Category Archives: Questions from Dear Della

How do I become a full time writer? I want to give up my day job.

Posted on August 10, 2018 by Della Galton

This is a question I get asked a lot.  Both through my column for Writers’ Forum and also by strangers (and friends) who know what I do. Mostly the people who ask me want to write fiction.  (it’s much easier, … Continue reading →

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How to Judge a Short Story Competition

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Della Galton

Firstly, apologies from me! I haven’t written a blog for too long. I’ve been writing a novel and it was all consuming. It’s now winging its way to publishers via my agent, who loved it. So fingers crossed. More on … Continue reading →

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How much research should I do?

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Della Galton

I can’t believe how long it is since I’ve blogged. So big apologies.  Where has the year gone? I think it’s summer isn’t it, although it doesn’t actually feel like it in deepest Dorset right now!  It’s all wind and … Continue reading →

Posted in Questions from Dear Della, Tips on writing, Writing, Writing problems and solutions | Tagged , | 2 Comments

How Much Do Writers Earn? The fact and the fiction

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Della Galton

Another question from my Writers’ Forum postbag. The thorny old subject of money again. £60,000.00? I wish! I don’t think I even know any writers who earn that much but I stand to be corrected 🙂 Q I went on … Continue reading →

Posted in Dear Della, Questions from Dear Della | 9 Comments

How do I stop my romances becoming predictable?

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Della Galton

Here’s another question from a recent postbag at Writers’ Forum. This one comes up quite a bit.  We’re talking fictional ones by the way! Q A common cause for the rejection of short stories (I know, because I’ve received many!) is … Continue reading →

Posted in Dear Della, Questions from Dear Della, Short stories for magazines, Tips on writing, Writing, Writing problems and solutions | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Do all stories need conflict? and How do unknown writers get published?

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Della Galton

A couple more question from my post bag at Writers’ Forum 🙂 Q: Do all stories have to feature conflict, resolution and growth, with false hopes and disappointments along the way? I appreciate that a straightforward happy little narrative would … Continue reading →

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Submitting stories to magazines – should I send a cover letter?

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Della Galton

Here is another question from my Dear Della page that I get asked regularly. Q Whenever I submit a short story to a magazine, I give basic details and contact information on the cover sheet. Is it always necessary to … Continue reading →

Posted in Dear Della, Questions from Dear Della, Short stories for magazines, Tips on writing, Writing | 6 Comments

Happy Ever After – or is it? How do you get a good end?

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Della Galton

For me, endings have always been the most difficult thing to get right.  But a bad ending can ruin an otherwise excellent story. There are all sorts of bad endings. You probably recognise most of these. They don’t really need … Continue reading →

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Three Questions I Get Asked About Short Stories

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Della Galton

Q How do I make my stories less predictable? Particularly if I’m using a common theme, for example, romance? What can be done to stop the reader from working out that the boy and girl who meet at the beginning … Continue reading →

Posted in Dear Della, Questions from Dear Della, Tips on writing, Writing | 9 Comments

Tips for Writers – Novel Layout

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Della Galton

I had a letter recently via my Dear Della page in Writers’ Forum from  a lady who was anxious about the layout of a novel when submitting to publishers. I know there’s a wealth of information out there about writing, … Continue reading →

Posted in Dear Della, Questions from Dear Della, Tips on writing, Wednesday Writing Spot, Writing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments