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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