Writing is a craft that needs time, dedication, and accountability. Writing consistently is more important than writing perfectly. What do you think- do you agree?

Happy New Year from all of us at Writing West Midlands. Wishing you a very creative 2026, full of inspiration for your writing. #HappyNewYear #Writers #KeepWriting

Last chance to apply for our annual Room 204 Writers Development Programme! Deadline: Wednesday 7th January 2026. This is your chance to access professional mentoring, networking, one-to-ones with Writing West Midlands staff and access to the wider Room 204 network. Apply now: buff.ly/Gpr6cTi

Writing groups and communities not only help writers polish their creative writing skills but also allow them to expand their network and meet with like-minded creative individuals. Comment down the writing groups that you are part of and that you would recommend more writers to join!

Check out this line-up of courses and workshops to start your new year with a creative boost! Visit writingwestmidlands.org or click the link in the bio for more details. Secure your place now!

Almost every writer faces a creative block throughout the different phases of the writing process. Some ways to overcome it can be through reading more, using writing prompts or even join a writing group. How do you get over your writing block? Share with us in the comments.

Take a look at this list of writing competitions and submit your creative work to whichever suits you the best:

Writers! What other way to end a productive year than gifting yourself (or someone you know) a Christmas treat? We've lined-up some excellent online courses and a double workshop to look forward to in the new year. Head to the link in bio and secure your place now #writingworkshop #onlinecourse

Applications for our annual Room 204 Writers Development Programme open today! Every year we select a small number of emerging writers from the West Midlands to work with us on a programme of creative writing career development. Apply now: buff.ly/Gpr6cTi

Jonathan Davidson explains how the Arts Council England's DYCP award gives writers, storytellers and performers the time and funding they need to develop their creativity. Details: Part 1: Wednesday 18th March 2026, 19:00 – 20:30 GMT and Part 2: Wednesday 25th March 2026, 19:00 – 20:30 GMT

Across 5 live and interactive Zoom sessions, award-winning fiction writer Jane Rogers will teach you the craft of short story writing. Monday evenings from the 2nd-30th March 2026 For more more information and to book visit: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/march-2026...

Applications are open for the third year of the Paul McVeigh Residency! This is an amazing opportunity for fiction and non-fiction writers living in the UK and Ireland. Get more info here: paulmcveighwriter.com/2025/10/17/t... Application deadline: 30th November, 2025

Get your manuscripts assessed for free through the TLC Free Reads Scheme for low income and/or underrepresented writers! The deadline for submissions is Monday, 8th December, 2025, midnight. Head over to the link in bio for more info. #tlcfreereads #schemeforwriters #lowincomewriters

Join prose writer Sally Jenkins and Jonathan Davidson, Chief Executive of Writing West Midlands, for a conversation about getting into print and developing as a writer. Get the chance to ask questions and network with other writers for FREE! Secure your place now- link in bio.

An opportunity has come up to join our small team in Birmingham! Application Deadline: Midnight on Sunday 23rd November 2025. Interview date: Monday 1st December 2025 in Birmingham, in person, daytime. Fore more info and to apply please click here: writingwestmidlands.org/job-programm...

Final call for all 16-25 year olds interested in pursuing a career in writing! Our dynamic event Careers in Writing is happening this Saturday, 8th Nov, from 12pm to 4:30pm at BCU, Birmingham. Learn about potential career options in and around the world of books and media! Link in bio for tickets!

Dive deep into the world of romance writing with award-winning romance author, Alison May, through this online short course in 'Writing Romantic Fiction.' For more information and tickets, head to the link in bio. #writingromance #romaticfiction #onlineshortcourse

Join us for an essential day of talks, workshops & networking for 16-25 year olds exploring a career in the world of writing. Tickets £15, book now to secure your place

Join Caroline Butterwick's Freelance Feature Writing Course to cover freelancing as a features writer, researching for articles and getting your work commissioned. Time & Place: 7th Jan, 2026 - 4th Feb, 2026 19:00-21:00 GMT Every Wednesday on Zoom Head over to the link in the bio for more details

🎤 Not all writing lives on the page – and some of the most exciting opportunities for writers today happen off it. This panel explores the world of writing for performance, from theatre and filmmaking to writing for audio, spoken word, and poetry. 🔗 buff.ly/DM25TSD

Anna Lawrence is piloting a new in-person writing group for Creative Writing MA graduates (or those whose BA had a strong writing focus). It's for people who want to keep writing, stay motivated, and connect with peers, no matter how long ago they finished their studies. 🔗 buff.ly/SorSIac

Really looking forward to running first Sparks workshop of the year #youngwriters @writingwestmids.bsky.social

Come to the Birmingham Literature Festival for a Journey Through the Infernal Garden with poet Gregory Leadbetter Sunday 12 October 8pm www.ticketsource.co.uk/bhamlitfest/... @writingwestmids.bsky.social

Last chance to enroll on @thelitconsultancy.bsky.social TLC's Amplify programme, for writers needing a creative boost. Make tangible progress, gain insight into your writing & discover an engaged writing community as you find your momentum. ▶ bit.ly/TLC-Amplify-25

Just a handful of spaces remain on @thelitconsultancy.bsky.social TLC's Self-Editing Fiction course with Jon Barton! Come tackle your manuscript edit, as Jon helps you craft a bespoke checklist & come away with your own action plan. ▶ bit.ly/TLC-Fiction-25

Calling all translators with an interest in South Asian literature! Come and join our workshop at #BhamLitFest25, led by Kavita Bhanot Sat 11 Oct, 10-12, The Exchange, Birmingham Tickets: tinyurl.com/2jk529yk Presented in partnership with @englishpen.bsky.social @writingwestmids.bsky.social

Free tickets for book launch at #BhamLitFest25: tinyurl.com/2f7c8dss Sat 11 Oct, 2-3.30pm, The Exchange (in-person/online) With Marilyn Booth, @rudotranslates.bsky.social, Seán McDonagh, @eletenf.bsky.social, Georgia Wall & Anam Zafar @theemmapress.bsky.social @writingwestmids.bsky.social

#BookRecs Babylon by Dalia Al-Dujaili (@saqibooks.bsky.social) and This Part is Silent by SJ Kim both explore what it means to belong to the land and to a nation. Join the conversation on the 11th Oct 2025, 5pm. 🔗 buff.ly/uk0IGSR

#BookRecs The New Age of Sexism is an investigation into the ways the internet and AI are making the real & online world unsafe for women and boys, from a young age. Join Laura at the #BhamLitFest25 on Fri, 10th Oct 25 6.30pm. 🔗 buff.ly/BDRL1ST

This year's festival runs from the 9-18 October and we are thrilled to let you know some of the fantastic authors we'll be featuring. Ticket went live this weekend and are moving fast! Head to birminghamliteraturefestival.org for the full lineup and to book tickets while you can!

Our programme and ticket sales go live tomorrow and we’ve been working on an excellent little surprise for you 👀 #punksandchancers #BLF2025 #literaturefestival

🎪 We are announcing our programme, and ticket sales will go live on our website this Friday! #BirminghamEvents #BirminghamLiteratureFestival #LiteratureFestival #BookEvents

@ninearchespress.bsky.social Summer Poetry Workshop - Mashups and Collisions with Tania Hershman. Join them for a 2-hour in-person poetry workshop at the Birmingham and Midlands Institute, city centre, on Saturday 2nd August from 1 pm. Led by hybrid writer Tania Hershman. buff.ly/JxAlgA1

Our Room 204 Writers Natalie Linh Bolderston and Lisa Blower will be running a series of free writing-related activities at the Stoke Library. To book a place on the workshop or a feedback slot, please contact Stoke Library: [email protected] / 01782 238446 buff.ly/sE6uLvf

@mptmagazine.bsky.social Modern Poetry in Translation is now open for general submissions. Submit translations of poems from any language into English. Deadline: 15 August 2025. Please head to their page and or website for more details and to submit. 🔗 buff.ly/Z2zO9lt #WritingCommunity

Are you ready, Birmingham? Our line-up for the first Hay Festival After Hours: Birmingham is out now. Join us! www.hayfestival.com/c-203-hay-fe...

🖊️At this year's National Writers Conference, Lucy Martin gave insights into how the publishing industry works. Here, she speaks about how an author's heart and motivations in the story can drive the publicity of their work. #Publishing #PublishingInsights #WriterCommunity #Writers

🎊 Congratulations to Jane Commane for winning the @societyofauthors.bsky.social Cholmondeley Award. Founded in 1966, these awards recognise the achievement and distinction of individual poets. #PoetryAward #BirminghamWriters #Poetry #WritingCommunity

A fun, engaging oral storytelling club designed to build confidence, courage, and oracy skills in children through the magical art of spoken stories! Click here to book: daniellefree.co.uk#spokenstories

This exciting Publishing Intern placement with @theemmapress.bsky.social provides a hands-on opportunity to explore sales, publicity, and marketing in an independent publishing house based in Birmingham. Click here for more info and to apply! opportunities.creativeaccess.org.uk/job/publishi...

Writing can be a lonely experience, don't forget to connect with friends when you can! ✨ 🖋️ #WriterTips #WritingCommunity

For the *ninth* year in a row, @tlcuk.bsky.social are partnering with Michael Langan to offer 5 UK-based LGBTQ+ writers free feedback on 15k words of writing, all through #pride month! Find out more and how to apply here: literaryconsultancy.co.uk/2025/05/anno... #TLCFreeReads #WritingCommunity

An evening reflecting upon the resilience of Palestinians in Gaza. Saturday 14 June, 7.45pm. Presented by Comma Press, this is a performance of testimonies from people experiencing what Amnesty International and the UN have both described as a genocide. www.belgrade.co.uk/events/voice...

Calling all poets under 25 - the current challenge on Young Poets Network closes next weekend! The challenge: write a poem inspired by the Modern Poetry in Translation archive. Find prompts and enter by 22 June: bit.ly/YPN-MPT

@ninearchespress.bsky.social Summer Poetry Workshop - Mashups and Collisions with Tania Hershman, a 2-hour in-person poetry workshop at the Birmingham and Midlands Institute, city centre, on Saturday 2nd Aug from 1pm. Led by hybrid writer Tania Hershman. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/summer-poe...

✨ Spark Young Writers is back! ✨ With 24 groups across the West Midlands, there’s a place for every young storyteller to grow their confidence, creativity and craft. 📚 BOOKINGS ARE NOW LIVE — head to the link in bio to find your nearest group and secure your spot! buff.ly/wEvBRLS

In tribute to Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o (1938-2025), Wasafiri has lifted the paywall on a range of his articles, stories, and interviews from our 41-year-old archive, each introduced by @flostadt.bsky.social‬, Deputy Chair and Trustee of Wasafiri. Read & access here:

Today I (Roya) am at @writingwestmids.bsky.social National Writers Conference, where I've already been inspired and informed more than I could have imagined.

Hi Readers! We’ve been away doing Stuff, most recently the @writingwestmids.bsky.social conference which of course was excellent. Here’s a snap of what you missed! @leenanorms.bsky.social @riotcommons.bsky.social @jaccigooding.bsky.social @gwynethbox.bsky.social #authors #writingcommunity #books 📚📝

Really great to be at the @writingwestmids.bsky.social National Conference today. Selling a manuscript panel now!