On Monday, 12th January, we were delighted to offer Year 8 pupils fantastic sessions with author, Harriet Goodwin. During her creative writing workshops, Harriet taught 'top tips' to make your writing jump off of the page using examples from novels which inspire her. She said:
- At the heart of every great story is a proble which needs to be solved.
- The main character must care about solving the problem.
- The start of the story needs to be as close to the key point of change as possible.
She then gave an other array of great tips for starting stories based on 'show not tell'.
In the afternoon, Harriet gave an author talk to the whole year group explaining the process of becoming an author; drafting and proofing; cover design and her inspiration from a dream, to treasure hauls, to Britain's Got Talent. As usual, Year 8 were courteous and curious, asking an array of interesting questions. The session culminated in harriet giving a demontration of operatic singing from her first career.
A competition inspired by Harriet's visit will launch this week in the library enabling pupils to practise their creative writing skills. Exciting prizes are available, including books signed by Harriet.
