Crafting a Tale...

Photo: Sketa Oz Images

This year, the USQ Bookcase as in previous years, served to be a great hit for all who attended. Many participants keenly cueing at the entrance, so as not to miss out on all the excitement.

Photo: Sketa Oz Images

With eight author workshops in toe,  three panel discussions, a memorial to the late Narrelle Oliver, Masterclasses, the Annual Writing Competition and a Charity Screening of 'Don't Tell' (for the awareness of sexual abuse) - participants had a great selection from which to choose.
  
The 2017 'Writing for Children' workshop theme - again presented by Selina Kucks was: 'Crafting a Tale Children Will Love'.  Participants enjoyed the ins and outs of the structural processes of writing, touched on key elements to remember in the crafting of children's tales and discussed the importance of engaging the senses.  

Photo: Sketa Oz Images

Photo: Sketa Oz Images - (from left) Annie Evett, Selina Kucks and Emma Mactaggart

"The more senses you engage, the more real the writing experience and the more likely you are to create an atmosphere for the reader, to become totally engrossed in what you are writing."

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The workshop allowed participants to: view the illustrator's story-boarding processes; discuss the importance of using 5W + H as a rule of thumb - as one does for the writing process and look at establishing how much of the book making process one would be willing to give up, in order to bring a story to market.  Writers and illustrators alike, enjoyed the discussion of appropriate selection of illustration paper, mood and character treatment balanced alongside age appropriate character development.