Forgot the children were on half-term holiday this week but had a good turn out anyway so thank you to those who managed to get along. If one of you mums and dads can let me know the approximate dates for school holidays, I might adjust the session dates to match in future. That way, nobody misses out.
Had a really good session today, despite the somewhat depleted numbers. Thank you very much to everyone who has managed to pay their contribution to costs for Word Magic. I think the bank manager may forgive me once I start paying it back in! Anyway back to today's session. Well, I took the Young Writers through the highly amusing world of limerick-writing, demonstrating their layout and rhyme-pattern with several such poems read from my favourite book of children's poetry (Poems For Young Children, Miles Kelly Publishing) and one I had knocked up earlier in the day. It is actually quite a hard poetry form to explain. Adults may understand whjen I describe it as having a rhtymn of rhyme that goes AABBA - but it took the children a little while to catch on. Some of them seemed to click with it almost straight away. A couple of them struggled a bit but got close. One or two of them couldn't quite get their heads round it, but that's okay. It'll come in time.
I gave out what complimentary copies of Word Magic that I could and also announced a Mother's Day poetry competition. I left a wad of entry forms with Amanda along with some copies of a newsletter I'd put together and asked her to give them out, so if you want more details, she's your girl.
Couple of other things I wanted to mention. Firstly, I have been in contact with the Polka Children's Theatre in Wimbledon following requests from the Young Writers for trips out. They have a show running next month based on the writing of the Grimm's Fairy Tales and they have offered us up to 30 tickets at just £2.00 each. The programme will run for approximately an hour and a half, with an interval, and the visit will conclude with a back-stage tour. The only date I can make it is Saturday 23rd March and the show will begin at 11am. Please let me know if you would like your children to attend. I will also need a number of other grown-ups to help supervise. Please contact me ASAP if you are interested.
Secondly, I thought it might be an idea to form a small committee to help run the group. If you would like to volunteer for that, please let me know.
Finally, I did not set an assignment because of the competition but a couple of them requested one so I have asked for a short story. Think that's about it for now. Oh yes! Next session is on Wednesday 6th March. See you then. Good Writing!
Wednesday 20 February 2013
Thursday 14 February 2013
It's A Kind Of MAGIC
Okay mums and dads (and anyone else passing through), I have now got, sitting in my living room, 200 pristine copies of Word Magic - the book written by your children. It looks brilliant and I will be bringing the complimentary copies along next week. Thought I'd also send some out to any local media I can find, Ashburton and Croydon Libraries and some local schools (so please send me the names of your childrens' school so I can get the correct contact details). I think the Young Writers are going to be thrilled to bits when they see the books - and so will you (although I would welcome any contributions costs next week if at all possible to apease my bank manager)!
Hope you all managed to get copies of Tuesday's SLP and have seen the faces of Addiscombe Young Writers beaming up at you from Page 7, but if you didn't, don't worry. I will bring a couple of copies along to next week's session, just as I promised.
And one more thing before I dash off - I have re-launched my own blog so please feel free to go and have a peruse if you're curious. The link is http://jphenderson-long.blogspot.co.uk As usual, please come back to me with any comments and suggestions as always pleased to get feedback. Till Wednesday then - Good Writing!
Hope you all managed to get copies of Tuesday's SLP and have seen the faces of Addiscombe Young Writers beaming up at you from Page 7, but if you didn't, don't worry. I will bring a couple of copies along to next week's session, just as I promised.
And one more thing before I dash off - I have re-launched my own blog so please feel free to go and have a peruse if you're curious. The link is http://jphenderson-long.blogspot.co.uk As usual, please come back to me with any comments and suggestions as always pleased to get feedback. Till Wednesday then - Good Writing!
Wednesday 13 February 2013
Grab Your SLP.....
Have you all seen yesterday's edition of the South London Press? The Young Writers are on Page 7! I was over the moon when I saw it and I know they will be thrilled to bits. I will bring a copy along next week to show everyone but strongly advise you all to nip into the corner shop tomorrow and invest 50p in a copy. Well done to all of them - they look amazing.
Hot on the trail of that came the Advertiser. Yes - I finally heard from Glenn - who wants to run a story in next week's issue. Glenn has apologised that the column idea seems to have gone cold but he wants to include the four pieces of work I initially sent him and has suggested the Young Writers write to the Letters Page occasionally. If we send the letters directly to him, I am sure he will do his best to include what he can. He wants to send a photographer along next week and has especially asked for Teva, Clint, Phoebe and Tomaso to be present as it is their work I initially sent (since I was working alphabetically which seemed fairest). Having said that however he is over the moon that next week will see the children receiving their complimentary copies of Word Magic and I think he wants to give that a big plug.
Isn't life exciting!
Good writing!
Hot on the trail of that came the Advertiser. Yes - I finally heard from Glenn - who wants to run a story in next week's issue. Glenn has apologised that the column idea seems to have gone cold but he wants to include the four pieces of work I initially sent him and has suggested the Young Writers write to the Letters Page occasionally. If we send the letters directly to him, I am sure he will do his best to include what he can. He wants to send a photographer along next week and has especially asked for Teva, Clint, Phoebe and Tomaso to be present as it is their work I initially sent (since I was working alphabetically which seemed fairest). Having said that however he is over the moon that next week will see the children receiving their complimentary copies of Word Magic and I think he wants to give that a big plug.
Isn't life exciting!
Good writing!
Wednesday 6 February 2013
Session 14 - Feedback
The Young Writers were amazing today! I couldn't believe how well they all listened to everything and how beautifully behaved they were for the SLP photographer! I am so proud to be associated with your children; I can't even begin to tell you all. They are an amazing, inspiring and hugely talented bunch. And so keen! They truly are a credit to all you mums and dads!
The assignment set today arose from a reading from the first chapter of my book "The Tutstwaddle Ghosts", which was written some ten years ago and left in a drawer eversince. The story is a short, comical adventure about how a group of kid-friendly ghosts try to hang onto the repuation of the Most Haunted Cottage In England when the cottage's mean and nasty owner Mrs Ellis decides to have the house knocked down and the area redeveloped. The first chapter introduces all the main characters - ghosts of course - who are Clara, aka The Crying Girl, The Silver Lady, The Mad Monk (with his ball and chain), Twin One and Twin Two and Rasp, the ghost cat. Clara also has a secret companion in Ted - an enchanted teddy bear. The challenge to the young writers is to say what happens next. I told them they could either use these characters, or invent their own. It can either be funny or scary, told as a story, in a poem - or however they like. The purpose of the exercise is to introduce them to 'formula writing' - which is when the idea is there to be developed by the writer - for example, when I wrote the jelly baby stories for Trebor Bassett back in the 80s. Oliver told me he didn't want to write about the ghosts, which is fine. I suggested another Star Wars story which elicited a smile!
Thank you to those parents who have already made their contribution towards printing costs of Word Magic - I will bring a receipt book with me to the session on 20th and make sure everyone gets one.
Sorry I didn't have time to pick the books up today. I promise I will have them by next session.
All the best everyone - and good writing!
The assignment set today arose from a reading from the first chapter of my book "The Tutstwaddle Ghosts", which was written some ten years ago and left in a drawer eversince. The story is a short, comical adventure about how a group of kid-friendly ghosts try to hang onto the repuation of the Most Haunted Cottage In England when the cottage's mean and nasty owner Mrs Ellis decides to have the house knocked down and the area redeveloped. The first chapter introduces all the main characters - ghosts of course - who are Clara, aka The Crying Girl, The Silver Lady, The Mad Monk (with his ball and chain), Twin One and Twin Two and Rasp, the ghost cat. Clara also has a secret companion in Ted - an enchanted teddy bear. The challenge to the young writers is to say what happens next. I told them they could either use these characters, or invent their own. It can either be funny or scary, told as a story, in a poem - or however they like. The purpose of the exercise is to introduce them to 'formula writing' - which is when the idea is there to be developed by the writer - for example, when I wrote the jelly baby stories for Trebor Bassett back in the 80s. Oliver told me he didn't want to write about the ghosts, which is fine. I suggested another Star Wars story which elicited a smile!
Thank you to those parents who have already made their contribution towards printing costs of Word Magic - I will bring a receipt book with me to the session on 20th and make sure everyone gets one.
Sorry I didn't have time to pick the books up today. I promise I will have them by next session.
All the best everyone - and good writing!
Tuesday 5 February 2013
More Exciting News ...
Hello again. I know we have a session tomorrow but I really had to tell you some news. Last week I nominated the group for a Local Heroes award, which is a scheme being run by the South London Press. Today I had a long chat with a reporter called Nick Rutherford and he really wants to run a story on AYW - so much so that he has got a photographer coming to tomorrow's session. As Addiscombe is just outside the SLP's normal area, he needs someone within that area to nominate it so I have asked Amanda as she lives just inside it. I am not sure when the story will run but he was so enthusiastic that I have a feeling it will be fairly soon. This is great news. And if I can get to Cherrills tomorrow to pick up the books, even better. I will do my very best but I have got quite a lot of other stuff going on so it may not be possible. I promise I will try, though. Talking about the book, I will be bringing the promised letter in tomorrow to hand out and would appreciate your contributuions by the next session, if possible, which is on 20th February.
I have emailed Glenn at the Croydon Advertiser to ask for an update of when the AYW column is likely to start appearing and over the next couple of weekends, I will start to get the next four ready to go off to him. Glenn hasn't come back to me yet but he did say, during his last email, that it would be soon, so fingers crossed for that one.
Finally, I am planning to put together a programme of session themes etc in time for the session on 20th February which I will pass out on the day. I thought it might help the Young Writers to see a bit of structure. I appreciate the feedback from Renata (please take a leaf out of her book and make a comment - feedback is so important) and am going to also contact a couple of places where we may be able to take the Young Writers during the course of the next few months, so watch this space.
see you tomorrow then - and Good Writing.
I have emailed Glenn at the Croydon Advertiser to ask for an update of when the AYW column is likely to start appearing and over the next couple of weekends, I will start to get the next four ready to go off to him. Glenn hasn't come back to me yet but he did say, during his last email, that it would be soon, so fingers crossed for that one.
Finally, I am planning to put together a programme of session themes etc in time for the session on 20th February which I will pass out on the day. I thought it might help the Young Writers to see a bit of structure. I appreciate the feedback from Renata (please take a leaf out of her book and make a comment - feedback is so important) and am going to also contact a couple of places where we may be able to take the Young Writers during the course of the next few months, so watch this space.
see you tomorrow then - and Good Writing.
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