Welcome!

I've set up this blog so that all my friends, relations and colleagues in the world of writing can keep up to speed with what I'm doing - from now on, I'll never have to say sorry for not keeping in touch.

Or anyway, that's the plan.

So do please link up with me on Facebook and Twitter - https://www.facebook.com/margaret.james.5268 and https://twitter.com/majanovelist

You can find my novels as digital downloads on Apple iTunes, Kobo, Kindle and Nook, and most are available as print paperbacks, too.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

The Salem Literary Weekend

The Salem Literary Weekend, organised by Devon writer Rosemary Smith, takes place on 10th and 11th May at the hugely atmospheric Salem Chapel in East Budleigh, East Devon.

East Budleigh is a gorgeous, picture postcard village with a long history - it's the birthplace of Sir Walter Raleigh. It's set in the most beautiful Devon countryside. It's accessible from Exeter, Budleigh Salterton and Exmouth by Stagecoach buses and there is plenty of parking at the venue.



Lots of local authors are taking part and the weekend will be lively, bright and informal. There will be a good mix of genre and literary novels and other books available to buy, but there will be no sales pressure! The intention is for everyone to have a good time and for authors to meet their readers in a pretty and informal setting.

Authors involved include Mal Peet, Graham Hurley, Rosemary Smith, Linda Mitchelmore, Kate Furnivall, Anne Goring, Sophie Duffy, Cathie Hartigan, C L Raven, Elizabeth Ducie and me.

If you're in Devon that weekend, it would be good to see you there!

Here's a Facebook link to the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/232788670258496/?fref=ts


Sunday, April 20, 2014

The Creative Writing Student's Handbook

It's been a long consultation process, but today Cathie Hartigan and I are very happy to present our new baby to the world - The Creative Writing Student's Handbook.



As teachers of creative writing with more than thirty years' worth of experience between us, we have long felt it was time to produce a practical, experience-based handbook for our students.  We talked to lots of our students about what they want from a creative writing handbook - and also about what they don't want!

Creative writing students want help, advice, practical exercises, industry insights, encouragement and - most of all -  to believe they can make their creative writing dreams come true.

Creative writing students don't want condescension, masses of arcane critical theory, rules, regulations, and - most of all - they don't want to come away with the impression that creative writing is just for people who have university degrees, are celebrities or are rich enough to buy their own publishing companies.

All creative people are special and, as teachers, we want to celebrate this.

We hope everyone who reads our handbook will enjoy it. We'll welcome feedback and we intend to update the handbook from time to time, taking account of this feedback.

You can contact us through Facebook, Twitter and through www.creativewritingmatters.co.uk.

Click on the cover to the right of this post to take you to the UK's Amazon website or use the links to the Kindle version of the book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Creative-Writing-Students-Handbook-ebook/dp/B00JS5LQ4M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1398001183&sr=1-1&keywords=creative+writing+student%27s+handbook and http://www.amazon.com/The-Creative-Writing-Students-Handbook-ebook/dp/B00JS5LQ4M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398003549&sr=8-1&keywords=margaret+james+the+creative+writing+students+handbook