Words, glorious words

Enjoy the magic of words in this engaging post by New Zealand's popular children’s author Kyle Mewburn. Kyle is heading to Tasmania for next week’s Tamar Valley Writers’ Festival and this post gives us a glimpse of what we can expect – captivation and lots of fun!

I'm an unabashed word-aholic. I've been devouring words most of my life. I'm not at all selective in my wordy habits - any complex, meaty, inventive word or phrase will do. I've SPLASHed and CRASHed on onomatopoeia. I allegedly alliterate at an alarming rate. I have a particular penchant for puns. And I've never found a metaphor I didn't like. 

For me, the story is a basic ingredient. Just another fish caught in my imagination stream. How the story is told is what makes the difference between bland gruel and a memorable, gourmet banquet. Like Colonel Sanders, I firmly believe words are the secret herbs and spices that make a story finger-lickin' good. More importantly, it leaves the reader wanting more.

Of course, kids won't read a boring story. So my junior fiction series, Dinosaur Rescue and Dragon Knight, use the full array of super-charged ingredients: action-packed, fast-paced narrative; relatable characters; complex interpersonal relationships; and strong, yet subtle, themes. Additionally, I ensure each story is engaging and engrossing - not just gross. Every page, every sentence, must give my reader sufficient inducement to continue turning the pages. My readers should finish satisfied but not sated, and know a second, or third, reading will amply reward them.

Yet I never forget that, as a writer, my task is to conjure castles out of snowflakes, not build ablution blocks. So I strive to imbue every sentence with the power of incantation.

Words are, after all, magic.

Kyle Mewburn
Author
Kyle' website: https://kylemewburn.com/about/

Editor’s note: Kyle is a seasoned performer and will enrapture students during her Friday Festival sessions on the 14 September, and engage a wider audience on Saturday. I’ve booked my spot – Have you?