Grades 1 - 9
I love to talk about being a children's author - almost as much as I love being one! In my presentation, CREATING BOOKS, I discuss how JASPER'S DAY and ICE CREAM EVERYWHERE! came to be - from initial idea to published book. Using lots of visuals and overheads I cover the writing, researching, submission and editorial processes; what a dummy is; the roles of author, illustrator, agent and editor; and what it's like to be a children's author.
Anecdotal details personalize the presentation, making the material more accessible and memorable for the students. They will learn that I wrote ICE CREAM EVERYWHERE! because I absolutely love going to Baskin Robbins, that the dog who modeled for JASPER'S DAY almost drowned the winter that the book was being illustrated, and other behind-the-scene facts.
Grades 2 - 8
Let's get playful with poetry! Reading verse by some of my favorite authors (Douglas Florian, Kristine O’Connell George, me) I introduce classes to some simple, kid-accessible poems - acrostics, haiku, list poems, and free verse.
How might the authors have gone about writing some of these poems? Using a formulaic, step-by-step approach, I demonstrate the method I use to write concept-oriented poetry like ICE CREAM EVERYWHERE! and the HELLO! books.
As a class, or individually, we will pick a topic to brainstorm. With the resulting lists, children will have enough concrete words and images to write their own poem - whether it be 3 lines or 30. Compare the results and see how unique each author's masterpiece is!
NOTE:
Individual presentations run about 45 minutes long with 10-15 more minutes for questions, answers, and book signing. I prefer to do 3 presentations/day.
I am also available for WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE programs to schools within the immediate Denver area.
Please email me using the Quick Link below on the left to request honorarium and program details.
Children’s publishing - a bunny-eat-bunny world where commercial manuscripts sell and “literary” ones often do not. So why write stories that probably won’t get published? I'll tell you why. Listen to me read my favorite orphans. Be their audience. You’ll understand.
You know that readers (and editors) LOVE humor, but you don’t know how to be funny? In this fun-loving session we'll take a look at different types of humor, picture books that use them successfully, and ways to inject humor into a text. Let’s find your funny bone!
In this hands-on session we'll look at rhyme and word choice in early readers – what works and why. We’ll try our hand at the word list exercises I use when writing early readers – a terrific way to jump start your manuscript.
YOU must be your book’s strongest champion and advocate. That book is your baby. After ALL it took to get it published - don't abandon it! Because, orphaned books rarely survive.
In this presentation I discuss what you can expect from your publisher and what YOU can do to help ensure the success of your book. Using examples from my own experience promoting JASPER'S DAY, I share concrete, useful and EASY examples of how to effectively promote.
NO - you don't have to be a marketing or publicity genius to implement them. And NO - I'm not promising that your efforts will translate into mega-sales. But I do promise that such efforts can make enough of a difference to 1) increase your book's exposure and chances of success and 2) get the attention of your publisher.
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