In 1994 I sat my A-levels at Blackpool Sixth Form College before leaving to go on to uni to train as a teacher. At that time, I didn’t think I would ever return as an author, but twenty-three years later that’s exactly what happened during the final event of the half term.
When Helen Crowther invited me in to share my writing adventure with some of the students, I jumped at the chance. Hannah Emery, a former student and Blackpool-based writer published by Harper Impulse, was also visiting.
Hannah started off the session, which was based in the impressive surroundings of the college library. She explained the path her writing journey had taken and it was fascinating to listen as she talked through the process, giving lots of useful hints and tips. Hannah has written two books and she explained the process she goes through. To finish, Hannah encouraged the students to begin the process of building a character and before long they were scribbling and jotting. It was a great start to the afternoon.
Admittedly, I was a little nervous as I am used to working with much younger students, but the nerves melted away after a few minutes and were helped by the fact the students were fab, putting me at ease from the start. I explained what had happened during the last four years and used ‘More Impossible Tales’ to show the students the process involved in producing a book, from initial plans to the finished book. The second part of my session required the students to do the work as they planned out possible ideas for an Impossible Tale of their own featuring a second-hand camera. Quite a few were happy to share their ideas and they were excellent! I hope they go away and turn the plans into full stories.
After a whistle-stop tour of the amazing facilities, I headed home. My afternoon at Blackpool Sixth Form College was amazing and I know that I won’t leave it as long until I visit again. I’d like to thank Helen for inviting me in and the students for giving up their time to attend the session.