I'm The People's Friend online writer of the week. www.thepeoplesfriend.co.uk/writing/writ...

Join us for the Ghastly Ghosts Taught Virtual Retreat - 1 and 2 November In this one we’ll be writing and discussing ghostly and supernatural stories. Only £30. Price includes a critique of a piece of work up to 2,500 words. Please comment for details.

Join us for our Science Fiction & Fantasy Virtual Retreat - 11 &12 October Let’s explore everything from romantasy to urban fantasy, and from steampunk to space opera. Only £30. Price includes a critique of a piece of work up to 2,500 words. Please PM for more info.

Join us for our Science Fiction & Fantasy Virtual Retreat - 11 &12 October Let’s explore everything from romantasy to urban fantasy, and from steampunk to space opera. Only £30. Price includes a critique of a piece of work up to 2,500 words. Please PM for more info.

Zoom links for this will be going out tomorrow! Still time to sign up if you'd like to join us.

Zoom links for this will be going out tomorrow! Still time to sign up if you'd like to join us.

Not long to go now! Join us on Wednesday evening for our Poetry Evening. All welcome. You don’t need to actually be a poet, just interested in listening to some poetry and spending a couple of hours in the company of fellow writers.

Virtual Poetry Evening on Wednesday! All welcome. Whether you write poetry, or read or listen to poetry, we have an event you’ll love. The Solus Or Poetry Evening is on Wednesday 10 Sept from 7-9pm on Zoom. Our guest poet will be Kenneth Steven. Only £15. PM for details.

Less than a week to go!

One week to go!

Summer’s end is always a slightly poignant moment but there are compensations. We’re being spoiled this week.

One week to go!

Tonight’s early autumn sunset.

Amazing skies tonight.

Coming up very soon!

Virtual Poetry Evening next week! All welcome. Whether you write poetry, or read or listen to poetry, we have an event you’ll love. The Solus Or Poetry Evening is on Wednesday 10 Sept from 7-9pm on Zoom. Our guest poet will be Kenneth Steven. Only £15. PM for details. #poetry

Virtual Poetry Evening next week! All welcome. Whether you write poetry, or read or listen to poetry, we have an event you’ll love. The Solus Or Poetry Evening is on Wednesday 10 Sept from 7-9pm on Zoom. Our guest poet will be Kenneth Steven. Only £15. PM for details. #poetry

Our guest poet will be Kenneth Steven. He'll be reading some of his poetry and talking about his inspiration and craft. There’ll also be an opportunity to get creative yourself, and to ask Kenneth any questions about his work. The cost is only £15. PM for details. #poetry

Only two weeks to go! All welcome. Do you write poetry? Do you enjoy reading or listening to poetry? Would you like to write poetry? We have an upcoming event that you’ll love. The Solus Or Online Poetry Reading Evening will take place on Wednesday 10 Sept from 7-9pm on Zoom.

Only two weeks to go! All welcome. Do you write poetry? Do you enjoy reading or listening to poetry? Would you like to write poetry? We have an upcoming event that you’ll love. The Solus Or Online Poetry Reading Evening will take place on Wednesday 10 Sept from 7-9pm on Zoom.

Science Fiction & Fantasy Virtual Retreat – 6 and 7 September. Only £30. Price includes a critique of a piece of work up to 2,500 words. If you'd like to join us, please PM your email address and I'll send you more information and a booking form. #WritingCommunity #amwriting

Only two weeks to go! If you want to join us for this one, please let me know as I'll be starting on the handouts soon.

Only two weeks to go! If you want to join us for this one, please let me know as I'll be starting on the handouts soon.

Only two weeks to go! If you want to join us for this one, please let me know as I'll be starting on the handouts soon.

Only two weeks to go! If you want to join us for this one, please let me know as I'll be starting on the handouts soon.

Only two weeks to go! If you want to join us for this one, please let me know as I'll be starting on the handouts soon.

Only two weeks to go! If you want to join us for this one, please let me know as I'll be starting on the handouts soon.

Only £30. Price includes a critique of a piece of work up to 2,500 words. If you'd like to join us, please PM your email address and I'll send you more information and a booking form. #WritingCommunity #writing

Includes five zoom sessions: What do I want to write? - genre and sub-genre. From romantasy to urban fantasy, and from steampunk to space opera. World building, plots and premises. Science v magic. Learning from the best. Final thoughts and Q & A.

Do you write poetry? Would you like to write poetry? Do you enjoy reading or listening to poetry? If any of these apply to you, we have an upcoming event that you’ll love. The Solus Or Online Poetry Reading Evening will take place on Wednesday 10 September from 7-9pm on Zoom.

Science Fiction & Fantasy Virtual Retreat – 6 and 7 September. Only £30. Price includes a critique of a piece of work up to 2,500 words. If you'd like to join us, please PM your email address and I'll send you more information and a booking form. #WritingCommunity #amwriting

I have been out very often lately, and would rather stay at home. #JaneAusten #MansfieldPark

Which isn't to say you *shouldn't* try to be a professional writer if you want to. But know what it entails. Writing for a living comes with many stresses, uncertainties, disappointments. Of course, it can still be fun. But as soon as you're doing it professionally, it will never be the same.

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 178: The benefits of writing for pleasure are many: it helps literacy, interpersonal skills, vocabulary; even lowers blood pressure. It's fun. It's therapeutic. And guess what? You can enjoy all these things without ever seeking to become a professional writer.

An Introduction to Publishing and Self-publishing Virtual Retreat – 2 and 3 August 2025. We’ll be discussing different routes to publication and how to achieve them. Only £30. Price includes a critique of up to 2,500 words. Please PM your email address for more information.

I might add that my first wife died from a neurological disease (a very aggressive form of MS) which left her utterly physically and mentally disabled within 5 years of the initial diagnosis so my tolerance of this bollocks is very low.

The 1* Amazon reviews of The Salt Path are worth a read (the ones from around its publication rather than those after today’s revelations). Lots of people weren’t fooled.

Further details, including date, time and fee will be available soon. If you’re interested and would like to receive further information, please PM me in order to receive the details as soon as they are available.

Do you write, or want to write, poetry? Do you enjoy reading or listening to poetry? If so, we are planning an event you’ll love. Our Online Poetry Reading Evening will be hosted by Solus Or & led by a professional, widely published poet. We’ll be announcing who soon.

Do you write, or want to write, poetry? Do you enjoy reading or listening to poetry? If so, we are planning an event you’ll love. Our Online Poetry Reading Evening will be hosted by Solus Or & led by a professional, widely published poet. We’ll be announcing who soon.

Only a few days to go!

Only a few days to go!

Only a few days to go!

In between the Zoom sessions there will be free writing sessions, led by prompts and exercises in the form of handouts. Price also includes a critique of a piece of work up to 2,500 words. Only £30. If you'd like to join us, please PM your email address for more info.

Includes 5 zoom sessions: Access all memories – how can we stimulate our recollection of the past? Remembering and recreating – how much can we remember and how can we fill in the gaps? Themes in life writing – how can we use themes to bring our work together? Ups and downs. Q&A

Only one week to go! Join us for ‘Memoir and Life Writing’ a taught virtual retreat on 5 and 6 July. The retreat may also be of interest to fiction writers who want to draw on their own experiences. I can promise fun, inspiration and laughter. Only £30. Please PM for more info.

Only one week to go! Join us for ‘Memoir and Life Writing’ a taught virtual retreat on 5 and 6 July. The retreat may also be of interest to fiction writers who want to draw on their own experiences. I can promise fun, inspiration and laughter. Only £30. Please PM for more info.

Just over two weeks to go!

Just over two weeks to go!

Just over two weeks to go!