The Grapevine Early Spring 2020 Grapevine Feb-Mar 2020 v1 | Page 44

Pick Up Your Pen! T his month’s competition has a poetic feel to it. Did you love or hate poetry when you were at school? Did you have to learn pages of it off by heart? Is there a particular poem that inspires you or comforts you when you’re feeling sad? If so, write about when you first read or heard that poem: t
Where were you? t
What was the place like? t
What happened next? Create a little story inspired by a poem. (It doesn’t have to be true – you can ‘borrow’ a memory from someone else.) Use the senses as much as you can. Colours, sounds, smells and textures all help to bring a story to life for the reader. Aim for about 250 words. Send your entries to me at [email protected] by t
Do you remember what you could hear, feel or smell? Sue Johnson www.writers-toolkit.co.uk Congratulations to Angela Boarer who is our winner this month. Congratulations also to Bernard Martin, Pamela Wray and Janet Groves whose entries were short- listed. Sue Johnson t
What were you wearing? Poet & Novelist t
Who were you with? t
Did someone read you the poem or did you read it yourself? Monday 2nd March. I will award a small prize to the winning entry. Creative Writing Workshops Critique Service & Talks Tel: [phone] • www.writers-toolkit.co.uk The Gingerbread Man by Angela Boarer O nce, upon a farm, there lived an old man called Macdonald and his wife, Polly. It was nearly teatime: the kettle was on and a tasty gingerbread man was baking in the oven. However, when Polly opened the oven, the gingerbread man leapt out and made to run out the door, shouting, ‘Run, run as fast as you can…’ But it was midwinter: the door was shut tight. Perplexed, the gingerbread man did a couple of circuits of the kitchen, looking for a way out but finding none. Macdonald 44 and Polly watched, waiting to see what he would do next. been expecting to outfox a fox, not outmanoeuvre a man! “Run, run…” he chanted again, hoping the words would act as a charm to provide an escape. “This isn’t right. I’m supposed to run down the lane with you and your animals chasing after.” Quick as a flash, he dived under the fridge and lay low, out of reach. Two days later he made his escape, when the door was opened. The animals, back in their farmyard, took no notice, covered as he was in unappetising fluff and muck from under the fridge. “No chance!” Macdonald replied, “My animals are busy. Piggy’s dealing with a huffing, puffing wolf, Daisy’s jumped over the moon and Dobbin’s gone to Banbury Cross.” The gingerbread man’s confidence crumbled. He had He settled happily in a nearby town, where he opened a private detective agency and was immediately hired by three bears to trace a trespasser. To advertise call 01684 833715 or email: [email protected]