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Characters as friends

Do you agree with Morris Gleitzman when he says that characters you create are like friends? How hard do you think it is to put your characters through difficult situations and make them suffer if you feel this way?

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What do authors do besides writing – they farm truffles?

This is a video about author and farmer SD Gentill and how she combines writing with growing black truffles. It consists of an interview in which she answers questions posed by Will, a young boy. To a background of scenes from her Snowy Mountains farm and a Brisbane restaurant she supplies, Gentill explains how truffles ...

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ABC Open: Preserving the Badimaya language

The Badimaya language covers areas ranging from Paynes Find, Ninghan Station and Mount Magnet in Western Australia, but the language is in danger of becoming extinct. How important is it to preserve a language? Watch this video to find out the importance of language to identity and culture.

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Count to 10 in Gomeroi

Learn how to count to 10 in Gomeroi! Community cultural leader Matthew Priestley has been teaching students at Moree East Public School how to speak the traditional Gomeroi language. Listen as the students teach you.

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What's With Poetry?, Ch 5: Visual language

When someone is telling you a story, do you visualise that story? You're not alone! A good storyteller or a poet knows exactly how to use certain words so the listener will visualise the story or poem in the way the storyteller or poet intends. A few well chosen and crafted words can allow readers to visualise a whole world. ...

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BTN: Meet a young author

Do you love writing stories? Learn how Hannah Chandler got a book published at the age of 12! Why don't you make your own book? Once you're happy with your story, find yourself an illustrator (a friend, family member or even yourself!) and start designing your pages. Once they're ready attach them all together. Don't forget ...

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Story development and plot holes with Andy Griffiths

How do you move your characters forward in a story? A trick Andy Griffiths uses is asking a lot of questions. His favourite question to ask is "what's the worst thing that can happen next?" Try asking yourself that question if you get stuck when writing your next story. In this clip Andy also talks about plot holes. What ...

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Andy Griffiths' tips for writing funny stories

Watch this video and learn how to write funny stories with tips from Andy Griffiths! What does he say is a good starting point? Why don't you try writing a story about a time something embarrassing happened to you? What does Andy say is the key to getting readers to enjoy your story and have a laugh?

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Ready, steady, cook … park

Is there a place in your neighbourhood that is special to you, or that you visit regularly? See if you can create a report about this place, the way the reporter in this clip has done about Cook Park in Orange, NSW.

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From the garden to the plate

Discover a community garden and a local restaurant working together to grow fresh produce and create fabulous meals - sustainably. View this clip created by young reporters from Presbyterian Ladies College in Armidale, New South Wales. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making the news!' project, which ...

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What's With Poetry?, Ch 3: Rhythm and metre

Have you ever had a song or a jingle that got stuck in your head? This can happen because of the rhythm in the song or the jingle. Rhythm helps us to remember a song, jingle or poem by reminding us of other songs, jingles or poems with the same rhythm. Once you get a rhythm stuck in your head it can be very difficult to ...

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Researching with Gary Crew

When authors write stories involving historical events, they often spend time doing research. Why do you think they might do this? What are some of the primary source documents Gary Crew used to inform his book, Strange Objects?

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BTN: Is reality TV 'real'?

How real is 'reality TV'? Is what we see on a show like 'Masterchef' or 'The Biggest Loser' reality? Or are these shows using a carefully contrived recipe to make us believe that what we are seeing is real? Discover what really goes on behind the scenes of reality TV and how 'reality' can be changed by careful editing.

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Sally Rippin on authors and illustrators

Watch this clip to find out about the relationship between authors and illustrators. What role does the publisher play in this relationship? What does Sally Rippin say about the role of illustrations in books for young children?

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How to Build Stories, Ch 2: Creating characters for your story

Great characters help us fall in love with stories. Characters need to keep readers excited, but they also need to think and feel in ways we can all understand, and they need to remind us of people in our own lives. Follow these fantastic tips to create interesting, relatable characters!

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What's With Poetry?, Ch 6: Why do we create poetry?

There are many reasons why you might write poetry. Maybe it's because you saw something beautiful and you want to share that feeling with others. Or maybe something funny happened to you on your way to school and you want to remember it. You don't have to be a creative genius to write poetry and you don't have to have the ...

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Andy Griffiths' tips for starting your story

Get some tips from Andy Griffiths on what to think about when you start to write a story. What does he say about plot? Why not take Andy's advice and start a story by thinking about something that has happened to you and then exaggerate it somehow. Concentrate on writing a short, dramatic moment by using lots of detail ...

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Grass-fed beef or grain-fed beef?

Do you know the different ways that grass fed beef and grain fed beef are produced? Discover the resources that each method uses. View this clip created by young reporters from Circular Head Christian School, Tasmania. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making the news!' project, which featured local ...

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Hannie Rayson on becoming a writer

Hannie Rayson is a playwright and screenwriter whose plays have been performed around Australia and internationally. Watch as she tells the story of how her writing career began. Try retelling the story from the point of view of her university teacher. How might he have remembered it?

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Finding 'closure' in Michael Gow's Away

What does it mean to 'find closure'? Characters in Michael Gow's Away struggle with accepting unpleasant truths and letting go of the past. Coral finds closure when she finally accepts her son's death. How is this symbolised in the play?