For many authors and illustrators, book week started in the middle of July. I’ve been visiting schools for the last few weeks and what’s the most common question I’ve been asked?

Do you play Pokemon Go?

Maybe the pokemon plush toys give it away, but I’ve been a Pokemon fan since Pokemon Yellow on my Gameboy Colour (google that up kids). I grew up on the cartoons and collected the cards and everything. I always had Pokemon plushies in my collection that I show during my talks, but only a few kids pointed them out. The ones who actually have a Nintendo 3DS.

Then Pokemon Go happened and after twenty years, Pokemon are cool again. So the kids go nuts when they see my Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle plushies. Good on you Nintendo, training up the next generation to recognise these little pocket monsters haha.

But what does Pokemon have to do with writing stories? Nothing, for the first few weeks. Now I have an answer. You see, ideas are like Pokemon, you have to catch them all. If you don’t write down your idea then it’ll disappear into the wild. So instead of carrying pokeballs, carry a notebook, journal or notes app on your phone and catch those ideas!

Write down as many as you can, everyday. Sure, some days you’ll get a bunch of pidgeys and zubats, lame ideas that don’t really excite you. But occasionally, you’ll land something cool like a growlithe or Pikachu.

Now that idea you have can evolve into a story, or maybe in its final form, a book hehe.

I used to read a lot of Pokemon books when I was a kid, and it’s good to see them out on the shelves in stores and libraries. Especially in libraries, because pokemon could be that spark that gets a kid reading hehe.

So, as book season draws a close, and with a few more weeks left of school visits, I’m going to keep rocking up to schools and the kids will get excited. Over my pokemon toys, and hopefully my books too haha.

Oh, and I’m currently on level 20 and Team Instinct all the way baby hehe

O.W