http://www.writers-online.co.uk MARCH 2020^35WRITING FOR CHILDREN
Why did you enter the competition?
I’d heard lots of good things about the competition and
figured I may as well give it a go. There was nothing for
me to lose and everything to gain by entering. I think it’s
important to take every opportunity that’s available to
you, and the competition was an excellent opportunity!
What was your inspiration?
One evening I went to make a cup of tea and asked my
wife if she’d like anything. She asked for some mousse,
so I replied, ‘One mousse, two mousse?’ That phrase was
enough to spark an idea, which quickly spun into a rough
concept of a bunch of moose lined up.
Then I needed something to happen, so a goose
appeared to cause havoc.
After some consideration I switched the characters’ roles,
thinking it would be more visually funny to have a single
moose standing out among a line of geese, and the story
went from there!
How did you write it?
One Goose, Two Moose was one of the easiest stories I’ve
ever written, and I wrote the whole thing in an evening. I
didn’t particularly plot it out, either. I knew the problem
of the moose needed to get progressively more frustrating
for the poor goose, and I knew I needed to give him
some sort of payback at the end, but ultimately I just
went along for the ride and it turned out the way it did.
2nd PRIZE WINNER
Kael Tudor
One Goose, Two Moose
Twitter: @KaelTudor
Judges’ comments: Kael’s story was simple
but hilarious. We could imagine a young child
joining in enthusiastically with the counting. The
characters were fun, and the concept was strong.Spread 1
(Illustration note: Seven geese and
a moose are lined up. The first
goose – Goose 1 – is speaking.)
“OK everyone, line up!
One goose,
Two goose,
Three goose,
Four.
Five goose,
Six moose,
Seven goose,
More...
Wait.”(Illustration note: Seven geese and
a moose are lined up. The first
goose – Goose 1 – is speaking.) Spread 2
“Something’s not right.
One goose,
Two goose,
Three goose,
Four.
Five goose...
Who are you?”
“I’m a moose.”Top tips- Inspiration can strike anywhere, at any time, so always
make sure you’ve got a way to write an idea down before
you forget it. - Also, I try not to stress too much over a first draft and
just get it written. At the end of the day, you can’t edit a
story that doesn’t exist. - Finally, knowing when to rest is an important skill.
Sometimes an idea just won’t work at that moment in
time and putting down your pen can sometimes be the
most productive thing you can do.
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