Writing Hour Roundup: 24 November 2020


writing hour

Hello and welcome to our roundup of “The People’s Friend” Writing Hour.

Our Writing Hour takes place over on Twitter every Tuesday at 11 a.m. It not only gives us all a chance to chat about our stories with readers and contributors, it also lets you all ask us questions.

Here’s a summary of what we talked about this week, to keep you in the loop.

What stories are you looking for at the moment?

We’re firmly in spring mode at the moment, so that is mid February onwards for weekly stories and mid April onwards for Special stories. That’s if you’re writing season-specific fiction.

What historical eras can I write about?

Absolutely any at all! We do tend to get a lot of wartime fiction, so why not try something different?

What about lockdown stories?

Yes, we’ll consider them, but they should have the lockdown as a backdrop the main elements of the story and shouldn’t be downbeat.

What are your Pocket Novel wordcounts?

Please keep your Pocket Novel stories between 37,000 and 39,000 words.


Do you have a question for us? Maybe you want to submit a story, and you’re not sure how; maybe you’re keen to know what sorts of stories we’re looking out for, or what genres we publish.

The “Friend” Writing Hour is where you can find all your answers.

We’ll next be hosting a discussion at 11 a.m. on Tuesday 24 November, 2020. Join us!

Or you can always check back here next week for another roundup.

Tracey Steel

Having worked on a number of magazines over the years, Tracey has found her perfect place on The Friend as she’s obsessed with reading and never goes anywhere without a book! She reads all the PF stories with a mug of tea close by and usually a bit of strong cheese too!