Api, I know that as well as writing for young readers, you also love working with young writers, encouraging children and teenagers to write. What do you enjoy so much about that? >> I enjoy seeing them make discoveries. And I think that when you're a teacher or when you're teaching something like that, you're there trying to make the students more powerful than you. And when you see them make discoveries, you know that they're going to stick with them forever and that they're going to be able to use those things. And it's like you're helping them to get a key to unlock the door that they want to unlock. >> And it's a privilege to be a part of that, isn't it? >> Yes. >> To actually see the excitement in young writers when they start to realize what they can do. >> Their wings start to grow. >> That's a lovely way of putting it. >> They start flapping them, and then off they go. >> Yes. >> I enjoy that, and also if you listen to the newspapers, you get such a negative view of our young people. But in this country at least, I've worked with many thousands of young people. I see their writing. I listen to what they say, and they fill me with hope. You think here these young people, they've got fine minds. And they're doing fine things with them. That is a good thing. >> And to see the pleasure as we see it. Now if pleasure and discovery is what keeps a lot of young writers going, what is it that keeps you going as a writer, Api? What makes you want to keep on writing? >> Well it's the millions of dollars that I'll get for every word I write. >> [LAUGH] >> But actually it's the same thing, the pleasure and the discovery. I suppose it's the same with every writer, but for me, I think my writing, if you put it all together, it's about seeking, looking for answers and explanations and understanding and that's what I enjoy. >> So Apirana, you feel that young writers are making discoveries as they write. What do you do when you're working with young writers to help them make these discoveries? What do you do in the writing classroom? >> Right, so if my class or my time with them is about an hour or two, I probably spend the first ten, 15 minutes talking to them. I use a lot of humor. It puts people at ease. And the first rule I tell them this is not an exam. You're not here to try and pass an exam, but I want you, so, therefore, don't think Cece's a better writer than me, maybe I won't try this. Don't think like that. You're not being put to the test that way, but I want you to put yourself to the test. Make your own little things, and see if you can cross that hurdle. Say you're putting yourself to the test. It puts them at ease. >> Yes. Then I get them at ease, and then I talk to them. I say I'm not here to teach you about writing or to help you to write. I'm here to show you how to get power, you see? >> That's interesting. What do you mean by power? >> Well, if I'm working with a group of keen writers, I say I'm here to help you give power. If I'm working with people who are not that interested in writing, I'll say I'm here to show you how to get power. And most people want a bit of power, so that brings them in. I can get power. How do we get power out of writing? And I talk to them about language and about how, whether you speak or whether you write language down, if you can use a language well, it brings you power. >> Right. >> And all quiet people write speeches from Winston Churchill or Princess Capulio when he was relevant. If you can use words well, you can move people. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then I'll talk to them about the power of words. They say for a photographer, then one picture is worth a thousand words. But if you're a writer, then one word is worth a thousand pictures. >> That's the way I prefer it. But it's fascinating to hear you say that writing and using words well can give you power, power over your own life and power over the world you live in. >> Yeah. >> Excellent. Right, tell us a bit more about what you will do in the class. >> So then I'll say, right. I play games with the students, and I make sure, because I've thought of that and I've had experience, that they're going to win. And I'll say, I'm going to write a word up on the whiteboard. Let's write the word sea, S-E-A. As soon as I write that word up, I want you to start calling out every thought, feeling, sound that that word brings to you. I don't want you to be polite and put your hand up. I want you to yell these words out, and I don't want you to stop. I just want you to keep yelling them out. That's just to get them thinking in words and pictures and sounds, you see, and the kids think well, I have to sit here like this, or this could be fun, and then I say I'm going to have a bet with you. The blackboard's this big. When I click my fingers, I want you to start yelling these words out. And I want you to yell them out so fast that I can't keep up with you. And I'm going to have a bit. I want to say that you can't get me to fill up this board in one minute, and you're going to say that yes teacher we can. We can fill that. And then I say to them, here's your chance to think of every teacher you've hated. Really make me sweat, make me sweat. Let's see the smoke coming out of my pen as I write these words down. Now the bet is this. If you don't win the bet, if you don't fill up that board within one minute, I'm going to get five bucks off every one of you. If I win the bet, and I'm a tough guy. I'm a poor artist. I want the day. If I win the bet, I mean, if I win the bet I get five bucks off every one of you. If you win the bet, you're going to get a fantastic prize at the end of this, okay. >> That excites them. Yes. >> They always win the bet. So that means they've beaten me. They're more powerful than me. >> They've got the power. Yes. >> They have the power, and that always helps to get them going. Right? We can do this. And it sets them off on a positive note. And there, a the end of the lesson, I give them the prize, and the prize is the poem that they write. If I gave you five bucks I say to them, you'd spend it on cake and lollies in five minutes. That poem is going to be with you for the next 50 years. >> It's another of the markers you were talking about, that poem, as they leave behind. You use the word fun several times there, so you believe that writing can among other things be fun, can be pleasure and enjoyment. >> It can be a lot of things. It can be painful. It can be fun. But, it's usually, I find it exhilarating. And it's hard work. And I say to the students, look, you start with an empty page, all right. Writing is about making decisions, or part of it. There's nothing on that page. By the time you get to the bottom of the page, you've made about 1,000 decisions. I'll call the character John. He meets Susan. They're both wearing red and black socks. They have an argument about whose socks they are, and it's a stormy day. That's in one paragraph, you've made about 30 decisions. So this is where your brain's taking over, making the decisions, of make the character do this, and it'll go this way and that way. >> Every word you use involves a decision, doesn't it? >> That's right. >> You are in a position of power over all those decisions.
