Add Ons

Can you do what you love and still earn a living? It's hard. But it's possible. Learn the world of self-publishing and its potential for a lucrative career with Darcy Pattison. Learn to choose story topics, develop a brand and followers, and optimize your storytelling and your income. Date: Friday, October 9 Time: 1:15 - 4:15 Max: 20 Participants Cost: $90

Feeling blah about your writing? Wondering what you can do to create a more vivid and emotional experience for the reader? In this intensive presented by Irene Latham, we'll explore poetic techniques such as imagery, metaphor, and rhythm. We'll play with verbs and symbols. We'll look to poems to show us how poetry's music of words, economy of expression, and precision of language has the power to elevate any story to “art.” Attendees will come away reinvigorated and armed with new ways to create and improve all kinds of writing. Date: Friday, October 9 Time: 1:15 - 4:15 Max: 20 participants Cost: $90

Do you have a fascinating true story you're dying to share with young readers? Whether you're drawn to biographies, STEM books, or even magazine articles, this intensive masterclass will give you the essential tools to craft compelling nonfiction that kids can't put down. Based on award-winning author Kirsten W. Larson's comprehensive guide Telling It True, you’ll learn how to transform facts into page-turning stories, conduct efficient research, and structure your work so young readers stay hooked from beginning to end. Materials Needed: Bring a current work-in-progress or story idea you're excited to develop, plus your laptop or notebook for hands-on exercises. Date: Friday, October 9 Time: 9:00 - 12:00 Max: 20 Participants Cost: $90

How do you create stories that are both accurate and interesting? Join Elizabeth Tracy and Anna Aronson, author and illustrator of “Mystery Driver- The Story of Alice Johnson and the First Soap Box Derby” (MIT Kids Press) as they share examples from their own creative process. Learn how writers and illustrators can honor the past and reality without being constrained by it, creating stories that are both believable and unforgettable. This intensive will offer practical strategies for conducting effective research, deciding when accuracy matters most, and knowing when creativity should take the lead. Date: Friday, October 9 Time: 1:15 - 4:15 Max: 20 Participants Cost: $90

Graphic novels are hot! Many publishers now have their own graphic novel lines. Not only do many kids (and adults) gravitate to GNs because they’re a mesmerizing art form, but they have helped numerous reluctant readers enjoy reading, or kids with reading difficulties learn how to read. You don’t have to be an author-illustrator to create them either; editors will look at scripts from writers-only. This session, offered by Teresa Ho Robeson, will get you started with a concise intro that will enable you to draft your first script. Date: Friday, October 9 Time: 9:00 - 12:00 Max: 20 Participants Cost: $90