Tag Archives: MMU

Formatting a manuscript

Posted on by Marie Dentan
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When writing a manuscript, I must confess I concentrated a first on the story the characters and the setting. But as the deadline to send my dissertation for my Master was coming closer I realised there was something had grossly over looked:

The formatting.

I’m not talking about typos, because those have a way of creeping behind your back. And so I believe that you need to have someone else read your manuscript to try and erase as much as you can because when you read a text you know, your brain does a silly thing and corrects the letters as you read, so you basically cannot spot any typos in your own text.

 

What really got me stressed was the use of coma, speech marks and so on.

 

So here are some basic rules, that apply to my Master at MMU and I believe in most places. Continue reading →

Crimelines Launch

Posted on by Marie Dentan
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So, though the launch was before the Summer, I just couldn’t resist to put pictures of my mates. They’re wonderful writers and lovely people.

So here they are after the launch.

crimelines launch2 crimelines launch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To get a detailed summary of the event, just go to the MCBF page.

crimelines

And remember that you can buy the Crimelines Anthology online at the MMU Online bookshop, because Reading isn’t a crime, Or is it?

Interview with Alison Padley-Woods

Posted on by Marie Dentan
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This series of Crimelines interview are coming to an end, and today I’m talking to

Alison Padley-Woods

Alison Padley-Woods Photo

[©2014 A. Padley-Woods]

Tell us how you got involved in the Crimelines project?

As a student at MMU I have been really lucky to get involved with the new Crimelines anthology that is being launched at the Manchester Children’s Book Festival this week. I am studying for a Creative Writing MA and specialising in children’s fiction, so this has been a great project to take part in and I am looking forward to reading my story ‘Honest Al’ at the John Rylands Library on Saturday. It was a challenge to write a story with a theme that is very different to anything I’ve written before and it is really interesting to see what a diverse range of stories are in the book. My story is very much inspired by two events in my childhood that I have rolled into one – with of course some added extras. Some of my school friends at the time would definitely recognise some threads of the story. Continue reading →

Interview with Marie Basting

Posted on by Marie Dentan
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With only days before the Crimelines launch, today I’m talking to

Marie Basting

Marie_Basting_Autor_Picture

[©2014 M.Basting]

Tell us how you got involved in the Crimelines project?

As a student on the MA Creative Writing course at MMU I was invited to submit a piece for the anthology. I was unsure at first. I’d never written a short story before, had only ever written for much younger children and knew nothing about the crime genre. In the end, I figured what the heck and went for it. Yep, what the heck, it’s how I make most of my decisions. Continue reading →

Interview with Jamie O’dowd

Posted on by Marie Dentan
1

Today in the serie of interviews, I’m talking to

Jamie O’dowd

jamie o'dowd

[©2014 J.O’dowd]

 

Tell us how you got involved in the Crimelines project?

I’ve been involved in Crimelines as a student at MMU. The theme appealed to me straight away. I like to focus on the darker aspects of life in my writing and crime and darkness go hand in hand. As a first year masters student – as well as a full time teacher and father – I didn’t think I would have enough time to become involved in the project, but it has turned out to be a fantastic experience. Continue reading →

Interview with Kay Ryder

Posted on by Marie Dentan
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in the series of Crimelines interviews, today I’m talking to

Kay Ryder

kay Ryder

[©2014 K.Ryder]

 

Tell us how you got involved in the Crimelines project?

I was invited to submit a story for consideration, as I’m a student on the MA Creative Writing for Children at MMU. I write YA fiction, so the chance to write a crime story for teenagers was exactly the kind of opportunity I was looking for. I wrote for my favourite genre, science-fiction, and I’m excited to be part of the launch and promotion too. Continue reading →

Interview with Derek Lomax

Posted on by Marie Dentan
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Today, in the Crimelines series of interview, I’m talking to

Derek Lomax

 Derek_Lomax_Author_Picture

[©2014 D.Lomax]

 

Tell us how you got involved in the Crimelines project?

I am a student of the MA Creative Writing course at MMU. As I live in Germany, I do the online variety (part-time). How I got involved with the Crimelines project is pretty much straight forward, really. We were told about the Anthology during the course and that we had a chance to participate. I sent in a story and… he presto, here we are. It’s been a pretty unspectacular way into such a spectacular event, to be honest. Maybe as an aspiring creative writer I should give it a tad more oomph? Continue reading →

Crimelines a new anthology

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I’m fortunate enough to have another of my short stories published by the Manchester school of writing.

But instead of talking about me, I want to let the other authors and editors talk about their work.

So here is the first of my Crimelines interview series.

Today, I’ll be talking to

Kim Hutson

kim hutson second interview

 [©2014 K. Hutson]

 

1)      Tell us how you got involved in the Crimelines project?

I’m about to complete a Masters in Writing for Children at MMU and I was involved in last year’s Timelines project through my course. We were asked to submit for Crimelines because of the success of last year’s book. It was great opportunity to have experiences like public readings, signing books and seeing my name in print for the first time in this context.

Continue reading →