Stephen Davies - AIM High Writing
Stephen
Davies
AIM High Writing
Summary
Age range KS1 to KS5
Books Yes
DBS Checked Yes
Booking
Contact
+44 (0)1535 656015
aimhigh@caboodlebooks.co.uk
Stephen is a former English teacher and an award-winning children’s author, with over thirty books in print. He loves visiting schools and encouraging budding writers, especially on AIM High Writing Days.
About Stephen
For the last ten years, Stephen has been running AIM High creative writing days up and down the country, aiming to reinforce what pupils have learned in their English lessons at school, stretch them with advanced techniques and inspire them to take up writing as a hobby.
Stephen’s AIM High Writing Days
Please scroll down for an outline on Stephen’s Key Stage 1 day ‘Monster Under the Bed’
Key Stage 2: ‘Iceberg Ahead!’
This Titanic-themed writing day is based on Stephen’s bestselling book Survivor Titanic. It can be adapted for either Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) or Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5 and 6). Pupils will learn how to research and write historical fiction, and will experience the thrill of crafting a believable adventure story.
Session 1 - 9.30 a.m. to 10.45 a.m.
Part 1 - Stephen welcomes the children at the start of the day and learns as many names as possible. (It is important that children feel seen and appreciated, so I aim to memorise all names by lunchtime).
The aim of the first ten minutes together is to create a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere for learning. The group shares books they have enjoyed and play a story-themed game such as ‘Exquisite Corpse’ (making up a story one word at a time).
Part 2 - Stephen shares knowledge and tools that the children will need for the day ahead. The emphasis here is on interactivity. Children contribute pre-existing knowledge and conduct research using primary historical sources: photographs, deck plans, historical artefacts and survivor accounts.
Part 3 - The group transition from pure history to historical fiction, dreaming up a fictional but believable passenger travelling on the Titanic. Stephen shares his own process for creating interesting characters, and pupils practise it – first together, then by themselves.
Session 2 - 11 a.m. to 12.15 p.m.
After morning break, the group start to write: ten-minute bursts of speed-writing interspersed with short periods of tuition.
Paragraph 1: Introducing the setting – with tuition on vivid sensory description
Paragraph 2: Introduce the character – with tuition on Show Don’t Tell
Paragraph 3: Direct speech – with tuition on using dialogue to reveal characters’ distinct personalities
Paragraph 4: Inciting incident (the iceberg strikes) – with tuition on strong verbs and varying sentence lengths.
Session 3 - 1.15 p.m. to 2.30 p.m.
Part 1 - The group discusses how to craft an exciting adventure story, with reference to the metaphor ‘Chase your character up a tree and then throw stones at them!’ It must not be too easy for our main character to find a lifeboat and escape!
Children imagine three obstacles or problems that stand between their character and the lifeboats. They order these obstacles for best effect.
Part 2 - Children continue writing their stories, then share some of their writing with each other and the class. The group talk about what they’ve learned and enjoyed over the course of the day, then look to the future. How can everyone experience today’s creative buzz again? What are thet going to write at home? Stories? Poems? Diary entries? Comic strips?
The day ends with a brief Q&A and the chance to buy a signed book from the author.
Curriculum Focus
‘Iceberg Ahead’ aligns with National Curriculum Key Stage 2 writing composition objectives, including:
- noting ideas, based on solid research
- creating settings, characters and plots
- organising paragraphs around a theme
- integrating dialogue to convey character and advance the action
- ensuring consistent use of tense throughout a story
- evaluating and editing (“Writing is rewriting!”)
- discussing their writing with other pupils and with teachers
Challenging and stretching our pupils is fundamental to the AIM High ethos. Children enjoy the feeling of satisfaction that comes from working significantly beyond age expectations:
- Pupils will gain insight into professional writing techniques, such as:
i) smuggling character information into exposition
ii) seeding a story’s resolution from the very start.
- They will practice sophisticated dialogue constructs, such as speech-action-speech. (“I don’t believe it!” Eliza flicked the switch off and on again. “Our cabin has electric lights!”)
- During periods of silent writing, many of them will experience being truly ‘in the zone’ – writing with intensity, fluency and joy.
Stephen is determined to remove any mystique from the process of writing a short story, always encouraging children to see themselves as authors.
Cross-curriculum Benefit
The ‘Iceberg Ahead’ writing day aligns with curriculum goals for KS2 history, imparting ‘knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world.’ Children of this age are always interested in the drama of that fateful night. My morning presentation stresses the importance of primary historical sources, and gives pupils opportunities to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement.
Key Stage 1: ‘Monster Under the Bed’
This adventure story writing day is inspired by Stephen’s nine Hilda books (tie-ins for the popular Netflix series), which are crammed with magical monsters of all kinds.
Session 1 - 9.30 a.m. to 10.45 a.m.
Part 1 - Stephen welcomes the children at the start of the day and learns as many names as possible. (It is important that children feel seen and appreciated, so Stephen aims to memorise all names by lunchtime.)
The aim of the first ten minutes together is to create a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere for learning. The group shares books they have enjoyed and play a story-themed game such as ‘Consequences’.
Part 2 - The group looks at photos from the non-fiction picture book ‘Where Children Sleep’, and discuss how photos can be used as inspiration for story characters. Having had the process modelled for them, children choose a photo and write a character profile. Where does the child live? What are they like? What are they good at? What are they afraid of?
Session 2 - 11 a.m. to 12.15 p.m.
Part 1 - Discussion focusses on how to model how to begin a story, introducing the character and setting in an engaging way. Children write the first chunk of their story and read their work to a talking partner.
Part 2 - Our character has a problem. There is a monster in the room!
Children imagine a monster, draw it in detail and label their drawing with expanded noun phrases. Then they add similes. What does the monster sound like? What does it smell like? Children present their monsters to each other or to the class.
Part 3 - Suspense. The group discusses the concept of suspense and consider how to reveal danger slowly, with the character smelling the monster, then hearing it, then glimpsing a part of it. Throughout this process, everyone gets comfortable with the idea of Show Don’t Tell. Instead of ‘telling’ the reader that the character is confused or anxious or afraid, we find interesting ways to show it.
Session 3 - 1.15 p.m. to 2.30 p.m.
Part 1 - Plotting. All discuss and model how to plot an adventure story. Even in Key Stage 1, children can grasp the metaphor ‘chase your character up a tree and then throw stones at them.’ The group work on creating ‘storyboards’ for the story’s middle and end. How might the character’s problem get worse before it gets better?
Part 2 - Children continue writing, then share their stories with each other and the class. Everyone talks about what they’ve learned and enjoyed over the course of the day, then look to the future. Would we ever write for pleasure at home? Could we find space for it among our other pastimes?
The day ends with a brief Q&A and the chance to buy a signed book from the author.
Curriculum Focus
‘Monster Under the Bed’ aligns with National Curriculum Key Stage 1 objectives, including:
- writing about a fictional character
- planning the main character and plot of a story
- sequencing sentences to form narratives
- choosing interesting and appropriate vocabulary
- practising full stops, capital letters, question marks, commas and apostrophes
- making simple additions and revisions to writing (“Writing is rewriting!”)
- discussing writing with other pupils and with teachers
Testimonials
“A really engaging day that left our Year 6 pupils excited to write.
Steve created a great atmosphere for learning, celebrating everyone’s ideas and pushing them to think more deeply. The stories produced as a result were excellent and really showed that they’d taken his advice on board.”
Year 6 teacher, Bournemouth
“Fantastic, amazing and inspiring are some of the words used by our children to describe the day, with many commenting that they are now considering becoming an author in the future.”
Year 5 teacher, Walsall
“We couldn’t recommend Stephen enough. His knowledge of Titanic was extraordinary and the children were engrossed with the stories and knowledge he could share. The children were very excited to write their stories and use the advice given from Stephen – theirstories were out of this world!”
Year 6 teacher, Swanscombe
A Selection of Stephen’s Books
Bookings
To book Stephen Davies please contact
aimhigh@caboodlebooks.co.uk
Stephen also offers visits to schools and other settings, click here for more information.