Why people write

Well. Quite. Like asking why women gossip. Or men brag. Or children lie.

So if it is as pointless as a circle to write this article, why write? Why, indeed. I went to bed with this question churning in my mind like a stomach with a bad attack of indigestion. After four hours of sleeplessly tossing and turning, optimist that I am, even I had to acknowledge that this wouldn’t go away without further investigation.

So for the past several days, I have been exploiting my not-so-considerable brainpower to mull over this point. What is it that makes a person itch to record his thoughts permanently? Why...

Read the full article in the February 2013 issue of FellowScript


or

Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

1030 words
Humour/Nonfiction
Canada publication

When publication goes bad

When an email message popped into my Inbox with the promising subject line of “Your submission has been accepted”, I clicked on it immediately, eager to devour the details. The first thing I saw was, “We loved your story!” Delighted, I read on. “We definately would like to publish this peace. Please find attached teh contract and sign and return it at your earliest convinience.”

After getting over my dismay at the unpardonable spelling mistakes, I began to have serious doubts about whether I wanted to go ahead with this particular publication at all. If the editor couldn’t be bothered to run...

Read the full article in the February 2013 issue of Writing Magazine

or

Request to read the original article (and get a fun Debora cartoon) via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

2900 words
Nonfiction
UK publication

***********************

Words from the Wise

"It's a good article, and the interviews are excellent."

Moira Allen

Publisher

Writing World