True

The word true has several meanings – in accordance with fact, genuine (as opposed to counterfeit), conforming to a standard, loyal, accurate, correctly balanced, honest and without variation (a true-bred Hereford cow always has a white face). It's truly a valuable word!

If you're truing something, you'll bring it into the correct form required e.g. aligning a wheel, so it runs true. One who does this trues, and afterwards they can be said to have trued. If this is done incorrectly, the result will be out of true.

Something which comes true actually happens, true ribs are attached to the breast bone (floating ribs are not) true north is determined by the earth's axis and magnetic north is somewhere else (I may travel a lot, but that hasn't improved my navigation skills! Those aren't even trueish.)

This competition from Spread the Word is for life writing – meaning it should be true. Write something full of trueness and you could win £1,500, an Arvon course and support with your writing. That's a truly great prize package!

No truth is required for this competition (except when complying with the rules). There's £1,000 on offer for writers and illustrators of children's books.

Want to read about true love? You can do that with my latest short story collection.