INSIDE the May issue of Writing Magazine:

• Star interview with Costa Book of the Year winner Frances Hardinge
• New interview series - top authors pick their five favourite reads, starting with Shamim Sarif
• Also interviewed: crime writer Angela Marsons, historical novelist Jason Hewitt and YA author Bryony Pearce
• Before you write your novel - everything you need to know before you start 
• Aim for the top! Form your five-year writing plan 
• Short story masterclass - handling pace in fiction
• Reinventing the bard - be inspired by Shakespeare
• Inspiring ideas for children’s books
• Publishing behind the scenes- we follow a book through its entire publication process: early stages, typesetting, design, initial marketing