Year 6 to 12 students from schools in the South West had the opportunity to work with and learn from, Fremantle-based author A.J. Betts last week, during the School’s first Writers Collective since 2020.

Students had the opportunity to explore, write and improve their writing skills while diving deep into the mind of the young adult fiction writer, A.J. Betts. She cites the enthusiasm of sharing stories with her audience, being what she looks forward to the most during these workshops.

“I look the most forward to the energy and excitement about stories. I love meeting my readers and excited young people. As I spend most of my time writing alone, it is nice to have some interaction and enthusiasm, and to know that my books go somewhere.”

A.J. was able to inspire some of the Year 6 students to become more descriptive in their writing.

“Something I did not know, was to describe the setting first. I always tend to describe the character first, but she showed me that you need all the details to bring a story to life,” explained Jessie Major.

“I often write stories that do not always make sense, so this was really helpful because she helped us write in steps and categories. She taught me that it is easier to start and finish something when being more organised. I felt so inspired and it was such a privilege to join,” said Annabel Reid.

A.J. continues, “My main objective is to get young people excited, and to try different approaches to their creative writing. Encouraging play and fun to foster creativity and making it clear that there is no wrong answer.”

Students felt inspired by A.J.’s visit and are now feeling enthusiastic about their own writing, “My favourite part was the writing activities, where she gave us a theme and setting. A.J. is a person who does not like silly scenarios, she likes creating realistic themes. The workshop really helped with my descriptive writing- describing settings and feelings,” said Jensen Barbour.