Shutterstock / 13_Phunkod©“The People’s Friend” Writing Hour is held every Tuesday at 11 a.m. on Twitter and it’s always a brilliant time! It’s a time when we can get together with writers for a chat.
Every week we summarise everything that went on right here for those who missed out.
This week we talked about go-to fiction, fiction in magazines and writing outside your comfort zone.
What’s your go-to poem, song or book that’s guaranteed to cheer you up?
A couple of people mentioned that poems, songs or books from their childhood are guaranteed to help.
Why do you think so few magazines carry fiction?
There could be lots of reasons for it, but some of you mentioned time, cost and a shift in what some readers want from their magazines.
It’s a tough time for magazines. We feel lucky to still be flying the fiction flag after over 150 years.
Do you ever write “outside” your comfort zone? Perhaps a genre you wouldn’t read yourself, but you write it?
Most of you like to stick to writing inside your comfort zone. But some of you like a change of pace from time to time.
Sometimes it comes up trumps!
Yes, I have, an it was the first story I had accepted by the Friend. A historical story set in the early 1800s. I would never have thought of writing such a story if it hadn’t have been for a PF prompt.
— David Balmer (@DavidBalmer14) October 11, 2022
And sometimes it can make for a fun exercise!
A few years ago, I set myself a challenge whereby I wrote one short story per month, each in a different genre. That was a really interesting exercise, as I hadn’t read widely or at all in some of the genres.
— Liz Filleul (@lizfilleul) October 11, 2022
What’s the highest number of rewrites you’ve made to a book or story before it was accepted for publication?
It varies for everyone, but between one and five times is about average. Remember, it doesn’t matter how many rewrites a story or book goes through. The end result is always the same – a brilliant story!
Give a shout out to the person who has inspired your writing the most.
Shout outs included admired authors, encouraging teachers and family members, trusted friends and fellow writers published in The People’s Friend!
We’ll see you at our next Writing Hour on Twitter — 11 a.m. on Tuesday 18 October, 2022.
Or click here to see our previous roundups.
Abigail Phillips Abbie is the newest member of the fiction team at the "Friend." She loves how varied the role is - every day is different and there is always a new story to read. She is keen to work closely with established writers and discover new writers, too.
