I'd love to join your class, library, or bookstore for a story hour event!

I'll read (with all the voices!), chat about books and writing, and even help kids learn to write their own story using their imagination and a few simple questions.

Mem Fox is credited with saying, “Writing a picture book is like writing War and Peace in haiku.” In other words, it’s not as simple as you think. In this class, writers will explore the who, why, where, what, when, and how of writing picture books:

• who your audience is and suggestions for connecting with them;

• why you should (and should not) write a picture book;

• where the best ideas come from;

• what the basic structure of a picture book is, including pagination and illustrations;

• when to use “little” words and “big” words, as well as when to use rhythm, rhyme, and repetition;

• how to use story and characters arcs for writing picture books (Yes, they still apply!).

Using examples from classic children’s books, as well as her own works, bestselling children’s writer Tama Fortner will lead writers through the steps needed to create a “Read it again, please!” picture book.

*This class can be adapted to a single session or an extended workshop.

What’s the world’s deadliest animal? Do bodies sink or float? How fast is the world’s fastest rollercoaster?

Whether we’re writing fiction or nonfiction, for children or adults, writers need answers! And that means writers must research. Learn the skills, tips, and tricks used by an ECPA award-winning and bestselling writer for both children and adults. Topics covered will include figuring out what questions to ask, finding potential ideas, identifying and tracking down primary and secondary sources, warnings about and surprising uses of Wikipedia, mining the depths of the Internet using Boolean searches, and how on earth to keep track of all that research.

Writing devotions for children (and grownups!) means writing something they will actually want to read. On their own. Without being forced or bribed.

If you want to write a devotional that kids (and grownups!) will run to pick up on their own, let the award-winning writer behind Simply Christmas, Roar Like a Lion, and the Indescribable for Kids series share with you a few of her best tips and strategies. This workshop will explore such topics as the basic structure of a devotional, using the richness of imagination and humor to connect with readers, finding your voice (Hint: it’s not a preachy one!), avoiding “church speak,” and making your message both real and relevant to today’s readers.

*This class can be adapted to address writing specifically for kids, specifically for grownups, or both!

Mark Twain is often credited with saying “the difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning.”

In this class, writers will explore ways to take their writing from “lightning-bug” to “lightning” by using literary devices and other techniques. With examples pulled from both fiction and nonfiction (for children and adults), we’ll cover such topics as assonance and alliteration, personification and onomatopoeia, imagery, rhythm and rhyme, parallelism and repetition, and the use of reader-directed questions. Writers will also learn to create mood and change tone by varying word choice and sentence length. And, of course, we’ll dive into the infamous but essential “show, don’t tell.”

Agents, illustrators, and publishers . . . oh my! Once your book is all written (or, at least, on its way), you’ll probably start to wonder, What happens next? In this class, Tama Fortner—a traditionally published author of more than sixty books—will answer your questions about what comes next in the publishing process. We’ll talk about all those oh-so-important topics, such as agents and what they do, the different kinds of publishing houses, how the illustration process works, all the different kinds of editors, and what the publishing process looks like. Note: While much of the information may apply to hybrid and indie publishing, this class specifically focuses on traditional publishing.

In our digital world, it’s all about images! Tap into your creativity, and learn to create professional-looking posts for social media using the free version of Canva. This class will touch on how to create a color scheme and choose fonts, as well as how to create social media posts for Instagram and Facebook. The basic features of Canva will be explained and demonstrated, including templates, images, elements, sharing, and downloading. Participants are asked to bring their laptops with the free version of Canva already downloaded.