Writing Tips 2 by Dave Cousins — 15 Ways to Write a Story!

Welcome to Part Two of the EDGE WRITING TIPS series. Each week, a different Edge author will be sharing a few nuggets of writing wisdom. We hope you find them useful! 

This week, Dave Cousins shares his tips for 15 ways to write a story …

If you would like a copy of 15 Ways to Write a Story! for your own reference, or to use with students, the file can be downloaded for FREE as a Powerpoint or multi-page PDF here.

If you have any specific writing questions, let us know in the comments below and one of us will get back to you as soon as we can. 

Thanks and happy word wrangling! 

Pop Up and Sit Down with a Book! (or, How Pop Up gets Young People Reading.)

by Edge Author
Dave Cousins

Why pick up a book? I mean, there are so many other things you could be doing: watching TV, hanging out with your mates, playing a game, tweeting, texting, sharing pictures on Instagram, surfing YouTube … Why switch off all that multicoloured, moving, bleeping, tweeting interactive fun and sit down quietly with a book? 

Tricky one that. It’s a question parents, teachers, librarians, book-sellers, writers and publishers have been wrestling with for years. 

One of the tenets of writing is “SHOW, don’t TELL” and that could also apply in this case. When I visit schools, I try to avoid telling young people that they SHOULD be reading. Sure, I’ll explain how important books have been to me, share my enthusiasm for some of my favourites, but then I read something—SHOW them what I mean—in the hope they’ll be inspired to give books another go themselves. 

The programme of literature festivals and events offered by London's Pop Up organisation takes this idea even further. Pop Up Director Dylan Calder explains: “The children read a book, meet the author of the book, then experience a workshop around that book to create creative responses.”

Earlier in the year, I took part in a number of Pop Up Booklinks events. When I arrived at the schools, the entire class had already read 15 Days Without a Head and produced work based on the story, including hot-seating, where students would take it in turns to interview each other as one of the characters. The teachers said the pupils’ enthusiasm for the project was evident in the way they had approached the tasks and the quality of work produced. The video below shows a small sample of film posters students produced having been tasked with casting and promoting a movie of the book.

 
The fact that pupils know they are going to be meeting the author creates an extra dimension to their reading experience and associated work. The opportunity to both question the author, and share their own responses, brings them closer to the book and makes reading a much more inclusive process. Working with the author on the students’ own creative project further breaks down barriers between reader and creator, and provides an important channel for self-expression. 

My overriding impression from the classrooms I visited was one of great enthusiasm. Dylan Calder sums it up perfectly: “Children should come away from Pop Up wanting to read more because they had such a great experience.” Maybe that answers our question.

If you’d like a Pop Up Education programme in your learning community email: education@pop-up.org.uk

Below are links to a couple of short films showcasing recent Pop Up events in June 2013, run in partnership with London museums and galleries.

Pop Up Secondary Film

Pop Up Primary Film

Waiting for Gonzo by Dave Cousins is out now in paperback, audiobook and kindle, published by Oxford University Press. A soundtrack of original music inspired by the book is also available. To find out more, please visit davecousins.net. 

Bringing Dead Frank to Life for "Reluctant Readers" …

This week we find Edge author Dave Cousins in Dr Frankenstein guise, preparing for a spot of reanimation …

Real life often finds its way into what we write, but it doesn’t usually happen the other way around! 

When I was making up fictional favourite bands for Oz – the narrator of my second teen novel Waiting for Gonzo – I was just having fun, trying to build a fully three-dimensional character. I like ‘music’ in books – lyrics or references to songs lets you share the soundtrack of the character’s life and takes the reader deeper into the story.

I chose to invent bands in Waiting for Gonzo because musical taste is so personal – I didn’t want to use existing artists that readers might not like! Oz is also a bit of an elitist – it seemed logical that he would only listen to obscure music that nobody else had heard of. That moment of ‘discovering’ a new band, feeling that they somehow belong to you, creates a special bond between the listener and the artist, and it was important to the story for Oz to have that.

Spilt Milk sleeve by Michael Fewtrell

I had hours of fun coming up with names, song titles and … yes, I’ll admit … entire discographies for Oz’s favourites! Everything was fine, until the idea was raised that readers might want to hear what Dead Frank’s Supersonic Milkfloat or Cyclops Dog actually sounded like. But you can’t listen to imaginary songs by bands that don’t exist … or can you?

A long long time ago, in a faraway galaxy … I played in a band. We had a record deal and were almost famous for a while … 

I rang up my old bandmate, Michael – the inspiration for Dead Franks’ Michael Death in the book. 

“Er … you wouldn’t fancy writing a song for me would you?”  

“A song?!!!” (I could actually hear those exclamation marks rattling down the phone!)

I explained. He didn’t sound convinced. 

“The band’s called Dead Frank’s Supersonic Milkfloat,” I told him.  “The song’s called Spilt Milk.” 

“Mmm …” he said. “Let me think about it.” 

Twenty-four hours later Spilt Milk by Dead Frank’s Supersonic Milkfloat was blasting out of my speakers. 

I rang Michael. “This is great,” I told him. “Perfect!” 

“I enjoyed it,” he said. “Pity you don’t need any more.” 

“Well …” I said, “there are three other bands in the story …”

Two months later we had recorded a full soundtrack album, featuring ten original songs by Oz’s favourite bands – each with a unique sound and style: from the sci-fi, pop-punk of Cigarette UFO to Dead Frank’s Supersonic Milkfloat and their brittle brand of tongue-in-cheek lyrics and angry Telecasters; the epic gothic rock of Prayer for Halo and, of course, the magnificently monocular, sunshine pop of Cyclops Dog. Ten imaginary songs by bands that don’t exist. Except, now they do …

When I go into schools to talk to young people about Waiting for Gonzo it's interesting to see the reaction when I mention the soundtrack. In any group of pupils there are going to be some not interested in reading, but the majority I speak to like music. Whether or not the songs will provide an alternative way into the book remains to be seen – but if listening to the soundtrack or watching the videos makes one "reluctant reader" give the book a go, it won't be a bad thing … 

A single from the album is being officially released on Monday (8 July 2013). It will be available to download from all the usual music sites and eligible for the charts! It’s even got a video!! All proceeds from the single will be donated to Bliss, the UK charity working to provide care and support for premature babies and their families.

I’m not expecting Sunglasses by Cyclops Dog to be a number one … but you never know. Sometimes life can be stranger than fiction!

Sunglasses by Cyclops Dog will be available to download for 79p* from iTunes, Amazon and other good music sites. (* prices may vary, but all proceeds go to Bliss) 

Tweet #gonzosunglasses to spread the word! Thanks.

Waiting for Gonzo by Dave Cousins, is out now in paperback and BBC audiobook.

Edge Authors TV Broadcasting Now!

The Edge are proud to announce that our brand new Edge Authors TV YouTube Channel is now live. 

Showing currently are nine Edge book trailers, a report from Sara Grant's tour of Germany, young readers discussing Hidden and The Long Weekend, plus the first instalment of videos from the recent Edge panel at the SCBWI Conference in November. 


The channel will be updated over the months to come with news, trailers, events videos and anything else we think might be of interest.


We hope you enjoy what's available so far. Let us know what you think and any ideas or requests for future Edge videos you may have. In the meantime, here's a taste of what's currently available. Thanks for watching!