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Author visits are wonderful! They are beneficial to author, student, and teacher. They can inspire children, making them want to write better and read more. A successful author visit will leave your school and your children richer from the experience.
I love to leave my desk once in a while to visit children and book lovers of all ages.
If you would like me to visit your school, bookstore, library, or conference, please email me by clicking my picture!
Last year I visited over 50 schools, libraries,
conferences, and literature festivals, meeting many students
and other fans of children's books.
My presentations last 20 minutes to an hour, depending
upon the audience's age. Usually, I give three to four
presentations during a one-day visit, plus autographing.
FUNshops with a small number of students are also available.
Presentations include:
Weaving storytelling, information, and slides into an
entertaining and inspirational presentation, Marsha's
vision is to show students the fun of reading and writing
and to inspire them to follow their own unique visions
and dreams. Presentations are modified in content and
detail, according to the group's age. They include:
Scribbles and Scraps: We peek inside
my idea file, where a jumble of scribbles and scraps live.
(Napkins, envelopes, and check deposit slips are some
of the more unusual scraps that hold ideas that may someday
blossom into books.) I share how I capture ideas and encourage
students to begin an idea file of their own.
How a Story Grows: I show the process
of creating a book by demonstrating how the story and
illustrations evolve from a scribble on a scrap of paper
to a manuscript to galleys and finally into a beautifully
illustrated book. Students enjoy pointing out illustration
changes as I show early sketches and the final picture.
Slide Show - Ideas are All Around Us: I weave
stories about where my book ideas come from with fun information
about my family life. Learning the "story behind
the story" is an extremely popular part of my presentation.
Through the slideshow, students see that ideas are all
around them and that they can use these ideas to build
stories. My goal is to show students that authors are
people just like them. I want them to know they can write
books too!
Readings from my Books: For younger children,
I read or storytell one of my early readers. Little ones
especially enjoy helping me read Quick, Quack, Quick,
chiming in whenever Mama Duck calls "Quick, Quack,
Quick!" For older students, I always read or storytell
favorite parts of my book.
Rejections and Perseverance: Perspectives
on rejection and perseverance are shared, including readings
from some of my own heart-wrenching rejection letters.
Students are always very sympathetic! But, more importantly,
they see how important it is to "keep trying."
There's always time for Questions and Answers and my favorite
time, Autographing!
OTHER PROGRAMS:
Student Writer FUNshops: Magic Story
Bags (one filled with characters, one with plots, one
with settings) and Four-line poems about someone special
are just two methods I use to inspire students to write.
Family Evening Presentations: To bring
the family together for a reading/writing Fun Night. Includes
family writing, storytelling, slideshow.
Young Author's Festivals
Reading Association and Library Conferences: I
enjoy speaking to educators, parents, and others who love
children's books at conferences. I have been a speaker
for SCBWI, the California Reading Association, the California
School Library Association, the International Reading
Association, and on the faculty of the Oregon Coast Children's
Book Writers Workshop.
Some of my talks have been:
* Stories with Heart: Nourishing the Spirit
*A Literary Yellow Brick Road: To Oz and Home Again
*Tornadoes, Writing, and Other Scary Things
*Quick, Quack, Quick! Let's Read
Artist-in-Residence (one week stays)
How Do I Get There from Here? AKA Patience, Perseverance,
and Practice - Paths to A Published Picture Book: Marsha
provides insights on moving from being an unpublished
author to a published author. Besides information on the
submission process and writing tips, she shares what to
do and what not to do at the beginning of your children's
book career. As always, Marsha weaves humor and inspiration
into her presentation, which is for teachers, parents,
and other adults interested in writing a children's book.
My presentation wish list:
1) An attentive and well-prepared audience. Students get
so much more from my presentations if they have read or
been read my books and if they have discussed them and
thought about questions to ask.
I have many classroom
activities to go along with my books.
2) A big screen
3) A dim room. I bring my own LCD projector for a Keynote(similar
to PowerPoint) presentation, but my experience has been
that the slides show up better in a dim room.
4) A rolling projector cart
5) A long extension cord
6) A microphone, if needed (lapel mikes are my favorite)
7) A table (approximately 3 feet by 5 feet) at the front
of the room
8) Bottled water (room temperature is fine)
