2012 Writing Workshops
Read, Write, Imagine!
The first 50 students from each school to read a book from four different authors and return their paperwork to their library will have the opportunity to attend the Fourth Annual Cavalcade of Authors Event on Friday, March 9th, 2012. Students will attend our writing workshops each put on by a different Cavalcade Author, eat lunch while listening to music and sharing with friends, get books and personal items signed at the autographing session, and have the opportunity to ask our Young Adult writers all those burning questions during an author panel.
 Frank Beddor
Presentation Highlights include:
- Backstory on Lewis Carroll and his "Wonderland."
- The story behind the story.
- Powerpoint presentation of concept art.
- Book trailer.
- Auditioning for movie adaptation of The Looking
Glass Wars.
- Demonstration on creating the Hatter M graphic
novel series.
www.lookingglasswars.com |
 Royce Buckingham
www.demonkeeper.com |
 Janet Lee Carey
Dream Catcher:
Ms. Carey set the goal of becoming a published author
at age ten. Workshop gives an entertaining look
at the ups and downs of her writing journey from rejection to publication, awards, and movie deals. Highs and lows are a part of achieving any life goal. Ms. Carey will give students tools to begin the step-by-step journey to their dreams. (PowerPoint)
www.janetleecarey.com |
 Alex Flinn
Building Suspense in Fiction
Suspense isn't just for murder mysteries. It's used in
many forms of fiction. In this workshop, we'll discuss
how to keep readers turning pages. Suggested (but
not required) preparation: Watch the movie, Back to
the Future, which will be used as an example in parts of this workshop.
www.alexflinn.com |
 Pete Hautman
Pete Hautman writes science fiction, comedy, crime
thrillers, love stories, mysteries, and books about peculiar religions. What’s up with that? Why doesn’t he
write one kind of book – like, say, books about sparkly
vampires, or a nearsighted wizard? Doesn’t he want to be rich and famous? Pete will try to answer these and other questions about how and why he writes the stuff he writes. He will also talk about his new book, a romantic comedy called What Boys Really
Want, and his upcoming sci-fi trilogy, The Klaatu Diskos
www.petehautman.com |
 Colleen Houck
www.tigerscursebook.com |
 Blake Nelson
Writing from the Opposite Sex
Are you a boy who doesn’t understand girls. Are you
a girl, who can’t imagine being a boy? One of the most rewarding acts of the imagination is putting yourself in the skin of a person totally unlike yourself. In my workshop I would ask kids to try writing from the perspective of the opposite sex. And also, if they like, to try writing from the perspective of someone from a different time or place. How do you unattach yourself from your own experience and let your imagination let you inhabit the life of someone who has a totally different perspective than you?
blakenelsonteennovelist.blogspot.com |
 Ridley Pearson
Writing Workshop based on Kingdom Keepers &
Steel Trapp Series
He talks about the requirement in fiction for a "suspension of disbelief" and how he worked research
into his fiction in order to accomplish this. He then shares several entertaining stories concerning his research for The Kingdom Keepers, trips that took him to Disney World for private tours when the park was closed.
www.ridleypearson.com |
 Alexander Gordon Smith
What if… Your worst fears came to life!
Learn how to write the most terrifying stories ever using your own worst fears! Join Alexander Gordon Smith as he shows you how to harness your nightmares and turn them into riveting books; how to plot an action-packed narrative that will keep readers hooked right to the end; and how to create utterly realistic, believable characters – all the essential ingredients for a story that will leave readers cowering
under the bed!
Visit Furnace Penitentiary, if you dare!
www.escapefromfurnace.com
www.alexandergordonsmith.com |
 Vivian Vande Velde
Who Are These People, And What Are They Doing
in My Story?
Working with old photographs, students will answer questions that will get them started thinking about characters.
www.vivianvandevelde.com |
 Robin Wasserman
Brave New Worlds
What good is “write what you know” when you want
to write a book set on Mars, or a thousand years in
the future, or in a world populated by vampirehunting leprechauns? Whether your story is set in the distant future, the distant past, or some distant and magically-infested corner of Kentucky, you’ll have to build your fictional world from scratch. But
how? In this workshop we’ll figure out how writers create fantastical worlds their readers believe in—and maybe even create one of our own.
www.robinwasserman.com |
 Jim Whiting
How to write better biography reports by beginning
with something besides your subject’s birthdate.
Several examples illustrate how starting with something interesting/controversial/gross about your subject hook readers into wanting to know more about
him or her.
jimwhiting.com |
