You may have been to see the ceramic poppies in London or watched the ceremony on television to celebrate 100 years of remembrance since World War One. However, you may not have been aware of events closer to home that commemorate the start of the war. One of these events was a war themed poetry competition organised by Petts Wood Library. This event was made possible by librarian, Jenny Hawke and author, Sandra Agard and was a huge success. I spoke to the winner of the competition, Charlotte Storey about what inspires her to write.
I asked Charlotte how she got into writing and she informed me that she had taken an interest in it from a young age and that it's something she enjoys to do in her spare time. She also told me her ideas for novels often come to her when she is daydreaming and that she doesn’t necessarily get inspiration from just one place. When I asked her about where she wants to take her talent for writing in the future she told me that she definitely wanted to keep it up as a hobby and that she would like to explore a career in acting but if that doesn’t work out she would like to do something with either history or writing. My final question to Charlotte was what she would say to others with a similar passion for literature. Her advice was, if it’s something you enjoy, keep doing it and don’t think it’s not good enough. Get others to read what you have written and take on board constructive criticism. She says don’t just listen to what others have to say; deal with it effectively and make your writing as good as it can be. She also recommends reading. Books develop your knowledge of writing techniques, your vocabulary and can give you a huge range of ideas and inspiration.
It is clear that Charlotte has a gift with words and I wish her luck in her writing pursuits whether they be as a hobby or as a career!
By Helena Mather, Newstead Wood School
