A CHILDREN’S author has been sharing her superpowers to inspire young writers with their storytelling.
Pupils at Barnard Castle Preparatory School spent a day with Darlington children’s author Lisette Auton as they marked National Storytelling Week in style.
The author of Lights Up, The Stickleback Catchers, The Starlight Rebel and the Secret of Haven Point, Lisette told the children about her life as a writer and staged workshops throughout the day on how she produces her books.
“As I have autism, my brain works in a different way and it’s brilliant,” she said. “At school, writing was the only thing I was good at. Telling stories and living in a story world was the only thing I enjoyed.
“I loved reading but didn’t see any disabled characters in books having adventures. I didn’t see people like me. I wanted to be published by Puffin Books and I got an agent who told me I had a voice.
“But she also told me my first story was rubbish so I went to a lighthouse, which is the best place in the world when you are feeling a bit grumpy. I went right to the top and realised my story was rubbish. It was set in London with non-disabled characters and lots of history as I thought that is what people wanted in books.
“While sitting there I saw a tiny door only big enough for cats and I gave it a fist bump. And I realised I wanted a cat door in my book, with a cat and a fierce mermaid that bites the heads off fish.
“I thought about my heart song, what is important to me and these are the stories I tell. It’s the kind of world I live in and these are the people I want in my books. My brain is all over the place so my books are all different – fantasy, time travel, sci-fi, ghost stories – lots of weird things.
“When you are an author you get to create your own worlds so dream big. If a little lass with freckles from Darlo can do it then so can you.”
Prep School English lead Katie Shearn said: “Lisette was amazing and the children were left utterly inspired by her incredible talk and workshops.
“There is so much research that proves the value of reading and it is particularly important to keep this balance in an ever-increasing digital world.
“Reading is a truly magical thing. It unlocks something in the brain. Good readers become great writers; good readers become fabulous orators. Reading increases empathy and boosts mental health and wellbeing.”
