Brand New Workshop!

Throughout its 150-year history “The People’s Friend” has been famous for its fiction. Many writers say they’d love to write one of our renowned serials, but aren’t sure how to get started. Now, to celebrate our 150th anniversary year, we’re introducing our brand-new serial-writing workshop, offering your chance to learn from the experts with experienced serial writer Alison Carter and Fiction Editor Shirley Blair

Our Experts

Shirley Blair is Fiction Editor of the “Friend” and is also a published author in her own right including seven “Friend” serials. She loves to help promising new writers develop their skills and can call on over forty years’ experience in magazine fiction to help you achieve success.

Alison Carter has had dozens of short stories published in the “Friend”, countless long read crime mysteries, and five serials. She’s learned that it’s about knowing your reader. It’s also about practice (and more practice!). But most of all it’s about enjoying a really good story.

Itinerary

10 a.m. Tea, coffee and introductions

10.30 a.m. Discussion: Shirley Blair on writing for the “Friend” and first steps in serial writing

11.30 a.m. Break

11.45 a.m. Discussion & exercise: Alison Carter on how to find and develop ideas

*12.30 p.m. Lunch

2.00 p.m. Discussion & exercise: Shirley on your serial’s characters

2.30 p.m. Discussion & exercise: Alison Carter on plot generation

3.15 p.m. Break

3.30 p.m. Talk: practical tips, word counts, synopsis, etc

4.15 p.m. Questions

4.30 p.m. Finish

You can read about some of the previous workshops here; https://www.thepeoplesfriend.co.uk/2018/09/28/york-workshop-sept-20-2018/

*Please note lunch is not provided. Tea/coffee will be provided.