Prize ...

The Bookseller @thebookseller

3 months ago

The Children’s Booker Prize 2027 has opened for publisher submissions and launched a nationwide competition 👇 ebx.sh/bvp9hU

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Every author you love was once an unpublished writer who had no idea if their story was good enough. They faced the same self-doubt, the same fear of rejection, the same moments of wanting to give up. Here are 5 stories from some of the most iconic authors — BEFORE they made it big:

Happy World Book Day, everyone! Today is all about inspiring children to see reading differently, because reading for fun seriously improves lives. Thanks for joining the fun! #WorldBookDay

Do you have a short story of up to 3,000 words ready to submit? flash500.com/short-stories/ International short story competition closes in one week. £500/£200/£100 in prize money for the top three stories. Entry fee and full details on the website. #shortstories #fiction #WritingCommunity

In honor of getting 10K followers on here (!), here are the 10 things I wish every first-time author knew — from my 10+ years of book editing: 1️⃣ How you end your chapters matters more than you think. Leave something unfinished so that the reader no choice but to continue into the next (and the next, and the next). Our brains are hardwired to seek resolution. 2️⃣ Your protagonist needs a strong objective that drives them (and the plot) forward. If you don't know it yet, answer: What do they want, above all else? 3️⃣ Your inciting incident should generally occur no later than 10-15% of the way through the novel. Figure out what it is, then audit its location. If there's any room to bring it closer to the beginning, do it. 4️⃣ Relatedly, make sure you give the reader something to invest in from the very beginning. Don't say "well, it gets good 100 pages in." Make it good NOW. Or your reader may never get there. 5️⃣ It doesn't matter how pretty your sentences are if they aren't telling a compelling story. The best writers balance strong craft + incredible storytelling. Practice and learn both skillsets. 6️⃣ Nothing will teach you about craft and story like reading. Make time for it. 7️⃣ POV is everything. It dictates how the reader experiences the story and which characters they connect with. Make sure yours is intentional and consistent. 8️⃣ You probably aren't getting inside your POV characters' heads enough. We read fiction to inhabit someone else's mind. It's what makes this storytelling format different from a show or a play. Write from the INSIDE out. 9️⃣ Hitting a block? It's perfectly OK to take a step back from your manuscript when you need a break. In fact, sometimes it's exactly what your brain needs to return to the story refreshed. 🔟 Feedback is critical, but it's only as good as the person providing it, so be careful with who you ask. And then, remember: this is YOUR story and YOUR name on the cover. You don't have to agree with (or listen to) every suggestion. Thank you to everyone who has followed, subscribed, or watched a YouTube video of mine. I hope your stories are stronger for it. 💪❤️

As an editor, I read dozens of novels a year. Many fall into the same plot pitfalls—slow starts, messy middles, rushed endings. Here are the 7 most common plot issues I see in early drafts, and solutions to fix each one!

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This is a huge opportunity for aspiring children's authors! @DFB_storyhouse and @arvonfoundation are inviting unpublished writers to submit their work for the chance to win a publishing contract with DFB, plus access to an Arvon writing course. More here: davidficklingbooks.com

A great interview - highly recommend if you have a spare hour this weekend:

David Perell @david_perell

7 months ago

Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of the best fantasy & science fiction writers alive today. What's crazy is that he's kept quality so high while writing ~5 books per year, and this interview is about how he does it. One guy on Reddit said: “Probably the best Sci-Fi/Fantasy author

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@MathewJLyons Really enjoyed this, thanks for sharing!

Our Children's Writers & Illustrators Festival is BACK for 2026! See what some of our previous attendees had to say about the festival. 🗣️ Browse our festival ticket options: bit.ly/3SkoFR6

@MGLnrd Congratulations!

Who's ready to #GoAllIn2026 and see how reading in all its forms can unlock more of what you love? As lead delivery partner for the National Year of Reading, we’re calling on you – your communities and schools, businesses, authors and friends - to join us! goallin.org.uk

ENTRIES CLOSE TOMORROW! International flash fiction competition for stories up to 500 words (excluding title) closes for entries on Wednesday 31 December. flash500.com Prizes: £300/£200/£100 plus publication #writersoftwitter #fiction #writerslife #writerscommunity #writersofinstagram #flashfiction

@AlyssaMatesic This is a great breakdown - thank you!

It's almost 2026—so what genres are agents looking for in the new year? I used QueryTracker data to analyze the top genre trends. Let's discover: -the indisputable top genre right now -5 oversaturated genres -genres with the most agent requests youtu.be/D5qrmB32C-Q

The 2026 Carnegies nominations are live! 🎉 Join us in celebrating the exceptional storytelling and illustration recognised this year. 🏆 Get ready for an inspiring awards season! Congrats to all nominees! 📖❤️ carnegies.co.uk/nominations-an… #Carnegies2026

📢The Children's Booker Prize will launch in 2026, celebrating the best contemporary fiction for children aged 8-12, written in or translated into English. Frank Cottrell-Boyce to judge with 3 children involved in choosing the winner. Prize pot over £50k. booksforkeeps.co.uk/childrens-book…

The W&A Working-Class Writers' Prize 2025 is opening for entries next month! Find out more about our most generous prize to date and the brilliant prize partners working with us: bit.ly/48WLhQp @Soc_of_Authors @OpenUniversity

The Bloomsbury Mentorship Programme is open for applications until Friday 10th October! 📚 📚 Bloomsbury are looking for unpublished fiction writers from underrepresented backgrounds who want to develop their craft. Find out more: bit.ly/3VKsoIW