Hanna Alkaf described storytelling as ‘Building a Monster’, Frankenstein style. You need the skeleton- the framework, the shape, the story arc. You need the ‘flesh and blood’, as gruesomely said as it is, and the lightning. The details, dialogue, description and emotion. The lightning is the source of meaning. Details- Must be seen everywhere else. Dialogue- … Continue reading Hanna Alkaf’s Writing Tips →

Yet another familiar face! Someone I’d seen here and there in the hallways. Certainly not someone I’d expect to have gone through an accident such as the one she experienced, to be told she’d never stand again, to live her life from a wheelchair. A terrible accident, falling off your bike and being hit by a … Continue reading Writer’s Fortnight – A Life Changing Accident →

On the second day of Writer’s Fortnight, I was given the opportunity to see the Mystery Speaker- or Mystery Speakers! They were adorable! It was positively remarkable to see two little Junior Schoolers, and to find out that they had made websites and a robot. I mean, the little boy couldn’t figure out how to answer questions … Continue reading Writer’s Fortnight- Mystery Speaker →

I’ve written quick posts about how everyone has their own story, how people can be hiding amazing feats and experiences, building up to who they are today. Hanna Alkaf spoke of this- what stories she’d read and how they shaped her. I read the first chapter of The Weight of Our Sky and the available … Continue reading Hanna Alkaf →