Author talks at schools

It's been an interesting journey so far in my writing career in switching from being a writer (i.e. anyone writes) to an author (all-be-it as a self-published author). People seem to make a distinction between the two as the author having somewhat more importance than a writer but to me, it's definitely opened up more avenues in being able to talk about books that have been created and seem to have a life all of their own.

Last week, I was invited to talk during a library week for a SDA Seventh Day Adventist school with senior children followed by junior children. It was really interesting because I realised that I needed to get into a storytelling mode and having lost my 'teacher voice' as they called it years ago with that controlling tone, it made for an interesting session upon which they gave me a microphone to hold and talk with the children.

I started by telling them a little about my background and then read the stories of "Sina and the Tuna" and "Mt Vaea and tears of Apa'ula". They were most well behaved and even in the group work with the Q and A time we had fun. There's definitely food for thought there and I need to work out the storytelling persona that I would like to be.

One of the most endearing Qs that is often asked by children is to ask if the stories are true. I explain how for the people of those times, it was very true but today many don't believe in them but that like European fairy tales as a child, we often think of them as true when we use our imagination.

The other thing about Samoan ancient stories is that more often than not, someone dies or it doesn't end with a 'happily ever after' ending or a part where the young lady and man race off into the sunset. I guess because they were probably based on true life, that these were mirrored in the ending. Definitely food for thought...