When I was invited to talk about being an author at Radford House, little did I think that I would be talking to pupils for 2 hours? Not only that, but they had the chance to escape and came back!
I received a call inviting me to give a talk about being an author – well, where to start, ha,ha,ha. Being an author you see for me is a process, I sort of started and now I can’t stop, it becomes a way of life and you crave to write each day. In fact, I get very moody on days I don’t write, I have so many ideas flashing around in my mind it gets frustrating that I can’t put them down on paper, so I love it when I am tapping away on my computer.
I guided them through the nuts and bolts of what an author is, our tools of the trade, and why I choose to be an Indie (Independent) Author. Then I chatted about how I actually write a book – where I start and how my thought processes work when I write. This is always the section I enjoy the most, as it becomes very interactive. I show them how to create a Spider Diagram, which forms the backbone of a book. And also, how they can adapt it for an essay – which is pretty well a miniature story.
They were engaged and excited as we created weird and wonderful characters and started to spin our web. (I just love how kids minds work. ) We talked about Genres, Beta and ARC readers, as well as the importance of book reviews to an author. We seriously covered a lot of ground and I was left with the sense that there was more than one budding author in the audience – let’s wait and see shall we, as I have been asked to return next term – maybe there will be a book waiting for me, written by one of them, who knows.
But, what I do know is, I can’t wait to go back for another visit.
Radford House is a small private school for gifted children. It differs from traditional schools, in that, it tailors the educational environment to suit the pupils, through a very holistic approach to their learning schedule.
Thank you Thabang from, I just loved doing the interview with you guys. You made me feel at ease from the minute I met you all.
Well, l not exactly, all I wanted was ‘An Elephant in my Kitchen,” by Francoise Malby-Anthony. It didn’t quite happen for Christmas, but I did get it for my birthday in January and had finished it within days. It made me laugh and of course cry, but it also made me angry. Angry that in this day an age, there are not enough consequences in Africa to prevent an animal that has been on the planet since the dinosaurs being poached to the brink of extinction. Angry because humans can be so callous and cruel. Angry because I felt helpless.
The School is 100 years old this year and has maintained that sense of tradition which just oozes from its buildings. Indeed, it was a privilege to be invited into the school during such a special year.