Author visits Stockland Green – Students had their imaginations sparked when a noted writer visited to talk to them about the magic of writing fiction.
Lauren James is the author of many Young Adult novels and has sold more than two hundred thousand copies worldwide in seven languages.
Originally a Chemistry and Physics student at the University of Nottingham, she turned her interest in science into crafting gripping sci-fi tales, as well as contributing to Netflix series Heartstopper.
And last month she visited Stockland Green, which is part of the respected Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, to pass on her infectious enthusiasm for writing to students from Years 7, 8 and 9.
Author visits Stockland Green to work with students
The day included workshops for the students, tips on writing and editing, and listening to the pupils’ own ideas for stories.
She said: “The students were amazing. They were so curious, and they asked so many questions, and had some really interesting ideas too.
“What I try to do is present them with my own real enthusiasm, because the thing that made me apply to study science and then to write was that I loved it, and I was curious about it.
“Take science – when you talk about science it’s so hard to bring the joy of the subject out, but the fact is that the world is so weird and interesting.
“Teachers never get to talk about that because they have to work within the curriculum, but the things that make science exciting are how weird life is when you think about it.
“So, I try to get the students thinking about subjects like evolution, about how humans have evolved, what we could evolve into next – things to get their imagination going.”
Lauren said that once the students could see that anyone could write, their own ideas began to surface.
She said: “It’s also about getting them thinking about how anyone can be a writer or an author. You just need to have a good story and something interesting to say.
“Once you get them talking, it often turns out they’ve all had ideas that they could work on, little worlds that they have created – it’s already in their brains but they’ve never had chance to talk about it.”
Lauren, who also works with PhD and Masters students at Aston University to improve their dissertations, also talked to the Stockland Green students about the importance of editing and rewriting.
She said: “I love it when you’re talking to school pupils about writing, and you can see the moment when it ‘clicks’ – and they suddenly realise that they find it interesting. It’s that point when they realise that this isn’t a lesson, and they’re not going to be tested – it’s just a chance to learn about something really cool!”
The visit was part of Stockland Green’s efforts to encourage students to engage with reading and writing beyond the classroom.
As part of this, the school even gifted every child in Y7 & Y8 a book of their choice on the final day of term before Christmas.