Our blogs

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

03 May 2025

Posted by Susan L. Edser

Sparkles

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 and click on her profile: https://artfulscribe.co.uk/facilitators/ali-sparkes

Susan L. Edser, MA graduate in Creative Writing and Publishing and winner of Bournemouth University’s prestigious Vice Chancellor Award 2024, is Ali’s assistant and writes the weekly blog. To learn more about her, click on her profile: https://artfulscribe.co.uk/facilitators/susan-l-edser


Ali and I had been pacing our homes during the April break, so we were delighted to see the Junior and Young Writers back! Five new writers also joined the mix. 

To ease everyone in, Ali introduced the ever-popular Fill-in Fun about Stella and Troy, who found something sparkly. Everyone did a great job, especially our newbies. The Young Writers were superbly funny, as ever.

Ali asked the writers, ‘What precious sparkly things do you own? The Junior Writers replied with many items, such as a gold and silver necklace, Uranus ‘mud’ from Space Centre, and a grandfather’s treasured coin. The Young Writers also shared their items, which included a sword! Some things had monetary value while others were sentimentally important. 

The Junior Writers were tasked with imagining that they discovered one of the items on a walk. Ali suggested this could be in the roots of an old tree and gave a sentence starter for those who needed it: ‘I was not expecting to find this…’ The Junior Writers wrote about finding a coin in seaweed, a teddy in a tree, and a ring that took the protagonist to a fairy land.

The main writing exercise for both groups required everyone to close their eyes, and Ali placed a glass gem in their hands. They had to answer three crucial questions:

- Where did you get this?

- Who must you hide it from?

- What do you see in your future when you look into it?

Our Junior Writers wrote the beginnings of mysteries, comedy and fantasy. The Young Writers had more time to deploy their imagination. They wrote stories about hypnotising diamonds, an accidental theft and a discovery at an aunt’s graveside.

Ali talked about upcoming writing competitions and urged our talented writers to enter any or all of them. Entering contests is good practice for writing to a brief and within a deadline. If they are longlisted, shortlisted, or even win, it is something to add to their CVs, not to mention the prestige of winning a prize.

Closer to home, Ali’s Writer of the Week award first went to the new junior writer, Megan, for her descriptive writing using the senses. Melody won for the older group for her excellent pace and description. Congratulations to them both. 

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