Don’t miss out on this! Karori Library is hosting a creative writing workshop during the school holidays. Learn how to write stories like a pro. Places are limited so make sure you book soon. Here’s the details:
Where: Karori Library
When: 10th July 1pm – 4pm
Who: 7-12 year olds – no experience required
How much: $30 – all proceeds go to the Wellington SPCA to keep the animals happy
Booking: Limited spaces. Email your details to brainbunny@hotmail.co.nz
Karori Library’s popular creative writing workshops are back!
Helen and Mary’s workshops will help you build confidence, take pride in your work, develop creativity, improve literacy, increase general braininess and just a lot of fun.
Details:
For 8-12 year olds
18th october 1-4pm at Karori Library
Cost: $30
Places are limited and will fill up quickly. Email brainbunny@hotmail.com to secure your place.
Fancy yourself as a bit of a writer? Karori Library is hosting a children’s Creative Writing Workshop during the July School Holidays.
Where: Karori Library
When: 26th July, 1-4pm
Who: The workshop is presented by Helen Fletcher and Mary Dennis especially for 8-12 year olds.
How much: $30
Places are limited, bookings required. For more information and to book please email juliafletcher113@hotmail.com.
Check out other cool activities during the holidays here.
At our last Johnsonville BookBuster meeting we spent some time creating a short story. We all started with the same first sentence which was:
I clutched the magic book in my hands as I headed into the cold dark cave. Suddenly……..
We had some very interesting and funny stories. I hope you enjoy reading some of the results from our budding young authors.
Caroline’s story
I clutched the magic book in my hands as I headed into the cold dark cave. Suddenly I saw a humongous type of monster. I wonder what it could be I said. “Ahhhhh” it was a talking bear. It said “I am called Poopasock”. I run away and went back home and never went there again.
Cameron’s story
I clutched the magic book in my hands as I headed into the cold dark cave. Suddenly I tripped on a rock. The dragon breathed fire on me. I opened the magic book, it swallowed the dragon. I was safe or was I. I forgot all about the cave caving in. Then I remembered. I hopped in the book and the rocks tumbled on top of the book.
Anonymous
I clutched the magic book in my hands as I headed into the cold dark cave. Suddenly a whoosh of magic took me into the book. It was dark.
Anonymous
I clutched the magic book in my hands as I headed into the cold dark cave. Suddenly I saw a goblet with fire in it. A piece of paper flew out and I turned into Lego.
Hayden’s story
I clutched the magic book in my hands as I headed into the cold dark cave. Suddenly a fox with sharp claws stared at me. I was very scared but suddenly an owl flew down and knocked over the fox and I ran into the woods.
Aubrey’s story
I clutched the magic book in my hands as I headed into the cold dark cave. Suddenly I saw a big big bear right beside me. Then it started to fart. I was laughing so hard that the cave started shaking.
Perhaps you would like to add your version of the story. We would love to hear it!
We had some creative holiday activities with a fun Storython. Children spun a special story wheel and wrote and illustrated their own fantastic short stories. Everyone did a great job and had a lovely time.
Here are two of the stories written:
Story 1:
Sharks belong in the ocean – not in the middle of the desert. It’s during the time of the dinosaurs and all the sharks in the desert were sleeping and a big Tyrannosaurus Rex was going to eat them but the sharks had magic powers and flew away from the dinosaurs and escaped to NZ. Where they lived in the ocean in NZ and ate a snorkeler!
Story 2:
If this was just an ordinary old lady – why did she have a broomstick – she had a broomstick because she was a witch who flew around everywhere – casting her spells, her very bad spells which turned children into toads when they were sleeping. She turned the adults into sausages and the toads began to eat the sausages. A hunter came from the bear’s house to kill the witch. Then everyone turned back to normal adults and children.
The folk at Puffin are holding a short story competition to celebrate their 70th Birthday.
Enter your story of up to 500 words and you could win an ipod touch and $150 for yourself , and 70 Puffin books for your school. You also get your winning story recorded. How cool would that be?
There are categories for students in Year 4-6 and another for Year 7-8 (plus one for Year 9-11, so tell your big brother or sister if they like writing too.)
Check out this link for more information. Now get writing!
If you are in Years 1-8 you could have your work illustrated professionally and published! How cool is that!
As part of the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards a collection of 50 pieces of children’s writing will be published; yours could be one of them!
You might have a story waiting for an audience or you might want to use some time these holidays to write a poem. Even if you don’t get published you could still be in to win a copy of one of the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards finalists.
Check out this link to find out more.
Sandy our author says – ‘Yes you do. You need to be historically accurate. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use your imagination. Much of history is undocumented. We don’t know exactly what happened so we make realistic guesses.
While writing Samurai Kids I spent days researching 17th century Japan. Many story features were determined by what happened in the past. I can’t change the clothes the samurai wore, their hairstyle or katana swords. History has a detailed record of the samurai way of life.
But history doesn’t have a record of Sensei Ki-yaga or Niya – they aren’t real people. One way to write imaginative history is to invent characters. If you write about real people you need to be true to what is known about them. If you create people then you can create their life and adventures.
So I can’t change how Niya dressed, or the skills he learned but I can invent his friends, his teacher, the Cockroach ryu where he trains and all the adventures a one-legged samurai might have.
My favourite advice about writing history is: go to the library junior reference section and find books with pictures. Pictures show you historical accuracy and kick-start your imagination. What is the person in the picture doing? What can he see from the castle wall? Who is coming to the castle tomorrow?
Getting the facts right doesn’t limit your imagination. It helps you pretend you were really there.’
Here’s you chance to try your hand at being an author. Choose between a fairy, horror or space story. You get to pick the characters and all the exciting bits of the story and the website will spin it all together and come up with your very own tale! Its fun, and often funny, and there are loads of different stories to make!
You can find the website here- http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-writing-storymaker.htm