Our Writer Of The Week for this week is Della Galton.
You can read the first part of Della’s festive serial, “All I Want For Christmas”, in our December 1 issue.
Here, Alan takes the opportunity to ask her some of our biggest burning questions.
In the serial, “All I Want For Christmas”, there is a sense of togetherness as the three main characters encourage each other with their goals. Is friendship an important theme in your story writing?
Friendship is very much a theme for me. It’s odd, isn’t it, how things that are really important to us creep into our writing. I have the best friends in the world – both male and female. If I really needed them, I could turn up on their doorsteps in the middle of the night (this has been put to the test) and they would hug me and put the kettle on. I have done the same for them. Friendship is a two-way street.
In “The People’s Friend” your name is synonymous with short stories. Therefore, did you find it a challenge adapting to the longer format of serial writing?
Well, I have to confess that I’ve written the odd novel or two. Although, I do find that serial writing is a completely different pace from either novels or short stories. Actually, serial writing suits me very well. You can get totally engrossed in a serial but the end is also in sight. What’s not to like.
You are also an accomplished writing tutor. Is this born out of your writing, or is teaching something you have always wanted to do?
It came out of writing. When I became a full-time writer back in the year 2000 (gulp, is that really eighteen years ago!) I also had the chance to train as an Adult Education Tutor and teach four classes a week. If I’d known how much I would love teaching, I’d have gone into it straight from school.
What are you reading at present?
I am reading “Clan Of The Cave Bear” by Jean M. Auel. It’s part of a series about early humans set in the ice age. I read it when it first came out thirty or so years ago. I wanted to see if it was still as good as I thought it was then. It is!
Notebook and pencil or laptop? Kitchen table or study? Blank wall or inspiring view?
Laptop; study AKA known as garden shed; inspiring view, every time. Although it doesn’t really matter. I do quite often write on my sofa, too.
P.S., What’s your one top tip for an aspiring Writer Of The Week?
Write what you love and someone else will love it, too.
And if you loved this Writer Of The Week feature, click on the tag below to read more.
Alan Spink I am a member of the “Friend” Fiction Team. I enjoy working closely with writers and being part of the creative process, which sees storytelling ideas come to fruition. A keen reader, I also write fiction and enjoy watching football and movies in my spare time. My one tip to new writers is “write from your imagination”.
