Advice for writers

Have you ever wanted to be a writer but have no idea where to start? When I realised that I had a passion for writing I didn't have a clue where to start. One day when I was doing my research, I came across a book called The Writers & Artists Yearbook. This book is an awesome resource for writers and has lots of information in it. Everything that I learnt in the beginning was from reading this book. So what exactly is The Writers & Artists Yearbook and what information can you gain from it? The Writers & Artists Yearbook is a directory for writers, artists, illustrators, photographers, designers and playwrights. The book is published every year and has been since 1906. It was written for writers and artists to give advice, information and encouragement. It includes a directory of book publishers, newspapers, magazines etc. Everything you need to know about writing is in this book. Everything from writing a book to information on copyright can be found. You can also find articles in this book that were written by famous authors. These authors have used The Writers & Artists Yearbook as a stepping stone or starting point. So if you are seriously considering a career in writing or even if you'd like to be an illustrator or designer, this book is the best thing for you to purchase. Not forgetting that there is also a website for this book, which also has lots of awesome information on it.

Check out my children's book that I wrote with the help of The Writers & Artists Yearbook 

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00E9EV34U

US http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E9EV34U

M.A.G.I.C

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magic   Unicorns are magical

One of my favorite legendary animals is the unicorn. When someone describes what a unicorn is, they describe it as a beast that has a large, pointed, spiraling horn. This horn projects from the unicorn’s forehead. The unicorn was represented graphically by sketch and was sketched in ancient seals. An ancient seal is a stamp or engraving that is set in either stone, metal or a hard substance like crystal. The ancient seal would be a symbol or a figure that was used to make an impression on clay or wax. It would usually be attached to an object for example a document or possession; this would give it authenticity, ownership or authority.  When the Ancient Greeks carried out studies about organisms such as animals in their environment, unicorns were mentioned. Another fact i found out about while researching the unicorn was that there is an animal in the bible that is called the re’em. When the word re’em was translated, it was associated with the word unicorn. In European Folklore a unicorn was usually described as a goat-like or horse-like animal. They described it as an animal that had a long horn and cloven hooves. However, in the Middle Ages and Renaissance Times, the unicorn was described as a creature that was very wild and lived in the forest or woods. It was believed that the unicorn was a symbol of purity and grace. It was a creature that could only be captured by a virgin. According to encyclopedias’, a unicorn's horn had the power to make poisoned water clean and pure to drink (purified) and was able to heal sickness. In the Renaissance and Medieval Times, people would sell the horn of a narwhale (a whale) and say that it was a unicorn’s horn.

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advice     Writer's & Artists Yearbook                     

The very first thing that I'd like to tell you before I give any advice is how I got into writing. It was 1998 and I was fourteen years old. I had to write a story for a Primary School student in year 3/4. I went to the school like everyone else and gathered information from the student. Things such as what was their favorite animal, what did they like etc. This information was to help me to write a story that had things in it that the student would like and was interested in. Once we had this information we planned what our story would be about and spent each English lesson writing and illustrating it. I loved the whole process of thinking of ideas, writing an outline and designing what the book would look like from front to back. Once it was finished, the feeling I got from putting this book together and the feedback I got from the student was awesome. I began to make books at home in my spare time and it became one of my hobbies. I started out doing books about birds. The reason for this was because I also drew in my spare time and one day when I spoke to my uncle and told him that I loved drawing but never knew what to draw, he showed me his drawings of birds. So I started to get books about birds and I would draw then and write a little bit about each bird. I put all the drawings and information together and stapled them together so they were books. I really enjoyed the process and would take them into school to show to my English teacher. I then decide to do some research about how to write and get a book published, at this point I didn't have a clue about anything or where to start. I came across a book called the Writer's & Artists Yearbook, which is like a bible for writers. It had so much information in it and told me everything I needed to know. So once I did my research I wrote and illustrated a book called birds and started sending it to publishers. The first bit of advice i'm going to give you is when you write, write about things that you love and are passionate about. The best piece of advice I can give you when you are starting out is to get a copy of the Writer's & Artists Yearbook. This book is awesome and has so much useful information in it.  It's a directory for writers', artists', designers' and many other talents. It has information on writing a book, the publishing process, a list of publishers, information about copyright and lots more. This was my starting point and where i got a lot of my information and knowledge from. Here's the link to the website for the Writer's & Artists Yearbook where you can get information and purchase your own copy of the book.  https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/

giveaways  

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 Win a paperback, signed copy of Sophie and Crystal Carter and the Unexpected Secret

If you'd like to win a copy of my children's book, Sophie and Crystal Carter and the Unexpected Secret, please follow these rules below. 

Visit my website http://www.kacairns.com and answer the following question.

How old was I when I first discovered my love and passion for writing? Once you have the answer, send me an email to kelzkids1983@yahoo.co.uk with the title 'book giveaway' and your name. I will announce the winner in my next M.A.G.I.C blog post.

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illustrations       Unicorn


Check out my drawing of a unicorn! This is how I drew it  
http://www.wikihow.com/Draw-a-Unicorn

creativity  How to make unicorn  poop cookies

I thought Id share this recipe because it's awesome. I had a go at making some of these myself with my daughter and we had a lot of fun. It was very messy and not a good idea for me to use my hands to mix in the food colouring, it took a few days to get rid of my green hands! So how did my cookies turn out? Well they came out multi-coloured and a little darker in colour than I wanted and they also came out square, but they tasted amazing. Here's a picture of my unicorn poop cookies. I think I need to have another go at making these! If anyone manages to make these and they look way better than mine, (which wouldn't be hard) please email me a picture of how yours turned out, i'd love to see them and put them on this blog. 

Here's the link to the website where I found the recipe for making unicorn poop cookies. Have fun!
http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/53796/unicorn-poop-cookies