Video blog on ABBA online lit fest this weekend ..... and forever!

One of the best things about an on line Literary Festival is that it will be there all the time so you can dip in and out at anytime you like and it will still be there to enjoy.

This weekend 9th and 10th July is the ABBA  awfullybigblogadventure 3rd birthday and in case you have missed all the people talking about it on line there is new look website and there will be a fabulous line up of children's writers - blogging, running competitions and chatting on video, too.

It is one thing to write a blog but it is quite another to agree to appear in a video, quite a scary proposition.. but I do tend to jump in before thinking too hard about things.  I thought it would be an interesting idea so I spoke to my good friend and fellow writer Cathy MacPhail who I know is usually keen to have ago at something a bit different!!!

In the very early stages of my writing career I had the chance to be a student at Totleigh Barton in Devon, one of the Arvon Foundation Writing Centres, where they run creative writing courses for writers at all stages of their writing life - from beginners to more experienced writers.  I found it a fantastic experience so I was delighted when I was asked to tutor a course on Writing for Children at an Arvon Centre, hoping I could make it just as exciting an experience for the students, as I'd had myself in the past.

Cathy with one of our students

Cathy MacPhail and I had spent a week last summer at the Moniack Mhor Arvon writing centre in the north of Scotland.  I blogged about it at the time  in a post called  The Arvon Magic   We decided that we could make a video with us discussing our week and the lovely people we had as students on the course.

Making the video was a bit scary, but once we got started we just began chatting about how we approached the week as tutors, and some of the things that happened.  In the end it all went well, in fact we almost forgot to stop! 

So this weekend our video will be on the ABBA on line  Lit Fest at 5 pm on Sunday 10th July and soon after it will be available on YouTube, too-   Now that is really scary!

The great thing is if you can't make it at the weekend you can come back another time and check out all the weekend's blogs and videos etc.  because they will still be there.

Just remember the competitions will have a closing time or date, so do check that if you want to enter any of them and win some great books and giveaways.


So come along and join in the fun  and check out the  Online Festival Programme.

Interview on YA Book Reads

Check out the latest interview on YA Book Reads Blog

Crime Central Interrogation - Gillian Philip puts Linda Strachan and DEAD BOY TALKING under the spotlight

Gillian Philip put a series of interesting questions to me about Dead Boy Talking... 

here they are...
1)What made you decide on that particular and unique narrative voice?

2)The novel has a harrowing storyline and you don't shrink from the horror of events, with some brutal description. But you chose not to show the crucial moment of Josh's stabbing and to keep it  "off screen". Was that something that seemed natural from the outset or was it a deliberate choice? 

3)Skye is an original and fascinating character. Where did she come from inside your head?
We get some very vivid pictures of what goes on inside Josh's head as his life slips away. Did you research the physical and psychological aspects of the dying process, or was this something you wrote by instinct?

4)I found Gary a hard character to like (which isn't to say I didn't find him fascinating, even in his absence!) How did you feel about him and what he'd done to Josh? 

5)And the crucial question:  Were you ever tempted to make the ending different - at any point in the writing process?


For the answers to all these questions and much more - see  Crime Central Blog

ALSO

This month a giveaway competition to win  a signed copy of The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan


and a fascinating blog about why she writes crime fiction for teens.


Find out why Peter Cocks moved form writing TV to YA
.


So  why not drop over to Crime Central and have a look!

Wigtown Spring weekend 30 April/1st May Events for Tinies, Teens and Writers

Wigtown Spring Weekend Events -
I'll be there this weekend so why not come along whatever age you are!
For teenagers and those interested in writing for them.........
SATURDAY 30th April 3pm-4pm County Buildings (£3)
Linda Strachan talks about her latest book DEAD BOY TALKING, and her award-winning novel SPIDER.
...
and on the SUNDAY 1st May for the younger ones......
11am-12noon County Buildings
HAMISH McHAGGIS stories (age 4-10, £3) 

 

To book tickets please contact 01988 403222.

Last chance to win signed copies of both Spider and Dead Boy Talking

ON Crime Central there is a chance to win both books during April.  Just answer one easy question The last date to enter is 30 April and winners will be notified on 1st May.

Check out the blog for the chance to hear what Keith Gray, Adele Geras, The Bookette, and others have to say about the best in crime writing.

6# Auckland- Last stop in New Zealand School Tour

Driving through some amazing scenery on the way, we left Hawkes Bay headed back north again.

We arrived in Auckland - the last stop in our New Zealand tour - and on our way to have lunch at one of the waterside restaurants


we came across some rather unique and interesting horses.

We also had a chance to see Cunard's new Queen Elizabeth, which had just sailed into port and dwarfed everything else around.





 The following day I was to visit two schools in the Henderson area the first was the Bruce McLaren Intermediate school where Carol Brooks was waiting to meet us.
I was speaking to two groups about Spider and Dead Boy Talking.

This is the school hall, prepared for my visit. It had some very colourful artwork on the walls.



I really enjoyed the visit and there were lots of interesting questions.

 There was also a chap from 'the ministry' visiting the school that day who sat in on  one of the sessions. I didn't find out he was there until I met him afterwards but, apparently, he was impressed!

*************

At St Dominic's College with Pam Waters

We were collected at lunch time by the lovely Pam Waters from St Dominic's College, who was taking us for a quick lunch before the afternoon visit in her school.

I had a great afternoon speaking to about 60 girls in the school library.

********************

The following day I was to visit Elm Park School, the last in the tour.  The school is in Pakuranga Heights in Manukau and Belinda Johnston is the school e-Learning/Library Facilitator (what a great title!) who came and collected us from central Auckland.


The school has a new purpose built auditorium which was bright and airy, exactly what was needed on a hot and sunny day.


 I was actually beginning to get used to it being hot in February! 



I spoke to two groups of classes that morning with about 200 children in each. 

I read from What Colour is Love? and  Hamish McHaggis to the younger children and Greyfriars Bobby, Spider and Dead Boy Talking to the older classes.

With lots of fun and great questions, it was a wonderful way to end my tour of New Zealand Schools.

I would like to say a huge thank you to all the teachers, librarians and young people I met, who made it such a wonderful experience.

New Zealand Book Council

I would also like to  say a huge thank you to Noel Murphy, Emma Gallagher and all the team from the New Zealand Book Council, who helped to organise the the tour.

WIN signed copies of Spider and Dead Boy Talking

Over on Crime Central all this month is the chance to  WIN

one of 3 sets of signed copies of  

both

Spider and Dead Boy Talking.

      Just answer one simple question.  clue: look on my website for the answer!  www.lindastrachan.com/teenage


Competition is open internationally and closes on 1st May 2011
Check out the Crime Central website
 http://crimereading.blogspot.com  for full details and lots of other interesting information on your favourite crime books  and authors.