Here’s the booking form for our latest short story workshops in Dundee and York next month, September 2017. And the pic shows the meeting room here in Dundee. Can’t you just see yourself sitting there, being inspired?
I’m often asked by writers who have attended before if this’ll be a new one. No, not really. The information is updated in terms of what we’re looking for – styles, genres, our boundaries, and so on – because that’s all part of any magazine’s evolution. But the basic structure of the workshop remains the same because my philosophy is, If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. When I get no one wanting these, that’s when I’ll look at introducing something new.
Having said that, though, I am beginning to think we might add in one on writing serials for The People’s Friend, and pocket novels. Would they be of interest, anyone?
But to get back to the short story workshops, I’m still seeing a consistent demand for the basics of how to write a short story for The People’s Friend, how to submit that story if you’ve never done so before, what we’re looking for, and the solid hands-on experience of our workshop environment.
They’re a friendly environment, too. Everyone has the same interest, the same enthusiasm, the same insecurities…. I know firm friendships have been forged at past workshops, and I know, too, that they bring about increasing success for writers.
Actually, I might do a blogpost about that later: name some names who’ve been accepted since they attended. And I’ll look out some feedback, too, so that you can read the things people say about the workshops.
Kate Blackadder is working with me again this time, and she’s excellent. Her talks are very well structured, offering lots of essential information, hints, tips, exercises, and she’s very patient as I lurk in the background interrupting!
The booking form is in issues dated August 19 and 26, and here.
Shirley Blair Fiction Ed Shirley’s been with the “Friend” since 2007 and calls it her dream job because she gets to read fiction all day every day. Hobbies? Well, that would be reading! She also enjoys writing fiction when she has time, long walks, travel, and watching Scandi thrillers on TV.
