Tech speak in texts

Since I’ve already survived the emotional roller coaster YA adventure INTO THE WILD by Hayley Lawrence, I feel it’s a touch ironic to now be waiting out cyclone Alfred in Brisbane with my bathtub filled with emergency water, charged torches and my cupboards stocked with tinned food 😬

Hayley’s authentic teen survival story will stay with me for years - not only because of the incredible highs and lows - but due to the skills I’ve learned about mountaineering.

This is why it’s SO effective to write about what you know and to offer readers the technical language of your area of expertise.

Tina Strachan does this brilliantly too in NEEKA AND THE MISSING KEY. Tina is a wildlife vet and her use of scientific language adds a STEM learning opportunity that young readers absorb, deepening their connection to the story and subject.

So be proud of your own pockets of wisdom, think about how you can apply them in your writing, and be aware of what you’re learning from other people’s stories.