The Country Writers Craft

Suzanne Ruthven argues that there is one golden rule that covers all writing of country subjects – it is all seasonal based. Traditional country cooking, wildlife subjects, farming life and practice, weather, country sports… the list goes on and on. They are all country subjects for the writer, and they are all seasonal based.

That means that they all require advance planning; it is no good approaching an editor in November to offer an article on, for example, Welsh Christmas traditions. Such and article will have been agreed back in June.

For this reason, Suzanne Ruthven’s book does not have the usual linear chapter structure. Instead, each chapter discusses a different month of the year, looking at the subject matter, marketing opportunities and writing tips that are important to the country writer in that month.

Finding new creative opportunities for new markets, and turning them into saleable ideas, are driving themes throughout the book which therefore becomes a combined how-to reference tool and market guide for country writers.