With a variety of exciting, stimulating workshops focusing on different basic elements of writing Prue Mason offers a choice for your classes to kick start creativity.
PRESENTATION ABOUT LIFE IN THE MIDDLE EAST: Aimed at 11 – 14 year olds. Time: 20 – 45 minutes. Need: An audio-visual unit.
Prue lived in the Middle East for over 12 years and speaks some Arabic and has travelled extensively in the area through the Gulf region that includes United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen and is passionate about the need for an understanding between the east and west. She has many photos and artefacts to show plus traditional clothes the students can dress up in to make it a more hands-on experience. It can also include a reading from Camel Rider, Destination Abudai or Zafir Through My Eyes. It helps if the students have read her books and have questions to ask about these or life in the Middle East.
Prue lived in the Middle East for over 12 years and speaks some Arabic and has travelled extensively in the area through the Gulf region that includes United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen and is passionate about the need for an understanding between the east and west. She has many photos and artefacts to show plus traditional clothes the students can dress up in to make it a more hands-on experience. It can also include a reading from Camel Rider, Destination Abudai or Zafir Through My Eyes. It helps if the students have read her books and have questions to ask about these or life in the Middle East.
TWISTED TALES aimed at 8 – 14 year olds: An overview of the Elements that make up a Story. Time: 45 minutes or up to 90 minutes. Class size: Limited only by the size of the venue. No worksheet. Can use audio visual or without.
Everyone loves listening to a scary story but how would you like to learn to write stories with all the chills and thrills that will send shivers down the spines of your friends? Prue Mason reads one of her own scary stories as she explains all the elements of story telling and the essential ingredients for writing scary stuff. This is an interactive workshop and can be as short as 45 minutes or as long as 90 minutes. The story is broken into three parts – Beginning, Middle and End and there are three different endings that the students can choose from. This is a great ‘warming up’ workshop.
Everyone loves listening to a scary story but how would you like to learn to write stories with all the chills and thrills that will send shivers down the spines of your friends? Prue Mason reads one of her own scary stories as she explains all the elements of story telling and the essential ingredients for writing scary stuff. This is an interactive workshop and can be as short as 45 minutes or as long as 90 minutes. The story is broken into three parts – Beginning, Middle and End and there are three different endings that the students can choose from. This is a great ‘warming up’ workshop.
WEARING THE HAT aimed at 8 – 15 year olds. Learning how to create a believable character. Class size 10 – 60 students working alone or in groups. Students need: Pencil and eraser. Worksheet provided – photocopying needed. Time: 45 minutes or 90 minutes. Also can be a full day workshop. Need: White board. If a full day workshop also need an audio visual unit.
Every good story needs characters and half the fun of writing is making up your own special characters. With a series of cool exercises that involves wearing different hats that Prue brings along she shows you how to create your own original characters. Worksheets are provided that contain a well-structured set of questions to help the students create believable characters. This workshop can be run for 45 - 90 minutes or a full day where the students can create a piece of work written around their very own character. Other worksheets with exercises are provided to help create the plot.
Every good story needs characters and half the fun of writing is making up your own special characters. With a series of cool exercises that involves wearing different hats that Prue brings along she shows you how to create your own original characters. Worksheets are provided that contain a well-structured set of questions to help the students create believable characters. This workshop can be run for 45 - 90 minutes or a full day where the students can create a piece of work written around their very own character. Other worksheets with exercises are provided to help create the plot.
ZERO ZERO TWO: aimed at 13 years to adult: Learning how a character is shaped by their life story. Time 90 minutes: Class size up to 30 – working in small groups. Need pencil and eraser. Worksheet provided. Photocopying necessary.
High drama in this workshop as Prue Mason has written Chapter One of a thriller that is set in an aeroplane about to crash. On board are eight people. The class breaks into eight groups and each group is given one character to work with. Listening to the clues in the text and answering the questions on the worksheet and being given props such as a scarf, hat, spectacles, tie etc. they flesh out the character and create a backstory about why this person is on this aeroplane at this particular time. To add more tension and to ensure the students make their own character the most interesting, or likeable or exciting they are told only one person will survive the crash. There is a vote at the end to choose the survivor.
High drama in this workshop as Prue Mason has written Chapter One of a thriller that is set in an aeroplane about to crash. On board are eight people. The class breaks into eight groups and each group is given one character to work with. Listening to the clues in the text and answering the questions on the worksheet and being given props such as a scarf, hat, spectacles, tie etc. they flesh out the character and create a backstory about why this person is on this aeroplane at this particular time. To add more tension and to ensure the students make their own character the most interesting, or likeable or exciting they are told only one person will survive the crash. There is a vote at the end to choose the survivor.
IT’S A DOG’S LIFE: aimed at 8 – 11 year olds: Learning how to structure a story arc and how to use emotions to show the inner journey of a character. Understanding the difference between Show not Tell in a story. Time 60 -90 mins. Class size up to 40. Need pencil and eraser. Worksheet provided. Photocopying necessary. Need an audio visual unit and white board.
Mahoney and Farah are a dog and a cat living with Prue Mason. She has created a workshop that is told from Mahoney, the dog’s point of view about what happened when Farah the cat arrived in his life. By answering the questions on the worksheets the students chart Mahoney’s emotions and have to write a scene from the story. They also get to choose the ending of the story. Does Mahoney get rid of Farah or do they end up friends forever?
Mahoney and Farah are a dog and a cat living with Prue Mason. She has created a workshop that is told from Mahoney, the dog’s point of view about what happened when Farah the cat arrived in his life. By answering the questions on the worksheets the students chart Mahoney’s emotions and have to write a scene from the story. They also get to choose the ending of the story. Does Mahoney get rid of Farah or do they end up friends forever?
GROW YOUR OWN POET-TREE: aimed at 6 – 10 year olds. Write a poem. Time 45 minutes. Class size 10 – 30. Need pencil and eraser, paste. Worksheet provided. Photocopying necessary. Need an audio visual unit and whiteboard.
Poems are word pictures and with a well-structured worksheet and interactive presentation Prue Mason helps young students play with the sensory aspect of words by using soap bubbles and leaves from nature. By the end of the class all students will have a poem with a leaf pasted to it to take away.
Poems are word pictures and with a well-structured worksheet and interactive presentation Prue Mason helps young students play with the sensory aspect of words by using soap bubbles and leaves from nature. By the end of the class all students will have a poem with a leaf pasted to it to take away.
TARA'S TALE: aimed at 10-13 year olds. Creating a Unique Voice for a character: Time 15 minutes. Class size - 30-50. Need pencil and eraser. Worksheet provided. Photocopying necessary.
Tara is a dog character in one of Prue Mason's novels 'Camel Rider'. This short excercise helps students understand the importance of voice for a character.
Tara is a dog character in one of Prue Mason's novels 'Camel Rider'. This short excercise helps students understand the importance of voice for a character.