Notes from the Cavendish: Beginnings

The New Cavendish Club

The New Cavendish Club is a private members' club near Marble Arch. As a venue for a writing class, it was perfect - a bright, airy, spacious, quiet room in an elegant Georgian building with friendly, welcoming staff - and a world away from most adult education classrooms I've worked in.

I have just started teaching Writing for Children for The Complete Creative Writing Course on a temporary basis and as usual, before I actually arrived and met the group for the first time, I suffered my usual bout of apprehension and 'stage fright'. I've been teaching all my adult life, but the sense of nervous anticipation before I begin a new course never fades. Of course, I always tell myself it's the surge of adrenaline I need to deliver a 'good performance', but until I've looked the students in the eye, learned their names and established that they aren't likely to fall asleep or walk out - or bite! - the fear remains. And at least it means I never underestimate how scary it might be for some participants to read their work in front of a group for the first time.

Naturally enough in this first session, we looked at how to begin stories and engage readers from the very first line - with questions, strong emotions, tension - and writing what you know or love and/or for the market - with its different genres, age-ranges, word counts. Oh yes, and not forgetting the seemingly contradictory demands of literary and commercial fiction, and balancing original, high concept ideas with the latest trends...

I couldn't help dropping in one of my favourite quotes:

You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children. (Madeleine L'Engle)

Losing It

Lady M

I know I have a rather odd expression on my face in these pictures and look as if I may have lost my mind. In fact, whenever I do school events, I tend to 'lose it' in a different way. I feel desperately nervous and worried about author visits in advance. I try to tell myself it's a sort of stage fright - a necessary surge of adrenaline to ensure that I can deliver a good 'performance'.

Handa's Surprise - or... er, Handa's Asleep?

But once I'm actually there - face-to-face with two Year 5 classes crammed into one classroom, all dressed as book characters, or three classes in a lecture theatre, all channelling their inner superhero - I focus on the children, forget about the other adults who are there and lose myself in the moment, along with some of my usual inhibitions and reserve.

I think this is probably a good thing for a children's author to do once in a while.

This time around, I had a cold - so I also lost my voice. It's slowly returning and I've progressed from croaky to husky. Think along the lines of Rod Stewart's Losing You: http://youtu.be/u-kWj_kXzVg or It’s a Heartache: http://youtu.be/Dfw_ID95hPw

Flash Fiction for World Book Day

It's Not All About the Writing

I spend most of my time hunched over my laptop, working alone at home. But this Thursday – 1 March – is World Book Day and like many children’s writers, I have been invited into a school for an Author Visit. This year, thanks to organiser and fellow author, Karen McCombie, I will be visiting Year 5 at Campsbourne School in Hornsey, north London. The main focus of my hour-long session will be Flash Fiction and I have already asked the children to make a blank mini-book in advance. I will also do a short reading from Spike and Ali Enson and from Skin Deep, plus a ‘lucky dip’ question and answer session.

So, everything’s under control then? Well, it was until yesterday when I remembered, in a minor panic, that the Campsbourne children – and teachers - may very well be dressing up as their favourite book characters to raise money for charity and that perhaps I need a costume of my own!

From the mask in my picture, you could be forgiven for thinking that I have gone for ‘Burglar Betty’, the good woman who reforms – and marries – Allan and Janet Ahlberg’s ‘Burglar Bill’. But you’d be wrong. The white lumps are the basis of my character’s costume and it occurs to me that I should probably offer a prize to anyone who can guess who it is.

My mask, together with the black cape and possibly some bright red or purple lycra, is actually for the School for Superheroes event the following week at Central Foundation Boys’ School in Islington. I will be running sessions for two groups of ninety Year 5 children from local primary schools as part of the CFBS secondary school transition programme, plus a small, informal session for Year 7 students squeezed in between. I am obviously not at liberty to reveal further details of my superhero identity as it may undermine my ability to save the world...

The day after, I have to be a grown-up and run a one-off workshop for university undergraduates on writing picture books – no dressing up required – and between these events, I have my regular weekly session at another university, offering 1:1 support with academic writing.

Honestly, I love my job!

Guest Blogger: Malaika Rose Stanley

Back to School

  

Yup, that’s me, in my first week at secondary school. I don’t look very happy, do I? And no wonder! My pinafore had a square neckline instead of a round one and it wasn’t quite the right shade of grey – and I missed my sister. I felt horribly self-conscious, desperately lonely and painfully shy....  read more