“Stories are important because they have the power to make people care” – so said author Jess Butterworth earlier this week, who came in to talk our Year 4s who are reading her book, ‘Running on the roof of the World’ as their class text this term.

Jess talked about storytelling and ran creative writing worktops and also shared the inspiration of her books (she has just finished her tenth) which stem from her life and family’s history travelling through the Himalayas and specifically Tibet. She asked the girls where they thought ideas come from, “holidays”, “travelling”, “daydreaming”, “going to new places” as well as “being bored” were some answers offered! Jess shared her own sources of inspiration. Stories she heard from her grandma for example, who rescued a baby kangaroo when she was travelling through Australia to India in the 1950s and put it in her handbag to replicate her mother’s pouch and proceeded to travel all the way to India with it as her pet. Stories from her uncle who rescued a monkey and her own experiences of trekking in the Himalayas and coming face to face with a bear. She also talked about how events happening around us can inspire stories – how things you care passionately about can also be the focus of really compelling stories and she suggested if you get stuck on ideas, try a ‘What If’ approach.

Her top tips for anyone who enjoys writing:

1. Keep a notebook for ideas.

2. Read.

3. Do a first draft, then go back and make your words sing

4. Have fun and don’t give up!