As it's Mother's Day soon (11th March in the UK), I've compiled a list of gifts that would be perfect for mums who love reading and writing. I'm not hinting at all, promise! Coffee and book club subscription I've seen a number of these. You can choose from book plus...
A snow day is the perfect excuse to stay indoors and catch up on some writing. Having a snow day, it seems, is no excuse for not doing any work and my middle daughter's school gave her enough to do to last at least a week (not sure how long they think they'll be...
One of my groups at the Storymakers Club is the Young Writers. They are aged eleven or above and get together once a fortnight for some writing practice and to work on their current project. It's a great little social group too. This week I used music as a writing...
Want to hear about my next book? It's a middle-grade fiction story for 9-11 year olds, like my first book, but that's where the similarity ends. This one is the first in a series that centres on four children, a school, the events that have occurred during its 100...
I write children’s books, I love stories and I want to share my passion for writing and creating stories. That’s why I set up, Storymakers, my creative writing club. I’m not a teacher, but does that make a difference? At the start of a new term or course, when I...
When you are little, you're encouraged to follow your dream. ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ When you ask this question to a child, you'll hear all sorts of amazing, weird and wonderful answers, from Superhero and Princess, to Premier League Footballer and...
When comedian, David Walliams, signed a book deal with Harper Collins to become a children's author, did he know his stratospheric sales would make him one of the three highest-earning authors in the UK, clocking up print sales of £11m? Possible not, but he might have...
For reluctant writers, the mere mention of story writing is enough to bring them out in a cold sweat. I know from experience that my own little reluctant writer will do the minimum he can get away with when it comes to English homework. He might have ideas, but he...
The majority of the children who come to my creative writing workshops are girls. There aren’t many boys who come to my courses and workshops purely because they enjoy writing. I think mainly it is their parents who are keen to encourage them to enjoy writing because...
With the effects of his delayed gross motor development still very much present in his everyday life, my youngest, who is now eight and a half, is becoming increasingly reluctant to write. You can read more about his developmental delays, hypermobility and food...
Storymakers offers two-hour workshops, a six-week story writing course and a regular (fortnightly) writing club. Held in Sevenoaks, all are suitable for children aged 8 years and above. I have just added some new workshops to the list, with dates running up to the end...
Why is creative writing important for children? Writing is inextricably linked to all forms of creativity from art to drama, so why shouldn't children enjoy writing as much as they do these other disciplines? I am a firm believer that fostering a love of stories in...
I'm often asked how do I find time to write and the answer is quite simple - I don't know. Whether you work full time, part time or are a stay-at-home parent, there are never enough hours in the day and using any of this precious time to write seems, well, just plain...
New research shows children who write creatively outside of school do significantly better in the classroom. In an effort to assess how writing enjoyment has changed over the years, along with children’s enjoyment of writing, The National Literacy Trust used data from...
Creative writing is not just about language practice, it supports literacy, helps children develop their reading skills and most importantly, it is fun. I am an avid reader and writer so you won’t hear any arguments from me about how important creative writing is....
I’ve written many times before about my children and their reading struggles. The eldest found learning to read difficult and as a consequence refused to even try. The reading schemes did nothing to inspire her and rather than face a daily battle of tears and...
Like many children growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, our childhood was all about the outdoors I often talk to my children about the street where I grew up. It was a 1960’s-built cul-de-sac, not untypical of that era, lined on each side with matching semi-detached...
Diverse or niche, which is the best way for a freelance writer to go? I went to a marketing lecture for small business owners recently and came away wondering what it is I actually do. I don't have a niche: my writing covers many fields, from copywriting for other...
There's been no post from me this year about new year's resolutions. I don't tend to do them anymore. This time last year I was ill, so despite a shaky start to the year, it's already been an improvement on the last one. There hasn't been much writing going on though....
I went to a business networking meeting last week where there was a talk about marketing and selling your story. It involved some group discussion as the presenter talked us through the seven P's, namely: passion, principles, purpose, personality, position, people and...