Last year for WriteOnCon 2018 (an annual online kidlit writing conference I help organize), I worked with the lovely Sarah Driver and Jess Butterworth to put together a video that would entertain and educate. We all selected an excerpt from one of our first creative projects and then took a bit from the first chapters of our debut books. As we discuss and critique our writing (and the ways it’s changed), we talk through tips that can help young writers on their way. It was a lot of fun!
Included in here is a sneak peak at the Very First Thing I ever wrote. Spoiler: it is hilarious.
Want to ask a question? Share an embarrassing old piece of your writing? Leave a comment!
(And be sure to sign up for WriteOnCon 2019, coming up February 8-10! It’s going to be amazing!)
Jess studied Creative Writing at Bath Spa University before completing an MA in Writing for Young People there. Jess grew up between Bath, where her mum’s family were based, and the foothills of the Himalayas in India, where her dad’s family lived. As soon as she was old enough, and armed with her notebook, Jess went in search of her own adventures and stories. She has lived in India, Australia, and the US. Her books are set in the wild places that exist in our world. Jess’s debut for 10+ Running on the Roof of the World was published in in the UK by Orion Children’s Books and in the US with Algonquin Young Readers. Her second novel, When the Mountains Roared came out last April.
