BarryHutchison

Moniack Mhor

As readers of the blog will be aware, I recently started running some story-writing workshops in some schools, as well as with the winners of this year’s Pushkin Prizes at Moniack Mhor writer’s retreat.  The school sessions took place in both Republic of Ireland and Scotland, and were a great success (as well as a lot of fun).

I am delighted to announce that I am now available to run these story-writing workshops in primary and secondary schools across the whole of the UK.

The sessions take children step-by-step through the story-creating process, from creating characters and settings, to developing a well-structured plot.

Workshops can be customised for all class sizes and age ranges, and can be as long or as short as required.  As a rough guide, though, the average one-hour workshop will help pupils:

• Come up with a unique setting for their story and learn how to describe it using all five senses
• Invent rounded, personable characters that readers will want to root for
• Devise a fast-paced plot through a simple, three-step exercise
• Build the story action towards an explosive climax – perhaps with a twist at the end

By the time they’ve finished their plans, your pupils will have everything they need to write the ultimate short story – they’ll never be stuck again! And, the best part is, they can use the skills they learn every time they sit down to write.

I usually end each workshop with a Q&A session, and a reading from whichever of my books is most appropriate for the age range of the class.  These workshops are best suited to children aged 8 and upwards.  A different, less detailed (and much  noisier!) workshop is available for younger children.

Wexford Educate Together

Although I am obviously keen to promote my own INVISIBLE FIENDS series, I am well aware that most primary aged pupils will want me to discuss the BEN 10 books, and I am more than happy to do this.

Should you wish to discuss the possibility of my attending your school or library to run a workshop, drop me an email to events@barryhutchison.com with your name, contact details, and the name of the school you represent.  I will usually respond within 24 hours, although during busy periods this may take slightly longer. You can also find some more details of my visits on my Contact an Author page, which you can find by clicking here.

I look forward to helping your pupils get more out of story-writing.