Wordsmith is the premier magazine for creative young people, serving as a platform for their stories, poetry, artwork and opinions, and they run numerous competitions.

Back in 2012, after they published double-page spread about my books and myself, they asked me to contribute an ‘Author’s Writing Workshop’ to the magazine which, at the time, also served as one of their writing competitions, with me setting a challenge and judging the entries.

The other day I came across a copy of this on the website of Young Writers (who publish Wordsmith) as a resource for teachers, parents, and budding authors – so I thought I’d share the link – if you enjoy writing, why not have a go. The workshop is a FREE downloadable pdf file, and also has a few hints and tips about writing.

Wordsmith Magazine Workshop

I came up with the idea from a famous short story I first read at secondary school as part of my English Lit course – Saki’s The Lumbar Room. It is a story I’ve always remembered as it contains terrific imagery, and I especially liked the idea of ‘a story within a story’. Being of the Edwardian era, Saki’s (Hector Hugo Munro) style is a little old-fashioned, but often good fun, and worth a read if you have an idle moment.