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Writing Workshops
Our Patron of Reading and Writing, author Joffre White, visited Deer Park on Thursday 16 March to run two writing workshops for selected groups of pupils.
He worked with a number of Year 11 pupils, helping them to prepare for the descriptive writing question in their English Language GCSE examination. They are asked to write a description inspired by an image and he shared some tips with them about planning ideas and focusing on detail.
A group of Year 9s attended a session on narrative writing. One of them described Joffre’s session as ‘inspirational’. They are all hoping to send him their stories once completed, as well as talk to him at a later date using Skype.
Thursday 16 March 2017 was BBC News School Report Day and Joffre took the time whilst at Deer Park to talk with two of our Year 8 reporters, Chloe and Jenna, about his tips for budding writers. Thank you Joffre!
Writing Tips from author Joffre WhiteBeing an author, you're always looking for ideas. Don't doubt what you can write. If you have an idea in your head, write it down. Don't worry about how it comes out, you can always tidy it up afterwards. Get it down on paper. then ask yourself, 'How can I write this better?' Write what you want to write. Read what you want to read. Find a book about something you love, something you are passionate about. Take that knowledge in and read about that. Read about something that's interesting to you. If you're not sure, pick a book up off the shelf and if the cover looks like it's your sort of thing, just read the first two pages - if you're not hooked by the bottom of the second page, put it back on the shelf. Pick up another book. Keep doing that until you find one that you want to keep turning the pages. Read lots. Everytime you get an idea in your head, write it down - keep a file of ideas; it is so easy to forget a great idea! Everybody has a story in them. Everyone has an idea. That idea could either end up as an adventure someone could go on or could be an invention, an idea for product or something we could use to change our world. Always write it down, no matter how crazy, and keep it for a while and reflect on it. You never know where a book is going to take you. I couldn't pick a favourite book of mine. Books are like people - they all have their own personalities. I like creating characters and worlds and I like to create something that someone will pick up and go on that journey. My inspiration to write is seeing other people read. What inspires you? |