Author - School Visits

A note to teachers...and budding creative writers

HOW T.V. CAN BREATHE FUN INTO CREATIVE WRITING

Setting out on the journey of penning a first novel - or any piece of creative writing - can be daunting; we've all experienced the pressure of staring at that blank sheet of paper. But this should never put a new writer off - particularly a very young one. I see writing as an adventure - and the thrill begins with setting down those first few words. A good starting point is finding a world in which to set your story. A world that excites and intrigues you is also likely to entertain your reader. For "Newskids on the Net", I chose to set my young characters in the cut-and-thrust world of television. TV has been a major part of my life for over 30 years and I've always believed that kids would make great reporters because they're fearless, inquisitive and never take 'no' for an answer! Suddenly, the idea of a thriller in which a group of teenagers start a TV station began to take shape.

I quickly made an important discovery: many of the disciplines and techniques used in film-making also apply to writing for the page. It occurred to me that this might be an effective way of getting children to engage more with creative writing at school. Today's youngsters are very media-aware - and I thought that, by encouraging them to think filmically, I might help to develop their writing and storytelling skills. I now do school presentations and workshops encouraging 10 - 13 year olds (the target readership of the book) to visualise scenes as 'shots' and then describe them; to think about plot lines and structure; to develop characters and imagine how the camera would observe them in different situations; to consider how lighting and sound contribute to creating a mood - then there's the art of injecting pace and variety through editing.

I find that offering children professional insight into how television is made enables them to watch programmes, especially drama, in a more informed and discerning way. Understanding the 'tricks of the trade' makes them less passive in their viewing and more creatively aware. This raises both their interest and ability in creative storytelling - and puts an edge on their appetite for reading. Many head teachers have commented on the effectiveness of my presentations:

"As head of English, I could not have wished for a better outcome. The children are reading more and asking for more opportunities to do creative writing."

"Nick was a source of great entertainment and inspiration for our pupils. He captured the children's imagination and encouraged them to use visual stimuli as a basis for creative writing. His talk appealed to a wide range of abilities on different levels."

Feedback from my readers so far has told me that "Newskids on the Net" is a real page-turner that appeals to boys and girls - including 'reluctant readers'.

"I have read it three times and the plot is still as exciting as it was the first time."
(Jenny Brook, Surrey)

"My son loved this book. He was totally gripped by the plot and read it in just a few days." (Amanda Powell, Warwickshire)

If you would like to contact me about a possible presentation at your school, please don't hesitate to use the e-mail contact link at the end of this site. It would be great to hear from you. If there were a substantial amount of travelling involved, perhaps my visit could be combined with talks to other schools within your education authority.

Nick Handel is an acclaimed documentary maker with a raft of popular BBC series to his
credit including "In At The Deep End", "Jobs For the Girls" and Children In Need - although he will probably always be remembered as the "That's Life!" director who made a star of a Yorkshire terrier who made the word 'Sausages!' a national catchphrase.

Newskids on the Net is available online at www.newskidsonthenet.co.uk at £7.99
(including U.K. postage and packing) or can be ordered from bookshops AT £5.99
(ISBN 978-1906221-812).

Next: Contact Nick Handel