I love to teach. I was an 8th-grade English teacher, I’ve been an instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature, and now I present at writers’ conferences, including both national and local events. I try to inspire writers as well as give practical tips with plenty of examples and handouts. Here are some of my topics:
- Putting Together a Picture Book Poetry Collection
- Basics of Children’s Poetry
- Feel the Beat: Scan Your Poetry or Rhyming Picture Book
- Rhyme and Nonfiction: A Great Match
- Writing on Demand: Breaking into the Educational Market
- The Nonfiction Book Proposal
- The Publishing Middleman: Working With Book Packagers
- Multiple Choice: Writing Assessment Materials
- Making a Living from Words
- From One Timid Promoter to Another
And here are a few excerpts from evaluations.
“Just a note to say thank you for your outstanding contribution to
the summer conference! Your workshops received glowing reviews on our evaluation forms.”Jamie Melissa Weiss, Conference Coordinator
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
————————————————————“You had a nice mix of resources, examples and critiques…I especially appreciate your feedback and critique—your style was constructive and non-threatening…[T]hank you so much for inspiring me to write more.”
Quinette Cook – Minnesota SCBWI
————————————————————-“I want to thank you for the part you played in getting me a contract with Capstone. [At a Loft event] you talked about the process of submitting to Capstone and other publishers. I still have your handouts! …I just submitted my final ms a couple of weeks ago. My contact over there said my initial letter to them was ‘perfect’, and that is mainly due to your advice from the Loft session.”
Lissa Johnston – South Carolina
Please be in touch if you’d like to discuss my presenting at your event!