I’ve made school visits for all ages, from four years old to 18-year-old A-level students… including one memorable workshop where the youngest person was four and the oldest person was 14. That was quite a stretch, but it worked! If you’re a teacher, youth worker or school librarian wanting a lively, upbeat and inclusive writing session, here are a few suggestions…

Workshop: Let’s make a murder/Let’s plot a heist

A fun workshop which focuses on the appeal of the murder mystery and all the elements and skills you need to create one of your own, asking why we love these stories so much. Together we will plot a crime (I usually ask for a photo of a popular teacher to be our “victim”) and plan out who killed them and why. My favourite ever suggested motive was “he faked his own death because he wanted to get out of teaching year 9 maths.” If murder isn’t quite the right feel for you, then we can solve a theft at the school.

Talk: how books can change everything

This one works well for World Book Day! It focuses on why books still matter even when we’re surrounded by other forms of media. I talk about how hearing the right story at the right time can alter our perception and change our lives for the better and encourage a discussion on what stories mean to us. The talk can be adjusted to various ages and abilities.

Workshop: creating compelling characters

My books are very character-focused and in this workshop students complete a series of exercises to create their own person from scratch and then put them through all sorts of horrible experiences. Designed to show how making a strong character can drive their story.

Talk: Making something out of nothing

This talk is focused on inspiration and is aimed at anyone who wants to do something creative in their lives. I talk about building my career in writing from scratch and about overcoming self-doubt, then broaden that out to give tips on how to complete any creative project they have in their head – whether that’s film-making, fashion design, fan art or writing a book like me! This is a good one for careers-focused events and works across varied age groups.

Talk: Online heroes and villains

Reading from my YA thriller Dead Lucky, followed by a discussion of what goes on behind the scenes of influencer culture, talking about the pressures and privileges of influencer status, how much of what we see is real and the effects of living your life online.

This one works best for Key Stage 3 or older KS2 children who might be exploring life online… for better or worse.

‘Andreina visited us as guest speaker for our local Dorset book award ceremony where she gave a talk on creative writing to a packed hall of keen Book Group-ers from across the area. She related very well to the audience of Yr7-9s, complete silence in the hall as she illustrated her talk with humour and her insights into their teen world, and into the creative writing process. Also, ask her about her hook of incorporating quotations from the shortlisted books to make them much more vivid.’

Wendy Harty, librarian, talbot heath school