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, geniuses even, 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.

PLEASE NOTE:

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

2. I can do only one "Let's Start a Story" workshop per day. It takes a lot of creative energy drawing the story from the children.

When children have heard "How A Book Is made" 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.

“TELL ME ...”

This works especially well whena class of pupils have all read one of my books.l

based on Four Sharings, I ask them to tell me

... what they liked

... what they hated

... what puzzled them

...what else it made them think of