Eirin Thompson

@lou_mcivor @lizfilleul It takes guts to read work to a group - especially from a WIP. Well done for being brave and congrats on the useful feedback.

@lizfilleul Read out some of my WIP historical novel to a writing group last night. Really helpful comments so was v pleased as I'm never sure if my historical stuff works

Welcome to this week’s #TuesdayWritingHour. Q1. How is everyone? Do you have any writing news to share?

@vlauthor @lizfilleul Great news, Veronica. How many parts in the historical serial?

@lizfilleul Doing all right. I think I have a story in the next Special Issue of The People's Friend. I also learned my historical serial was given the go-ahead. 😀

@HYuretich @lizfilleul I love 'brewing' good ideas. It might be the best part.

@lizfilleul Hello all. Autumn is in the air here so plenty to do in the garden. Meanwhile I have a good idea brewing.

@GilesAuthor @lizfilleul Wishing you gentle days for body and soul, Amanda.

@lizfilleul #TuesdayWritingHour Q1. It's been a mare of a couple of weeks. We said goodbye to our lovely dog Rusty last week. He was 14. It's been hard. I've struggled to settle to writing. Then I somehow fell out of a car, thumping my back, shoulder & head on the path. Feeling bruised. 😔

@MargretGeraghty @lizfilleul That's particularly gratifying, Margret, trying something for the first time and succeeding - another string to your bow, now.

@lizfilleul I did have a PF acceptance last week for my first attempt at a historical. By historical, I mean one set in 1907, not the 1990s😉

As an aside, an unspoken rule in English known as ‘ablaut reduplication’ means we never dally-dilly on the way to a game of pong-ping while the bells go dong-ding. Nor, sadly, do we ever eat a KatKit.

@lizfilleul @MarianJMyers Nice to check in with everyone again. Thanks for hosting, Liz. Hope to see you all round at Marian's next week.

Thanks for attending the #TuesdayWritingHour! Next week, your host will be @MarianJMyers. Have a great week, everyone!

@lizfilleul I haven't run out of ideas yet, which surprises me somewhat after 600+ published stories! But I make a point of keeping my antennae up and in listening mode, which I believe is essential.

Q3 Do you ever run out of ideas for stories? If so, how do you go about refilling the creative well? #TuesdayWritingHour

@lizfilleul I attempted to make a plan at New Year, but quickly realised that it was impossible to fit in everything I wanted to achieve, so I've tried to work in blocks of time, focusing on shorter and longer projects in turns. I genuinely love writing and want to do it all, you see.

Q2 The first three months of 2026 have gone by already! Has your writing gone well in this first quarter of the year? If you set goals for 2026, have you made progress towards meeting them? #TuesdayWritingHour

@lizfilleul I had one of those exciting very quick acceptances of a short story last week, so I'm delighted about that.

@lizfilleul @SJPfiction No guarantee it'll be accepted, Liz, but I really hope it is.

@ThompsonEirin @SJPfiction We’re all going to be waiting eagerly to read this, Eirin.

Q3. A couple of weeks ago, I joked about the 1970s (correct me if I'm wrong) Martini advert. That set me down a research rabbit-hole to old adverts - looking back, do any fruitful triggers stand out? #TuesdayWritingHour

@Jenni_Gregory4 @SJPfiction I had a ball, Jennifer. I wrote it last Christmas and I only hope it reads well when I take it out to check over before submitting next month. I've v much enjoyed writing a number of 1970s-set Junior stories (reflecting my experience, and featuring that era's wonderful kids' TV!)

@ThompsonEirin @SJPfiction It must have been fun, Eirin.

#TuesdayWritingHour Are you a writer? Please feel free to join us tomorrow at 11am UK time for a friendly chat. We always have four questions to answer and discuss. I will be hosting so go ahead and click on my X username.

@lizfilleul @MarianJMyers Strongly agree.

@ThompsonEirin @MarianJMyers I have been thinking about this. My TPF writing allows me to tap into things that are really important to me: female friendship, people overcoming adversity, people doing the right/decent thing despite personal cost. These are part of my 'voice' as well.

#TuesdayWritingHour Q2. Do you write for different markets, or do you prefer to concentrate on one? Is it hard to switch between the styles needed for each magazine?

@HYuretich @MarianJMyers Ha! Taking a day off from it tomorrow, as I've been flat out - perhaps I should stay in the house, to be on the safe side.

@ThompsonEirin @MarianJMyers Oh my gosh! Take care!! Stay home till the book is finished.

#TuesdayWritingHour Q4. With so much always going on in the outside world, and in our own lives, (good and bad) do you find it hard to switch off and concentrate on your writing? Or is it a welcome distraction?

@HYuretich @MarianJMyers That surprises me, Helen. I would have thought Christmas from a southern hemisphere perspective would be a novelty to UK readers and relatable to southern readers.

@ThompsonEirin @MarianJMyers In the north. I've subbed a couple of southern Christmas stories previously but they got nowhere

Good morning and welcome to #TuesdayWritingHour Q1. Good morning. How are you? Do you have any writing news - either from submissions to magazines or some progress on a project you've been working on?

@yvonneweavers @juliedg I've already sent you a little private message!

@ThompsonEirin @juliedg Hi Eirin What a nice surprise to get your reply. Thank you for your invitation to join in on 3 March. I will reply in more depth by DM if that's all right. Are you on Whatsapp? I find that so handy. Have a good week! I'm hoping to have a little book of poetry published soon.

@ThompsonEirin Good afternoon Eirin Is the PF Writing Hour still active? I looked forward to that every week but somehow drifted away. Didn't feel I contributed anything of interest.

@MargretGeraghty I agree with everyone commenting here - a ficitious island will throw up far fewer potential problems, and there's no reason why you can't picture a real one and change the names.

Can I ask a question? My latest story is set on an island, and I'm trying to decide whether it's best to use a real island that I know, or invent a fictitious one based on the real island, so I don't have to worry about inaccuracies? Does it even matter?