Visiting schools is very much part of being a YA author. I manage to get out to quite a few every year and it's always a stimulating, challenging experience. 

Physically, the surroundings and resources vary enormously. The kids vary greatly, too, from intensely interested in what you have to say to really, really wanting to get to the canteen as soon as the bell goes.

When I visit schools, I see my role as providing an insight into the world of a writer. I try to describe how I go about it, drawing parallels with their writing experiences, pointing out how writers all go about it differently, and how it doesn't all happen by magic. I explain how I plan my work, but I also point out that many writers don't plan at all. I then go on to describe some of the tools of the trade that I use when writing - and I actually try to demonstrate them in action while I talk.

That's the sort of thing I do when I address a large group. I've done it with kids as young as middle primary, and I've done it with Year Twelves. With a few tweaks and rearrangements, I've also rolled it out for adults. Different audiences, naturally, demand different emphases.

In addition, I'm sometimes asked to run a writing workshop, for smaller groups. This is fun, as it's the 'learning by doing' stuff. My approach is not to explain much to begin with, but to set up some quick writing tasks. After they've produced something, we examine it, and I try to draw out some general principles, or I suggest some approaches, or we move into 'how to edit a draft'. Writing in action.

I've had some wonderful times in schools. It's invigorating, stimulating, exhausting. I have every admiration for teachers, the ones who work with these demanding young people, day in, day out.

One anecdote. I arrived at a school one morning, ready for my sessions, nice and early. The first challenge is always to find the General Office, and I was pleased to see that this school was one of the well sign-posted ones. Many aren't. I followed the signs and mysteriously wound up at the back of the school oval. It was only later that I was told that it was the last day for Year Twelves, and they'd been creative with their pranks, misdirecting visitors and tradesmen all day.

When I see our young people in schools, I'm greatly reassured that the future is in good hands.

I thoroughly agree with you, Michael. People who go on about 'young people these days' would do well to go into schools and meet the lively, bright and curious kids there! And you also realise just how much kids are reading--as much as they always did, in my opinion. It's very heartening.
Great to see you blogging, by the way! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Michael, it's very refreshing to hear an author talking positively about his experiences in schools. I have heard so many horror stories over the years, and experienced a few myself. It always seems to be a problem with miscommunication, or unachievable expectations, and rarely a problem with the students themselves. This is why it is helpful to have a good speaking agent who is able to do the haggling and organising in advance, and also to make sure that you get paid fairly and promptly.
Alyssa

I popped out babies and books at a fairly even rate for a while (as my brother put it) so I haven't actually done the schools thing, because of childcare issues (I make my other crust doing structural editing from home instead). This year I've been tutoring an undergraduate group, I think they're all under twenty. It alarms and interests and delights me how good their writing is - there are 12 in my class alone and over a hundred enrolled in this subject. Who will publish them all? They use phrases like 'semiotically rich' and they've read Italo Calvino. They are interested, engaged, compassionate, critical readers. One of them went on a school camp to King Island for a whole term in year 9 and one went away on camp for a whole year! I'm only 32, but I'm in quiet awe of how different their experience of the world has already been from mine, in a simple everyday sense. Working with them has been humbling, educational and, frankly, absolutely fascinating. I wish I could download all their experiences into my brain - there's 100 YA books in that class alone. The hardest thing is not stealing their raw material!

Hi Michael - I found myself reading your blog after looking up Sophie's ... Just so happens, I've just started Blaze of Glory and am enjoying it - looking forward to the places it will lead me (up to Ch6). I'm an author for young people too, but with smaller publishers so far. Am just polishing off Book One of my own trilogy after several bouts of advice from a particular editor you are familiar with. Talking of schools, I always love school visits, as long as I don't do too many days in a row (Book Week can be somewhat exhausting!). I love the challenge of having a class with kids that the teacher warns you about and then having those same kids engaged and interested for the whole session. Even better, I love inspiring kids who struggle to write a story of more than a few sentences to later write pages! It's great when you get that feedback after a visit!

Well, this blog has certainly provoked a lot or responses! We authors have had many and varied experiences in schools. I'd love to hear some comments from students or teachers as well. When I visit schools, one of the things I love to do is involve students with the creative process of the book I am working on at the moment. If I am having problems with the plot, I ask them for ideas, and they also help me to choose titles, or the wording for blurbs. Kids have terrific ideas, and I really make use of their suggestions.

Hi Michael,
Thanks for alerting me to this great website! I'm still very much a kindergartener in the School of Web! I used to do many more schools than I do now and found I was getting run down and not enjoying them in the way I once had. I was also beginning to feel like I was spending more time talking about what I did than actually getting any of it done. More importantly, I felt I wasn't present in the way I wanted to be for the students. Now I limit my school talks to term three and a maximum of three a week. I try to make sure I don't have any work deadlines due at that time and so I can just concentrate on school visits. Even though I still find them tiring (as keeping a hall-full of preps entertained can only be) I have gone back to enjoying them like I used to. I guess I always have in the back of my mind how much I would have got out of meeting an author back when I was at school when there was no such thing as author talks and I always hope that there might be at least one child in each audience who might walk away feeling inspired. And even if that doesn't happen, there is usually always a child or a teacher or a librarian who ends up inspiring me!
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Thanks so much for sharing this on your blog. It was a great post and a pleasure meeting you.

This is a great piece. Very thought provoking. I like the sort of ending that leaves it opn to personal input.
Makes it work for just about everyone I think. Nicely done! Ill subscribe.

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