Writer Of The Week: Kate Baker

The People's Friend Writer of the Week, Kate Baker

Our Writer Of The Week is Kate Baker. Kate’s story, “Against The Wind”, appears in the February 1 issue.

 

The characters battle adversity in your story. Is story conflict an easy process for you to write?


I find story conflict easier to write the longer I’ve pondered why the conflict needs to be there. I’ve found that for me, the typing part of creating fiction is perhaps only 50% of the process, and it comes in fits and starts after ideas have percolated for some time in my head. So, the other half of the process is juggling ideas – moving and shaping them. This happens when I’m driving, watching TV, eating, any time in fact. I think once you begin to write, your brain is never off duty.

 

Plot and character work together, but do you have a preference writing one over the other?


I prefer writing characters over plot, now you’ve asked me to think about it. I adore delving into characters’ pasts, dreams for the future and what they might be dealing with in the present. Creating a satisfying plot in which they can carry out those behaviours is harder work.

 

Who are some of your favourite fictional characters?


In 2024 I read Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr Ripley” and became quite intrigued by Thomas. The way in which the author delivered him to us on the page is a masterclass in creative writing. I think the darker side of humanity is something we all take a peek at from the comfort of our own homes. At the other end of the character scale, I adore Anna Sewell’s spoken horse, Black Beauty, and the way she managed to convey such heartache. It is a story that has never left me and has, in fact, inspired the beginnings of a novel inspired by Anna and her mother.

 

What do you hope to achieve with your writing in 2025?


I’m excited to be nearing the end of the first draft of my second novel, working title – “The Projectionist”. It is a dual timeline set in the fictional town of Bradwich in 1952/53 and 2000 – inspired by Bradford Cinema and the East Anglian coastal town of Harwich’s Electric Palace, which flooded in 1953.

I shall also be continuing work on short story submissions for “The People’s Friend” as have enjoyed seeing my stories in print in the weekly that my grandmother used to buy religiously. I have many ideas to develop and a forthcoming hip replacement at the end of January will give me some time off work in which to do so.

 

Do you edit as you go, or wait till you have finished the story?


I do edit as I go, although I try hard not to. Of course, that doesn’t negate the need to then edit the whole story at the end of a draft. Stories can often be improved, usually by the loss of unnecessary words, and often by the addition of asking “Why?”. Having good reason for a character to behave in a certain way makes them far more real to the reader.

 

What are some of the challenges of writing for the “Friend”?


I’ve found writing for the magazine to be a positive experience, although practicing patience while waiting to hear whether a story has been accepted is necessary. As time has passed, I’ve felt more confident in drafting the sort of story that is more likely to be accepted. Reading past copies of the “Friend” is necessary, but it’s not until we begin to write our own story ideas that we will truly know.

 

Thanks Kate! Good luck with your novel and short stories this year.

 

You can buy issues of “The People’s Friend” on Mags Direct, in newsagents and supermarkets every Wednesday, or by money-saving subscription.

If you enjoy fiction, don’t miss our stories and serials online, too.

RELATED READS

Writer Of The Week: Sally Waterbury Writer of the Week

Writer Of The Week: Sally Waterbury

haiku Writing Prompts

Poetry Prompts: The Haiku

Lady writing a poem in notebook and on laptop Writing Tips

Trying Your Hand At Poetry? Here Are Our Tips…

Alyson Hilbourne Writer of the Week

Writer Of The Week: Alyson Hilbourne