Rekindle Your Childhood Passion!

If you are a fan of Radio 2's Chris Evans' Breakfast Show, you will know that the winner of the 500 word competition will be announced this Friday. Over the last few days, I have read with interest some of the top 50 entries and I’m amazed by the talent of our children. I applaud each and every child who entered - the stories are brilliant and to pick a winner will be a really tricky job.

I would have loved to have taken part in such a competition when I was a child - after all, I wrote my first book, 'Harold Huxley's Journey to the end of the Rainbow', when I was just 8 years old (in a slightly different format admittedly). It has only been the last couple of years when I revisited my passion for writing and eventually, 30+ years later, my first book was published. The feeling when you see your story in print is one that is indescribable – your book looks so simple but what hides between the covers is your passion!

So what was your childhood passion? Nowadays, we can be so busy that we sometimes forget to give ourselves time to be creative. What did you love to do when you were a child? Was there an instrument you played? Maybe you loved to draw, write or sing? Whatever it was, perhaps now is the time to revisit this love and start to enjoy your hobby once again.

So no matter who wins the competition on Friday, I would encourage every child whether they entered or not, to carry on writing as you never know where your stories may take you. For those of us whose childhood is more a distant memory, enjoy your trip down memory lane!

Note: if you want to find out more about Emma R McNally's work, please visit www.haroldhuxley.co.uk