Behind the Curtain

Every show has a backstage, and so does a magazine. This page pulls the curtain aside so you can see how Black Winter Day is put together: who writes it, how an idea becomes an article and what happens after it goes live.

The cast

We are a small team writing under pen names. Our editor, Nell, sets the running order and reads everything before it is published. Three regular contributors look after their favourite corners: screens and sound, gardens and growing, and music, dance and games. Now and then a friend of the magazine writes a piece about a hobby they know well, and it goes through the same edit as everything else.

We are not critics with press passes or professionals with letters after our names. We are people who care about films, songs, games and homes, and who like explaining things clearly.

How a piece comes together

1. The cue

Ideas usually start with a real question. A reader asks how to stop a playlist from sounding flat. One of us struggles with a guitar chord for a fortnight. Someone wonders why their herbs keep collapsing. If a question keeps coming up, it earns a place on the list.

2. The rehearsal

Wherever we can, we try the advice ourselves before writing it down. That might mean rearranging a living room to test speaker positions, sowing radishes in a raised bed or hosting a trial run of a game night with patient friends. If we cannot try something safely, we say so and keep the advice general.

3. The script

Drafts are written in plain language with practical steps, short sections and a clear purpose. We avoid made-up numbers and confident claims we cannot back up. Health, money and safety topics stay cautious, with a nudge towards qualified help.

4. The edit

Nell reads each draft for accuracy, tone and gaps. A second team member often reads it too, especially for practical guides, to check whether a newcomer could actually follow the steps.

5. The encore

Publishing is not the end. We return to popular pieces, fix anything readers flag and update details that have gone out of date. Older articles from the magazine's earlier years are being reviewed the same way.

What stays off stage

• We do not run display advertising or tracking scripts.
• We do not invent reviews, testimonials or expert quotes.
• We do not promise outcomes, whether that is a perfect harvest or a perfect party.

Some articles mention companies or services by name, often because a reader asked about them. Our page on how we choose what we recommend explains how we handle that.

Where to begin

If you are new here, two of our favourite recent pieces are how to plan a game night and how to learn to dance at home. They capture the spirit of the magazine: simple, friendly and meant to be used on an ordinary evening.

To learn more about the editor, visit About Me.