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Regular news and insight from our many poets, writers, educators and facilitators

23 November 2024

Posted by Susan L. Edser

Winter Wonderland

Ali Sparkes is a children’s author who leads writing sessions for Junior and Young Writers every Saturday morning at MAST Mayflower Studios. To learn more about her, visit her website: https://www.alisparkes.com.

Susan L. Edser, MA graduate in Creative Writing and Publishing and winner of Bournemouth University’s Vice Chancellor Award 2024, is Ali’s assistant and writes the weekly blog. 


There has been brilliant sunshine, strong winds, and even snow over the last week. So, what better time to continue our winter wonderland writing exercises?

Paper snowflakes were spread over the table, and atmospheric words, such as sparkle, embers, and cheering, were written on the other side. The writers chose two each and wrote poems that included the words. They added other elements, such as the smell of cinnamon and Christmas joy.

The groups then discussed what they liked and disliked about winter. Ali wrote up their answers on the flip chart, which included making paper decorations, drinking hot chocolate, and hand-knitted jumpers. Some of our writers and one of the facilitators have winter birthdays (Sue on 23rd December, if you’re wondering!). 

They then all wrote a short passage about winter, exploring their favourite or most disliked elements of the season. ‘It’s a marshmallow world’ and ‘The warmth protected me’ were great lines that sparked our imaginations. One young person shared their childhood trauma about Elf on the Shelf, describing it as the demon of Christmas!

Ali had made fortune tellers to aid the final writing exercise. Colours were on the outside, symbols inside, and the final opening contained a sentence, such as:

- ‘Nobody would have guessed the thing in the ice was alive…’

- ‘Through the snow, I could see red eyes…’ 

- ‘The raven pecked at the icy window. It had a message…’ 

This time, there was a prize on offer: a Swizzel lolly and sticker made by Ali. They took the sentence as the start of their stories and wrote about sinister diaries, catastrophic avalanches and Christmas magic. Everyone did an excellent job, but the winner was the one that moved Ali the most. This is a good lesson for all writers: to find a way to connect with a reader’s emotions and take them on a journey.

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