Just like George’s marvellous medicine, a good story needs some crazy, splendiferous ingredients to create startling surprises. Roald Dahl loved to let his
imagination run wild so that his stories took unexpected twists. Who else could have thought of a peach that never stops growing, or an eight-year-old child who
can move objects with the power of just her eyes?
At the Roald Dahl
Museum and Story Centre, we love to see children stretch their creativity every
day. This year, our Writer in Residence Josh Lacey has been working with students
from schools in Buckinghamshire to do just that!
Josh Lacey is the author
of the eight-book series A Dog Called Grk and The Dragonsitter,
which was shortlisted for The Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2012.
Josh has been telling
students to come up with ‘anything you want’ – put this character in this unusual
setting with this unlikely object, this unlikely event and this unlikely ending
– and what do you have? One
swishwhiffling story ready to serve up to your audience!
Here are some bizarre
and wonderful ideas from students at participating schools. Look at their
unusual choices of main characters and their great use of narrative voice and
dialogue. Which one is your favourite?:
- One day, Max was playing
with his sister’s teddy. “Hi-ya! Chop! Chop! Chop!”
- The jelly was sitting quietly on
the floor in a picnic basket. She was wondering about London to meet the Queen
and look at the tall and huge clock, Big Ben. Next to the jelly were some fresh
strawberries and raspberries. ‘What are you looking at?’ screamed the strawberries,
looking vicious. They were very angry with Jelly because Jelly was made out of
squashed strawberries.
- I have 2,000 sisters, 4000
brothers, 3000 parents , 20 grandmums and 30 grandads. We live in a small
doll’s house.
- One boring royal day, the
King and his nephew were fishing on a boat. To tell you the truth, the King was
the one fishing, his nephew was on tesco dot com forward slash buy one get one
free Jet packs
- Once upon a time in a deep
dark unknown forest there was a little Chihuahua called Mrs Burbushca. She had
brown fur, a spiky Mohican and sharp claws, and she was searching and searching
for an exit to Los Angeles.
- I needed the toilet and I
went to the disgusting, smelly toilet. The smelly toilet said to me, “Hi!
Please don’t sit on me; I am allergic to children who sit on me!
- It started when I was in the
supermarket, doing my shopping. I was minding my own business, when my daughter
needed her nappy changing. I didn’t know what to do because I had just had a
manicure. I quickly called the police. ‘Sorry, Madam, this is not an
emergency,’ they said, and hung up.
- He
tried to ring his Mum but on his phone it said ‘NO RECEPTION.’ In blood.
Unusual main
characters, unlikely meetings and bizarre combinations – just some of the
elements of a great story! Thank you to participating schools Oakridge Combined
School and Castlefield Primary School in High Wycombe.
Isy Mead, Education Manager
at The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre
COULD YOU BE THE NEXT WRITER IN RESIDENCE?
If you've a way with words and a few published poems to your name, then you could be the next writer in residence at The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre. From November 2013 to February 2014 they're looking for a poet to continue to enrich Roald Dahl's legacy.
The poet will be involved in the delivery of a number of projects, including workshops to students in targeted Buckinghamshire schools, and family events at the Museum during school holidays. The poet will also have five days set aside to work on their own piece of writing and can even do so from Roald Dahl's chair in our replica writing hut!
Closing date for expressions of interest is Monday 19 August. Interviews will take place in the week beginning Monday 2 September. You can find more information, including how to apply right here on the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre website.
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