Speaking Engagements & School Visits

As a critically-acclaimed author of popular children's books and an award-winning educator, I enjoy providing visiting author assemblies and writing workshops that can be structured to meet the particular needs of a school district or a professional conference in any time frame.

I am pleased to present for staff development as well as for students at area schools.  I have presented both day and evening programs at school districts and at professional conferences (librarians, PTA, educators, and writers) on the local, state, and regional levels.

For details, fees, or to discuss specific programs, please contact me, details can be found at the bottom of each page.

Sample Workshop Offerings:
 (brochures available on request)

With the use of a 'road map' style mural board and dozens of visual aids, learn how a book becomes reality from raw idea to finished product, and the many steps and people involved in the process.

Visuals include manuscripts, book 'dummies', sketches and final art, galleys, layouts and paste-ups, 4-color separations, negatives, press proofs, blue lines, page signatures, "f & g's", and unbound covers.

Includes writing tips for immediate classroom use, and humorous anecdotes of "on location" research to wild environments.

With overhead transparencies, chart board examples, readings, discussion, and brief exercises, students learn to artfully reveal the critical elements of 'story' (character, setting or strong sense of place, and the problem) on the opening page. 

Skills and examples focus on:

	Use of sensory detail
	Four ways to engage the reader
	Use of specific, concrete words
	Writing noun and verb rich
	The concept of Show ! Don't Tell !
	Figurative language forms
	More...

Powerful tips, techniques, and motivating products to transform any classroom into a bubbling laboratory of creativity while boosting student skills to sophisticated levels, and all the while having fun. It is possible.

Eye-opening exercises and examples to make connections in the steps of the writing process and stretch the imagination as well.

 Handouts galore for teachers!

Illustration: Bob Marstall