Andrew Clover - Writing
Andrew Clover
AIM High Writing Days
Summary
Age range All Ages
Books Yes
DBS Checked Yes
Booking
Contact
+44 (0)1535 656015
aim high@caboodlebooks.co.uk
Andrew Clover is a former Perrier-nominated comic; known to children from starring on CBBC’s ‘My Almost Famous Family’ and known to grown-ups for his ‘Dad Rules’ column that appeared at the back of Sunday Times Style magazine.
About Andrew
Andrew Clover writes Rory Branagan Detective. Recently Harper Collins outbid Penguin for a seven book series. Andrew’s books have been sold around the world (including China and the US) and have been nominated for a Booktrust award as Best Book For Reluctant Readers, and Teach First Awards – Year’s Funniest Book.
Andrew recently took time out to train as a teacher and achieved a PGCE (merit) - adding to his already impressive repertoire!
Andrew’s AIM High Writing Days
Andrew loves leading AIM High Writing days, which run roughly as follows:
Session One (usually 9:30 – 10:45) teaches the first The First Secret of Storytelling: Have Fun. In this session, Andrew concentrates on bonding the group, and ensuring they’re inventing freely. The whole class invent a story together, which usually will be energetic, dramatic, and will – surprisingly often – involve a naughty pig, who’s able to fly using a jet engine. There will usually be a short pair exercise, and a quick writing exercise, in which students create a scene.
Session Two (usually 11 – 12) Andrew teaches the group some structure, so that they hone the wild creativity of the first session, into a credible story. Andrew teaches them The Twelve Steps of the Classic Story, teaching them key concepts such as The Call To Adventure, and Why You Must Always Listen To Your Mentor (even if they have eyes like a snail). As part of this, they usually discuss How To Create Characters, and why the most important heroic quality is to Be Bold, and Have A Go. The session concludes in an unusual session: after telling the class he’ll reveal how to become psychic, Andrew makes them shut their eyes, while they visualise themselves starring in their own Twelve Step Adventure.
Session Three (usually 13:00 – 14:45) is about Getting It Down On Paper. Younger writers will gallop through The Main Elements of Grammar (nouns, verbs, semi-colons…) while receiving clever mnemonics so they never forget them. Older writers will bound through The Seven Tricks of Fancy Writing (simile, metaphor, personification…) and then will learn the special secret of using these techniques, so that they actually sound good. Galvanised, the class will then write down the stories they visualised earlier. Andrew will then read out the material, enthusing about good technique. (He’s acted at the Royal Court Theatre: he’ll make it sound really good!).
The day concludes with a Q and A, and everyone goes home, happy and excited.
A Selection of Andrew’s Books
Bookings
To book Andrew Clover please contact
aimhigh@caboodlebooks.co.uk
Andrew also offers visits to schools and other settings, click here for more information.