by Madeleine F White

(X/Instagram: @madeleinefwhite)

Maybe it’s because I’m writing this on Halloween, or maybe it’s because I’m just emerging from an intensely creative period but something I read recently made me stop and think. It said that because creatives live life on the edge we look for signs in everything: crows landing on my windowsill, as I’m about to sign a contact with Sea Crow Press, is a great example of this. And often, seeing something or meeting someone directly related to what we’re working on, propels our creative journey. But what happens if our collective cultural consciousness starts bringing ideas that are related, or even the same, into the world? Do we see only competition, or are we able to reframe this into a sign of opportunity?

My fabulous deputy editor, Claire Buss, who is herself releasing the novel Myth On The Mountain this month, told me about Joanne Harris’ newly- released collection of fiction: Maiden, Mother, Crone. She flagged it because she knew my own poetry collection, out next April, had exactly the same title (minus commas) and I was already aware of my friend, the poet and broadcaster Mab Jones, releasing her own  poetry anthology Mother, Maiden, Crone, this December. All have obviously come together completely independently of each other.

To me, this is more than coincidence, it’s a sign of an emerging zeitgeist and indeed collective intent that the spiritual feminine is in the ascendant. And it’s not just women needing to engage. The triple goddess entering our cultural consciousness in this way flags the importance of creating a shared dialogue around catalysing the world we want to build by putting care, empathy, and collaboration at the heart of everything we do.

So what does this have to do with ‘Difference’ – well  the flip side of difference is ‘Similarity’ – and some may see so many similar titles entering the market as being a problem. However, I believe we should instead see connected titles and ideas as a sign we’re attuned to something bigger and deeper than ourselves and so collaborate to translate our shared inspiration into something that’s easily accessible for society at large.

With that in mind, please do keep all your wonderful writing coming. To date we’ve received and shared perspectives around autism, gender, class, race and culture. With November including Remembrance Day, International Men’s Day and international Day For The Elimination Of Violence Against Women, there’s lots more food for thought.

Remember, though we may all be different, Write On! binds us into common purpose: to shape the world we want to see thorough our creativity. So please do keep our ‘postbags for Write On! Extra and Write On! Audio coming. You can see our submissions guidelines here.

Sponsored by The Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation Write On! 23 (our winter issue)  features the fabulous poet Jenny Mitchell as our lead interview and international bestselling author, Sheila O’Flanagan as one of our Agony Aunts. You  can see the digital version of  Issue 22 HERE.

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In the spirit of sharing opportunities for Write On! readers, I’d like to flag The Tom Grass Prize. Designed to encourage emerging writers from around the world, the prize is open to anyone aged 25 or over, either unpublished or with no more than one major publication. Entry requirements are for a short piece of either Fiction or Non-Fiction reflecting in any way the spirit of adventure. Deadline for entries 31 March ‘25. Do check it out here.

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Published And Coming Up

Amber Hall’s November Monday Moments celebrates doing things differently and why there is no right way or wrong way to reach your goal. Out 4 November.

Eithne Cullen’s November Thoughtful Tuesdays takes inspiration from things prompted by a photograph…how we’ve changed or stayed the same! Out 12 November.

Farzana Hakim’s November Thursday Connectors is all about us. How things we were once passionate about can seem different and how we imagined our lives would be and how differently things actually turned out. Out 21 November.

The weekly November Showcases are edited by Charlotte Maddox from the Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation and feature writing from competition winners and shortlisters as well as wonderful poetry, prose and fiction from our own bulging inbox.

Our Friday Features, out every two weeks, are packed with writing ideas and advice. November’s include: Clara Jenkins on Anglo Indian Travel Writing on the 1 November and
Nicola Garrad 5 Tips To Be A Writer on the 15 November.

Our Sunday Interviews, out every two weeks, showcase a range of talent. In November we share interviews with Jamie Christian and Isaac Jacob.

Saturday Spotlight, at the end of the month, features new launches from traditional publishers and small presses, as well as indie authors. Do send us information on your new release. If you have one coming up, we’d love to hear from you!

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More About Us

Write On! is a quarterly magazine published by Pen to Print and its sister, the online Write On! Extra, and has been created to encourage established and emerging writers to come together around the following ideals: Publishing lies at an intersection of entertainment, information and education and is the method by which we record our shifting culture. You can find out more about how to get involved as a writer, creative, partner or advertiser through Write On! Together.

Take advantage of some great digital advertising opportunities with Write On! and Write On! Extra. Get in touch with Pen to Print for further details.

Write On! Audio, the podcast ‘For Writers Everywhere’ connects emerging and established writers to each other, the publishing industry and a wider audience in an audio celebration of diversity, originality and excellence.

Leading with comedian and author Sara Pascoe,  Issue 22 is out now You can find all our previous issues on our magazines page. Physical copies of Write On! are distributed in libraries and other centres across the country.

Be part of the Write On! family; one that includes The London Library, Dialogue, Hay and The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook. So far, over  265, 000 of  you have engaged with us online, as readers and contributors; from the UK, but also from 198 other countries (Google Analytics lists 230 countries).

 

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Your Writing

Write On! accepts written pieces (prose, poetry, essays, opinion), video or spoken extracts/ snapshots, illustrations and artwork. Do remember, if you have a features idea, you may be interested in recording it for Write On! Audio. Get in touch to discuss if this appeals! Depending on content and theme, your work will be featured in one of the following ways:

Monday Moments – Stories and experiences drawn from myriad perspectives. Fresh and engaging; a real ‘magazine’ feel. (First Monday of the month.)

Thoughtful Tuesdays – Mindfulness, inspiration, poetry, quotes and ideas shared to create leadership and hope, to see us through the week. (Second Tuesday of the month.)

Write On! Showcase – This creative writing showcase includes poetry, short stories, flash fiction and book extracts. Although most will reflect the seasonal theme, some work, such as memoirs or book extracts, offer a non-themed perspectives also. (Weekly.)

Thursday Connectors – Everyone and everywhere has different experiences and different ways of dealing with these strange times. This internationally-flavoured page is all about people and their experiences, connecting us with ideas and ideals, reaching out from east London to encompass the UK and the world at large. (Third Thursday of the month.)

Write On! Features – Essays, opinions and features. In Write On! Extra, we focus on topics relevant to publishing and writing arenas, but also include wider content to encompass thinking and ideas relevant to our times. (Two per month.)

Saturday Spotlight – Spotlight offers a round-up of indie, traditional and small press releases, bringing readers an overview of what can be found on digital and physical shelves. (Monthly.)

Write On! Interviews – This Sunday profile opportunity features writers, publishers, editors, agents and other creatives, along with individuals from diverse communities in a number of different occupations. (Two per month.)

Write On! Audio – Out every Tuesday, our podcast ‘For Writers Everywhere’ connects emerging and established writers to each other and the industry. There is an opportunity to submit to our Listener Contribution Slot, as well as record your creative work and any tips and feature ideas you might have. See our pilot episode for tips on ‘how to’. (Weekly.)

Please do continue to submit your work. Our aim remains the same: bringing people together to share their experience, strength and hope, as well as having a bit of a laugh!

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How To Submit:

• Creative prose submissions should be between 800 and 1000 words and, if possible, fit the seasonal theme.
• Poetry can be as short as necessary, but no longer than 500 words.
• Features are generally between 1000-1500. It’s best to send your feature/essay ideas through initially, so we can finalise the topic together.
• Write On! Audio Listener Contribution Slot. See our pilot episode for tips on ‘how to’. Listener Contributions should not be longer than ten  minutes and should include a brief introduction to you.

Any contributions should include an image of the writer and any copyright-free images you would like us to use (adhering to our submission guidelines) to illustrate your work. For any images/ video content that include you, or someone identifiable, we will need a permissions form. This will be sent to you. Write On! Extra is also happy to accept video or audio content. Please include contact details and any relevant social media IDs, such as Instagram, X, Threads, Substack or Facebook.

Submit via our Submit To Write On! page.  Further guidance can be found on the themed pages. All submissions are subject to  Pen to Print terms and conditions and can also be held in reserve until such time as publication opportunities arise, which may well be several months after the initial submission. Please note all submissions are subject to editing, at the Editor’s discretion.

SUBMISSION DEADLINES are based on the overarching theme. For example, it is worth sending in work aimed at the new theme a month before it starts.

We invite local people get in touch, as well as those who have something to say from further afield. We also welcome partnership discussions with organisations wishing to contribute, so the voices of their beneficiaries and teams can be heard. Details will be published on pentoprint.org.

Our culture is shifting. Therefore, the worlds we create don’t just serve us, but serve to inspire others as well. Make a difference to your community from your own four walls and get creating and writing!

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in individual articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Write On! or Pen to Print. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied, Write On! Extra cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the consequences of error, or for any loss or damage suffered by users of any of the information published on any of these pages. All facts and dates are correct at the time of publication.