Talks:

1. Paws:

Autism, Acceptance, Awareness, and Dogs!

Includes a reading from Paws - (One hour: 45-minute presentation and 15 minutes Q&A. Suitable for grades 4-7)

After introducing myself and a fun icebreaker game, I will read a chapter from Paws and talk a little about the book and the themes included. From there, I focus my talk on differences and how this is something to celebrate and accept and nurture. I cover details of how all of us have a unique story to tell, even if we think nothing interesting ever happens to us, and that even those who are not big readers or writers are storytellers too. I include the children in a few fun exercises, before chatting about autism and what this is, eventually circling back to Paws. I close by inviting all and any questions from the children, and emphasis that no comment or question is wrong and that I never judge and always encourage individuality.

2. The Bravest Word: 

 Anxiety, Depression, and Why Asking for Help Matters

Includes a reading from The Bravest Word - (One hour: 45-minute presentation and 15 minutes Q&A. Suitable for grades 5-7)

After introducing myself and a fun icebreaker game, I will read a chapter from THE BRAVEST WORD and talk a little about the book and the themes included. From there, I focus my talk on mental wellbeing, ensuring the children feel comfortable saying big words such as depression and anxiety, and understanding that the brain is as important to exercise and look after as the rest of our bodies. I include the children in a fun exercise, before chatting about the differences between healthy emotions we should allow ourselves to experience and mental illness, covering signs and behaviours to look for in ourselves and our friends. I close by inviting all and any questions from the children, and emphasis that no comment or question is wrong and that I never judge and always encourage individuality.

3. Neurodiversity and Mental Health:

What it means to have invisible disabilities and how we can all be better friends. 

Can include a reading from PAWS or The Bravest Word if requested.
(One hour: 50 minutes presentation and 10 minutes Q&A. Suitable for grades 5-7)
This presentation follows both a similar format and takes elements from talks 1 and 2.

 4. One Author’s Journey to Publication:

The highs, the lows, and why I love my job

(One hour: 40 minutes presentation and 20 minutes Q&A. Suitable for grades 5-12)

After opening with a fun icebreaker and reading from one of my books, I share details about my journey to becoming a published author. I cover everything from my childhood, where I grew up, and the types of stories I used to write, to some of the pivotal moments in my life which led to what I write now and why these stories matter. I discuss how I honed my craft and eventually chose to pursue publication, before covering details such as the word counts of my books, the time it takes to write them, and the editing process. I offer insight and tips to what it’s like behind the scenes, the hard parts of the job to navigate and the magical moments which make it all worthwhile. I close by inviting all and any questions from the children, and emphasis that no comment or question is wrong and that I never judge and always encourage individuality.

Length of above sessions can be adjusted to offer more time for Q&A if preferred.

Workshops:

1. Creating Colourful Characters

This is a fun and detailed workshop where I offer tips and ideas on how to create engaging, 3-dimensional characters. We look at every aspect of personality, appearance, and past. I provide a worksheet for children to complete and build their own characters, encouraging them to look at themselves or someone they know for inspiration. With the children's help, I go through the process of building a character, giving them a goal, a conflict, and motivation. I encourage the children to ask “why?” at every opportunity, so they appreciate the importance of a character's back story and allow readers to make strong connections and build story tension. If time permits the children can draw their character or complete a writing exercise where they utilise all the information we’ve discussed.
I close by inviting all and any questions from the children, and emphasis that no comment or question is wrong and that I never judge and always encourage individuality. A PowerPoint presentation can be provided to keep the children amused and interacting.

2. Show Don’t Tell

This is an interactive workshop where I share my own tips for mastering show don’t tell. Together we cover ways in which this can be included, from the world building to filter verbs to emotions, and help them understand how showing can create a more immersive experience for the reader but why telling is sometimes the right choice too. Together we list ideas on how to show emotions through body language and thought and then work through sentence examples, switching them from telling to showing. With the children's help, I play some interactive games to show the power of everyday observation which can be brought into our writing, taking it to the next level.
I close by inviting all and any questions from the children, and emphasis that no comment or question is wrong and that I never judge and always encourage individuality. A PowerPoint presentation can be provided to keep the children amused and interacting.

(Each of the above are one hour in length but can be modified or combined to create longer sessions.)

Bespoke workshops on most aspects of creative writing can be created for individual class or curriculum needs. Please don’t hesitate to contact me to discuss.