Read a Million Words …
by Mark Robson
October 1, 2007
Well, silly season has arrived! I’m now on the road pretty much constantly for the next two months in schools and stores. I’ve already been stacking up a good number of visits to schools over the last few weeks. Here I am in full flow at St Peter’s Catholic Comprehensive School in Guildford.
The talking requires a lot of energy. As those who have seen me will attest, I very much throw myself heart and soul into the talks I give. Sadly, this means that my writing output reduces almost to a standstill, as I tend to get home exhausted every night. However, I very much feel the effort is worth it. If I can inject a seed of enthusiasm for reading into the young people I meet, then I will have done something most worthwhile with my time and (hopefully) gained a few new readers in the process.
I’ve spent four days in different parts of Wales recently, and will be going back again in a couple of weeks to run events tied in with the Read a Million Words in Wales campaign. Sadly, I’ve misplaced my digital camera at the moment, so I can’t show you any of the great photos I got from visits to schools in Glamorgan, but it has been fantastic fun to be a part of such a great idea. On considering the Read a Million Words challenge, I got to thinking about how far the reading of my books would take someone along the way to their total. I was somewhat surprised to realise that by the time I finish writing the Dragon Orb series, anyone reading all of my work will be very close to the million words total. Am I really that verbose? Don’t answer that!
Here’s another couple of great photos from my visit to St Peter’s Catholic Comprehensive School in Guildford. (The School kindly gave me permission to use them here.)
And one of me signing books - always a pleasure! :-)
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I remember Read a million words about 3 years ago.
The DarkWeaver legacy certainly helped me on my way. I rached 1 million words, so i should have got a certificate…I still didnt have it after 2 million! Its the thought that counts though, and I think its a really good campaign.
Comment by M@ Price — October 4, 2007 @ 3:57 pm
Great photos - what a good idea to include them on your blog. Must do same on my new ones which you might be interested in visiting!!! Read a million words campaign sounds great too. Have you heard of the Orange Chatterbooks initiative? Something you might like to get involved in!
Comment by Meg Harper — October 22, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
At the speed you read, Matt, I’d be surprised if you didn’t read a million words a month!
And Meg, I’ve included pictures from the beginning in my blog. I think it makes the thing a bit more accessible and interesting to keep tabs on. I did make sure I got permission from the school for these - the parents of pupils in photos like this must have signed a consent form before they can be used, but I’m sure you’re aware of that. I’d love to do clever things like video clips and things too, but I’ve not quite worked out how to do that yet. Give me time. :-)
Not heard of the Orange Chatterbooks initiative, but that’s not surprising. There are many campaigns running at the moment, most aimed at encouraging boys to read. I shall google it later, though, to see what they’re up to. Will also go and have a look at your blog now.
Comment by admin — October 26, 2007 @ 1:08 pm
heya ts it keeley yu came 2 my school thomas becket on the 9th of nov fankyou bi i want your books where do they sell them..?bye
Comment by keeley — November 9, 2007 @ 4:42 pm
Hi, Keeley,
Thanks for the request. You should be able to order signed books through your school library for the next week. Otherwise you can always get them from Waterstones in Northampton. Nice to hear of your interest. I hope you enjoy reading the books.
Comment by admin — November 9, 2007 @ 5:16 pm
Thank You so much for coming to my school even though you cannot see me on the pictures because of my friend. Mark Robson talked enthusiasticly about his work previous and present and engaged us beyond belief.
Comment by Ruth — December 21, 2007 @ 8:12 pm