As a young child my attention span was, as I remember it, rather short. Michael Morpurgo More Quotes by Michael Morpurgo More Quotes From Michael Morpurgo Wherever my story takes me, however dark and difficult the theme, there is always some hope and redemption, not because readers like happy endings, but because I am an optimist at heart. I know the sun will rise in the morning, that there is a light at the end of every tunnel. Michael Morpurgo dark heart morning One of the great failings of our education system is that we tend to focus on those who are succeeding in exams, and there are plenty of them. But what we should also be looking at, and a lot more urgently, is those who fail. Michael Morpurgo succeed failing focus Read a lot - poems, prose, stories, newspapers, anything. Read books and poems that you think you will like and some that you think might not be for you. You might be surprised. Michael Morpurgo stories book thinking Stories make you think and dream; books make you want to ask questions. Michael Morpurgo dream book thinking Always write your ideas down however silly or trivial they might seem. Keep a notebook with you at all times. Michael Morpurgo notebook silly writing It's the teacher that makes the difference, not the classroom. Michael Morpurgo classroom differences teacher I don't know, but I do think that everyone has a story to tell. The question is, can they find the voice and the confidence to tell it? We lack the encouragement as young people to believe this; we very often think that writing is for clever people, which it isn't. Michael Morpurgo encouragement clever believe Don't worry about writing a book or getting famous or making money. Just lead an interesting life. Michael Morpurgo money writing book Live an interesting life. Meet people. Read a lot and widely, learn from the great writers Michael Morpurgo interesting-life people interesting Animals are sentient, intelligent, perceptive, funny and entertaining. We owe them a duty of care as we do to children. Michael Morpurgo intelligent animal children Access to books and the encouragement of the habit of reading: these two things are the first and most necessary steps in education and librarians, teachers and parents all over the country know it. It is our children's right and it is also our best hope and their best hope for the future. Michael Morpurgo encouragement teacher country By the time I sit down and face the blank page I am raring to go. I tell it as if I'm talking to my best friend or one of my grandchildren. Michael Morpurgo grandchildren talking friendship I write fiction. I make things up, it's what I do. Michael Morpurgo writing fiction Encouraging young people to believe in themselves and find their own voice whether it's through writing, drama or art is so important in giving young people a sense of self-worth. Michael Morpurgo encouraging drama art Perhaps it is partly that we need to love books ourselves as parents, grandparents and teachers in order to pass on that passion for stories to our children. It's not about testing and reading schemes, but about loving stories and passing on that passion to our children. Michael Morpurgo teacher book children Anything that gets children reading is fine. Michael Morpurgo fine reading children Often it's the latest novel that I've written that is my favourite. I'd been dreaming it for so long, living and breathing its story so that when it finally arrives as a newly published book, smelling wonderful and fresh out of the box, there is nothing like it. Michael Morpurgo breathing dream book I'm still not sure I want to be a writer. I think of myself as a storyteller more. Michael Morpurgo not-sure want thinking Genuinely good people are like that. The sun shines out of them. They warm you right through. Michael Morpurgo shining sun people We all know that the great memories of our childhood are the little triumphs - it doesn't really matter whether that was in writing, art, on the hockey field or on the football field. It's something that makes you feel - 'I can do this stuff'. Michael Morpurgo football memories art
