Teach-Reading-and-Writing-Issue-21

www.teachwire.net | 7 T A L K I NG L I T ERAC Y TRWWhy did you want to tell this particular story? PL My mind is always creating stories from everyday prompts. The first one for People Like Stars came from a true crime podcast I listened to on a miserable, diverted bus journey through south London: What if a child who was now a teenager was stolen as a baby? Even if the baby was only taken for a couple of hours, and was found happy and well, what would be the ongoing effect on the family? In many of my books, I’m interested in the aftermath of crimes – the long- term fallout. The second thread of the story grew from a challenge on a panel at an arts festival, about the representation of older women. Myself and many of my friends are grandma age, but certainly don’t fit that mould. Neither did my actual grandmothers. Nonetheless, I’d fallen into the trap of writing domestic, traditional grandmas, so I wanted to depict a flawed, non-stereotypical older woman. I was also influenced by the fact that my paternal grandmother was Indian. I never met her and know nothing about that side of my heritage. Finally, I was staying in a budget hotel in London and realised that it was also used as temporary accommodation for families with children. How could the lack of a permanent, secure home affect a teenager?What if she has finally found a home, but it’s oh so precarious? TRWWhat are your tips for getting readers hooked? PL I’m usually pulled in by a character’s voice – how they talk, Stars , Ayrton wants more freedom, Stanley hopes to meet his Forbidden Grandma and Sen longs for a secure home. I use these motivations to drive the momentum of the story. TRWWhen writing for younger readers, how do you decide what level to pitch the content? PL I spend a good deal of time thinking about my characters and how they see the world. Ayrton may not have been able to fully understand his mother’s behaviour when he was younger, but he would still have felt the impact of it, especially when his parents separated. Likewise, Stanley lives in a happy, well-loved family, but he has that curiosity about his roots that’s shared by so many children for many different reasons. And Sen... Currently around 30 per cent of children in the UK – that’s 4.3 million – are living in low-income households. 151,000 children are in temporary accommodation. So, in a sense, it’s not about pitching, it’s about authentically and sensitively reflecting children’s lives. what they talk about, their specific points of reference. If I believe in someone, I find it nearly impossible to leave a story. Humour is also good and under-used. Sometimes it can be useful to devise a ‘set piece’ at the beginning of a story – perhaps a meal, or characters hanging out together preparing for something. You can say so much through actions and interactions. Even the way that a character prepares and eats a sandwich can be compelling! TRWHow do you approach the pacing of your novels? PL I don’t plan it – I don’t think I know how to! However, it’s important for me to know at the start of the process what each character wants – though that might change later. At the beginning of People Like Award-winning author Patrice Lawrence talks about her newmiddle-grade novel, People Like Stars “It’s about authentically and sensitively reflecting children’s lives” Patrice Lawrence’s debut novel, Orangeboy , earned widespread recognition, winning both the Bookseller YA Prize andWaterstone’s Prize for Older Children’s Fiction. With over 20 years of experience working in charities advocating for equality and social justice, these themes resonate deeply in her storytelling. @lawrencepatrice @lawrencepatrice.bsky.social “Even the way that a character prepares and eats a sandwich can be compelling!”