“The People’s Friend” Writer Of the Week is Cat Jones. Cat’s story, “A Wish Come True”, is in “The People’s Friend” Annual 2025, on sale now.
In your story, the romance and legend delightfully complemented each other. Where did the idea come from?
I was clearing out a cupboard one day and found a couple of my children’s old books on Welsh fairy tales and traditional folk tales. When I was looking through them, I realised that they aren’t as well-known now as they were when I was a child. This encouraged me to do more research and to try and integrate the basis of a traditional tale into a modern-day story, to bring them back to life.
What are the benefits of writing stories set in your home country of Wales? Are there any drawbacks?
I think one of the main benefits is that my passion and knowledge of my home country hopefully comes through into my stories, which hopefully makes them more interesting for the reader. I’m not sure there are any drawbacks, but I think it could be quite easy not to give enough information when you know a place so well. Don’t assume the reader knows your home country as well as you.
Story research – love it or loathe it?
I very much enjoy doing the research and the whole process of summarising information. Making lots of notes (with pen and paper) has always been my natural way to learn and helps me to absorb new information. I would rather have too much material than not enough, so I probably over-research. It’s then a jigsaw puzzle, making sure all the correct pieces fit together.
What are your favourite genres to read?
It definitely depends on my mood. It can range from family drama and romance to legal or psychological thrillers, or suspense and crime. I also enjoy fantasy literature, but I don’t read these as often. I have been known to have a couple of books on the go at the same time.
Notebook and pencil or laptop? Kitchen table or study? Blank wall or inspiring view?
All of them for different reasons. My natural “go to” is the notebook and pen, which maybe is typical of my generation as we grew up writing, not typing. My storyline and research and any initial ideas definitely flow quicker and easier when I use pen and paper. There are lots of highlighted notes and arrows and crossings out all over the place, which must look very disjointed to anyone else, but it makes sense to me. However, when I am writing my first proper draft that’s when I move to my laptop and things start to take shape.
I can be writing in my office, at the kitchen table, on the sofa or bed, or outside in the garden room. It all depends what feels good on the day. If I’m struggling with my writing, I will move from one room to the next until I feel settled.
Most of the time I would say “blank wall”. I get my head down and write, with no distractions. Sitting in cafés, visiting places, watching people and looking at inspiring views are definitely good to do for stimulating creativity, but personally there’s too much to watch or look at for me to get much writing done.
What’s your one top tip for aspiring writers?
I started writing on and off a few years ago, with no defined plan and my work became quite stagnant. A couple of years later, in order to gain some momentum, I became more organised and put time slots in my diary in order to prioritise my writing. This worked and I wrote weekly, which stimulated my creativity, and then my stories started to flow. But things can change quite easily and, before I knew it, I fell out of the habit of writing.
As the old adage goes – “life just got in the way”. Writing here and there doesn’t give me momentum and that’s when I find it hard to be enthusiastic. So my answer is, find a regular pattern with your writing – even if it’s only for half an hour. Turn writing into a habit.
It was lovely to hear from you Cat, and congratulations on being “The People’s Friend” Writer of the Week!
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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”.
