Writing

UK Writing Competitions: Flash Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories and Novel Extracts (2019)

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This weekend I submitted two pieces of flash fiction to UK writing competitions. I’ve also been beavering away on a 5000-ish word short story. It feels sooooo good to be writing again! I spent hours looking for competitions to enter, so thought I’d write up a list for others in the same boat.
 Please note: 
Always thoroughly read the guidelines before submitting your entry. I’ve only included comps open to unpublished writers.
 I shall update this list as and when new competitions are announced. Best of luck! Monthly competitions Scottish Book Trust | monthly prompt for 50 word piece of …

become the best you
Writing

Why You Should Read Become the Best You #ad

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New year new you, blah blah blah. It can feel like everywhere we go people are trying to sell us ourselves, can’t it? The thing is, most of us could use a little help. So if you are on the lookout for some easy to digest advice, written in the style of having a chat with a friend in a cafe, then you will love Become the Best You. The book delves into my dysfunctional childhood and troubled start to adulthood at fifteen. How I dragged myself through years of on/off depression, two mental breakdowns and eventual rock bottom. Why …

#DontWasteXmas
Writing

Guest Post: Will You Give a Life Changing Gift? #DontWasteXmas

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#DontWasteXmas The UK are set to waste a whopping 60 million presents this Christmas. International development charity Send a Cow are encouraging shoppers to buy life-changing, meaningful gifts instead of pointless ones. A new survey from YouGov* has found that over half (57%) of Brits who celebrate Christmas receive at least one unwanted gift on average at this time of year, with 37% claiming they would be happy to receive a charitable donation as a present. If the money spent on the 60 million unwanted gifts received each year* was redirected to charities like Send a Cow, it could support millions of families living …

send a cow
Writing

How to Have a More Eco Christmas this Year

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**If you’re looking to have a more eco Christmas this year, you’ve come to the right place. This is not a sponsored post, but does contain links to other blogs I have written and sites you might find useful. Calling time on pointless gifts to create a more eco Christmas I have always been a thoughtful gift giver. Plus I’m thrifty beyond belief, with a brilliant eye for bargains. I can walk out of a charity shop with a carrier bag chock full (of often brand new goodies!) for a tenner. It drives my husband mad, because on the rare occasion …

socially conscious
Writing

A-Z Guide of Socially Conscious Businesses & Grass Roots Charities (UK)

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**Here is my A-Z guide of socially conscious businesses and grass roots UK charities. Hopefully it’ll come in handy for you at some point – click on the bolded text for more details. This is not a sponsored post. A is for Action on Addiction. This national charity offers high quality, effective residential rehab and community based addiction treatment. Action on Addiction have been providing life-saving treatment for sufferers of addiction for 35 years. They have residential and day treatment programmes for addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling and other behaviours. Action on Addiction brings help, hope and freedom to addiction sufferers, and their families. …