Reading is Thinking.

Last week in grade 5,

Anna Carolina read "Snow Tales" by Michael Morpurgo

In one of the tales a polar bear wants to be colourful but that wish comes with a high price! A beautiful tale with lovely images.

  

"Rainbow! Rainbow over my wild white wilderness. Beautiful and bright he was, more wonderful than anything I had ever seen before. I knew at once I had to catch a rainbow and make him mine. So I went after him. I went hunting for a rainbow." Snow Bear is so enchanted by the sight of a brilliant rainbow that he longs to soak up its colors for himself. But when his wish is granted, it brings great danger and sadness to his life. To save himself, he must become an ordinary snow bear once more—but how? It is a kind little boy who shows him the way.

MICHAEL MORPURGO’S 10 RULES FOR WRITING

1. The prerequisite for me is to keep my well of ideas full. This means living as 

full and varied life as possible, to have my antennae out all the time.

2. Ted Hughes gave me this advice and it works wonders. Record moments, 

fleeting impressions, overheard dialogue, my own sadnesses and 

bewilderments and joys.

3. A notion for a story is for me a confluence of real events, historical perhaps, or 

from my own memory to create an exciting fusion.

4. It is the gestation time, incubation time which counts. I write to no plan, just 

let it work itself out, trying not to force it.

5. Once the skeleton of the story is ready I can hatch it out. At this stage I begin 

talking about it, mostly to Clare, my wife, sounding her out.

6. By the time I sit down and face the blank page I am raring to go, longing to tell 

it. I tell is as if I’m telling to my best friend or one of my grandchildren. I 

write by hand.

7. Once a chapter is scribbled down rough – I write very small so that I do not 

have to turn the page and face the next empty one. Clare puts it on the word 

processor, prints it out and hands it back. Sometimes with her own 

comments!

8. When I’m writing well and I’m deep inside a story, living it as I write I honestly 

don’t know what will happen. I try not to dictate it, not to play God. I want 

my characters to develop and work it out in their own voice.

9. Once the book is finished in its first draft, I read it out loud to myself. How it 

sounds is hugely important.

10. With all editing, no matter how sensitive – and I’ve been very lucky here – I 

react sulkily at first, but then I settle down and get on with it, and a year later I 

have my book in my hand! My new baby. Woe betide then if anyone doesn’t like it!

http://www.lovereading.co.uk/uploads/kids/miscpdf/MICHAEL%20MORPURGO%E2%80%99S%2010%20RULES%20FOR%20WRITING.pdf