“The Gothic beginning was an idea which caught me, but I also liked the idea of putting a story into only 100 words. It’s quite hard to do, but it’s a good exercise.”

Kate revealed her winning story pretty much just rolled off her pen however: “I just wrote it straightaway off the top of my head. That was it! It was an unconscious process really, because I’m always writing.

Kate is in fact passionate about writing, and gives local wordsmiths, right the way through from complete beginners to published writers, the opportunity to develop and share their skills through The Write Thing workshops.

“The workshops are for anyone who is interested in gaining inspiration or help with their writing. They’re about sharing and inspiring, and giving people the confidence to put their stories into words.

“We use poetry and different techniques to encourage people to start to see ways of expressing their ideas. The workshop groups provide support, but they’re not all about flattering praise, but honest feedback and constructive criticism.”