Tales of War

By Chris Gosek

Following their reading of the book “Under a War Torn Sky,” students in Ms. Brown’s class at Archer Lodge Middle were given a rare treat as they were paid a visit by the tale’s author, L.M. Elliot, who explained her writing methods and much more to the inquisitive kids during her stop in their classroom.

Elliot, a young adult novel author, is renowned for her vivid tales of wartime, mainly discussed “Under a

War Torn Sky,” which is a story about a World War II fighter pilot. She recalled in great detail the extensive research that she put into her works, which often times found her visiting far away lands to get an authentic take on a given situation that she would be writing about. She also spoke on her reasoning and process behind using each type of character that she does in her stories. Students took advantage of this unique opportunity, picking Ms. Elliot’s brain and even impressing her with their questions on both characters and certain specific details in her work. The author also talked of how she actually approaches the writing process, telling the students how she attempts to “paint a picture” of the tale she is telling.