Anna McKann - Writing
Anna McKann
AIM High Writing
Summary
Age range Primary
Books Yes
DBS Checked Yes
Booking
Contact
+44 (0)1535 656015
keeley@caboodlebooks.co.uk
Anna loves to write and delights in encouraging creativity in children including writing, drama and musical theatre.
About Anna
Anna spends her time between her home in Yorkshire and Spain where she has collaborated with a television, radio, and media company to launch an annual writing competition in Andalusia – for children aged between 9-13 years.
She is currently working on another novel in the Chavos range for age 9-13 years, plus she continues to work on her series of picture books Rianbo’s Travels, for younger children. Anna is a great lover of musical theatre and an adaption of one of her books will go on tour later this year, for which she did the script and the lyrics for many of the songs. Amazingly she still finds time for her AIM High days.
‘Author visits are part of my life but I prefer to work with young people for a full day and then we can all see, and enjoy the fruits of our labour.’
Anna’s AIM High Writing Days
The sessions are adaptable and flexible. The time spent on each section will depend on the children’s abilities and the schools objectives but at the end of the day. Anna expects that:
The children will have learned something new!
They are inspired and encouraged.
They know how the seed of an idea can be developed.
The children are proud of their work and feel they can showcase it at school.
Of course, they had a fun day!
An Introductory Session
Anna uses the first session to welcome the students, get to know them and introduce herself, whilst giving some background about her own life, and how she began writing.
Anna will give a PowerPoint presentation showing how she was inspired to write her first novel which was based on her humanitarian visits to Mexico City.
This first session is about motivating and inspiring the students and is a very interactive session getting them to think creatively, and begin brain-storming.
Session 2
Anna will work through her own creative writing worksheets discussing the different areas they need to think about when planning their stories, these include: genre, setting, audience, characters and plot. Why When How Where What etc.
This session again is fun, very interactive and involves brainstorming, sharing ideas, taking notes and general class discussion.
Leading up to lunchtime – depending on the class and how things are going – Anna will start to focus on character development. Each student will begin to develop their own character, the main protagonist, ready for their stories.
Anna often brings objects as story prompts or will use a lead paragraph as she has done with her writing competitions.
The children are encouraged to develop their own imagination and creativity and may work alone or in pairs depending on the needs of the group.
Session 3
With Anna’s help the children will start their story development using the worksheets provided and will begin to write.
All sessions are adaptable and flexible. The time spent on each section will depend on the children. Anna will provide fun creative writing word searches, crosswords or other activities, if she feels the children are tiring and need a break or some chill time.
Session 4 ( If the school would like this incorporating into the day)
A final session Anna could use this time to edit, look at presentation of the piece of creative writing, design of front cover etc.
She will also talk about the publishing process from concept to marketing and sales.
She will discuss the criteria used to mark her own competition to give the children an idea of what the judges look for.
Anna believes it is important to encourage the children to continue with their writing after she has left and will leave information with the teacher telling the students how to enter the Sharon House Publishing children’s writing UK competition.
Anna will adapt her sessions respectively but will work with early years up to and including year 7.
A Selection of Anna’s Books
Bookings
To book Anna McKann please contact
aimhigh@caboodlebooks.co.uk
Anna also offers visits to schools and other settings, click here for more information.