School-wide author assemblies

What the assembly is

A high-energy session for the whole school. Cynthia takes one published novel apart in front of the room: where the idea came from, what it looked like before it worked, and how many times it had to change on the way to a finished book.

The point is not to sell a book. It is to make a room of middle school students realise that the writer in front of them started with nothing more than an idea they were not sure about either.

What students do

They are not spectators. The assembly asks them to answer, to argue about what should happen next, and to notice that the room disagrees. By the end, most of them have quietly had an idea of their own.

That is what the writing workshops later in the morning are built to catch. Students who go straight from the assembly into a workshop arrive with something they already want to write down.

Who it is written for

• Middle school students, as a full school audience.
• Reluctant readers as well as strong ones. The talk is about how a story is built, not about having read the book.
• Teachers who want the session to connect to something they are already doing in class.

What the school needs to provide

A space that fits the audience, and the sound and projection setup that space normally uses. Exact requirements, timings, arrival time and setup are confirmed in writing once a date is agreed, so nothing is discovered on the morning.

Is the assembly available on its own?

Both published packages include the assembly plus at least one workshop, because that combination is what the programme is designed around. If your school needs a different arrangement, say so on the request form and it can be quoted.