Mike Nicholson
Home address:
12 Trinity Grove, Edinburgh, EH5 3HD, ScotlandTelephone:
0131 552 3334Email:
mikenich@lineone.netWebsite:
www.mikenicholson.co.ukBRAW network:
noLL funded:
noBiography:
I live in Edinburgh working as a writer as well as doing consultancy for charities. This isn’t far from Dalkeith where I was born, but a long way from the Environmental Science I originally studied. My jobs over the years have involved anything from creating wildlife gardens to supporting young homeless people and working with volunteers from many overseas countries. I realised as time went on that it was the pieces of writing I had done in each of these jobs that I loved most. After that, I started to follow more opportunities to write from children’s fiction to film scripts, not to mention the reports, meeting minutes and funding proposals which no-one else ever seems to like writing.
If there’s something I really love doing, it’s getting other people being creative and writing too, even when they think they can’t – (see more in ‘writer’s events and projects’ below!)
What else is important in life? Peanut butter and marmite on toast to start the day, travelling by two wheels if at all possible, and perhaps you ought to know that I can wiggle my ears very impressively.
About writer's work:
In terms of published work I have written 2 books for 8-12 year olds. Both are mystery adventures; the kind of books I loved when I was younger. Intriguing stories which happen on the doorstep of the characters, different subplots which weave together and cliffhanger endings to the chapters. The first one ‘Catscape’, is set in Stockbridge in Edinburgh and won the Kelpies Award (2005). It explores what happens when the discovery is made that 43 cats have gone missing. The second, ‘Grimm’, is set loosely in the Trossachs and unravels the truth about the mysterious and dangerous Hotel Grimm which is perched on the hill above Aberfintry.
More recently I’ve done text for picture books for under 5s and hope to see the first of these in print in 2012.
I’ve also had great fun as part of a team, writing and making movies in the ‘48 Hour Film Challenge’, where teams have to produce short films from scratch in just 2 days. And on the subject of working quickly….
About writer's events and projects:
I can offer a range of events:
- Write a Story in an Hour! - starting with a blank sheet of paper I lead a very lively session to meet the challenge of producing a story in 60 minutes. As the clock ticks, a bell ring each 15 minutes, and ideas fly around, I’ll show how a story can emerge from nothing just from the group’s ideas. I’ll then write this up and you’ll have your very own story 24 hours later!
- A Book from Start to Finish – an interactive session explaining how books get from a blank sheet of paper to a finished book. I’ll aim to show how writing can be fun, show where ideas can come from and show how closely the group’s own ideas match my own to encourage them in their writing
- Creative Writing Projects – I’m happy to work with you to create the sessions you need e.g. I worked recently with a P7 class on a few sessions to bring their World War II project to life through writing. I’ve also worked with schoolchildren to produce stories based on their own local area.
Language:
EnglishAge groups:
9-12Books written
Fergus can't believe it when his brand-new digital watch starts going backwards. Then he crashes (literally) into gadget-loving Murdo and a second mystery comes to light: cats are going missing all ...
If you have the misfortune to spend a night at Hotel Grimm, it may be the last night you spend anywhere! Or so the residents of Aberfintry believe. From its vantage point high above the town, the ...
