A short story about dolly steps:

Once upon a time, there was a girl called Danielle who liked to daydream. In her happiest daydreams, Danielle imagined herself being a Real Writer and publishing Real Books written for Real Children to read.

She had published some grown-up stuff in grown-up magazines, but that was mostly to do with building things or making things or being things. What she really dreamed of was invented stories.

Early in 2009, with a knot in her stomach the size of a large meat pie, she sent one of her made-up stories to a Real Magazine for Real Children. It was more just for Real Experience, a sort of adventure along the pathway to being a Real Writer. But her heart nearly stopped beating when the very Real Editor of the Real Magazine for Real Children bought the story and paid Real Money for it.

Danielle wanted to frame the cheque, but commonsense prevailed and she banked it, where it was soon swallowed up by the necessities of life. The delight of that moment had become a distant shining light -- in fact, she had forgotten even to expect the Real Magazine's arrival -- when, suddenly, quite out of the blue, it came.

In awe and amaze, Danielle flicked through the Real Magazine -- called Orbit -- and saw her little story there on page 8. And on page 9 was a Real Painting by a Real Artist called Matt Ottley -- an Artist so Real that he had illustrated books by Real Authors that Danielle had grown up reading. Danielle may or may not have jumped up and down. If she didn't Really, well then, she was on the inside. And she definitely squealed and took the stairs two at a time to show her family.

It was a Really exciting day -- enormous, giant, bounding... dolly steps on the pathway to becoming a Real Writer.

The end (or not).

PS. Danielle hopes she is Really not breaching copyright by posting these ecstatic pictures from the Real Magazine.