Presentations and Workshops

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.

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.

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.

For details on presentations, availability and fees please contact me directly by e mail at sorcerersletterbox@gmail.com