(Bluesky/Instagram: @madeleinefwhite)

I never know whether to approach December with joy or dread. Joy, because there is always a sense of togetherness and a letting go of the mundane to lose yourself in the lights and the fun. I also always worry, though:  about the presents, whether I should bake or not and who I’m  I sending cards to… I mean are they  even a thing anymore?

In my faith, advent is a time of waiting. Not anticipation, but actually quite a sombre time of reflection. Having submitted my new novel to an agent, I can truly relate to that as waiting is not something that comes naturally to me! Recently, I was at an event where I heard someone speak about how he’d gone through life until his late forties believing he was ‘retarded’ –  his words, not mine. He described plucking up the courage to ask for help and how this had led to him the discovering he was dyslexic. Having found the right support, he spoke of how he was starting to uncover the joy of words, seeing them as opening doors rather than slamming them in his face.

As I listened to him, instead of feeling sorry for myself around the hard lot of being a writer, I started feeling immense gratitude for the gifts I’d been given. My gratitude in that moment was transformative and came exactly when I needed it. I realised that I had just experienced an example of how reflecting on ‘Difference’ can be a positive thing.

With that in mind, I very much hope you have enjoyed our theme of ‘Difference’ so far, which culminates with the release of Issue 23 on 12 December. Distributed through library networks and though other venues up and down the country, we feature poet Jenny Mitchell who speaks to Eithne Cullen about who we are, how we heal and why poetry is at the heart of both. It is sponsored by the Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation, whose New Voices Award winner, Rachel Ramirez, discusses the prize and the process with us. Other highlights include stellar author Sheila O’Flanagan sharing writing advice on Insight and Lucy Kaufman exploring creative compromise in The Big Debate.

We’ve got a festive feast of great writing for you in December on our digital Write On! Extra posts on this site. Do take a look below for a sneak preview. We’re also proud to share our festive poem with you. The Twelve Days Of Pen to Print Christmas will be released on Monday 9 December.

So all that remains for me to say is – please do keep your work coming; you can see our submissions guidelines here and of course, enjoy a wonderfully festive December period. Whatever our religious persuasion, it’s a time of fun, reflection and togetherness – all the things Write On! embodies.

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Published And Coming Up

Amber Hall’s December Monday Moments explores end-of-year anxiety. Can we look at things we aren’t happy with that could lead on to our growth, how we might have done things differently. Out 2 December

Eithne Cullen’s December  Thoughtful Tuesdays continues with the photograph idea, but this time from the Write On! /Pen to Print perspective, exploring our history! Out 10 December.

Farzana Hakim’s December  Thursday Connectors looks at the different ways we celebrate, showcasing funny customs and funny jokes and pictures. Out 19 December.

The December Showcases out every Wednesday, are edited by our very own Clare Cooper and feature wonderful poetry, prose and fiction from our own bulging inbox, work you have submitted! PLEASE NOTE, OUR THIRD SHOWCASE WILL BE RELEASED MONDAY 23 DECEMBER.

Our Friday Features, out every two weeks, are packed with writing ideas and advice. December’s include Rachel Webb’s perspective around running an archive, out on 6 December, as well as a snapshot of all our team’s writerly high and lowlights from 2024.

Our Sunday Interviews, out every two weeks, showcase a range of talent. In December we share interviews with Curtis Brown on 8, our narrative interview with Jenny Mitchell on 15 and a yearly round up of authorial advice – all best writing advice from ‘24 interviews – on 29 December.

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.

Issue 23 will be out on 12 December. 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. Issue 22 is out now

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.