Meet our Writer Of The Week, Della Galton.
When it comes to writing, and teaching about writing, Della is success in motion.
Here she shares with us a little bit about her writing journey.
“Back when I was in my early twenties, I joined an Adult Education class called Writing for Profit and Pleasure. At our first class the tutor asked if anyone had any successes to report. A young woman a little older than me said she had just sold her twenty-seventh story that year to a magazine called ‘Loving’ (which was for teenagers and is sadly now gone).
My life’s purpose
“I looked at her in awe. In that moment I decided this was my life’s purpose to be a published writer just like her. I did actually sell a story quite quickly. This is easy, I thought. Oh, the naivety! It was not easy to sell another story to a magazine, and, if anything, I think it’s harder to sell one today.
“Even though I make my living from writing and have done so for the last fourteen years, I am still thrilled when I make a sale. I have sold over a thousand short stories since I went full time, as well as three novels, a memoir about a dog I brought back from Greece, a diet book and four writing guides. Oh, and I also have a selection of novellas out, which were originally published in magazines as serials. Phew that would explain why I feel tired!
“But I love writing. I can’t imagine a life without it and I love working for the ‘Friend’ because their editors are such a charming bunch of people. Warm and inspiring rather like the stories in the magazine.
I don’t believe you ever stop learning
“Today, I also teach writing classes twice a week during term time in Bournemouth and I lecture at conferences around the UK in the summer. I still attend that same class I joined twenty-seven years ago, because I don’t believe you ever stop learning. And I still find other writers both the ones I teach, and the ones in my class just as inspiring as that first student I ever met.”
You can catch up with Della’s latest story, “Agent Brown’s Mission”, in our September 27 issue.
For more from our Writer Of The Week series, click the tag below.
Are you interested in seeing your story in “The People’s Friend”? Click here to see our submission guidelines.
