knowing exactly where to place A semicolon won't save your life

I’m not a teacher. 

I’ve spent my career working as a copywriter in advertising. It’s my job to solve clients’ problems through strategic lateral thinking. When I became a published author the doors to schools began to open. I was expected to entertain and educate the toughest clients I’ve ever faced: children.

How could I utilise my skills in a way that would be useful to them?

During one school visit, I asked a class to put their hands up if they found writing stories difficult. They were taken aback when I raised my hand in the air. It had never occurred to them authors might find it hard too. I left determined to come up with a solution to make writing stories easier, whilst nurturing imaginations at the same time. I don’t pay much attention to grammar, spelling or punctuation. I can’t recall many instances when knowing exactly where to place a semi colon might save your life. But if you can use your imagination to think your way out of a tricky situation, it could mean you live to see another day. OK. That’s a touch dramatic, but being able to problem solve effectively not only makes our everyday lives easier, it’s a transferable skill, which can be applied to a wide range of different jobs and industries. It’s something that will always be in demand. Our imaginations are like muscles. If we don’t use them, we lose them.

I went on to develope a Writer’s Toolkit for children, which takes all the elements needed to make a story engaging and breaks them down into bite-sized chunks. Add in a dash of fun, and it can help children to learn some under-the-radar writing techniques. Here are a few examples of the exercises I do in my residencies, events and workshops. 

Once upon a time: The beginning.

Children’s authors only have a matter of seconds to stop their books from being tossed aside in favour of another book. Or, dare I say it: a games console. All the greatest children’s books start with a brilliant first sentence to cleverly hook the reader in. I show the children some of the best opening lines, we discuss what makes them intriguing, and then I ask the class to write one sentence, which they think would grab a reader’s attention. It’s a simple exercise that can get every story off to a great start.

Sketching the plot of a story.

Drawing a map is fantastic for those who find working out plots challenging. First, I brainstorm a list of features that go on the map, which could make a hero’s journey difficult. Give them a twist like a tornado that can shrink you to the size of a pea or a swamp that curses you if your foot touches water. Then I’ll ask everyone to think of a quest. It could be saving a magical creature or finding the antidote to a poisonous potion. Finally, the class will draw their maps, working out the route their character will take, the three difficulties their characters will face and how they’ll overcome them to succeed in their quest. 

Hot seating characters.

I love showing children how to create dynamic characters. I’ll make a character name generator by cutting up lots of different words and putting them in a bag. The class will pick out two words each and use them to come up with a name. Next, they’ll answer a few questions designed to make their characters less wooden such as: “What are they good and bad at?” A fantastic one to ask is: “What are they scared of?” A character facing their fears in a story creates brilliant drama. Lastly, we’ll hot seat the characters. This is a technique used by some writers, so they can get to know their characters better. One pupil sits up front with their character in mind and the rest of the class can ask questions about them. Memorable characters often emerge from this exercise.

The easiest way to make a story exciting.

It’s our job as authors to make life difficult for our characters. The more we can throw at them, the more readers will root for them, willing the protagonist to succeed. Another trick used by writers to keep a story gripping is to ask these two questions: “What is the very worst that could happen to my character in this situation?” And “How do I get them out of it?” It’s a simple way to keep readers on the edge of their seats. I’ll choose a scenario with the class – it could be a boy being locked out of his house. Together, we’ll brainstorm what the worst thing is that could happen to him as he attempts to get inside his home and then we’ll resolve it for the character. He could get stuck trying to climb the fence into his back garden and when he manages to free himself, he’s chased by the neighbour’s dog, but he escapes by climbing a tree, except the branch snaps…  I keep on asking these two questions until there are enough ideas for a complete story. Then we’ll work together to figure out the perfect ending.

Reading a broad range of genres.

I’m all for children reading what they enjoy, but if they tend to stick with the same author, or type of book, it can become like junk food for the mind. When I’m writer-in-residence at a school, I begin every session reading from a different book, so I can cover as many genres as possible. I’ve also featured political speeches by Greta Thunberg, a stinky description of 18th Century Paris by Patrick Susskind in Perfume, and articles from New Scientist, which can generate ideas for interesting Sci-Fi stories. All this has proved successful at tempting reluctant readers into trying something new and it’s inclusive for those who prefer non-fiction. Let’s not forget – books are rocket fuel for the imagination … and the imagination is rocket fuel for life.

My new book , The Night My Dream Came True, releases on August 5th and is available to pre-order from your local bookshop. Or you can ask your library to order it in for you.