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| At Guildwood Public Library in Toronto |
Inspiration, Imagination and Invention
What if you received a letter telling you you’d been accepted
into a school for wizards? Or discovered a door into another
universe at the back of your bedroom closet? What if you met
someone who’d been imprisoned inside a painting for over three
hundred years? If you could travel back in time, where would
you go? This session takes a look at where ideas come from
and how to turn them into stories. Revision and the importance
of editing are also covered.
Meet the Author
This presentation consists of an introduction to myself
and my work, and a reading followed by questions from the
audience. I discuss where ideas come from, how the books came
about, my own experiences getting published and many aspects
of the writing process.
In the Beginning
This interactive presentation for younger grades explores
story structure relating to the creation of a well-defined
beginning, middle and end. Using a series of seemingly unrelated
objects, students participate in creating a story in what
is always a lively and fun filled session. Teachers can follow
up later with pictures for the story and often have the students
create their own books, based on the story we put together
in the classroom.
People Plotting: Creating Memorable Characters
Characters are at the core of any story. Without people,
there is no plot. In this session, explore the many methods
of creating strong characters and how to use descriptive language
to build them.
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| With student artwork inspired by The Alchemist's Portrait | Super Stuff!
Learn about the history of superheroes in comic books and
movies from their beginnings in the 1940’s up to the present
day. W e explore the genre and students create their own superhero,
complete with costumes, powers, secret identities, headquarters,
friends, family and adversaries . Learn more about superheroes
and comic books, the inspiration for The Emerald Curse, here.
Plundering the Past: The Appeal and Complexities
of Time Travel
History is a thing of the past and there over five thousand
recorded years of it. Historical events and characters from
around the world contain a never ending a wealth of material
to inspire the writer. Go beyond using history simply to create
period adventures and explore the fascinating world of time
travel. This session covers the appeal, complexities and techniques
of time travel stories and touches on the use of historical
events by authors and filmmakers for inspiration.
Things That Never Were
Basilisks and Boggarts. Dragons and dwarves. Griffins and
gargoyles. Fantasy remains one of the most popular genres
for children’s novels and shows no signs of fading anytime
soon. This session examines how authors write fantasy and
takes a look at the vast number of creatures that inhabit
the fantasy realm. Students then create their own mythological
animals and the imaginary environments they inhabit.
All The World’s a Stage
Create dramatic scripts, write dialogue, develop characters,
and fine tune performances for the stage. I am available to
work with your students on dramatic productions, and was delighted
to be part of the ‘The Tales of King Arthur’ at Nellie McClung
School in Calgary in early May 2005. You can read a synopsis
of the plot for The Tales of King Arthur here.
Pen, Paper, Action!
Dramatic beginnings! Page turning action! Cliffhanger endings!
Learn how to grab the reader’s attention right at the beginning,
then retain their interest until the very last page.
The Importance of Historical Research
Did medieval castles have glass windows? When was printing
invented? How did a suit of armour fit together? Who was who
in the Middle Ages? This session explains how getting the
facts straight is a vital part of writing effective historical
fiction. Learn more about the history behind The Sorcerer’s
Letterbox here.
Magic, Murder, Mayhem
This presentation covers the background to The Alchemist’s
Portrait. Learn more about alchemists, the seventeenth century,
the Dutch East India Company and the other time periods depicted
in the novel. This session also deals with research when writing
historical fiction. Learn more about the history behind The
Alchemist’s Portrait here.
Spells, Swords, Sorcery
Discover the story behind the story of The Sorcerer’s Letterbox.
Learn about the Princes in the Tower, Richard III, the Wars
of the Roses and what England was like in the late Middle
Ages. This session also covers the importance of research
in creating historical fiction. Learn more about the history
behind The Sorcerer’s Letterbox here.
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| With students in Ontario during Children's Book Week in 2004 | The Science of Science Fiction
Androids. Flying cars. Colonies on Mars. Aliens invasions.
Science or science fiction? Many sci-fi novels are based on
firm scientific foundations and some are purely the product
of the writer’s imagination. This presentation discusses popular
themes in science fiction books and movies, including time
travel stories.
Heroes of History
Think history is boring? Think again. Discover fascinating
characters, explore dramatic events and learn more about history’s
mysteries, including children who played pivotal roles at
key points in the last two thousand years.
Puppets, Pens and Performances
In this program, children learn how to make puppets, operate
them and write dramatic scripts in which all the characters
are their own creations. Students then present and perform
in their short plays with their new puppets, in a fun filled
finale for children, teachers and parents.
Internationally renowned ventriloquist Val Hilliker joins
me in one, three or five day packages designed to inspire,
entertain and captivate students from grades one through six.
We are always happy to engage in consultations with teachers
to design sessions best suited to the needs of your students.
Learn more about Val Hilliker's magical world of puppets
and school programs at www.valhilliker.com.
For further details on presentations, availability and fees
please contact me directly by e mail at simonrose@shaw.ca
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