Last week was both World Book Day and World Read Aloud Day. So to celebrate, we asked
best selling kids author Andy Griffiths to go along to a school and teach the kids there
how to write like him. And of course we filmed it so we can let you all in on his secrets. Here's Eloise.
KID1: If I have my picture taken with this band-aid on, everyone will look at the photograph when they're older
and they won't remember me as the brilliant genius I was,
They'll just remember me as the idiot with the band-aid on his face.
It's not fair.
KID2: Brussel sprouts, bad. Five of them. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad.
I hate brussel sprouts!
KID3: "It wasn't a nappy" says Terry. "I was wearing emergency, self-inflating underpants...
"...they get a bit baggy when they deflate"
KID4: "In case you haven't noticed, Mum" I say, "I'm a boy!
Boys don't want to read about magic fairy ponies."
Good Morning.
Class altogether: "Good Morning Andy."
This is Andy Griffiths, and when it comes to authors, he's kind of a big deal.
ANDY: And I write very stupid books...
He's the author of more than 20 books, like The Day My Bum Went Psycho, the Bad Books and the Just! series.
Today he's visiting this class to teach them how they can write wacky, imaginative and
hilarious stories, just like him.
ANDY: He used my head as a bowling ball.
He says the most important part is brainstorming a fun storyline.
ANDY: Now we're going to start in the classroom, what crazy, amazing thing could happen in this classroom?
KID 1: A science experiment could go wrong and the teacher turns into an animal or something.
ANDY: And what sort of animal could your teacher turn into?
KID 1: Maybe a cow or something.
KID 2: Moo. [Class laughs]
ANDY (Laughing): Obviously she's a girl cow!
Alright, so the principal's turned into a cow, your teacher's turned into a cow,
all the teachers have turned into cows.
what are we going to do?
KID 3: We could do like the Big Fat Cow That Goes Kapow.
ANDY:Oh, you'd like to see a cow explode? KID: Yeah.
SFX [Explosion]
ANDY: Alright now it's your turn, who would like to write a story?
What you're going to do is draw a box ... just like that ... and the box is going to have 'do not open'.
What's coming out of the box? It could be something nice... it could be something horrible...
It could be something really unexpected...
It's up to you what comes out of that box.
ANDY: So, your 'evil me' robot is jumping out of the box, and we know it's going to try
put you in the box and take over.
I love that illustration... you've written, "I lifted the lid
and out flew the shadows of darkness." What's the next line in the story?"
KID 4: I've lifted the lid of this box and out popped a monster puppet master.
KID 5: I lifted the lid of the box and saw a huge scary clown with big ears.
ANDY: So just from doing this one scene you've got the beginning of a really cool story.
REPORTER: But what other tips does Andy have for writing a great story?
ANDY: Number one, base the stories on your own lives and the things that have happened
to you and the people in your lives.
ANDY: Number two, It's a really good idea to work quite quickly...
so you see I'm just getting the ideas down as fast as I can without worrying about spelling.
It won't make sense, at first creative stuff is very messy.
ANDY: My third tip is to rewrite your work constantly, and make it as good and clear
as you can, and then I read it out to people.
Alright, thank you so much everyone...
REPORTER: And with that it's time for Andy to leave and for these kids to get writing!
ANDY: And I'm going off to write my own stories now. See ya later.
[Class together] "Bye Andy" [Class giggles]