Acclaimed Author Gives Children A Creative Writing Masterclass

Cleethorpes Academy students meet acclaimed children's author Paula Rawsthorne, who delivered a creative writing workshop to them. Pictured (l-r) are: Matteo Dean (12), Charlie Taff (11), author Paula Rawsthorne, Cleethorpes Academy Assistant Principal and Reading Coordinator, Alison Stephenson, Maisie Walters (12) and Ava-Mari Taylor (12).

Students at Cleethorpes Academy were treated to a creative writing masterclass from award-winning children's author, Paula Rawsthorne.

Paula is well known for her books, especially 'The Truth About Celia Frost' which was nominated for 11 literary awards. The opening chapters of the teen thriller led to her becoming a winner of the ‘Undiscovered Voices 2010’ competition run by The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators British Isles.

Paula is also a writer in residence in a secondary school in Nottingham for the national literacy charity, First Story. She visits secondary schools around the UK to share her experience and is a supporter of libraries in schools.

At Cleethorpes Academy she ran a workshop for Year 7 and 8 students where they had to split into pairs and interview each other to write a job application to become their friend's super personal assistant and create their dream day. 

"This is not any old personal assistant's role. This is finding out about the most amazing day you could ever arrange for them and you can be as creative and outrageous as you wish," said Paula. "This is all about fun, imagination and creativity and just letting your mind run wild."

The students came up with a wide range of letters to incorporate their friend's likes and dislikes, from a visit to space to lunch in a beach hut in Hawaii. 

Layla-Mai Hodgson (12) wrote an application to her friend Tia Hollingsworth (12) who likes snakes. In It she promised to take her to a grassland with 10,000 snakes. Tia responded by offering to take Layla to the most expensive and luxurious KFC in the world. Both agreed they would start their days with a breakfast of fluffy pancakes.

Paula has published several novels for teens so far, a range of short stories, and is now working on her first novel for adults. She said: "Today is about showing how much fun creative writing can be. It is so important that young people learn to enjoy reading. An awful lot of children read nothing more than social media now and it is our task to find them a book, a character, a story that engages them, and once that happens they will fall in love with reading."

Paula explained that there are no wrong answers in creative writing. She said every perfect story has a great plot with a beginning, a middle and an ending, and it must have characters that readers want to know more about.

"Harry Potter is a great example of this because JK Rowling created a character that you felt sorry for because he lived under the stairs and was bullied. He was a very ordinary person with extraordinary powers and that made readers root for him and engage with his story," she said.

Alison Stephenson, Cleethorpes Academy Assistant Principal and Reading Coordinator, said: "Having Paula in school is a real inspiration to the students. They can hear what it takes to become a published author. She explained to them what a story needs to be successful and she has encouraged them to use their imaginations to create a letter, but also made it fun.

"Encouraging students to read more is a priority at the Academy and our library, which is stocked with some of the most up-to-date books for young people, is a great place for them to do that." 

Children's author Paula Rawsthorne runs a creative writing workshop at Cleethorpes Academy. She is pictured with students Layla-Mai Hodgson and Tia Hollingsworth (both 12).

Jack Blowers (11), Riley Washington (11) and Harvey Matthews (12) create their applications to become a super personal assistant for a dream day.

Books by Paula Rawsthorne.