On either side of the desk
Piers Blofeld’s From the other side of the desk column (WM, Nov) really struck a chord.
There are many of us struggling to survive the financial backlash of Covid, loss of work and loss of income. Who wouldn’t love to go on a writing course and join many others who may or may not go on to become bestselling authors?
However, there are some extremely good and wise free courses out there so I would recommend you take a good look.
Sign up for your favourite author’s newsletters, search the internet for the wise words of the previously unknown author.
You would be surprised, as I was, just how much is out there (although of course I should mention that too much information can also get in the way of the actual writing itself).
I have, due to loss of work and income, enjoyed several kind authors’ mini-courses, prompts, advice and wisdom, all free online, and would highly recommend you take a look. So don’t despair, there is help out there for those of us who simply cannot pay for the very course we think would help.
Happy hunting!
KIM MACE
Scarborough
I was very interested to read Piers Blofeld’s article (WM, Oct) on writing and publishing for older readers, especially with the enormous success of the Thursday Murder Club and its older cast, so I was deeply disappointed to find it was simply a complaint about pronouns. There are plenty of reasons for giving our pronouns in written communications. Piers, after all, is less likely to be mistaken for a woman than Alex, who, even in 2021, may find that she gets more prompt and helpful answers to her emails from people who think she’s Alexander rather than Alexandra. And that’s not to mention people who use ‘they’ or other gender-neutral pronouns. Fiction is a place to explore and celebrate differences, but if we can’t even do that with our colleagues, how can we hope to do it with our characters? I sincerely hope that ‘where it will end’ is in the growing audience for older, queer and nonwhite authors, readers and characters, in all of our rainbow diversity, continuing to blossom.
RACHEL TITLEY (she/her)
Halifax, West Yorkshire