Happy New Year all you Crafty Writers. It’s been a while since I posted as I have been very busy over at www.craftypublishing.com – publishing and promoting our growing list of books. But I hope to start paying a bit more attention to The Crafty Writer again this year. The free creative writing course is still going well http://creative-writing-course.thecraftywriter.com and if you haven’t dropped by there yet, please do. I’ve finally started writing ‘The Crafty Guide to Creative Writing’ based on the course and that will be coming out in print and e-book later this year. This website will also get a revamp to accompany the launch of the book but for now, bear with us. Oh, and if you haven’t already done so, you can find us on FB too! https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crafty-Writer
I hope you all have a fabulous 2014 and find some time to write.
Fiona Veitch Smith
The Crafty Writer
If you’re 25 or under, you may qualify for a bursary to study masters’ level creative writing at the University of East Anglia. I did a MA at Northumbria University in 2005/6 and have never regretted it. Here is some more information on the creative writing bursary. If you’re wondering whether or not a MA is for you (and you don’t have to be under 25 to do one!) there is an oldish but still enlightening article on it in the Guardian – are creative writing courses worth it? And if you can’t afford a course in terms of time or money, some of the things you will learn in an MA course can be found in my free online creative writing course.
I’ve just revised the content of my Christian writing course which used to be housed at my old site, but now has a brand new home all of its own.
This five part workshop is aimed at people who want to explore writing as part of their Christian walk – you can work through the material on your own or as part of a discussion group. Topics covered include:
It’s completely free and you can go at your own pace. Hope to see you there!
Your Crafty host, Fiona Veitch Smith, has just had an anthology of short stories published as an e-book. For a limited period only, Crafty Publishing is giving away free downloads of Different Tracks.
Continue reading ‘Free e-book giveaway’
It’s here! David and the Kingmaker, the latest book from your charming Crafty host, Fiona Veitch Smith, has arrived from the printers and is ready to ship to bookshops. It looks absolutely gorgeous. As usual, my illustrator Amy Barnes has done an incredible job. I did a reading of the book on Sunday to a lively group of under 7s and their parents. They loved the antics of the sheep and were wide-eyed when Young David was chosen to be king.
I know everyone says it, but this book and its prequel, David and the Hairy Beast, will make great Christmas presents. You can place an order through any bookshop in the world (that’s right, anywhere on planet earth) or, if you want it quicker, you can order directly from the Crafty Publishing website.
If you are in the Newcastle upon Tyne area on Saturday 26 November, Amy and I will be giving a talk about our creative process and how picture books are written and illustrated. Click here for directions and details.
I’ve just started a new author website to focus on me and my career. How vain does that sound? Oh well, what must be, must be. The Crafty Writer will continue as it is as a writing advice site and blog – along with its associated free writing courses and editorial services. But all the self-promoting bumf about me, your dear host, will now appear on fiona.veitchsmith.com Do drop by from time to time or I will feel completely abandoned!
Well I’ve finally bitten the bullet and released a novel on Kindle. The actual process of getting it up on the site was relatively simple, but it took a few goes as I needed to ensure that the source Word doc was as visually close to publishing as it could be with all of the correct style ‘tags’ in place. Yes the Kindle software formats your document into e-book form but it takes its cues from your original document and it is only when you review the Kindle version and see odd lines in odd places that you realise something has gone wrong in the source document. So if you’re going to follow my footsteps and get your book onto Kindle, take the time to get it right. And if you’re looking for a new book this autumn, why not download The Peace Garden now?
“When Natalie Porter starts investigating plant theft in a suburban cul-de-sac, she never dreams it will lead her on a terrifying journey from the gardens of England to the townships of Apartheid South Africa; and a far darker secret than the whereabouts of a missing azalea. A romantic thriller doused in political intrigue, racial tension, international terrorism and … gardening. If you like your romances gentle and your thrillers intelligent, then you won’t be able to put down The Peace Garden until the last breathtaking page.”
The Crafty Writer is proud to announce the launch of its new publishing wing, Crafty Publishing. Some ‘how to’ books based on the popular Crafty Courses are in the pipeline but for now we’re launching with a stunning children’s picture book called David and the Hairy Beast, the first in a series of six.
David and the Hairy Beast
David’s dad gives him a very important job to do. But can the shepherd boy overcome his fear of the Hairy Beast to save the flock?
Written by Fiona Veitch Smith.
Illustrations by Amy Barnes.
Drop by Crafty Publishing now to order your copy.
I’m very pleased to be working with publisher Nick Rose and composer Mike Roberts on the musical version of Myro the Microlight. Mike is currently working on a cantata (a performance ‘package’ for school choirs)and I am helping write the narration. There is already a lively CD to accompany the Myro books so children can sing along to their favourite stories. For more on the Myro series visit www.myro.com.
Well the contract is finally in place so I can formally announce that I’ve been commissioned by Lion Hudson (Monarch imprint) to co-write the autobiography of Yookie Budia, a former child soldier from the Congo. The book will be called Child of War. Yookie’s story is an incredible but harrowing tale of a journey from war to personal peace. As a young boy, Yookie was forced to participate in a series of atrocities and witnessed the murder of his own family. He managed to escape and after a treacherous journey through sub-Saharan Africa made his way to Durban, South Africa, where more dangers faced him as a child on the streets. If you want to know what happened to Yookie after that and how he met his wife Sarah and how they now run a charity called Hope2thehopeless then you’ll have to read the book! Yookie and I are working on it over the summer and it will come out early next year.
Simultaneously, Craig Gailbraith from Drawbridge Productions in Cape Town, is making a film about Yookie’s incredible journey. I’m sure it will be a box office hit!
If you would like to develop your own skills in writing life stories as well as other non-fiction writing, why not work through the Crafty Writer’s free non-fiction course
