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Reposted by Dr Helen Murray Taylor

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 3d

Ready to submit but swamped by listings? Writers' HQ have done the hard work for us. 5 of the best opportunities for writers this month.

What's stopping you? #WomenWritersNet #blueskywriters #writingcompetitions

Writers’ HQ @writershq.bsky.social · 3d

Looking to get your words into the world but completely overwhelmed by a billionty-hundred-squundred competitions and submission listings? WELL LOOK NO FURTHER. We have distilled a whole bunch of literary opportunities for your glorious self.

writershq.co.uk/5-competitio...

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Reposted by Dr Helen Murray Taylor

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 2d

'Censorship is so 1984. Read for your rights.'
There's loads of info about #BannedBooksWeek from @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social and @bannedbooksweek.bsky.social on their socials and websites. The chart in this graphic tells a very clear story and it's a sobering one.

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Reposted by Dr Helen Murray Taylor

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 2d

The @merriam-webster.com feed is essential reading for anyone who loves words, enjoys a grammar tiff, and gets overexcited by obscure roots of common phrases. Is that just me? 😄
Also I now have the best apology for being late.
#WomenWritersNet #amwriting #dictionarylover

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 20d

“I’ll be 10 min late sorry!!!”
-ashamed
-fragile
-unreliable

“A thousand apologies. The relentless slog of time has overtaken my faculties.”
-powerful
-commanding
-honest

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Reposted by Dr Helen Murray Taylor

Lynne_SCILT @lynnescilt.bsky.social · 6d

Come join authors from @scotbpocwriters.bsky.social for a panel discussion. Writing Scotland's Future: Perspectives from Writers of Colour takes place 15/10/25 #BlackHistoryMonth at @unistrathclyde.bsky.social The Ramshorn. Lunch provided. Register for your free place: tinyurl.com/Writing-Scot...

Promotional flyer for 'Writing Scotland's Future: Perspectives from Writers of Colour' event on Wednesday 15 October 2025 at The Ramshorn, 98 Ingram Street, Glasgow G1 1EX. Panel of writers of colour will comprise: Titilayo Farukuoye, Yasmin Hanif and Safina Mazher. QR code in bottom right corner links to registration page.

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Reposted by Dr Helen Murray Taylor

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 2d

What do you do when all you've ever wanted to do is write but your life is just too busy? Our very own Liz Champion is struggling with this dilemma.
Read her Substack, Midlife without a Map. Touching, funny, honest.

lizchampion.substack.com/p/my-life-is...

My life is not working

I need to make a change

lizchampion.substack.com

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Reposted by Dr Helen Murray Taylor

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 1d

Yesterday I received a real letter in the post from a 92-year-old friend of my dad's. He wrote to thank me for writing my memoir, love lay down beside me and we wept.
Reviews are good for our profiles as writers but heartfelt thanks are good for our souls. 🧡
#WomenWritersNet

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Reposted by Dr Helen Murray Taylor

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 1d

Adjective order: And I thought French with its erratic rules was hard.
I am glad I didn't have to learn English as a second language and that this comes naturally (although I do like to mess with it on purpose for effect).
#grammarfun #WomenWritersNet

www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/one-...

Putting Adjectives in the Right Order

You do this without even thinking

www.merriam-webster.com

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Reposted by Dr Helen Murray Taylor

Women's Prize @womensprize.bsky.social · 1d

Meet the Judges of the 2026 Women’s Prizes!

A warm welcome to: Julia Gillard, @monaarshiwrites.bsky.social, Salma El-Wardany, Cariad Lloyd and Annie Macmanus, and Thangam Debbonaire, Roma Agrawal, Nicola Elliott, Nina Stibbe and Nicola Williams.

#WomensPrize

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Dr Helen Murray Taylor @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social · 1h

This books looks excellent. I wish it had been available before I wrote #lovelaydown. It might have helped me through some of the tricky stuff around writing memoir. I did a lot of soul searching about memory, truth, and whether there was any value in sharing my story.

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 4h

A ‘clearsighted and passionate exploration of the craft of memoir writing’
Wonderful review of Into Being by @lilydunn.bsky.social We can’t wait to get our hands on a copy. It sounds like essential reading for all memoirists.
#WomenWritersNet
www.rte.ie/culture/2025...

Book Of The Week: Exploring the radical craft of memoir

Towards the end of her clearsighted and passionate exploration of the craft of memoir writing, author Lily Dunn quotes memoirists she has interviewed for the book.

www.rte.ie

Reposted by Dr Helen Murray Taylor

Kerry Hadley-Pryce @kerryhp.bsky.social · 4h

My lovely publisher, Salt Publishing, @saltpublishing.com www.saltpublishing.com have big plans for the coming years, but indie publishers can always do with some help so please do buy a book from them, or help by sharing or donating to gofund.me/221f0c807

Beautiful Books You Won’t Forget | Salt Publishing

Welcome to Salt, one of the UK’s great independent publishing houses. Since our founding in 1999, we have published some of the world’s foremost writers.

www.saltpublishing.com

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Reposted by Dr Helen Murray Taylor

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 3h

We love it that the Christopher Bland Prize recognises debut novelists and non-fiction writers over 50. Not all of us are spring chickens 😁 Now open for entries.
#WomenWritersNet

Royal Society of Literature @rsliterature.bsky.social · 2d

The 2026 Christopher Bland Prize is now open for entry 🏆

Closing 5pm on Friday 5 December 2025: https://rsliterature.org/rsl-christopher-bland-prize/

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Reposted by Dr Helen Murray Taylor

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 11d

Last Thursday, @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social interviewed @luluallison.bsky.social about her new novel, "Beast", for our monthly @womenwritersnet.bsky.social #AuthorInterview. You can find it with the hashtag #WomenWritersNet. Helen's own #LoveLayDown was also recently released. Here's a review!

Valeria Vescina @valeriavescina.bsky.social · Aug 26

I've just finished reading @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social's 'Love lay down beside me and we wept' - an important mental-health #memoir. Here's my 5-star review: valeriavescina.com/2025/08/26/r... #newbooks #newbook #bookreview

Review of ‘Love lay down beside me and we wept’

love lay down beside me and we wept by Helen Murray TaylorMy rating: 5 of 5 starsAny one-liner for describing what this memoir is about would do it an injustice: it could not encompass its range. I…

valeriavescina.com

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Dr Helen Murray Taylor @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social · 16d

I'm really looking forward to chatting to @luluallison.bsky.social about her new novel #Beast published by @ofmooseandmen.bsky.social on Thursday night. Feel free to join in the chat over on our @womenwritersnet.bsky.social feed. It starts at 6 pm UK time.
#authorinterview #WomenWritersNet

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Dr Helen Murray Taylor @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social · 20d

Thank you. Lovely to chat with everyone #WomenWritersNet

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Dr Helen Murray Taylor @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social · 20d

A6 #WomenWritersNet Writing reviews on our own websites, Goodreads or any of the booksellers and sharing them is also a brilliant way to support women writers. Reviews are SO important.

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Dr Helen Murray Taylor @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social · 20d

A6 #WomenWritersNet I agree with @joannahastings.bsky.social about sharing the books that we've been enjoying and tagging the author. It is such a simple thing to do and authors really appreciate it. And it is so exciting as a reader when you make contact with your favourite writers.

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Dr Helen Murray Taylor @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social · 20d

A6 #WomenWritersNet It is a lovely thing to do, isn't it. And authors appreciate it so much.

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Dr Helen Murray Taylor @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social · 20d

Total agreement here, Rita.

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Dr Helen Murray Taylor @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social · 20d

A3 One of the few advantages of crowdfunding a book was that we got the data that showed where the orders came from. It was very satisfying to see orders from strangers who had seen one of my social media posts.

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Dr Helen Murray Taylor @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social · 20d

A3 Wouldn't it be useful if you could actually measure this properly? I know there are analytics to see the reach of our posts etc but how much of this converts to sales? (I'm sure there is data out there somewhere to tell us what the optimum number of posts/ideal reach is but I haven't seen it).

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Dr Helen Murray Taylor @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social · 20d

Thanks both of you. I'll take another look at it.

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Dr Helen Murray Taylor @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social · 20d

A4 #WomenWritersNet I can safely say that my social media strategy is not very effective! However, I have a few favourite accounts (bookshops that I've had contact with, friends who are writers, mental health campaigners) that I make sure I interact with as much as I can to maintain contact.

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Dr Helen Murray Taylor @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social · 20d

A2 #WomenWritersNet Yes, I'm looking forward to taking my turn and getting back into the swing of it on Bluesky

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Dr Helen Murray Taylor @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social · 20d

A3 #WomenWritersNet I'm trying to accept that my social media strategy is haphazard. That I can do it when I'm feeling up but if I feel I need a break from it, then it isn't the end of the world.

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Dr Helen Murray Taylor @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social · 20d

A3 #WomenWritersNet With my memoir, I was definitely wary about potential criticism or even trolls because it would have felt so personal. But actually my biggest challenge is trying not to feel overwhelmed by what I *should* be doing.

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