I'm sociable:
RACHEL DELAHAYE writer & editor
  • HOME
  • BOOKS
  • WORKSHOPS & VISITS
  • WRITER FOR HIRE
  • CONTACT
  • VERSE
  • KIDS' JOKES
  • Day of the Whale

World Book Day 2017

3/4/2017

9 Comments

 
World Book Day... in a nutshell.

If it's going to be a nutshell, let's make it a coconut. Because it was sweeeet!

First I spent a day with the kids at Cumnor Primary School in Oxfordshire. Now, these children were seriously BONKERS. And totally brilliant at coming up with stories - like the alien hatchers and the cross-dressing accountant who stole money for make-up! And I think we managed to convert the biggest alien in the school into one of the best human story-finders in our terrific game of
Detective, Thief, Spy. You know who you are, football girl! Your team's story about kids trapped inside old people was genius. (Year 3 - I'm a bit concerned about the levels of violence in your stories, but then again, if you will read Harry Potter... ha ha ha!). I can't list all the stories, but I hope you'll keep making them. And I will remember you all - including Kia who tapped into a world of wonder, and Thomas and Paul, who definitely owe me an email to let me know what they thought of the Jim Reaper books. *wink*

Then I went to Newbridge Primary School in Bath. HELLO YOU CRAZY LOT. This was the school my own kids went to. A lot of the children had seen me in the playground before, but this time they managed to see past my previous incarnation as 'Matilda and Ben's mum' and take me seriously as a writer and teacher... Well, I say take me seriously, but I have a feeling they were laughing at me big time! Was it the rollerskates? What can I tell you about my time at this school.... well, it was seriously exhausting. But that's a good thing. I laughed the whole day through - and the kids kept me on my feet with great questions, and plenty of enthusiasm, from first thing in the morning until the final bell. Even then, there were still lots of eager and imaginative kids waiting to talk some more. I hope your World Book Day potatoes looked fantastic - did any of the Year 6s take inspiration from my Mr Twit beard? And I'm super chuffed to hear that Eoin immediately started writing his own book when he got home, and that Ruben wanted to get reading NOW. And a message for Mai - who has the most incredible idea for a sci-fi: you must MUST write it. Big wave to Alex D, Lucy C and Sophie G (indeed, my next book is dedicated to this girl wonder)! Special thanks to Mrs Button for lunch and friendship!

Finally I spent a day with Cirencester Primary School. You lot are HILARIOUS. We kicked off with some fabulous caveman noises, and then threw ourselves into some stories. Even those that couldn't be BOTHERED at first (you know who you are) became some of my finest and funniest tale-tellers of the day. I grinned from start to finish. This is a school obsessed with 'other dimensions', and we saw some seriously interesting dimensions of story-telling - entire plot ideas and kooky inventions... headphones that make your head change colour (or make you bothered to do things - I refer you to the pupil mentioned previously)! We didn't have time to get through all our stories, did we? But please email me your plots, as I watched you working on them and thought each and every one was fantastic and full of promise. Thanks for the enthusiasm for Jim Reaper - what a bunch of keen mutant bananas you are (looking at you, River, and at you, Evvie with two Vs). Please write and let me know what you thought of the books. *and thanks for my rainbow bracelets, loomband girls! (see picture below).

Creating plots and loglines for stories is super fun, and I think all the children I spent time with can now do it with their eyes shut - or their eyes open; it depends which method they're using (are you a What-Iffer or a Thief?)! They can now go forth, armed with tools in their mind-sheds, polished and sharp and ready to carve out wonderful ideas for the next piece of creative writing. 
Picture
Look how tired I am! Tired but very happy - what an exciting time I spent with you all. And see how I'm rocking my rainbow loombands from Cirencester Primary? Very cool (dab).
9 Comments

Bewitched by Wychwood

6/16/2016

9 Comments

 

Bewitched by Wychwood

So nearly a week ago, I got in my car and went for a drive and listened to my learn Spanish CD along the way. I'm going to Spain in the summer and I like to know a little of the language, see?

After a couple of hours I pulled up outside Wychwood school in Oxfordshire. Nice part of the world. Cotswolds. Lovely. I grew up in Oxford, so these types of crumbly villages and towns with their rose-clad houses, stones walls and leafy lanes are familiar to me. But what I walked into was a whole new world.

KIDS! EVERYWHERE! HILARIOUS, LOUD, FASCINATING KIDS!

Luckily I spoke a little of the language already. And the language we were all speaking was STORIES.

​The kids' enthusiasm was absolutely infectious and - although that kind of bonkers, uninhibited approach to story creation was something I might have left in my own childhood, I fell back into it. It was like riding a bike. Before I knew what I was doing, I was bouncing around like Tigger on E-numbers, snatching wild and wonderful ideas out of the air with the help of my new friends. 

What a great time we had. Three classes, back to back, all different and yet, all the same in that wide-eyed, up for anything approach. Kids, if you're reading, just remember - Don't Sigh or Yawn, grab the sTORy by the middle. I won't broadcast our techniques here, it's out secret. I made it up on the spot just for you. But I hope, now, you are armed with all sorts of tools in your story-making shed. Including, Lucas (I remember), the Pig of Randomness.

Now, before I go further I need to say a huge THANK YOU to Maple Class for my thank you letters. The pictures were awesome, and the words were touching. You feel ready and armed to write? Excellent! You are inspired to try a story of your own? Brilliant. You had fun? Great. I'm just glad you got something out of my visit...

..speaking of which, I know some of you are a little miffed that you didn't get a snail. It was cruel of me to hand out just a couple and leave the rest of you snail-less... So, I have a plan, to get you more involved with the wonderful world of Will's molluscs and have a chance of winning one of those little critters. On my website, I've created a snail gallery. Using my email (on the contacts page), send me your photos or pictures or fascinating facts you've discovered, and I'll pick one at random every week to win a snail (don't forget to send me your address). How's that? I've started you off with a snail I found yesterday. I popped him on my raincoat so you can see him better.

Check out Will's Mighty Mollusc Gallery here. Early days yet, but let's hope it's soon crawling with little characters.

And that's the end of the snail trail. Again, pupils of Wychwood - you gave me three hours of hilarity and fun, and I can't wait to come back and see you again.

​Love from Random. Er, I mean, Rachel x

PS If you loved Jim Reaper, he'd love you to go and leave a review for him at AMAZON - thank you! 
9 Comments

Kids, 25 years later

5/9/2016

3 Comments

 

MEETING UP WITH KIDS, 25 YEARS LATER

So this weekend I went to my school reunion. It has been 25 years since I saw most of the people there, and it was a remarkable day, filled with warmth and laughter. We had all changed, and then again we hadn't. Funny old world.

As I drove home, I thought a lot about the different paths we'd taken and the truths that had come out of our frank discussions about school and childhood. It reminded me exactly why children's fiction is still booming. 

It's because we're all different. And diversification is the key to survival for any industry. Well, not all industries. You don't want school to diversify into kids and gorillas, perhaps, and I can't see a mechanics and florists combo... But you know what I mean...

In kids literature, there is reader diversity in genre and in ability. I was surprised to find that some of my old friends had been reluctant readers and others avid to the point of obsession. I was surprised because we all went to the same school, we were all at a certain 'standard' (we sat exams to get in), were taught the same way, were bound to the same code of conduct and recognised the school mission statement - and yet, we developed and emerged as individual as you could ever imagine.

Among us there were doctors, nurses, lawyers, spiritualists, singers, writers, case workers for the police, teachers, make-up artists, horse riders, and even an Olympic marathon runner. I haven't even scratched the surface. 

Think of all those brains twenty five years ago that sat through the same lessons but daydreamed in different ways, at different speeds, about their future and the world they were going to make for themselves.

That isn't ever going to change. Kids will always dream their own dreams. And for a children's author that is the most marvellous gift...

I know that not all kids will love my books and that my stories might not be to everyone's taste, but that's okay. That's even GOOD NEWS. Because it reinforces that idea of diversity and individuality, and I know that someone, somewhere is going to think the stuff I write is the bees knees. Because that's just the way they are. And I wouldn't want it any different.  



3 Comments

For Abbie

4/29/2016

4 Comments

 

For Abbie

I visited a school recently and had a fantastic time, creating stories with all the kids... 'What a good day', I thought, as I packed away my things. As I was about to go, I was handed a story - pre-written and printed out for me. It was by a girl named Abbie. She wanted me to take it away and read it. And right there and then, my day got even better.

Not because I was flattered to be given a story, but because it reminded me of my own burning desire to write when I was her age. It was compulsive. And Abbie - I'm sure of it - is a compulsive story-teller, too.

Abbie, I hope that your love of writing is a fire that never dies out, because I have read the story you gave me, and... Well, just read the following paragraph - my letter to you.

Dear Abbie
Your story came straight out of your head - I can tell it did. I can tell that you weren't thinking hard about your characters and how they should speak and act, but instead they were there, ready-formed in your head. Nothing about their personalities was strained or difficult. I could see them clearly. Your dialogue backs that up. Dialogue is extremely important and yours was tremendous, powerful and very natural. Many writers struggle for years to get dialogue right, and you already know how to write it! The story itself is intriguing - I want to know why Tilly is how she is. Why does she have tantrums? Why is this her fifth school? Why is everyone at the school so strange with new kids?... Don't worry about all my questions. It's a good thing. It means that you've pulled me into the story and I want to find out more. So now I would suggest that you keep it flowing - get it all out. Then, when you think you've finished, go back over it and get all that punctuation and spelling right. Not because it's important in creativity, but because it makes it easier for your readers to follow. And I promise you, when you get that right, your readers are going to be very pleased indeed with your story. I'm really glad you shared it with me, and please let me see it again when you've gone back over it, shaped it and made it the best it can be. You are talented, Abbie. Don't ever stop writing.
Rachel xxx



4 Comments

LOOKING INTO MAGICAL WELLS

4/20/2016

2 Comments

 

Looking into magical Wells


I'm just back from two one-hour story-creation workshops at the wonderful Wells Cathedral School in Somerset, where I met 70 kids, all confident and well up for some What If battles. They were all big personalities, with ideas that seemed impossibly huge, considering the regular Homo Sapiens size of brain, inventing some absolute magical stunners - I'm keeping my eye on the Australian Desert Dragon (you know who you are....). There were also some frighteners, too (are you sitting comfortably - good, I'll tell you a torture story); and the characters that were created in minutes right in front of my very eyes, like Butcher Bob and Paul the Potter and badger-hater, were awesome and should be copyrighted immediately.

And to Abigail, who gave me a story to take away and read - I will write on this very page again with my thoughts in the next few days. Do check back. But I can already tell you, having read the first couple of paragraphs, that you are an absolute natural. Can't wait to read the rest.

I cannot wait to visit Wells again. Please invite me back!

Bye bye. All's Wells that ends well.
2 Comments

IT STARTED WITH A BAZOOM!

3/15/2016

1 Comment

 

It started with a Bazoom!

So, not only are the kids of St John's Primary a little bit special for being my first ever bunch of story gobblers, they've only gone and designed scooters inspired by the Bazoom! in Jim Reaper, Son of Grim. 

There were loads of them. They had great names like the POP, The BOOMER, the ZIZIZOOMER, the MULTI MIX-UP, the ZOOM ZAP, the HANNAH MAGNIFICENT and the MICRO-PAWER SCOOTER. They had incredible functions, too. Lots of flashing lights, chairs, killer chainsaws, holograms, flames and rocket boosters; there was even a pop-up bed (nice!). I really want to feature them all, but my computer might break, so I've chosen five that caught my eye. But they were ALL super special and if Jim were here, he'd give you all high fives and buy you crisps.
A hovering scooter with a pizza launcher and electric bugs. Genius invention!
1000 rocket blasters and an underwater function. Great for zooming through puddles!
Cofee maker, soft floor, healing footstool - I definitely like to be comfortable when I'm zooming!
Wheels that hypnotise. Perfect for confusing bullies like Jeremy Flowers. Under-seat storage - practical, too!
A cheese canon. Totally inspired. I love your descriptions. They're AWESOME and EPIC. Unpredictable speed sounds fun, too!
1 Comment

Booked in, Booked out!

3/4/2016

1 Comment

 

Booked in, Booked out!

When it comes to public speaking, l'm at home talking to my two kids. When I say 'at home' I mean at home, at my house, usually telling them to tidy their rooms. 

So when, suddenly, I found myself in a school hall with 180 kids crossed-legged on the floor in front of me, I was a little shaky. Think about it: I'm out of my house, out of my comfort zone, talking to kids who aren't my kids (but who are infinitely better behaved)... And it was.... ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT! I had an amazing time, talking about JIM REAPER, the early creation of stories, the importance of stories for our brains (for the future of mankind, even!), and revealing how easy it really is to come up with story that'll knock the socks off your English teacher. 

Huge thanks to St John's Primary in Bath who eased me gently into the world of public speaking with the whole of KS2 in one go!.... We had huge belly laughs and tremendous Bazoom! impressions. I'll admit I was nervous at first. So nervous my heart thumped louder than a postman carrying an over-sized parcel at a door with no bell. But you got me over that with your warmth and tremendous keenness to participate. Your Bazoom! pictures were brilliant! Or Bazilliant! And your book recommendations were terrific.

Then on to Kingscourt School in Waterlooville. Such an idyllic setting, with great teachers and such involved kids, all of whom were desperate to throw their 'WHAT IFs' over everything to create some fabulous on-the-spot stories with me. I had no idea that What-If Woman would be my alter-ego until I stood in front of you lot. You inspired me! You were all smashing, and I can't wait to see you again one day.

And then to Havant Academy. Older kids, louder kids - but kids who loved to speak up and share all sorts of one-the-spot stories. The Day I Did Britain's Got Talent was up there. As was The Day I Visited My Nan And She Sucked My Brains Out. I was particularly tickled by The Day I Visited Sandy Balls And Turned Yellow And Got Lost in the Sand FOREVER. Even the story about a farting dog had some merit... :)  You were all friendy and funny and I'm sorry we didn't get round to finishing the workshop. Perhaps you'll let me come back. 

Do send your smoothie ideas to me - but remember, all ingredients have to be edible, and the smoothies need a name! I'll be choosing a couple for book 3 in the Jim Reaper series, and you'll be thanked in the back of the book!


Thanks to all the kids who helped my World Book Day tour such a success.

And remember... ​Keep reading. Keep the robots at bay!
1 Comment

Teens on Moon Lane boosts ego!

2/11/2016

1 Comment

 
Super fun to be involved by Teens on Moon Lane. 

5-4-3-2-1... dont' hold your breath - that's just what the interview was called. Read it here
1 Comment

Snails, Jim. 

2/7/2016

2 Comments

 
Wonderful feature in the Los Angeles times. Posting this just so you know it's not just me. Actually, I thought it was. But it isn't - there are lots of people fascinated by snails. So get out there, watch where you're putting your feet and feast your eyes on this little speedy slime-fuelled marvels of nature.

http://www.latimes.com/science/la-sci-snail-hunt-20160130-story.html
2 Comments

    Welcome to
    THE SLOW HECKLER
    My blog page and home for touchy-feely stuff.

    Archives

    March 2017
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly