A Letter from Alice

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 19 August 1939, Page 14

A Letter from Alice

Dear Boys and Girls, Let's talk about writing stories this week , shall we? 1 do love to talk about writing, don't you, although of course / still have lots to learn. One of the most important things to strive for in writing stories is to create a sense of reality. “What exactly do you mean by that?” asked White Rabbit , who hopes to become an author himself one day. / mean that your story must read as if it were really true. The people who are going to read it will be annoyed if they find you have made bad mistakes which show that you don't really know what you are writing about. For this reason, the stories you write about the life and the country you know are always the best. “But Td much rather write about something quite different,” objected White Rabbit. “Other countries and people always seem to have much more exciting times than we do.” That’s just the trouble. White Rabbit. We are all tempted to set our stories in countries we’ve never visited, amongst people we don't know, just because we IMAGIISh their lives arc more exciting than ours.” “Well, aren’t they?” asked White Rabbit. Not a bit of it; why, didn’t you know that New Zealand is one of the most romantic countries in the world? We have beauty here that no other land can equal; we have cities and ports where busy ships come and go just like other nations. We have immense stretches of plains like Canada and America. We have rolling down country like England. We have snow-capped mountains like Switzerland. We have coal mines like Wales, gold mines like Alaska, lakes like Ireland. If e have sounds and fjiords like Norway—and then think of all the scenic wonders which other countries cannot equal at all. And then, White Rabbit, you dare to say that there is nothing to write about here! “I’ll admit that what you say is true,” agreed White Rabbit, nodding his head, “but things don’t happen to people here, do they?” Alice gasped with indignation. How could she help it—after all the wonderful adventures she and White Rabbit have shared since they came to Nelson! Things don’t happen here! Can you believe it? “Do you know, White Rabbit, in England there are boys and girls who live in large cities where they have to go to public parks to see green grass growing! Children who have never seen cows and sheep and baby lambs and calves in spring, running about green paddocks on unsteady legs. Children like our Wonderland members , but who don't know how blue the sea can be in summer, and bow grey in winter, kiddies who have never frolicked in creamy surf or bathed their brown bodies in beautiful sunshine. They would think it the greatest adventure on earth to go to school on a pony, to pick apples off a tree, to be able to ramble through our glorious bush.” White Rabbit’s eyes were wet with tears. “I never dreamed, Alice—l never thought . . . .” Alice patted him kindly on the shoulder. “Of course you didn’t, White Rabbit. But when you write your stories, write about OUR country for those children. Write of little lambs caught by a flooded creek and rescued by boys and girls like our Wonderland members. If you want to write about boarding school life, make your school like our Nelson College, one we can be proud of. They’ve had adventure there, goodness knows. Make your stories as exciting as you like, but write about the people and the places you know.” “Oh dear, oh dear.” White Rabbit gave an enormous sigh as he opened his clean new exercise book, and began to chew the end of his pencil. “What’s the matter now?” asked Alice in surprise. “ You’ve given me so many ideas I just don’t know where to begin, that’s all.” Well, boys and girls, it looks as if White Rabbit is going to be kept out of mischief for quite a while now doesn’t it? But /do hope those of you who plan to enter for our story competition for the Birthday Page, will also take my advice and write about the things you are familiar with. You will find that you can write much more easily, and you won’t make bad mistakes which would spoil your story. There is one Wonderland member who has written for us some splendid stories of the sea and of early navigators of the Pacifice. You will say, “but he wasn’t there, so he couldn’t be writing of things he knew.” But in his case, / know that he reads all the information on the subject that he can. That is called ‘research* and his stories are the result of his research. There is, however, a great deal more trouble involved in writing stories based on close study than those which are purely imaginative or founded on some recent happening. To each and every one of you, I would say this. Write and write and then write again. After all, as my Mother has often pointed out to me ivhen I have felt very discouraged about my work, the people who make paper and pencils have to be kept busy, so you are doing them a good turn. Dear me, there's White Rabbit in difficulty over a word, and he can’t find a dictionary, so I shall have to help him. Goodbye for now, and good luck to you all with your competition entries, Your Happy Friend, ALICE.