School Visits
Everyone has an imagination—it is the source of inventions, scientific discoveries, great art and music and stories, fear as well as hope—and one of the most important questions our imagination asks is, “What if?" In a typical presentation to a large group, I talk about how I grew up playing the “What if” game with myself, how it is part of the writing process, and how it led to the idea for my first novel The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic. Then we discuss the basic elements of stories and brainstorm a story together from start to finish. The presentation includes a reading from the book and time for questions and answers. For a single class or smaller group (around 20 or less), I conclude by having the students write outlines of their own stories and share them with the rest of the group.
Most of my presentations and workshops are designed for 3rd through 5th graders, but they can be adapted for older or younger students. Ideally, the students will have read all or part of The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic before I come—for example, it's great if a teacher or librarian has been reading it aloud to them in the weeks before my visit. I've also found that kids get a lot more out of Q&A time if they've spent some time writing down possible questions ahead of time. Then on the day I come, they can either read their question aloud, or questions can be put in a hat for me to draw from.
- Three sessions of 45 minutes to an hour each (this can be any combination of large group presentations and/or small group workshops with different grade levels)
- Time in between presentations for book purchasing and signing
- Lunch with a small group of students (a book club or students selected by criteria decided by the school) for an informal time of Q & A
Equipment needs: screen and projector set up for PowerPoint
Fee: $600 + travel costs if outside Nashville, TN
Local schools and libraries (in Nashville, Brentwood, or Franklin) may choose to have me come for a single presentation or one of the creative workshops listed below (contact me about fees).
Please use the Contact form if you are interested in having me visit.
Creative Workshops for Kids
Painting with Words
A good writer is in love with words—the way they look, the way they sound, and the way they come together to make pictures in our imagination. Writing helps us see the world in new ways, like an artist. In this workshop, kids will be "painting" pictures with words, then using their word-paintings to practice descriptive writing that uses all the senses.
Length: 1 hour
Age level: 3rd-5th grade
Size: maximum 15
Equipment needs: white board
Fee: $150 (local)
A good writer is in love with words—the way they look, the way they sound, and the way they come together to make pictures in our imagination. Writing helps us see the world in new ways, like an artist. In this workshop, kids will be "painting" pictures with words, then using their word-paintings to practice descriptive writing that uses all the senses.
Length: 1 hour
Age level: 3rd-5th grade
Size: maximum 15
Equipment needs: white board
Fee: $150 (local)
Treasure Maps
Where can you find the Last Dinosaur's Funny Bone? How do you get to the Gruesome Pit of Grossness? What lies hidden in the Place Where Stories Are Born? Fantasy lovers will enjoy this opportunity to draw a map of their own imagined world, then hide a treasure there and write creative instructions to avoid pitfalls, encounter adventures, and find the X that marks the spot.
Length: 1 hour
Age level: 2nd-5th grade
Size: maximum 15
Equipment needs: white board, screen & projector
Fee: $150 (local)
Where can you find the Last Dinosaur's Funny Bone? How do you get to the Gruesome Pit of Grossness? What lies hidden in the Place Where Stories Are Born? Fantasy lovers will enjoy this opportunity to draw a map of their own imagined world, then hide a treasure there and write creative instructions to avoid pitfalls, encounter adventures, and find the X that marks the spot.
Length: 1 hour
Age level: 2nd-5th grade
Size: maximum 15
Equipment needs: white board, screen & projector
Fee: $150 (local)
The Music of Words
Discover how words whistle, whoosh, gallop, sizzle, and splash! This poetry workshop will explore the wonderful noises words make as we play with rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, and onomatopoeia.
Length: 1 hour
Age level: 3rd-5th grade
Size: maximum 15
Equipment needs: white board
Fee: $150 (local)
Discover how words whistle, whoosh, gallop, sizzle, and splash! This poetry workshop will explore the wonderful noises words make as we play with rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, and onomatopoeia.
Length: 1 hour
Age level: 3rd-5th grade
Size: maximum 15
Equipment needs: white board
Fee: $150 (local)
Weird and Wacky Creatures
This creative writing workshop is all about animals! Kids will draw their own fantastical creatures, then learn about fables and "Just So" stories in order to write short tales about the animals they've invented.
Length: 1 hour
Age level: 2nd-5th grade
Size: maximum 15
Equipment needs: white board, screen & projector
Fee: $150 (local)
This creative writing workshop is all about animals! Kids will draw their own fantastical creatures, then learn about fables and "Just So" stories in order to write short tales about the animals they've invented.
Length: 1 hour
Age level: 2nd-5th grade
Size: maximum 15
Equipment needs: white board, screen & projector
Fee: $150 (local)
Presentations and Workshops for Adults
The Art of Play
Madeleine L'Engle said, "My work is real work, and real work is play, not drudgery." In this presentation, I talk about the relationship between play and creativity, my approach to writing, the importance of wonder, and why adults should read children's literature. I'll read from The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic and leave time for questions and answers and book signing afterwards.
Length: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Size: appropriate for large or small groups
Fee: $400 ( + travel costs if outside Nashville)
Madeleine L'Engle said, "My work is real work, and real work is play, not drudgery." In this presentation, I talk about the relationship between play and creativity, my approach to writing, the importance of wonder, and why adults should read children's literature. I'll read from The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic and leave time for questions and answers and book signing afterwards.
Length: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Size: appropriate for large or small groups
Fee: $400 ( + travel costs if outside Nashville)
Playing with Words
At the heart of creativity is the ability and freedom and courage to play. This comes so naturally to children, but we tend to lose it or push it away as we grow up. In this fun, low-pressure workshop for adults, I lead several of the writing activities I use in my children's classes. Come prepared to stretch your imagination. No writing experience or aptitude necessary.
Length: 2 hours
Size: maximum 25
Fee: $600 ( + travel costs if outside Nashville)
At the heart of creativity is the ability and freedom and courage to play. This comes so naturally to children, but we tend to lose it or push it away as we grow up. In this fun, low-pressure workshop for adults, I lead several of the writing activities I use in my children's classes. Come prepared to stretch your imagination. No writing experience or aptitude necessary.
Length: 2 hours
Size: maximum 25
Fee: $600 ( + travel costs if outside Nashville)
Skype Visits
In addition to in-person visits, I offer FREE Skype chats with small groups. These are informal, 20-minute Q&A times with classes and book clubs that have read my book.