Want to arrange a virtual school, library, or group visit, or have me teach a virtual workshop?
Contact me via the form below. I love to work with readers and writers of all ages.
Workshops/Presentations for Children and Teens
Location, Location, Location: How to Make Setting as Important as Character
Creating a memorable setting is more than simply picking a place and describing it. In this interactive workshop we will explore the ins and out of setting and how it shapes the narrative and impacts the character’s experience.
Using examples from Middle Grade novels, we will examine the elements that make settings memorable and apply them to our own work. We will go beneath the surface and explore setting both as a character in and of itself and through the lens of the middle grade protagonist as they interact with the world around them.
We Contain Multitudes: Creating Memorable Characters
Creating a memorable character is more than knowing a person’s hair color and favorite food. In this interactive workshop we dive beneath the surface to find our character’s truest and most believable voice – and flesh them out – warts and all.
Using examples from Middle Grade and YA novels, as well as references to mainstream television and movies, we will examine the elements that make characters memorable and apply them to our own work. We will go beneath the surface and beyond the stereotypical and explore character development from the lenses of voice, location, personality, and motivation.
What Would a Real Writer Do? – My Journey to Publication
“You must do the things you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
The path to publication is filled with uncertainty. Each step forward requires taking bold leaps, facing new (and sometimes old) fears, and pushing yourself forward in pursuit of your dreams. In this presentation I share how I mustered up the resilience necessary to take each small step (or big jump)
toward my goals. I’ll share what worked, what didn’t, and how asking myself one question kept me on a path to success.
More Workshops Available Soon
Persuade Me: Writing for a Change
Workshops/Presentations for Adults
Location, Location, Location: How to Make Setting as Important as Character
Creating a memorable setting is more than simply picking a place and describing it. In this interactive workshop we will explore the ins and out of setting and how it shapes the narrative and impacts the character’s experience.
Using examples from Middle Grade novels, we will examine the elements that make settings memorable and apply them to our own work. We will go beneath the surface and explore setting both as a character in and of itself and through the lens of the middle grade protagonist as they interact with the world around them.
We Contain Multitudes: Creating Memorable Characters
Creating a memorable character is more than knowing a person’s hair color and favorite food. In this interactive workshop we dive beneath the surface to find our character’s truest and most believable voice – and flesh them out – warts and all.
Using examples from Middle Grade and YA novels, as well as references to mainstream television and movies, we will examine the elements that make characters memorable and apply them to our own work. We will go beneath the surface and beyond the stereotypical and explore character development from the lenses of voice, location, personality, and motivation.
What Would a Real Writer Do? – My Journey to Publication
“You must do the things you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
The path to publication is filled with uncertainty. Each step forward requires taking bold leaps, facing new (and sometimes old) fears, and pushing yourself forward in pursuit of your dreams. In this presentation I share how I mustered up the resilience necessary to take each small step (or big jump)
toward my goals. I’ll share what worked, what didn’t, and how asking myself one question kept me on a path to success.
Renewing and Refreshing Reading in the Secondary Classroom
Because of the recent focus on testing, accountability, and reading for information, teachers need anecdotal and researched-based strategies to teach and advocate for pleasure reading, especially in the secondary classroom. I will share research-based strategies to inspire teachers to reignite a love of reading in their older students.
More Workshops Available Soon
The Way Back Machine: Researching and Writing Historical Fiction
Honorarium
- Virtual Workshops/Presentations plus Q and A’s (45-60 minutes) are $100.
- Skype Visits for book talks and Q and A’s (up to 20 minutes) are free.
*Available for students/groups who have read and discussed The Tragically True Adventures of Kit Donovan*
(Want a little extra help planning your author visit? Dan Gutman shares some tips here.)
*Have a special circumstance? Contact me and we can talk rates based on your specific situation.
*Looking for a workshop or presentation on a topic not listed here? Contact me and let me know. I’ll see what I can do.
Interested in having me work with you or your students? Let's talk. Use the form below to tell me what you're looking for. I'd love to help!
