Saturday 5 November 2022

Guest post by Eirin Thompson

I'm currently up in Scotland in the mobile writing retreat (camper van). The scenery is wonderful, so I'm getting plenty of exercise and as the weather isn't so wonderful I'm also getting a fair bit of writing done. Getting online isn't always easy though, so apologies for the lack of competition links etc. Instead, Eirin Thompson is here to offer words of encouragement.

You probably already know Eirin from her womag stories and comments on this blog.

Some Advantages of an Extensive Back-Catalogue

By Eirin (E.D.) Thompson


It’s difficult to dispute that the young are better at lots of things. Gymnastics. Rock music. Getting the most from their phones. 

But here’s the good news (for those of us of a certain age) – when it comes to writing, older might very well be better. At least that’s my opinion.

Clearly there have been some very fine books written by younger authors. But, as regards having a wealth of experience upon which to draw for weaving stories, older writers simply have bigger back-catalogues.

I came to writing for popular women’s magazines later in life. Part of me wishes I’d discovered the opportunities sooner. But another part acknowledges that I might not have been ready.

Seeing my work in the ‘womags’, as they are fondly known, is an absolute thrill and a joy, and I think a big part of the reason I’m having a measure of success is because I’m versatile, and that’s due, in significant part, to my age.

Being older, and close to my mum, for example, I have an eye and an ear for zingy women in their seventies, which has given me Maureen and Jean, a recurring double-act in The People’s Friend about whom I love to write.

But, like a Russian doll, I also contain all the younger versions of myself, and can tap into these for characters of a variety of ages. I thoroughly enjoy writing what the ‘Friend’ refers to as ‘Junior’ tales – those told from the point of view of a child – and I think these work because I can see the situation in the story from the perspectives of both the child and the adults.

More good news is that it is entirely unnecessary to have a carefully-constructed and flawless CV in order to write fiction – all experience is valid. It doesn’t matter if you made mistakes, took time out to raise a family, changed career twice or three times or even got sacked (or dumped, or heartbroken, or lost or hurt in some other way), because everything is redeemable as potential material, and the more, the better.

No one on any magazine fiction desk has ever asked me what qualifications I have to submit work to them. And, now that I am also writing suspense novels, my publisher there has yet to ask me such a question. In both lines of writing, editors seem interested pretty much exclusively in what is on the pages you submit – if the material is good enough, then you’re good enough.


My new novel, Closing In, has at its core a mystery, which I hope will have readers turning the pages compulsively. But it is also a story about relationships and emotions, and I sincerely believe this gives the book a richer texture. I could not have written this novel twenty years ago, and not just because Caroline, my main character, is in her fifties.

I am not anti-younger writers. Not at all. But I am pro-older ones.

‘Closing In’, with the author name E.D. Thompson, is, in nutshell this: Christmas. An old flame. And a BIG secret. It is the product of my fifty-five years on the planet, much of it spent reading. I’d be delighted if you took a look.


There's more information about Eirin and her womag writing here and as I'm not online much to chat, she's very kindly agreed to respond to some of your writing related questions.

36 comments:

Sheelagh said...

Thanks Eirin, I fully agree with you, I think that writing can get better with life experience, having more time to think as well as write, reading more widely & a bit of encouragement thrown in along the way. Thank you for always being so positive & encouraging of others, I think that's definitely something we all need to keep us going at any age. Ps Closing In is on my Christmas reading list, looking forward to it.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for such an encouraging inspirational read Eirin. I am 'of a certain age too' so can totally relate to what you're saying. I always enjoy reading your stories in People's Friend. Sharon H

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

You're exactly right - us older people have more experience to draw upon.

Sharon Boothroyd said...

A great post, it was very interesting reading.
If womag fiction eds had a qualification requirement, I wouldn't be able to continue, as I don't have a degree, or even any A levels!
I was told (by someone with an English degree) that I'd need one before I started. I'm afraid I didn't listen and started anyway!
Here's some questions for Eirin:
When you set out to write a story, do you know which mag you are aiming it at?
How do you know that your stories will sell?
Do you feel any pressure to keep up with your workload? (Which is very impressive).
Do you re-drafts rejects and sub them out? Or put them aside for later?
Sharon.


Marguerite said...

Thank you, Eirin. I too appreciate your positive comments and encouragement. I agree: the more life experiences - varied - you have, the better. Unfortunately, I was on the educational conveyor belt (out of school and then straight back in to school) but there has still been a wealth of material I have been able to draw on! Looking forward to reading your book :)

Eirin said...

Sheelagh - thank you so much for your kind and generous words. Yes, I agree: we all thrive on encouragement! I really hope you enjoy Closing In - it's darker than my magazine stories, but certainly won't give you nightmares.

Sharon H - there are definite advantages to growing older, aren't there? As well as having more experience, I now have more time, too, and am willing to neglect housework and spend that time doing something I prefer!

Alex - thank you!

Sharon B - I genuinely don't believe any advanced qualifications are needed to break into writing and be successful. Storytelling vastly pre-dates 'A' levels, after all. Q1 - When I sit down to write a magazine story, I 100% have a specific magazine in mind as I think each has its own very distinct approach to tone, style and content. Q2 - I NEVER know if a story will be accepted for publication until I receive that lovely email saying so. I take nothing for granted. Q3. As I very much want to continue writing both novels and magazine short fiction, sometimes I do feel a bit panicky that I am neglecting one or the other and will lose what I have worked hard to build. Usually when I take a step back and map out a plan of work, I calm down again. Q4. For a long time, I almost never tried rejected stories with another magazine. This was becasue I could usually see a 'fatal flaw' in the material. More recently, I've rewritten a small number of rejected stories which weren't so obviously flawed and sent them to a different magazine, with some success. But it's still a rarity for me to do so. Thank you for your questions!

Marguerite - Sorry! I did not mean to imply that a lengthy career in one field would be a negative! My husband has worked all his life in one sphere and is a fabulous raconteur with many, many wonderful stories. I very much hope you will enjoy Closing In. Thank you for choosing to read it.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Eirin! All very encouraging. Really enjoyed the other comments and your answers to the questions posed.
Julie

Sheelagh said...

As Sharon already said your output is admirable, Eirin. I just wondered how you structure your writing time, I mean do you spend x amount of hours a day writing or do you set yourself a monthly target to achieve.

New girl on the block said...

I was interested to read your take on resubmitting rejected stories, Eirin. I do usually revise and resubmit, and as you say, sometimes, I have success with this. When I've exhausted all other possibilities, I submit stories to Secret Attic, and more often than not they are selected for one of their booklets, so find a home eventually, which is satisfying.

Patsy said...

Thanks, Eirin.

I remember having mixed feelings when I stared writing for womags (which is when I started any kind of writing). I half wished I'd started earlier when there were more opportunities, but also realised I wouldn't have had as much material, nor the resilience to cope with rejections.

Marian said...

This is a really encouraging blog and all the comments are really interesting as well. I'm another one who has started writing later (much later in my case) in life and I particularly agree with Patsy's comment about not having the resilience to cope with the rejections earlier. I hadn't thought about that before and now I see that it is so true about me.

ados123 said...

Great post, Eirin. Congratulations on all the writing. I am in awe of the novels...
Alyson

Eirin said...

Julie - I feel really grateful to Patsy for running this blog, giving us all a chance to connect. Thanks for getting in touch!

Sheelagh - I do set myself targets, but they're always completely unrealistic and I end up managing to do about half of what I imagined!

New Girl - that sounds like a very effective approach, and getting work published is the right outcome, even if a story took the scenic route!

Patsy - I completely agree with your point about resilience. I've definitely developed a tougher hide with the years and submitting work undoubtedly requires bouncebackability. If rejection is going to be unbearable, submitting creative writing possibly isn't for you.

Marian - thank you, and agreed: resilience absolutely crucial.

Alyson - thanks for reading and responding. It does take courage to write a novel - all that time and effort and what if I can't interest a publisher? I feel the fear as strongly as ever, having been dropped by a publisher before and therefore knowing the disappointment of having a new 'book' written and having to accept that no-one will read it. This could quite possibly happen again, but I still feel the effort/risk has been worth it.

Elizabeth McGinty said...

Thank you Eirin for such an interesting and positive post. Like many others I wish I had started submitting writing at an earlier age, but I also recognise life experience has added to my writing. Congratulations on your writing and best wishes for the future.

Patsy said...

@ Sheelagh – I think encouragement of others is something writers are generally pretty good at. That's certainly been my experience as well as the way I try to behave.

@ Sharon H - with womags I think it helps that many of the readers are people we have things in common with.

@ Alex - absolutely

@ Sharon B – I left school at 16 and I've never felt that to be a barrier to my writing. It might be in some areas perhaps, but not with the kinds of thing I want to write.

@ Marguerite – It's good that we have different life experiences, I think. That gives our writing more variety overall.

@ Julie – I agree that the comments add to the interest of the already interesting post.

@ New Girl – I usually tweak and resubmit my rejected stories and generally fid a home for them eventually.

@ Marian – There are positives in (nearly) everything!

@ Alyson – I'm in awe of Erin's work too. She clearly works a lot harder than I do!


Patsy said...

@ Elizabeth – I feel that there must have been a reason we didn't start earlier, even if it's one we're not conscious of.

Sheelagh said...

@ Patsy - on the whole most writers do but I definitely think this blog has introduced me to a warm, generous, encouraging group of people that I wouldn't have met by attending the occasional writers workshop (Actually I think I could write a few short stories with the material I gained at one or two of those!). Your blog is invaluable and quite unique in sharing useful information, offering encouragement and support in an honest, open way. I can't overstate how positive an experience it has been for me and how much I have benefited from it & I think that is largely down to you for setting that tone of support and encouragement.

Eirin said...

Elizabeth McGinty - thanks for your kind and generous words.

Sheelagh - I couldn't agree more.

Patsy - thanks again for this opportunity.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for those useful and interesting comments, Eirin. I also tweak my rejected stories and resubmit some of them - especially if I see a flaw that I didn’t spot originally. Though sometimes I think I can be over critical of my work. I remember tweaking a story in 2020 that I’d already submitted to a magazine just a few months before - only for me to receive an acceptance email as I was about submit the revised version.

I recall many family incidences from my childhood (mostly humorous) that I feel could be made into stories, or at least get ideas from. Like you, I don’t think I could’ve done this when I was younger.

Best wishes
Michael D

Marguerite said...

This post has just grown this week - glad I popped back now ;) I am curious as to how people 'file' their stories for future use and resubbing. I am thinking of doing a one-liner prompt next to my list of titles. Any ideas would be gratefully received :) Thank you. Even if no one has The Answer, thank you, Eirin and Patsy, for all the useful advice and tips.

Eirin said...

Michael D - thank you for taking the time to respond. Like you, I sometimes take inspiration for a story from an incident in real life, but by the time I'm finished, that little nugget is usually buried and unrecognisable in an original tale. I'm very fond of starting with a situation, then asking: 'What if ... ?'

Marguerite - I am a very strict filer. I print out a paper copy of every story anyway, because it's useful for spotting typos etc. Then I file the paper copy in my 'Out There' folder. If I'm lucky enough to have success with it, I move it to my 'Sold' folder. (I actually slap a red 'Sold' sticker on the paper copy, because it feels great!) I also have all my stories in folders on my computer, and move them about in a similar way. Plus I have a slim plastic folder with all my stories listed by name, with date submitted, and to which publisher. I live in fear of ever submitting the same story to two different publishers. I've only made that mistake once, and shame-facedly withdrew it from one fiction desk - only to discover that I hadn't actually made the mistake after all.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Eirin and Patsy - thought-provoking and encouraging stuff. Onward!

Marguerite said...

Thank you, Eirin. I am already using a spreadsheet with dates - invaluable - in/ out etc...,. I am more thinking of the story - The time of my life, The party, The new neighbour -examples made up for this post ;) If they have been unsuccessful and hanging around a while, how do you 'find' them? I too have this horror you described - and am constantly checking and double checking...
I love your idea about the 'Sold' sticker :) but to date, it's really only the one - apart from competitions.

Patsy said...

@ Michael – It's understandable that we think rejected stories must have something wrong with them, but I don't believe that's always the case. The magazine might just have more than they need of a particular length or theme, or just too many altogether. Or perhaps although it's a good story it's not quite right for that magazine.

@ Marguerite – I confess I've previously 'lost' stories because I've forgotten the title! That only happens before they've been submitted the first time. Once they're on my (carefully colour coded) spreadsheet I'm OK., and is most frequent when I've changed it from the working title.

Geraldine Ryan said...

As an older writer myself, I too am very pro older writers!

Marguerite said...

Ah! Was going to say I use a colour-coded spreadsheet too - don't judge! ;) but relieved I am not the only one. I have also changed some titles so put both on the chart - it's more the content access I'm thinking of. This is only happening because I am really starting to build up a 'bank' now which I never thought I'd have it in me to do!

Eirin said...

Anonymous - onward is the only feasible option!

Marguerite - what an interesting thought, to file according to idea/theme. I hadn't thought of that! Patsy - I hadn't thought of a spreadsheet, either! I'm liking the colour coding...

Geraldine - perhaps we should form a support group!

Sheelagh said...

I'd love to be so organised as to have a colour-coded spreadsheet or even any spreadsheet, instead I have a book I write in the year and what I have submitted & the outcome for each. On the laptop I keep a folder with everything that has been published, another for those in progress and another for those looking for a suitable home.
I probably shouldn't say this but I once accidentally sent the same story twice to the same magazine but with a different title (this is how I made the error) only to have the first version rejected and a few months later the same story accepted!! So I wouldn't be overly critical sometimes its luck & sometimes it may be that criteria has changed for the magazine.

Marguerite said...

Thank you for your thoughts, Eirin and Sheelagh. I have to say, what is coming over loud and clear is printing out - a lot of printing ink and space which is what I have been trying to avoid - and yes, I know it's good practice for spell checking anyway. Love your acceptance/rejection for the same words, Sheelagh ;)

Patsy said...

Personally I don't print out any of my work at all! I used to for a few places which needed paper submissions, and still would in that case, but I don't do it for myself.

I do keep back up copies of all my work on hard drives, as well as the laptop.

For proofreading I change the font type and size, to help me see it differently.

Sheelagh said...

Now that's a very good idea Patsy re changing the font size and type, I must try that for proof reading

Geraldine Ryan said...

Not a bad idea, Erin!

Anonymous said...

This is so inspiring and interesting - every day is a school day for me.
Thank you for all the comments too,so many tips to follow.
Good luck with the launch of Closing In, Eirin, I loved your first book.
Enjoy the Highlands, Patsy.

Karelann

Liz said...

I'm late to this as I've been away. I found it really interesting. I came to womag writing late too (just 3 years ago) and sometimes regret not starting writing for this market earlier. However, like Eirin, I wonder whether I'd have been capable of writing womag stories when I was younger, and didn't have so much life experience behind me. Something that has also come with age is a willingness to write for a target market - when younger, I was much more focused on what *I* wanted to write, as opposed to what readers wanted to read.

I'm in awe of your productivity, Eirin. I come nowhere close to it. Do you write full time?

Eirin said...

Hi, Karelann. Are you by any chance the Karelann who won a copy of my previous book, I Know I Saw Her? In any case, I'm delighted to know you enjoyed it. Thank you!

Liz - like you, I think that when I was younger I believed I could only write one way and that way wouldn't have been compatible with popular magazine fiction. However, I now feel very fortunate that something made me overcome that thought, and I have evolved into someone who absolutely loves writing short magazine fiction. I do NOT find that I have to approach it with a 'fake' voice, and there is certainly no 'dumbing down': I feel very much myself and at ease, I find my sense of mischief is welcomed, and I genuinely thoroughly enjoy it and am thrilled every single time I get a 'yes' and again when I see my story in print. I do write full-time, now, although not always traditional hours as I also have family commitments.

Eirin said...

Patsy - thanks, once again, for providing this space to talk about writing matters. It is so appreciated.