Writers\' Forum - 04.2020

writing competition for 11-
year olds. We had a letter not
long after, saying her story had
been selected for an anthology.
Included with the letter was an
order form to pre-order and pay
for the book in advance.
I looked online and a lot of
parents and teachers classed the
organisers as ‘scammers’. One
teacher said her entire class
had been selected, therefore it
wasn’t a matter of talent but just
a way to gather stories to create
a book. Another opinion was,
‘Well, if you want to see your
child’s name in print, then why
not?’ Admittedly the company
did say they would include my
daughter’s story even if we didn’t
order the book.
I want my daughter to be in a
book for her talent, not because
someone is trying to make fast
cash. Can anyone recommend
a trustworthy comp for young
writers?
Sharon Carey,
Runcorn, Cheshire

Ed: I agree these children’s
anthologies are little more than
scams. Better to start your own blog
or aim for publications that have
some quality control. As regards
comps, I’d recommended the BBC’s
Young Writers’ Award, but do
readers have other tips?

MISSING PIECE

Last year I set myself the target
of getting back into iction. I
used to write a lot but in the
last 10 years or so I’ve found my
creativity stunted by the soul-
sucking nature of an ofice job.
I signed up for a free online
course run by the Open
University via Future Learn
(www.futurelearn.com) called

Start Writing Fiction. Not only

did it offer valuable advice and

get me back into writing but,

buoyed by the positive feedback

I received from others on the

course, it gave me the conidence

to join a local writing group.

I have now become somewhat

obsessed with writing and spend

most of my spare time writing

or reading about it (including

consuming your magazine).

While nothing I have written is

of publishable standard yet, I feel

as though a part of me that was

missing has now returned.

Future Learn offers other free

courses including An Introduction

to Screenwriting and How to

Make a Poem, both of which I

intend to take this year.

Emma Worthington,

York

LOVE LIT

My eldest daughter is taking her

GCSEs this year, and my heart

sinks when I look through her

exercise books. English Literature

is basically a test of memory

rather than understanding. They

are given ‘model’ answers and key

words to use so the examiner

will give them the marks. They

are told what the ‘correct’

interpretation is, not encouraged

to think about their own. Does

Jane Eyre stir everyone’s heart the

way it stirs mine? Probably not.

Browbeating young people into

analysing every word in a poem

is not going to tear them away

from their phones and launch

them towards a book. We need

to persuade them it’s enjoyable

to read – as it is when you don’t

have to write an essay on it

afterwards!

Kirsty Huxter,

Braintree, Essex

Oh dear, it looks like Brian Bilston was having

a bad writing day. Can you spot the 20 errors in

this ‘irst draft’ of Diary of a Somebody?

£

Could you ruin a passage from a modern novel? Send your

error-ridden First Draft (around 250 words), and the 20

solutions, to [email protected] Please note that entries

are accepted via email only. We pay £25 for the best published.

Mrs McNulty’s face lickered in the light of the 7 candles

that surrounded the bored. In the darkness behind, I saw the

curtains billow dramatically in the wind from the fan that had

been strategically placed behind them. A soft howling come from

the ireplace, although I suspect it’s true source came from the

Natural Sounds: Windy Winter’s Day relaxation CD, who’s empty

case I’d noticed on the side board when I’d entered the room.

Dave, Martin and Marvin were there. As was Misses

Collingwood from number 47 (Mrs McNulty’s bingo partner) and

Mr Paxton, who was introduced to us all, as a big wheel in the

haberdashery trade. Mrs McNulty looked solemnly at us recited

a protection prayer (which I’m pretty sure was actually just the

lyrics to ‘You’re Love is King’ by Sade), and ‘because you can

never be too careful, preceded to sprinkle us all with salt.

We was invited to plaice a inger up on the planchette and

the farce begins. ‘Is anybody there’ We waited. Not a thing.

Mrs McNulty entreated us to vanquish all negative energy from

the room and we tried once more. Still no thing. Bored now,

my mind began to wander. I thought about the Leamington spa

Power‑Point. I made a mental note to start reading Voltaire’s

Candide for this month’s book group. I remembered Toby Salt’s

tweet from earlier, in which he’d announced that tickets for his

Saffron Walden event had now sole out.

Sent in by Caroline Newbury, from Aylesford, Kent, who wins £

Corrections

(spelt out). candles seven 1

(wrong word).d ar the bo 2

(wrong tense).me a howling c 3

(no apostrophe). true its suspect 4

(wrong word). whoseCD, 5

(one word).oard eb the sid 6

(homophone). Collingwood Mrs 7

(no comma). s a big wheel l aal 8

(missing comma). recited , at us 9

(wrong word). Love is King urYo 10

(missing speech , ’ too careful 11

(wrong to proceeded 12 mark).

(wrong tense). wereWe 13 word).

(wrong word).ce i to pla 14

(one word).n po finger u 15

(wrong tense). an farce beg 16

(missing ’? anybody there 17

question mark).

(one word).hing ot Still n 18

(capital letter).pa S Leamington 19

(typo). d now sol 20

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