The celebrated Arvon creative writing courses cover four and a half days and range from Novel Writing to Starting to Write. Some grants are available. (http://www.arvonfoundation.org)
Writers Online Services
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There are pages of advice and plenty of contacts. The site provides useful information on writing for radio and TV as well as guidelines on submitting material in their WritersRoom. |
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Useful up-to-the-minute book trade news site and directory from the UK www.booktrade.info |
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Branching Out, a UK librarians' site, offers highly innovative way of finding the book you would like to read, using the happy/sad, conventional/weird and other spectrums. www.branching-out.net/forager/ |
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Rudenko's freely downloadable software enables you to reformat text documents, whether they are e-books or any other downloadable text, according to your own preference. Useful if you have impaired vision or are just suffering from eye-strain. Also Autoscroll facility. http://www.rudenko.com |
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Website of Alison Smith-Square, who acts as a media agent selling stories to the press for the ordinary person. www.featureworld.co.uk |
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Subscription site which also offers to put publish short stories up to 2,500 words online. www.fictionplus.co.uk |
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Not for everyone but an energetic and 'professional Hollywood Script Reader, a fanatical proof-reader, a script fixer, coach, Mentor and Kick-Ass Muse', who will help you get your script into shape. thebitchwiththeredpen.com/ |
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Expert researcher offers research service on British murders. www.murderfiles.com |
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Newly set up site offering new writing guides on writing poetry, stories, letters and books, which are emailed to you as e-books. www.newwritersguide.com |
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The original and still one of the very best e-book publishing websites. Careful selection of high quality writing is made by fellow-writers before the books are added to the elegantly-designed site: http://www.onlineoriginals.com |
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International UK-based service for finding difficult-to-locate books. www.scfordham.com |
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New writers' site where you can upload your work and receive comment, whilst commenting on other people's. http://ratemystory.net/word/?page_id=2 |
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Alex Epstein’s site about his book offers many tips for the aspiring screenplay writer, including a screenplay evaluation service at www.craftyscreenwriting.com. |
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New site run by a group of writers and artists which offer regular competitions. http://www.secretattic.com |
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UK filmmakers network for members which offers daily bulletins for filmmakers, screenwriters and for casting. Also has own list of short guides to aspects of making films. http://www.shootingpeople.org |
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A newly-launched venture for book lovers and budding writers which specialises in biographies. The website features new book releases, news reports from the world of biographies, interviews, a chatroom, online seminars and advice pieces from authors, but you have to register (for free) to join in. www.thebiographyclub.com |
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Free community site which helps give exposure to self-published and unpublished authors, financed through sponsors' money. Unpublished and self-published authors may submit the first 3,000 words of their book for the site's decision on publishing the whole online. www.thebookzoo.com |
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An American site offering an Internet directory of writers, editors, publishers and literary agents, with everything from poetry to Greeting Card writing (in ten parts!) http://www.thepublishedwriter.org |
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UK official publishing training centre which also offers well-regarded distance learning courses on proof-reading and editing. www.train4publishing.co.uk |
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Translation company with a network of over 6500 highly qualified & experienced translators & interpreters who can work between any world language. They say they provide a fast and accurate service across all subject areas for more than 1000 clients and some of the best known companies & global brands. |
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New subscription site for scriptwriters, promising helpful articles from the insiders who founded Scriptwriting magazine and help with the business side of writing scripts and screenplays. |
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Database containing names and addresses for the rights-holders for the work of writers and artists housed in libraries and archives in the US and the UK. Primarily for scholars, but useful if you are trying to track down a copyright-holder. |
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Superb new feature on the ALCS (Authors Licensing and Collecting Society) which guides you through the ins and outs of copyright. |
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Site conducting worldwide search for new storytellers and showing you how to do it. Maintains that 98% of screenplays fail at the very first idea stage. www.writemovies.com |
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International organisation supporting the careers of both aspiring and published children's authors via mentoring, community platform, courses, awards, magazine, podcasts, and more. |
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Run by the Science Fiction Writers of America A long established site with some well-researched links to writing resources. (http://www.sfwa.org/) |
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Site which lists a large number of American writing contests, with entry details. http://www.writingcontests.net |
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Set up and funded by Francis Ford Coppola, this 'virtual studio' offers an innovative approach to the film world, but also includes short stories and novellas. Typically, if you make a submission you have to read two others of the same length. http://www.zoetrope.com/ |