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 Julia Jarman's

Visits to Schools, Colleges and Libraries

Each year I visit lots of schools, colleges and libraries. I offer:

PLEASE NOTE - Pupils must hear my "How A Book Is Made" presentation before they participate in a "Let's start a story" workshop and I run only one Let's Start a Story workshop each day.   

Fuller details of my standard presentation material is given below and my "Writing Recipe" is given in the section on how I write. It is also in my unique - how to write a story, story - Story Cat.

Teacher, Vanessa Pearce, has prepared  lists showing how my books can be used in the context of the National Literacy Strategy and curriculum links to several National Curriculum subject areas. I will update this to reflect the New Literacy Strategy very soon.

I regularly make presentations to conferences for teachers and librarians.

I charge the standard Society of Authors fee of £350 for a 3 (occasionally 4) session day, plus travel and VAT which is reclaimable by schools and libraries.

Organising a Visit

I am usually fully booked for at least the next 3 months, so please think well ahead.  Please contact me by email giving your postal address and telephone number and your preferred dates for the visit. I will reply with details of my availability. I live just North of Bedford and am prepared to drive to schools within a 70 mile radius. For longer journeys and visits to schools in the London area I travel by train.

Visits are more valuable  if staff and children have read at least one of my books beforehand. I like my books to be available for children and parents to buy during the visit. Local bookshops are often happy to supply books on sale or return, or I can usually bring a selection of books with me for sale, in which case I offer a generous discount to the school to be taken in free books. Bookshops will usually do this too. Ask! Please, also tell your local library that I'm coming. I will encourage your pupils to borrow books from the library. 

PRESENTATION 1

From Brainwave to Book! - HOW A BOOK IS MADE.

All school-children know what a book is. Most children know that someone sits down, picks up a pen or presses a keyboard, and writes it, but some don't.
If they do, they often think that writers are unusual people, not like them at all. They're clever people who conjure up stories, write them rapidly and become millionaires! 
Children think they can't do it, because they're not clever enough.
I try to convince them that they can write stories!
I try to demystify the process, conveying its excitement, but also the effort that goes into it.
I take them through the process from idea to book, concentrating on my role as a writer, but acknowledging the work of the book creation team.
I show as much as tell, bringing drafts, background materials, proofs etc.
I relate what I say to one or more of my books.
1. IDEAS - Brain waves?
where they come from
real life, other books, a what if? thought
I share with them my Writing Recipe -
Take some real life. Add some what if?
2. PLANNING - if you can.
Beginning. Middle. End.
3. WRITING
Once, twice, three times?
DRAFTS - I show them mine!
Making mistakes - I show them mine!
Making it better - how?
4. READING
reading it yourself or getting someone to read your script
This can be a friend, a family member or a teacher.
The Writer's job - to get the story in your head into the reader's head.
The Reader's job - to show you where you've succeeded and where you haven't.
Questions to ask the reader
  • WHAT happens?/(What is my PLOT?)
  • WHERE does it happen?/(What is my SETTING?)
  • WHO does it happen to?(What are my CHARACTERS like?)
If my reader can't answer these questions I must make things clearer.
5. EDITING.
I give my work to an EDITOR, who comments on my works,then accepts or rejects it and usually asks for improvements/changes. Pupils give work to TEACHER. I relate the roles - I often have to do my work again!
6. PUBLICATION
illustrating, printing etc - my job over except for Proof reading - reading through carefully correcting mistakes! Important!

A BOOK AT LAST!

PRESENTATION 2

LET'S START A STORY!

PLEASE NOTE:

1. I hold this workshop for pupils who have heard my "How A Book Is Made" presentation.

2. I do only one  "Let's Start a Story" workshop per day.

When children have heard "From Brainwave to Book" they often want to go and write stories of their own using my Writing Recipe. I encourage them to do so. These children can be frustrated by the group story-making process.

Some however, are keen to story-make but are held-up by their lack of mechanical skills. This doesn't mean they are stupid. It means that they haven't yet acquired the scribing skills to convey their thoughts to paper.

Some, though able to write their own stories, enjoy the group activity. So I act as their scribe.

  • I need large sheets of paper, clipped to a board or easel if possible.
  • I need thick felt-tip pens.
  • I need a group of children. (No more than one class.)
I explain that we aim to start a story,
We may not get to the end - but we'll try, but it will only be a first draft..
I remind them of the recipe
  • Take some REAL LIFE.
  • Add some WHAT IF?
I ask for bits of real life they would like to put in
  • school? home? (SETTING)
  • a boy? a girl? (CHARACTERS)
Then we WHAT IF?(I remind them - writers can make anything happen!)
  • We decide what is going to happen at first (PLOT begins.)
  • We decide what happens next. (PLOT continues - MIDDLE)
  • We decide how it ends! (PLOT concludes - END)
The children experience the excitement and the frustrations of the process of creation.
They may get stuck - but also unstuck.
They see a very untidy script, reflecting mistakes, changes of mind etc.

WARNING!

  1. This looks and sounds chaotic - but "Out of chaos ...!
  2. This can give rise to lots more work if pupils and teachers want to finish the story, re-draft and illustrate it, and even publish. I hope they do!
The aim could be a book for the school library, or a particular class in the school.
If so, some thought may be given to who is going to read this book?

PRESENTATION 3

“TELL ME ...”

 I ask children to tell me

... what they liked

... what they hated

... what puzzled them  

...what else it made them think of

 

 This is a chance for children to talk back and question me about my writing.    It allows me to go into greater depth about the writing process and the content of my stories.  Children do need to know at least one of my books quite well. They need to have read one or, at least, heard one read. The aim is a discussion in which we all gain greater understanding and greater enjoyment, as a result of “the four sharings.”    No more than one class at a time for this please. I want everyone to have a say.  

Thanks to Aidan Chambers for this approach to group discussion.