Children’s
Writing Competition 2021 T wo months i n, we have a l ready beg u n to receive some wonderf u l entries to ou r Ch i ld ren’s Writi ng Competition 2021. But don’t worr y – there’s plenty of ti me lef t i f you’ve not yet sta r ted.
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id you know that all profits from the final illustrated anthology will go to local children’s charity the IW Story Festival? Although a physical event was not possible this year, organisers welcomed a fabulous line-up of children’s authors in a four-day festival of online talks and interactive live sessions back in February half-term.
We all have a story to tell “Stories make the world utterly brilliant. It’s through stories that we develop compassion for other people’s lives. If you’ve got a story you want to tell, make sure you save it up in your heart and one day you can write it down and share it with the world.” - Cerrie Burnell, activist, actor, CBeebies presenter and author of ‘I Am Not a Label’, an illustrated anthology exploring the lives of 34 disabled artists, thinkers, athletes and activists from past and present.
So, if you’re still waiting for inspiration to strike or have an idea but don’t know quite how to start, here are some top IW Story Festival tips to help spark, develop and polish your story-in-waiting.
Map it out “Drawing a map is a really useful way to get your imagination started and develop your story. Think about the world you want to create: is there lots of ice and snow? Are there lots of little islands? Are there mountain ranges, forests, volcanoes or caves? Where do your characters live?” - Kieran Larwood is the awardwinning (and Island-based) author of The Peculiars and The Five Realms series. He took setting inspiration for his new book – Uki and the Swamp Spirit – from local landscapes including Brading marshes and Newtown Creek.
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