[Goosegirl]

What a great idea this is for children to have the chance to explore their imaginations yet with the discipline of being limited to 500 words. I don't know if poetry is allowed but I don't see why not. Something the Beeb said which I don't agree with is that spelling and punctuation don't matter - well they do to me. I can spot a spelling mistake a mile off and it so irritates me. Punctuation is something I try to get right and probably overdo the commas, but I use the Oxford comma after the word "and" most of the time because it makes more sense when reading it back. What are your views?

[Aunt Sally]

I use the Oxford comma after the word "and" most of the time because it makes more sense when reading it back.

I agree with that !

[Growster...]

I blame texting for awful grammar, and remember laughing out loud when some air-head claimed that a full-stop at the end of a sentence was 'aggressive'!

I'm as guilty as the next Growster for making a few mistakes - which brings me to asking if we can have longer to correct/modify any posts please? The current few seconds isn't long enough, and while we can preview, I bet most of us don't bother!

[Yorkie]

There is a great deal more awareness these days of neuro-divergent conditions such as dyslexia, or of mild learning disabilities.

I wouldn't want to penalise someone for having one of these conditions, who nevertheless found the courage to enter!

[Growster...]

There is a great deal more awareness these days of neuro-divergent conditions such as dyslexia, or of mild learning disabilities.

I wouldn't want to penalise someone for having one of these conditions, who nevertheless found the courage to enter!

I've only just discovered the dictation app on my iPhone, so this could easily help anyone with those afflictions!

You're absolutely right about, 'courage to enter', especially if the peer group discourages such action!

[Goosegirl]

There is a great deal more awareness these days of neuro-divergent conditions such as dyslexia, or of mild learning disabilities.

I wouldn't want to penalise someone for having one of these conditions, who nevertheless found the courage to enter!

Well said Yorkie, and Mea culpa from me as I never gave that aspect a thought. It's just occurred to me that anyone with those conditions could write something and it would have a strange yet innate beauty all of its own.