Writing Magazine – Page 8

New Year, New You, New Pseudonym?

19 February, 202130 November, 2015

Is there a business case for using a pen name? Simon Whaley chats to three writers about the pros and cons of a split writing personality.

My name is Simon Whaley, and that’s the name I write under. Although there was that time when I entered the National Association of Writers’ Groups’ mini-tale competition and I had to use a pseudonym (entries had to be judged anonymously). So, for a couple of hours, I became Milo Swahney. I used an anagram of my real name on that occasion because when I entered the competition the previous year I’d used my porn-star name. Suffice to say that was memorable for the wrong reasons, and I had to come up with something different.

Business of Writing – Christmas Gifts

19 February, 20214 November, 2015

Christmas Gifts - Writing Magazine - December 2015 issue — Christmas Gifts – Writing Magazine – December 2015 issue

What do professional writers get in their Christmas stockings? Simon Whaley unwraps a few ideas from Christmas past to sneak onto your list this year.

BoW – Coping With A Crisis In Confidence

19 February, 20211 October, 2015

Dark nights and negative demons can quash a writer’s confidence. Simon Whaley finds two writers who’ve trained their demons into submission.

(Published in Writing Magazine – November 2015 Issue)

Business of Writing – Get Help Through Business Synergies

19 February, 20215 June, 2015

Businesses make themselves stronger by joining forces. Simon Whaley discovers how this can help your writing.

Writing is a lonely occupation, but those writers who succeed tend to be the ones who seek support from elsewhere. In the world of business this is known as a synergy, when two or more businesses co-operate to produce a result greater than their separate parts. As individual writers we have strengths, but we also have weaknesses. In order to develop as writers we need to recognise those weaknesses and then join forces with another business that can help us overcome them, making us much stronger in a competitive world.

Business of Writing – Don’t Avoid The Diversion!

19 February, 20211 May, 2015

Keeping our writing business afloat isn’t easy. Simon Whaley chats to two writers who’ve found diversification has led to calmer seas.

Business of Writing – Free Words?

19 February, 202120 March, 2015

Is it good business to write for free? Simon Whaley explores the value of your words.

Picture the scene: an email pops into your inbox. The editor loves your submission and wants to publish it. Sadly, there’s no budget to pay contributors, but it’s a great opportunity to see your name in print, and it’ll give you a piece to put in your published portfolio. So, what do you do?