The English Faculty continue to suggest weekly reads, but we don’t want to miss the opportunity to promote writing activities too. The National Writing Project sums up the relationship between the two skills perfectly: ‘Writing and reading are closely related and, some would say, inseparable. Better writers tend to be better readers, and better readers produce better writing. It makes sense that the strategies children use to read are the same ones they use to write.’

Over the years, Bushey Meads has been lucky enough to have had visits from a number of published authors. They have often talked about their approach to writing, which has ranged from very methodical, with a clear plan, character profiles, chapter outlines and computers covered in post it notes, to one who basically said they made it up as they went along…Not a method we generally promote with our less experienced burgeoning writers!

Writers well known for their fact-finding, include Frederick Forsyth (The Day of the Jackal…The Odessa File), who conducts the extensive research needed in order to write knowledgeably and with an authentic voice and Cormac McCarthy (All the Pretty Horses…The Road) who said “Books are made out of books.”

So if you wanted to create a piece of writing, what research could you do?

Author Joanna Penn suggests these things:

• Reading and watching…We are probably doing at least one of these, but you could start being more selective about your choices
• Travel and researching possible settings…Hmm, well only one of those might be possible right now, but you could do your research ready for a future visit

What if you have an idea for a piece of writing, but want to improve your skills? In these challenging times, many people will be turning to diaries and journals to record their own thoughts and feelings. The following free courses will enable you to learn more about how to express yourself in situations real or imagined:

Open University: Writing what you know 8hrs introductory level – free

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/creative-writing/writing-what-you-know/content-section-0?active-tab=description-tab

Open University: Start Writing Fiction 12 hrs introductory level – free (and supported by quizzes and PDFs of the materials)

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/creative-writing/start-writing-fiction/content-section-0?active-tab=content-tab

FutureLearn: How to make a Poem – starts 4^th May

FutureLearn: How to write your first Song – starts 4^th May

FutureLearn: Start Writing Fiction (suitable for 16+ only) – available now

And if anyone thinks their writing skills are sufficiently well-honed to write now, here is a competition:

https://branfordboaseaward.org.uk/2020-competition-details/