Writing- invite me to inspire you

I can use my novel First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts as the foundation for different sessions and workshops to inspire you to have as much fun reading and writing as I do.

Everyone has their own unique imagination; I can inspire you to find exciting images, adventure and questions in your own head, and turn them into stories.

What I can do:

• Author visit: I can read from First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts, tell a traditional tale linked to the background of the novel and answer questions about reading, writing and books. This can be an introduction to a class that hasn't read the book, or a follow-up for a class that has read it. I promise not to give the ending away if some readers are still half-way through!
• Inspiration and imagination: I can use the structure of an author visit to answer the 'where do ideas come from?' question, and use practical exercises to show that everyone has their own unique ideas and inspiration, leaving a class of children filled with stories they are desperate to write or tell.
• Mind twisting riddles: The heroine of First Aid for Fairies has to solve three riddles to find the lost Book before the Winter Solstice. I can tell you the story of the first ever riddle and the horrible fate of anyone who got it wrong, and see if you can answer some of my favourite riddles. Then we can use the structure of traditional riddles to see if we can make up our own.
• Fabled beasts: I can introduce you to some of the ancient myths and traditional tales behind the characters in First Aid for Fairies. Many of the beasts are a mixture of human and animal, which is why they need Helen's special first aid skills. We can create completely new fantastic animals and give them legends of their own.
• The stories all around you: First Aid for Fairies is set in the Scottish Borders, and the old Borders tale of Tam Linn is the background to the biggest battle in the book. Your village, town or city will have wonderful local tales too. Do you know them? Where would you find them? Can you tell them? I can help you answer these questions.

The above are only examples of what I can do. I am happy to work with you to create other workshops and sessions that would fit with your needs. I love new challenges!

How to book me:

Email me through this website, or contact me through Floris Books.

How much does it cost?

I am guided by the amount recommended by the Scottish Book Trust for author visits, and by the Scottish Storytelling Centre for storytelling sessions and workshops. If you contact me with a few details of what you have in mind, I can let you know what the current rate is.

How to get the best from me:

All events go best for the organiser, the author and the audience, if everyone is prepared.

If we talk beforehand about what you want, then I will know what you expect me to deliver. We can use some of the event ideas above, or create new events for your particular needs.

For an author visit or a workshop linked to the novel, it's a good idea for the participants to have read at least some of the book in preparation. Schools can get a bulk discount from the publishers, Floris Books.

For question and answer sessions, if you spend a few minutes thinking about questions beforehand, then I don't end up answering variations on "Where do you get your ideas from?" all day. It's a good question, and I love answering it, but there are lots of other questions too!

I can provide suggestions on how best to prepare a class for a visit or a workshop.

And while I know that costs and timetables will tempt you to cram as many sessions into a day, and as many classes into a session, as possible, I do like to make eye contact with the people I am talking to, and I do like to give everyone a chance to participate. So a smaller group, perhaps one class, will benefit far more from a visit or a workshop than a huge gym hall full of pupils. However I have done hundreds of kids all at once, and we make a lot of noise and we get very passionate about stories and books, but it is definitely more theatrical and less personal than a session with a smaller group. So you just let me know what you want!

Do I only do 1 hour author visits?

No, I can do longer writing workshops too, and I can also visit a class more than once, for an extended project guiding the pupils through turning their initial ideas into finished work, using the plotting and editing techniques that real writers use, and having lots of fun with words, characters and stories along the way.

Why book an author?

Meeting authors can bring books alive for children, and authors can explain the creative process and their passion for writing, reading, language and stories. Author visits and other events with writers can promote reading and writing, guide children to wider reading choices and help make books cool!

In schools, events with writers can link very neatly with the Curriculum for Excellence, helping teachers encourage successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.

Why book me?

I love words, books and stories. I show that passion and enthusiasm in the stories I tell, and the descriptions I give of why and how I write.

And I never do the same session twice. Before I visit, I'll chat to you to tailor my session to fit your needs. Once I am there, I tell a story differently every time because I am watching people's eyes as I tell it, and I give different answers every time because I am listening to the questions. I'll have great fun sharing my passion for books with you. I hope you will too.

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Events

Saturday 5th September
Braidburn Park, Edinburgh
Community fundraising event for Friends of Braidburn Valley Park
Wolf Notes storytelling
2.15 pm – stories for all ages
3.00 pm – stories for over 8 years

Tuesdays 8th and 15th September
Electric Tales
I’ll be taking part in a project linking storytelling with stand-up comedy
This is NOT an event suitable for children!
8th September 8.30pm
The Stand, York Place, Edinburgh
Tickets from 0131 558 7272
15th September 7.30pm
Scottish Storytelling Centre, High Street, Edinburgh
Tickets from 0131 556 9579
www.electrictales.com

Saturday 26th September
Dundee Reads!
Steps Theatre, Central Library, Dundee
Storytelling and book readings, with plenty of wolves, dragons, monsters and magic 2.30 pm
Further information soon


view all events »

First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts

From the Borders, through Orkney and on to Edinburgh‘s underground streets, First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts is a skilful blend of fable and fiction as Helen embarks on an exciting race through Scotland‘s diverse landscapes. Accompanied by an array of creatures from mythology and folklore, Helen and her fantastical friends must solve a sequence of riddles in order to recover the lost Book before the Winter Solstice.
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