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Wonderful words from Beverley. So wise, so patient, so true. Apt reminder of what its all about. Merry Christmas, Beverley and good luck with your new venture and future books.

Thanks slushpilers. Have a lovely holiday and heres to new horizons in the new year. Good luck and happy writing.

Every time I hear Beverley speak I find I am nodding my head and listening with wide eyes, and every time she finishes I feel like I've been in the warmest group hug. Beverley Birch you are Patron Saint of The Slushpiler. Thanks you - I think your move to Golden Egg is one of the very best things that could happen to children's fiction.

My thanks, too, Beverley. You're an inspiration as always. Very best of luck with all your new projects.

What a wonderful post, and, in the early stages of a new manuscript, this has given me lots of food for thought. Thank you.

Splendid, inspiring article. Thank you Beverley.

Wonderful post, and so true! (I wonder how many of were actually writing when the pics were taken!) Happy Christmas everybody!!

Great post, Beverley - and I love that last picture of Helen Peters sitting and writing beneath the trees - it puts everything into perspective. Merry Christmas everyone.

Helen was REALLY writing. She didn't realize I'd taken that photo!

I was definitely posing Jackie! But I think you can tell. The book I&#39;m holding is one of my favourite Ahlberg books called Tell Us a Story Dad, it&#39;s always on my desk as my reminder to &#39;keep it simple&#39;. <br />Thank you so much Beverley, your post seems to sum up the whole experience of being a children&#39;s writer.

Massive thanks to you, Beverley! How brilliant that you&#39;ll continue to inspire and help the slushpilers.

What a brilliant post, Beverley - as ever, you bring wisdom and insight to the writer&#39;s life! Thank you!

Thanks all for lovely comments. I love those pictures! I am sure 2013 will bring good writing things for you all, and I have my fingers and toes firmly crossed on your behalf. Have a great Christmas, and see you all, somewhere, in the New Year. love from Beverley

Thank you for a great post, lots of food for thought! Merry Christmas Beverley.

What a brilliant post - I love the writer and editor selves getting together at the end!

Great post and great photos of writers at work! I&#39;m not writing much, so no pictures of me at the keyboard - have to change that in 2013! Thanks for a great series of posts! Colleen

Great post, Beverley, and so true. I&#39;m still stuck somewhere on the 6th day! Eek! Wondering if my family will notice if I skip Christmas !<br />X Sarah

Brilliant!<br />Thanks so much, Addy.<br /><br />Lesley M

A great comprehensive list here - thanks so much!

Great post. Very informative.<br />Thanks Addy

Awesome post! Loving it! Sharing it! Tweeting it!<br /><br />Best,<br />Sarah

Thank Addy, that was actually really encouraging in terms of what I&#39;m doing right, as well as the things I could be doing better. And isn&#39;t it strange how a voice has to be built to suit for every different book? I find myself rewriting the start of a book many times to get the voice just right.<br /><br />Nick.

Wow, what a thorough explanation of what a great novel needs. Thank you!

OMG how relevant this very morning, when I&#39;m sitting here dithering over a well-plotted outline, whilst being knowledgeable about the YA characters and wondering whether to go for 1st person or 3rd or a couple of povs, and wondering if I can do the voice I hear in my head with the 3rd instead of the 1st. Or just give up writing...<br />You must have been sitting in on my quandary - great post

what a brilliant and comprehensive set of notes on the amazing Beverley&#39;s masterclass! Thanks so much for doing this, Addy! Now I&#39;m slinking off because the character in my head is yammering at me to get her onto the page.

Sound advice beautifully delivered.

Wow - what a brilliant post - well done, Addy and thank you to Beverley. I loved Rift and I really hope you can find the time in your busy editing life to write another brilliant novel set in Africa.

And what a lovely photo!

I was so sorry to miss this class. Many thanks for bringing us along with you, Addy! So many insights here.

Great level of detail, really explaining and demonstrating. Thank you!

Thanks, guys! Beverley was the brilliant one!<br /><br />So much of what she said chimed with me. I agree with you, Nick about writing your way into a book. You just know when a character stretches their legs and leads you and into that misty valley - very exciting.

Finding my main character&#39;s voice had always been a struggle until I went to a David Almond talk and he mentioned how he listened to his characters. It was almost as if they were standing behind him awaiting their turn. So I went home and listened, and there they were! It worked like magic. <br />Until then I think I had a list of structured events rather than a story based on characters.<br

Amazing, direct and pertinent advice. Thank you

What really resonated with me was this quote &quot;The writer is not writing a book about childhood but a book with the child at its beating heart.&quot;

Great post, Addy, and what a great masterclass! Enjoyed it immensely, and (perhaps unfortunately) it has made me go back and tackle that MS again, with the &#39;I can do better&#39; mindset! Beverley was fantastic, and very clever, and very sneaky... you don&#39;t realise what she&#39;s up to till the very last minute!!<br /><br />Jo

Hi, that sounds like a really inspiring workshop Beverley- and thanks so much for taking the time to report on it Addy. <br /><br />I recently had a really useful set of notes from an agent (who was rejecting me!) with just the same advice about making sure you imagined a camera on the shoulder of your MC to help maintain their PoV and keep in their voice, using appropriate vocabulary etc. It&#39

Thank you so much for taking the time to give those of us who couldn&#39;t be there such a comprehensive post, Addy. I really appreciate this and it&#39;s always great to hear new ways to think about finding the voice of the story.

Addy If I&#39;d realized what terrific notes you were taking, I wouldn&#39;t have bothered! For those of you who weren&#39;t at the workshop, these are almost like being there.

Thanks, Addy! A great post to read before sitting down for my writing time. RIFT is a beautifully written book and Beverley&#39;s attention to voice shows on every page. Your detailed masterclass helps me to think I can do it, too.<br /><br />Best,<br />Tioka

Great blog. Thanks for sharing. I heard Beverley talk several years ago and it&#39;s great to hear her comments (through you) again. Thanks.

Thanks for posting. The thing that stuck in my head after attending this masterclass was Beverley saying the creation of character inside is more important than outside: so true!