Feedback – Writing for the Under 7s

For Bunny is ready,
ready for bed.
so Ted tucks him in
and a story is read.
Mike Jolley (Big Ted’s Tired)

Welcome to the glorious world of children’s writing.
In no other genre is an awakening of the senses so vital.
This was no ordinary feedback night.

Following on from our speaker and Maggie’s workshop, expectations were high.

Children’s stories can rely heavily on visual effects.
Voilà – a sumptuous garden watched over by ‘That Gnome’.

Close your eyes and imagine you are in a dark dungeon, with an unseen whisperer and the smell of rancid cheese.

Rhythm and rhyme rolled from the pages. All very clever – and remember mummy will love you forever.

When you’re only three feet high, where better to touch and explore than under the bed, you under-stand?

And when mummy brings a new baby home, if you hide his milk, she’ll have to take him back.

Add to this the fun of a beach park, a giraffe’s big toe, a few dinosaurs and a ‘Save the Gnome’ campaign, and you might just start to get a feel of things.

But that’s not all, folks.

Once the children were tucked in bed
Some stories for adults were carefully read.

We got to enjoy a flash fiction diary entry where everyone finally got a good night’s sleep and a tell-not-show Man Booker winning plant from Dorothy.

Just one more, please.

We ended with an uproarious account of a pub crawl involving pasta, neutered newts and wind-powered roller-blading – for adults only.

Elvis had left the building (or should that be Charlie?)

Thank you and good night.

Babs Stevenson