Story tellers ...

When my daughter was younger my wife and I made it a habit to read to her, and encourage her to look at books, enjoy the stories and begin the reading habit. That early effort clearly paid off because as the years have passed she has enjoyed reading book after book, and that enjoyment spills over into her English lessons when she is required to write her own stories.

At one time we might have thought that books as an entertainment medium were on the decline with the advent of laptops, digital TV, DVD's, and games consoles. Not a bit of it. The likes of J K Rowling, Jaqueline Wilson, Philip Pullman and Anthony Horowitz have helped to fuel a reading desire amongst the young, and the book is very much alive and kicking.

What these writers do have in common with all the great writers is the ability to tell a good story. That's basically the real secret to success; a good story told well. The writing style may vary, the prose may be basic or florid, but at the heart of a good book is the story. Which leads us nicely to our question for today.

Q: How many story tellers does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: You’ll just have to wait and find out. Now, are you sitting comfortably? Good, then I’ll begin. Once upon a time there was a beautiful lightbulb ...