Man of few words Patrick Forsyth, whose story was highly commended in a Daily Telegraph competition.

Picture: STEPHANIE MACKRILL (17398-a by JAMES WILL A MALDON businessman and author has been highly commended in a literary competition to write a complete story just twice as long as this paragraph.

Patrick Forsyth, who has written countless business and management publications, turned his wordsmith talents to writing a complete "mini-saga" in exactly 50 words for a competition run by a national newspaper.

Along with other members of his informal Witham literary group, he put forward an entry to the Daily Telegraph and was delighted when his entry was chosen to be one of just 200 published. The judges included Joanna Lumley and Quentin Blake.

Mr Forsyth, who runs Touchstone Training & Consultancy in Saltcote Maltings, said: "I do a lot of business writing but this was the first time I have tried something like this and this is the first non-business thing I have had published.

"It was quite enjoyable to do. You first have to think of an entire story with a beginning, a middle and an end which you can put over in exactly 50 words. When writing it you then have to make sure you do not waste any words or take a word out that weakens the story. I submitted two and one won a £50 book voucher for being highly commended."

The book, Daily Telegraph Mini-Sagas, is published soon Mr Forsyth's entry A Dream So Real.

Staying overnight with friends, his sleep was disturbed by a vivid dream. A thief broke in, stole everything in the flat - then carefully replaced every single item with an exact replica. "It felt so real" he told his friends in the morning. Horrified, uncomprehending, they replied 'But who are you?"

Last Updated on Wed 26 September 19101 at 15:0