Phew! I’ve collected a list of my most popular blog posts and online resources for young writers, teachers, creators, home-schoolers…and anyone who’s keen to live more creatively or to learn more about the craft of writing…

Check out other amazing activities and resources related to my books here.

Download STEAM!

This list of hands-on activities, brainstormed ideas and curriculum-linked teaching notes is an all-in-one STEAM education resource for your classroom.

HOT TIPS….BEGIN!

1: Top ten tips for writing great stories. Perfect for students.

2: Editing bingo: 16 ideas for editing your story. Bite-sized changes you can make to level-up your story.

3: Looking for opportunities and writing competitions for young writers? Check WritingWA’s terrific page for young writers.

4: Five top tips for turning your child on to reading Advice for parents with reluctant readers

6: Twelve ways to read a picture book Advice from visual literacy expert Dr Ernie Bond on deconstructing picture books.

7: Author marketing: example bios, straplines and spiffing pants Advice from Hachette Australia’s Jaki Arthur on how to market yourself as an author.

8: Six top tips: Preparing for the NAPLAN narrative writing test Ideas on how to quickly establish great characters and emotionally involve your reader – also useful to those not about to take a NAPLAN test 😉

 

9: Fifteen things I learned redrafting my novel: how to edit your own work Advice is hard to take, especially when you’re giving it to yourself, but I have learned the hard way.

10: How to steal story ideas and ingredients from history, science and culture Blast away the fictional cobwebs with some inspiration from the real world. It really works!

11: How to write a synopsis: four big secrets and an example Because we all need a gripping blurb…

12: How to get published: secrets revealed at the Perth Writers Festival Some gems from publishing professionals.

13: Ten questions your TV pitch should answer…with producer Amanda Higgs Loved ‘Secret Life of Us’ or ‘The Time of Our Lives’? Check out these tips from producer Amanda Higgs.

14: Three-step CPR for your feature film script (or my over-edited novel) Stuck with your draft novel and don’t know where to turn? Try this.

15: Want to inspire your people to live more creatively? Or see how science and tech go hand-in-hand with creativity and curiosity? Or peek behind the scenes into how a book gets made? Invite me to speak at your school, library, festival or conference.

16: Download my F.A.S.T ideas for researching stories.

17: Download my creative writing techniques for hot D.A.T.E.S.   Creativity takes practise, so make sure you have a nice chunk of time, all to yourself, and try writing a scene that uses these five fabulous techniques.

18: Ideas for open-ended STEAM investigations and enquiry-based literature-linked learning in your classroom.