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1: Getting Published - A Stairway to Heaven
Eight Steps to success as a published writer, and how to avoid slipping back down them again.

2: Science Fiction Writing - Ten Cliches to Avoid
Adoption into the mainstream makes science fiction both easy to sell, and hard to write without seeming tired and cliched. Here are ten situations you should steer away from, and some variations to consider if you're determined to proceed.

3: Horror Writing - Ten Cliches to Avoid
For anyone thinking about writing in the horror genre, there are certain situations that, over the years, have been done so often that the audience knows exactly what to expect. Using any of these is fine if you're being post-modern and ironic as in the Scream series, because you can get the audience laughing as they jump. But if you're trying for the big scare, here are some situations to avoid, and alternative scenarios to consider.

4: Crime Writing - Ten Cliches to Avoid
Crime fiction is big business at the moment, but there are certain situations that have been overplayed so much that they have become genre cliches and everybody knows what to expect next. Here are ten cliches you should try to avoid and thoughts on how to subvert the cliches if you do decide to use them.

5: Short Story Writing - Ten Endings to Avoid
A logical, satisfying ending is always required in a short story, but how do you ensure that yours is fresh and new? One of the ways is to avoid the obvious. Here are some common endings seen by editors: use them at your peril.

6: Short Story Writing - Reviewing Your Ideas
Ideas exist in a soup in your brain, and like all good soups, ideas need time to stew. The trick is to keep stirring. As the idea churns around in what passes for your creative capacity, you should periodically review it and ask yourself some questions.

7: Short Story Writing - Ten Beginnings to Avoid
In the same way that editors don't want to see an ending they've seen before, equally, there are some story beginnings that have been done to death. Here are ten you shouldn't use.

8: Writing a Killer Opening Line
Starting writing is like casting a hook into a river.

The opening line is probably the single most important sentence you are going to write in your piece.

9: Five Ways to Immediately Improve Your Writing
Here are five things you can start doing today that will immediately improve your writing, and with it your chances of getting published.

10: How to Write a Picture (or How to Paint a Story With Words)
This is the first in a three part series that instructs the writer to draw from the many files stored away in the mind. To allow the mind to form a movie to write from.



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