Crack-A-Story will evolve over time. That is one of its beauties: you have the chance to grow with it. At any time please send me suggestions about the types of resources and topics you would like me to include in my workshops. We are all part of the storytelling community and we need to learn from each other, no matter who we are or where we are.
These videos provide a broad, but far from exhaustive example of some of the material I take into classrooms. Often, when the circumstances allow, I like to include pieces that enable students to identify with their surroundings and lives. On other occasions I use images and themes that are far beyond the students’ front doors or gates. These are used in conjunction with written and oral exercises. Some pieces are a little wacky, and others are more serious. Either way, they are aimed at connecting, engaging, inspiring, informing and leading the way towards greater learning. Oh, and did I mention FUN?
Smiles,
Knighty
Programs
1) Workshops & Programs
Interactive sessions that bring literacy and storytelling to life.
Writing Sessions – Single sessions (45–90 mins) or multi-day residencies tailored to school needs. Covers idea generation, planning, word usage, techniques, writer awareness, and the power of storytelling. Grade Four Students and upwards.
VOX Humanity (Character Education workshops) Storytelling as a pathway to strengthening such traits as gratitude, empathy, compassion, identity, and belonging. Ideal for secondary students, including sports groups.
Sports Journalism – Multi-session course on news and feature writing, interviewing, and presenting. Designed for middle and secondary students.
Cric-Lit (with Sydney Thunder BBL) – Writing workshops combined with cricket coaching sessions.
Inspire, entertain, and engage audiences with stories that blend literacy, humanity, and unique lived experiences.
Guest Presentations & Keynotes – Speeches for schools, festivals, or community events on themes including storytelling, sport, travel, social growth and human connection.
Panel Discussions – Insightful contributions to conversations on literacy, education, and social impact.
Master of Ceremonies – Professional, warm, and engaging host for all audiences.
Practical training sessions (2 hours to full day) to equip teachers with Crack-A-Story methods and resources. Involves hands-on group work and session design.
Private Tuition – Face-to-face (ACT) or online sessions for Grades 4–12.
Special Projects – Tailored storytelling support for individuals, schools, or organisations.
Sample
resources
Using local environments to stimulate thinking >>>
Using environmental print & pictures >>>
Word play >>>
Perspective for writing & character education >>>
Techniques & Structure >>>
Various >>>
Book
Now
Crack-A-Story offers online workshops/presentations/mentoring and school visits for both students and teachers. If you need more information or would like to make a booking, the little button below is an entry to another world!
"James' engaging workshops are delivered with humour, insight, and warmth. He draws on his personal experiences as a writer to connect with students in a way that feels authentic and empowering. He offers practical strategies that help student develop their storytelling and writing craft in practical and meaningful ways, irrespective of their skill level. Even those who don't see themselves as "writers" come away with tools they can use to express themselves more clearly and creatively. James brings energy, empathy, and expertise to every session, and I would highly recommend him to any school looking to enrich their English creative writing courses."
Toowoomba Grammar School
"We recently had the privilege of hosting James at Toowoomba Grammar School for two intensive days of writing workshops, and the impact was nothing short of transformational. As a presenter, author, journalist, and TV producer, James possesses the rare gift of applying his life experiences to instantly connect with people of all ages through his natural humour and authenticity. For our TGS boys, James provided an invaluable male role model who demonstrated that writing can be exciting, meaningful, and deeply fulfilling. We watched in amazement as students' confidence and self-belief in their writing abilities lifted visibly before our eyes. Students who had previously struggled began to sit taller, engage actively, and discover their own unique voices as writers. I am confident that James' visit will leave a lasting impression and encourage our boys to see themselves as writers well into the future. His intelligent delivery and genuine care for young writers make him an invaluable resource, and I would wholeheartedly recommend James to any educational institution seeking to nurture a lasting love of writing in their students."
Primary School Student, Sydney
"Thank you for inspiring me to continue writing even though I had trouble thinking of ideas. I loved the funny moments we shared with each other. I hope one day you will come back and visit our school again with even more of your awesome stories. Thanks for making the subject fun. I loved the way you make the cute little vlogs instead of talking our ears off! With your help my stories have gotten better. Thank you for bringing fun moments to our lessons."
Primary School Student, Sydney
"You read with a lot of expression, and you helped us to improve our narrative writing and more. You helped us understand the elements of the block planner and we are so grateful for your work."
Primary School Student, Sydney
"Your words encouraged all of us to work hard to achieve our goals. Thanks for giving us your feedback to make our writing ten times better. We’ve been taking it on board, and it’s made writing so much easier because of your tips and tricks."
Primary School Student, Sydney
"I can guarantee that you have helped a lot of people in this class to learn something new. Your funny sense of humour and your amazing stories always made my day. Thank you, James, for everything you did."
Primary School Student, Sydney
"Thank you for coming to our school and teaching us about stories and words. I loved your secret handshake that I still can’t remember and the chair. You have taught us a lot about words and stories. I can’t believe how many adventures you have had with your bucket hat and how much you know about words. I have enjoyed you coming to our school and helping us improve our writing. Your videos were very cool and interesting. Your ‘on my slap my knee ar’ (onomatopeia) was hilarious and made us all laugh. We all loved you coming to our school."
Primary School Students, Sydney
"I had lots of fun learning more about story writing with you. I’ve learnt lots these past few weeks. Hearing all of your stories was very entertaining, and I wish I could’ve listened to more of them. Once again, I would like to say thank you for having us and I hope for a great future for you."
Primary School Student, Sydney
"I think we all had lots of fun having you here. All the writing and challenges you set were amazing. What I loved is when you showed us your travels in other countries. It was super cool. We loved spending time with you every Tuesday. Hope to see you again soon. Byeeee!"
Yass High School
"It has been an incredible privilege to work with James, whose
irrepressible energy and generous spirit transformed each session into
a masterclass on character creation and development, setting and
collaboration. James nurtured the unique voice and interests of each
writer, taking the time to connect individually, modelling the courage
to embrace vulnerabilities and take risks with writing over the course
of the term. We would work with James every week if we could."
Newington College
"It's been so lovely to have your calm, kind, empathetic vibe around
the campus this week."
Wanaaring Public School
“Having James visit our school and work with our students was utterly amazing. He was innovative, he ignited our children's imagination, he had them totally engaged over the 3 days. He interacted with our students authentically and actively placed himself in their environment and then used that to open their creative side through words. Our students have gained an enthusiasm again for writing and can see that words can open up our world to others and open their world up by reading other's words. James went out of his way to use the students’ surroundings to stimulate their writing and brought the outside inside with his videos and recordings of the works that they collaboratively created.
James' visit has refuelled writing and the love of it in our school not just for our students but also our staff. His enthusiasm was contagious, his strategies were easily implementable and his passion to build connection was evident in what he did for our students and staff. His continued support has been greatly appreciated.”
Gunnedah High School
"James Knight's Writer in Residence program has had a profound impact on our students, sparking a newfound passion for creative writing and storytelling. His engaging workshops and personalized feedback helped students find their unique voices, resulting in a noticeable improvement in their writing skills. The program also fostered a deeper appreciation for literature, inspiring many students to pursue their own writing projects beyond the classroom. We are incredibly grateful for the inspiration and guidance James provided during his time with us."
Primary school student, Sydney
"Even if I make mistakes, James Knight politely makes me slowly understand my mistake and corrects me without hurting my feelings. James has also taught me to focus on my different skills of writing that I have not uncovered yet. Thanks to him, I learnt more about my knowledge."
Primary school student, Sydney.
"Working with James Knight was such an amazing experience for me. He taught me lots of writing tactics, story starters, writers’ tools and lots more. He said, “Writing doesn't have to be the best in the world, it's about trying your best.” So, I think that over the five weeks he was with us it was such a privilege."
Primary school student, Sydney
"I like James Knight because he's really smart and also really good at writing stories. He gives good compliments about other people. He is also a kind person, and is really respectful. I liked it when I read my story in front of the class."
Primary school student, Sydney
"James Knight gave me personal feedback, which helped me a lot in my class writing. His feedback is really helping me to write better stories now."
Primary school student, Sydney
"Your time with us was a very happy experience. We loved the things you said to us to make us improve our writing skills and our imagination. You made the most of us enjoy writing even if we did not like writing. You made us pluck our ideas and put them on the page."
Delany College, Sydney
"You gave the students of Delany an experience no one on this planet would've done; you gave them a voice, a sanctuary, a direction, and above all, a belief."
High School Student, Sydney
"The past eight weeks were an extraordinary learning experience that taught me the power of my words, my writing, and myself."
High School Student, Sydney
"Thank you so much for everything. I have learnt so much about writing and I believe I have become a more confident writer."
Parramatta High School
"James is such a dynamic and engaging presenter who had our students hanging off his every word. He shared valuable insights on how best to generate ideas that could be weaved into interesting plots. He also encouraged students to explore the power of words and had them experiment with language in practical activities that enhanced their storytelling overall. James had a positive and motivating presence that students warmed to. We look forward to having him back to inspire our next cohort of keen writers. Thank you, James!"
Junior student, Cherrybrook Technology High School
"James Knight has an interesting past and he told us a lot about his travels across the world, and how that inspired him to write. This inspired me. He also interacted well with the audience, asking some students to come up and answer some questions."
Cherrybrook Technology High School
"James was fantastic. Very approachable and made all the students feel comfortable and engaged."
Hornsby Girls High School
"The workshop was a lot of fun, and all students found James's insight highly engaging and inspiring. James encouraged students to think about the who, what, where and why of stories. He also shared the importance of connection with other people and resilience from his travels around the world including to Africa and India. It was a great afternoon for all involved!"
Radford College, Canberra
"Your passion for storytelling really energised our kids and it was so lovely to hear the buzz of excitement when you were with them. You got to know the kids and drew on their interests, which helped them learn, and it helped build their confidence."
Senior Student, Maru-a-Pula School, Botswana
"The author James Knight highlighted the creative aspect of writing which l feel is often neglected in the classroom. I forgot how exciting and intriguing writing could be when it didn’t feel like an assignment."
Tauranga Girls School, New Zealand
“It was brilliant. The girls loved it and they thought you were very cool---they are excited to send you their stories.”
Sylvania High School, Sydney
“You had a wonderful way of connecting with the students. So insightful and inspiring.”
Year 10 Student, Newington College, Sydney.
“He picked a random object in the room and got the Drama boys to build a story, with the object as the starting place, by asking each other questions. Somehow, they managed to get from an ordinary desk chair to a love story between a French ballerina and a man off the streets of Paris...Coming out of the session one of the students remarked: ‘It was really inspiring to hear how these little interactions with people had affected his life in such a major way.’”
