'A World Full of Journeys' - Guest Writing challenge from Martin Howard

By Martin Howard | Activities, Author, Easter, Family, Holiday activities, Illustrator, Kids

The author of this stunning non-fiction book has set YOU an exciting challenge...

Not all great stories are told in fiction. Some writers tell tales about the world we live in: its amazing history as well its people and the incredible things they have achieved.

In A World Full of Journeys, I’ve looked at just a few of the great migrations of people that have taken place since the beginning of human history, and I hope I’ve written about it in a way readers will find interesting. It’s full of odd facts and tales most people don’t know. For example, did you know that pasta isn’t Italian at all? The first spaghetti followed a recipe for noodles that came all the way from China with caravans of merchants bringing spices and expensive silks to Europe.

Win a copy of the book with this writing challenge!

My challenge to you is to write about a journey YOU have taken. It could be to the other side of the world or to the next town, but it should be true and help you to practice writing non-fiction in a way that will make bare facts interesting for your reader. There are no rules, but you might want to think about the following…

• How would you paint a picture with words so that readers could imagine the place you visited?
• Did you learn anything interesting about where you went that most people don’t know? If not could you research some interesting facts?
• Did you meet anyone? How was their life different from yours?
• What surprised you about where you went? Were the colours different? The smells? The music or the food?
• How did the journey affect you? What will you remember most? What did you learn? How has it changed you?

Good luck, and remember that non-fiction writing doesn’t have to be just dry facts. You can make your writing funny or sad or anything in between. Go wild. Your job is to grab your reader’s attention with a real-life story. How you do it is up to you.

***

WIN: To win a copy of 'A World full of Journeys and Migration' from Martin Howard and Christopher Corr, take part in Martin's writing challenge above and send in your entry to [email protected] before 23:59 on Monday the 18th of April 2022, full T&Cs below.

Thank you so much to Martin for this wonderful introduction to both non-fiction, and to a world of journeys and Migration! Make sure to check out Martin's work on his Twitter. 

T&C's

• One copy of 'A World Full of Journeys and Migrations' will be awarded to one submission picked by our team
• No cash prize alternative
• Delivery to one UK address only
• Entries must be sent to [email protected] before 23:59 on April 18th 2022
• No correspondence will be entered into regarding the winner
• Winner's work will be shared on our social media
• By entering you automatically agree to these terms