Claire Wingfield's Blog

A Valentine Date for Writers: http://www.clairewingfield.co.uk/blog...

Get all 52 writing dates for a special price this weekend: http://www.amazon.co.uk/52-Dates-Writ...

Here at the '52 Dates for Writers' base we've been feeling festive, and organising our Christmas giveaway. Simply review '52 Dates for Writers' on Amazon or Goodreads before 24th December for the chance to win a subscription to your choice of the following 4 magazines: Mslexia; The Self Publishing Magazine; National Geographic; Lonely Planet Traveller. Something for the writer in you, or to inspire your next big '52 Dates for Writers' adventure.

To enter, please email your contact details, a link to your review, and your choice of magazine to: contact@clairewingfield.co.uk.

UK entrants can choose between print or digital subscriptions; international entrants will be eligible to win a digital subscription. Subscriptions are for 1 year, except for Lonely Planet Traveller Magazine, which is 6 months.

Open to all reviewers - including those who reviewed before this competition was announced. It is nearly Christmas, after all!

In honour of all those attempting to write a novel draft in the month of November, anyone who buys 52 Dates for Writers - Ride a Tandem, Assume an Alias, and 50 Other Ways to Improve Your Novel Draft between 28th October and 1st Dec and emails proof of receipt plus a short outline of their novel to contact@clairewingfield.co.uk will receive a list of questions and prompts to help keep their project moving. And if you comment on this blog post before 1st Nov, you can even win a copy of '52 Dates' and still email for your list of personalised prompts and quotes!

For our Christmas giveaway, anyone who reviews '52 Dates for Writers' on Amazon or Goodreads before 24th Dec 2013 will be in with the chance of winning a year's subscription to a writing magazine. Includes all reviewers - including those who reviewed before this announcement. Just email your contact details and a link to your review to enter.

I'm pleased to announce the three winners of the 52 Dates for Writers - Ride a Tandem, Assume an Alias, and 50 Other Ways to Improve Your Novel Draft launch competition.

Sarah Hodgetts completed Writing Date 5 – Visit a Crematorium or Graveyard. She found inspiration for a new short story ‘Keep an Eye on Alphie’ in an evocative gravestone inscription at St. Catherine’s Church in Ickleford. Sarah currently has a short story in an anthology by Third Flatiron Publishing. Sarah’s prize is a detailed critique on the first three chapters of her novel draft.



Katie Welsby, author of the YA time-switch romance In the Shadows, took inspiration from Writing Date 31 and the stories she found at Warwick Castle. Katie completed an exercise on the primary and secondary threats facing her protagonist in order to develop the plotline of her second novel, ‘Fade into Light’, in new and exciting directions. Her prize was support in devising a creative promotional strategy for her debut novel, which is available at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FAV8SEY



Vani Kaushal chose Writing Date 37, visiting her favorite South Indian restaurant, which helped her focus on bringing an authenticity to the cuisine featured in her novel, ‘The Recession Groom’. Vani’s prize was an edit of the final chapters of her novel draft.

In this short extract, the novel’s protagonist, Parshuraman, is a recently redundant Indian software engineer who has just found part-time work in a bar. It is his first day, and his Manager, Snorty, a quirky American-Indian Sikh, is teaching him how to cook ‘Spicy crab’ for a customer. Parshuraman is a vegetarian and is obviously repulsed by the whole idea but since it is a part of his job, he has to learn it anyway.

Snorty led Parshuraman to a small kitchenette at the back of the bar and gave him a hand-me-down apron. ‘That’s yours,’ he said and glided towards a water tank to pull out two live blue crabs. ‘Look at that,’ he growled with a hungry look in his eyes. ‘These ones came in this morning. Here, take these.’

‘Whoa, whoa! I’m not holding that thing. I’m a vegetarian,’ said Parshuraman, shrinking away.

‘The crabs don’t care whether you’re a vegetarian or not,’ Snorty quipped. ‘And hey, it’s a part of the deal anyways. You’ll be cooking these yourself from tomorrow. In fact, let’s start from today itself.’

Parshuraman gulped and winced, before catching the crabs in his hands. He moved his fingers around the thick shell, twisted the crustacean around, saw its claws and felt the claw fingers, before Snorty took it back from him.

‘Fresh and juicy. Mouth-watering, isn’t it?’ he said to Parshuraman. ‘Okay, all you have to do is to clean the crab, put it in hot boiling water for a few minutes until it turns red. Get the seasoning sauces ready in a deep skillet, blend those in with the crab meat and it’s done. Get it?’

Parshuraman scowled. ‘Listen – you shouldn’t be putting a living creature in hot boiling water. It’s bad karma.’

Snorty pummeled the shell of the crab, ripped it apart from the body with a sharp knife, removed the claws, cleaned the gills, jiggled the meat in his hand and looked at Parshuraman. ‘Voilà, it’s not alive anymore. Any problems now?’ A few swift movements, a dash of seasoning and the dish was done.



Congratulations to all three winners, and thank you to all who entered the competition.

Tell us about yourself and the books you have written.
As an editor and literary consultant, I help hundreds of writers complete their manuscripts each year. My book '52 Dates for Writers’ is designed to help writers overcome common sticking points whilst writing or revising their manuscript. Each of the 52 writing challenges or ‘dates’ take the writer away from their desk in order to shake up their ideas and replenish their creativity. Each writing date is accompanied by an essay on the writers’ craft, plus examples from well-known novels – such as the plot of ‘Atonement’ laid out as a maze, in order to help the reader think about the different potential endings for their novel, and push their plotline in new and unexpected directions.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name is really inspired by my son. Having been immersed for many years in the written worlds of others, once I had my son, I felt an itch to get writing myself. I had slowed down enough from my day job of working with writers to have this thought, but being a new parent I needed an idea I could fit into my new schedule. It had to be something I could write in the pockets of time I had available – it wasn’t as if I was going to have the luxury of 4 hour writing stints for a few years! So I hit on the idea of 52 mini writing masterclasses. And then I thought of what was working already – the writing ‘dates’ I set the writers I mentored over longer periods, to help keep them motivated and passionate about their work, whilst focussing in on the aspects of the writers’ craft we needed to discuss that week or month. And so '52 Dates for Writers’ was born slightly after my son, and the longer subtitle 'Ride and Tandem, Assume an Alias and 50 Other Ways to Improve Your Novel Draft’ came as we were about to publish.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Before I had my son, I would likely have awoken in the night with any ideas, but these days I value my sleep too much! I do tend to get ideas at the theatre. Something about being in a sealed creative space, perhaps.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many! All the writers I have worked with, wherever they are on their journey. I feel lucky to enter the creative world of writers at such an early stage. But my English degree too, and even the books I studied at school – those are the ones I read many times, and I feel are always with me. F Scott Fitzgerald was an early passion.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently writing a second book in the same series – '52 Missions for Children’s Writers – Learn a Circus Skill, Go out in Disguise, and 50 Other Ways to Inspire your Children’s Novel.’ Children’s writers face unique challenges – in appealing to the right target readership, in writing for today’s young reader rather than the young reader they themselves once were, in replenishing their sense of play. Both of my books are based on encouraging the writer to play – but it becomes even more vital in writing for an audience for whom play is natural and essential.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ll get back to you on that! There are so many different forums and opportunities the task can become dizzying. I think it’s important to take it all at your own pace, to set as many of the right things in motion as you can, and then get on with writing the next book! SEO is vital, though. Trying to make sure your book is visible by understanding how people search for books and blending that knowledge into writing your book descrition and other marketing material. If this sounds daunting, there are some step-by-step guides out there to help.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Know your market well. What’s already out there, and where do your books fit it? Goodreads is great for this, of course. While you are writing, have a realistic writing schedule, write key dates in your diary, and make sure you stick to them – or at least have a good reason when they slip. Take care of yourself. It’s hard to be creative when you are feeling burnt out. The same for promoting your work. Have a realistic schedule – one that lets you get back to writing within a few months if possible – and here, make sure you are genuine in your actions. Just like the writing part, try to enjoy the process of promoting your work and connecting with readers. Don’t fake it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t try to do it all. Follow what you are passionate about. You have all the time in the world. (This is from Sol Stein’s ‘Solutions for Novelists’ and I always think of it when I meet writers in too much of a rush with their work.) Enjoy the process.

What are you reading now?
For my work, I am reading a promising novel draft for a mentorship I am about to begin, as well as an unusual non-fiction manuscript. Much of my reading for pleasure at the moment is the reading I do with my son. I love discovering new books for him – and they have to be good, as we read them so many times. A new favourite is 'Otto the Book Bear' by Katie Cleminson. In a way, it’s actually a very early introduction to the idea of authorship.

I’ve just published the second in a series of five reader polls. You can check out the first poll here. Poll 2 asks whether readers have bought one or more books after seeing a book trailer, like this one for The Sea Sisters which turned up in my Facebook feed. It’s a marketing tool more writers are making use of, and I’m interested in seeing how effective these are. You can answer the poll here. Please leave a comment if you would like. Tomorrow, I’ll be polling about likeable protagonists versus central characters that keep the reader at a distance. In my work as a literary consultant, I often hear publishers and agents expressing reservations about a main character that is well-drawn but unsympathetic. I’m now interested to see what the readers themselves think on the matter. Do we need to identify or sympathise with our central character? Look out for my feedback on the results in the coming weeks. And if you are writer who would like to suggest a poll topic, do get in touch.

I've always been interested in writing collaborations - such as the mother and daughter who teamed up as Zizou Corder to write the wonderfully action-packed
Lionboy so have been excited to hear from several readers of 52 Dates for Writers - Ride a Tandem, Assume an Alias, and 50 Other Ways to Improve Your Novel Draft who are synchronising their writing dates in different countries. I can't wait to read the results - what an interesting way of writing together.

To celebrate the launch of '52 Dates for Writers', readers are invited to submit a piece of writing inspired by an exercise or activity in the book. There are a huge variety of writing prompts and activities in the book, so all you need to do is pick a writing date that intrigues or inspires you and be ready to get writing.

'52 Dates for Writers' is based on the idea of making space for yourself as a writer by regularly taking your ideas away from your desk, so we'd like to see a photo from the writing date that inspired your submission. Win a detailed reader report on your opening three chapters, cover letter and synopsis to the value of £180, or one of two critiques on your cover letter and synopsis (value £40). Alternatively, the prizes can be exchanged for credit against another of my consultancy services.

To enter, please submit:

Up to 250 words describing your writing date - including, if you wish, how it has helped you develop your writing skills or novel draft;

A photograph taken on the writing date;

Up to 1,000 words written in response to one or more of the exercises or prompt linked to your writing date. For some dates, this may include an illustration or other art form.

Submissions to be emailed to contact@clairewingfield.co.uk by 6pm UK time on the 10th September 2013. Be sure to type 'Writing Competiton' in the subject bar. We welcome international submissions. The three prizes will be awarded to the writers whose submissions we judge to have provided the fullest and most intriguing response to the tasks in question. We want to see writers who have embraced the writing date and accompanying activities - whose writing may have been pushed in new and challenging directions. We expect these are the writers who will make us want to read on - whether that's more of a novel draft already in progress, or a new piece of writing inspired by '52 Dates for Writers'.

Please note, writing based on the dates given as free samples in Amazon's 'Look Inside' feature (dates 1 to 3 in the book) are not eligible for the competition.

full details here