Young Writers 'Mini Saga' for homework

[YoungWriter]

DD has been given the Young Writers Once Upon a Time Creative Writing Competition for homework. It says, "Your mini saga could be published in a Young Writers book". The mini saga is just 100 words which is a ridiculous word limit for an adventure story. I suppose it cuts the costs of publishing though.

My understanding via previous threads on Mumsnet is that every child will have their story chosen and published and that this is going to cost me c.£18 - oh and my child's data is going to be passed to a 3rd party without my permission - I can see no box on the form for parental consent.

GRRRR!

What do I do about this stupid fund raising exercise? I'm incensed that the school is doing this - basically extorting money out of parents like this.

[YoungWriter]

And am I right that the benefit to the school is the fundraising aspect?

[GoodArvo]

When our school did it, I emailed links to various threads and newspaper reports about Young Writers to the teacher and the headteacher and said that my child would not be entering the "competition". The teacher defended it, but I never heard anything else about it so I suspect it was quietly shelved.

As far as I know, the money just goes to the company. I don't know if the school gets a cut.

[madamehooch]

My godson has just posted over Facebook how excited he is about being a published writer.

Same company and the same school I complained to about it 2 years previously when exactly the same thing happened to my daughter...

My blood is boiling. I don't want to rain on his parade but I've quietly advised his mother to Google the company involved before she spends a lot of money on books.

Shame on them and shame on the school for misleading kids like this.

[NaughtToThreeSadOnions]

Well here's a story you could use as entry.


Once upon a time I was asked to write a story with a ridiculously short word limit. i couldn't be bothered. I thought there were more enjoyable ways to raise money for my school so this is my entry. Now I'm going to play outside. The End


I'm not remotely serious as tempting as it might be!

[DoctorDonnaNoble]

School only get money if they 'win'. The winning school seems to be completely random. You are under no obligation to buy the thing. My predecessor in charge of KS3 used to insist they did this. I don't bother, there are much better writing competitions out there!

[CountryLovingGirl]

We were conned by this earlier in the year. We received a letter saying that our son, then 10, had done a fantastic piece of writing and that it would be published in the book. Of course, we had to pay £17 (I think it was) for a copy of the book.
He was chuffed until he went to school and EVERY child in his year and the year above had also received this letter. Stupidly, I had ordered a copy. It was a little, cheap A5 size paperback. What a waste. Don't be fooled by it. I am shocked at schools standing by this actually.
When my 7 year old reaches the same age I will not be drawn in again.

[AtiaoftheJulii]

Just had a letter this week about my y7's entry to Poetopia. Fortunately I'd read enough here to know it's a con. Although if I hadn't, I'd be wondering, as they include the poem with the letter, and hers is pretty shit

Wondering whether to say something to the school - feel they should let people that it's not actually selective.

[totallybewildered]

Just refuse to do it. I have in the past.

[SleepyForest]

I know this is a complete con, but dd was so excited by the idea I coughed up anyway. The book you get is really shitty quality. I think even dd was disappointed.

What I should have done is collect a bundle of her stories, poems and pictures and had a decent book printed up.

[YoungWriter]

OP here. I did raise the issue with the school in writing. The teacher managed to not understand what I was saying and told me that DD would have to make her best effort. That wasn't the point that I was making. DD did write a surprisingly good story given the word limit. I've had to warn her in advance that we won't be buying the book.

[ConcreteElephant]

DD's class have just written contributions to a class book (A5, paperback) on a topic which seemed to really capture their imagination. School organised the whole thing - the book was £5, which covered printing costs. Delighted to buy it and DD sees her name in print, as well as getting a fun little memory for later years (obviously she knows all the contributors!).

It would be a cold day in hell before I paid £18 for some sham, commercial nonsense.