Fi Phillips

About once a month, I spend a morning in a local coffee shop with a large latte and a newspaper. It started out as an occasional treat but has turned into a regular ritual. I read the i newspaper because I love the way it concentrates the news down into manageable chunks before extending the news stories a few pages later. I also like the fact that it only costs 30p. Other newspapers are getting as expensive as magazines these days (can you tell I was born in the sixties?  - "They don't know they're born these days."). One thing I've noticed is that as I read the newspaper, stories begin to form in my mind. On occasion, a character will jump out of a news article or a setting will form for one of my murder mystery plays. They do say that life is stranger than fiction. This month, I want you to take a news article (from a newspaper or an online news site) and use it as inspiration for a story. The news article could be a clue to a bigger picture or it could...

Yes, that was me, heavily pregnant and still with book in hand. Now it should go without saying that if you want to be a writer, you should also be a reader. But you shouldn't 'just' be a reader. You should be an avid reader. Books Obvious eh? To know your genre, what's current, what's successful, you must read books in your chosen genre. A visit to the library will tell you what is popular and what the library service deem to be a book in your genre that has 'arrived'. A look around the larger bookshops such as Waterstones and Borders will let you see what is new and in the charts, who the most popular authors are and how prolific they are. Newspapers Both paper and online news will reveal current affairs, what issues are 'hot' and if you delve into the arts sections, you can keep track of the book charts. I find the Times book chart to be especially useful. Magazines What magazines do you read each month? If you're anything like me, you hav...