Patricia F Stoner
About Me
Writing a passion, helping others a vocation
👋 Hello
Hello everyone. I'm Patricia, a writer with seven books and a couple of modest awards to my name, a passion for words and, because I am incurably bossy, a great fondness for helping others along the road I have travelled. (BTW if you hate the word "journey" as much as I do, then we'll get along fine.)
I've been in my time a graduate trainee on a regional newspaper, a magazine journalist, an advertising copywriter, an international press officer for Granada TV and the owner of The Good Word, a PR company working mainly in the television industry.
📍 Where It All Began
After taking a First in English and French at Trinity College, Dublin, I gained a place on the graduate trainee scheme of what was then a very prestigious regional newspaper: the Liverpool Daily Post.
Four years with the Post, mainly as feature writer, were followed by stints on various magazines back in London, and then I switched paths and did a spell as a copywriter with the advertising agency Benton & Bowles.
I joined Granada Television International as international press officer during Granada's heyday: the years of Brideshead Revisited, Sherlock Holmes, World in Action, and The Jewel in the Crown. Ten years later I left Granada with happy memories and set up my own PR consultancy, The Good Word, which I ran for 11 years, working mainly with television companies including the BBC, Carlton Television, and Granada.
🐾 A Life-Changing Kidnap
Kidnapping a small dog was not something I had planned to do, but it changed my life. My book At Home in the Pays d'Oc tells the story, but the upshot was that I spent four years in the south of France and began writing in earnest.
At Home won me a Five Star award from One Stop Fiction and a Reader's Award from Chill with a Book. It was followed by two more Pays d'Oc books and a handful of comic verse collections.
Back in UK I turned my thoughts to working with other authors, helping them to get the best – and the most fun – out of their writing. What came out of those musings were two things: Arun Scribes and Perdisma Edits.
🌍 A Worldwide Community and a Warm Welcome
Come join the Arun Scribes!
Small but mighty, this writers' Facebook group has grown to 400+ members across a dozen countries — with Scribes on five continents.
Ask a question, discuss a plot, share your writing, or comment on someone else's.
Boast a triumph (we won't judge), bemoan a frustration, or simply connect with fellow storytellers.
Host an Author Takeover, offer a Friday Freebie, or just drop in to say hi.
📘 Join the Arun Scribes on Facebook
✏️ On a More Serious Note…
Perdisma Edits is where the serious work gets done — where I engage with authors on a one-to-one basis.
For each new client, I offer a free, detailed edit of your first 1,000 words.
If you like what you see, we’ll agree on a fair rate based on your word count and the depth of editing required — from simple copy editing to full creative and developmental input.
💬 Why Work With Me?
There are a million consultants, advisers and gurus out there, so why choose me?
First of all, because you can be sure you will be working with an individual rather than a corporation. When I engage with an author, I engage. Which means I am available at the end of email, WhatsApp, Zoom, Messenger or even telephone for a goodly proportion of the day.
Secondly, because once a contract is signed, I am exclusive. I'm happy to chat, as often as you like and for as long as you like. I want to help you make your book the best it can be. But once I undertake a full creative edit, it's you and me. I make it a point never to take on more than one project at a time, so you will have my full attention for as long as it takes.