What a week I had last week!

I spent four days as writer in residence at Lake Joondalup Baptist College, where I was treated like a star and had an amazing time speaking to students in years 7, 8, 9 and 11.

I talked about all kinds of things, including:

1. My life as an author, including how and why I became one.

2. Why I  write about tough topics including war, death and illness.

3. How to get started with building a story.

4. Ensuring that there is enough conflict in a plot – and countering that conflict with plenty of light.

5. War poetry and why poetry was (and continues to be) written in dark times.

6. Science fiction and how it isn’t all that different from historical fiction in that at its heart should lie strong characters, a strong conflict and believable scenarios.

On Thursday I had lunch with the school Bookclub, with a lively discussion about topics including the importance of good covers and diverse characters, and on Friday I signed a stack of books for keen readers. I was pretty chuffed to find a year 12 student in the line – I hadn’t spken to any year 12 classes. She was buying a copy of Pearl Verses the World, because she feel in love with it several years ago.  Awwwww.

Being in residence is fun, enlightening, inspirational and also slightly exhausting. I love my job! this week I’m back at my desk working on two articles about poetry for my doctoral studies and revising my work in progress, a new verse novel.