Living Life Twice

Each time I visit a school as part of a Meet The Author Day and talk to groups of young writers about the writing life I am passionately pursuing, certain questions arise during the course of a session: Where do you get your ideas? What inspired you to write poetry? Do you have a favourite poem? Do you prefer rhyming verse or free verse? How long have you been writing poetry? How did you get your poetry book published? How long does it take to write a book? All these questions are valid. All of them quite normal. But one Grade 6 boy’s question set me to thinking more deeply about my response. He raised his hand and asked, ‘Do you like sport? I have been asked this question  many times before. In fact, it has been raised with me on numerous occasions and it is always posed by boys. I suspect that in the minds of many boys, poetry and sports are viewed as mutually exclusive pursuits. Poetry is seemingly passive and sport,  an active pursuit preferred by the maj...

Learning floats on a sea of talk and the world often presents itself to us in the form of stories. For every writer, dialogue becomes a powerful tool when the creation of stories is the focus. It is imperative for such writers to learn to write with their ears. In order to do this effectively they must become keen observers of people, intrigued by what they say and the way they say it.  To develop this ability requires close listening. It is a skill all writers need to develop. I have often suggested to young writers they must develop the ability to eavesdrop. On one occasion, I was informed by an earnest small boy that his parents had told him it was rude to eavesdrop. I had to quickly explain that writers had special permission to listen in to conversations. He seemed to accept my hasty response.  The use of dialogue in children's writing tends to settle in the margins. It is either feast or famine. We see examples where the writing consists overwhelming of conversation...

You ’ ve Got Form! Writing choice is so clearly in evidence when the writer is afforded opportunities to decide for themselves the form their writing piece shall take. It is in this headspace the writer is faced with many options. Every writing piece possesses the potential to assume a variety of forms, so it becomes important to choose the form that best suits that writer’s intention. When the writer in inexperienced, it becomes important to support them in making a good decision. More often than not, the writer knows immediately how they want the writing to be presented. When words and ideas bubble up in my mind, it frequently presents as a poem -but not always. Another idea may be perfect as a memoir piece, or a short story. When this happens, I can move into the writing effortlessly. Sometimes deciding which form best suits our ideas can prove a little more difficult. When this happens, as writers we must be prepared to experiment. Try it one way and if that doesn’...