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Water Shaper

Alia Waking

Illustration © 2003
by Deborah Lanino

Laura McCaffrey is an engaging, thoughtful, passionate speaker. -- Anita Silvey

My author visit program provides children and teens the chance to ask questions about the fantasy worlds I've made and the characters who live in them. We talk about why and how writers make fantasy worlds, and we talk about where to get ideas. Participants, either as part of groups or individually, also spend time making fantasy worlds.

I speak at writing, literature, and teaching conferences.

My writing workshops provide children and teens, as well as adults interested in writing fantasy or writing for children, the opportunity to learn and practice character building, setting creation, and storytelling. My emphasis is on improving the craft of writing.

Author Visits

• Program Description
  
• Book Sales and Autographing
  
• Arranging the Visit
  

Speaking

I write books, I read books, I blog about books. I've reviewed children's novels for the Vermont Department of Libraries. For five years, I've been a librarian - otherwise known as Library Lady, Ms. Library Teacher, and even occasionally Ms. Library - at a small prek-8 school. While I can talk about NASCAR books and horse books, Simpsons graphic novels and novels with pink sparkly covers, my speaking specialties are children's writing, fantasy writing, and fantasy literature for children and teens. Recent conferences where I've presented include: the Vermont Educational Media conference, the New England Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher conference.

To arrange a speaking engagement, contact me. My fee is available upon request.

Writing Workshops

• Program Description
  
• One-Day Workshop
  
• Workshop Series
  
• Logistics
  

Program Description
I teach writing workshops for children, teens, and adults who are interested in writing for children or teens or who are interested in writing fantasy. The purpose of these workshops is for writers to learn about and practice their craft: depict characters who seem real, make believable settings, use great storytelling techniques. I also provide basic information and resources for submitting work for publication. Workshops for all levels have the same basic structure.


One-Day Workshop
We read some excerpts of great books and discuss their characters and settings, as well as the storytelling techniques their authors used. Then students think up a character and a setting. They do a sketch, web, or description for each. We also may play some character sketch theater games. After completing this source material for their stories, students write scenes with their characters. They leave the workshop with their scenes and the source material they've developed. I also give them a writing resource sheet.


Workshop Series Over Several Days or Weeks
I use the same format for the workshop series that I use for the the one-day workshop. Because we have more time, we more closely study character development, setting development, and storytelling techniques. We also critique our work, either in a group or one-to-one, and revise if time permits. My goal is for students to leave the final workshop day with a more polished story or chapter of a story. Below is a sample outline for a six week writing residency:

Outline of Sessions

First Session - Character:

• Introduction - who we are and what we write.
• Reading excerpts of texts with well-depicted characters. Texts may include, but won't be limited to, Max's Chocolate Chicken, Our Only May Amelia, and Owl in Love.
• Discussion of excerpts and character depictions.
• Playing character games, such as What's in My Character's Pocket and A Character Interview.
• Writing character sketches for stories.
• Sharing and wrap-up.

Second Session - Setting:

• Reading excerpts of texts with strong settings. Texts may include, but won't be limited to, The Golden Compass and Tuck Everlasting.
• Discussion of excerpts and setting depictions.
• Playing setting games, such as Describe the Room You're in with Your Eyes Closed, Your Most Favorite Place, and Your Most Hated Place.
• Writing setting sketches for stories.
• Sharing and wrap-up.

Third Session - Storytelling Style:

• Reading excerpts of texts with different storytelling styles. Texts may include, but won't be limited to, The Schwa Was Here, Zel, and The Tale of Despereaux.
• Discussion of excerpts and storytelling styles, with emphasis on first person, third person limited, and omniscient narrator points of view.
• Playing storytelling games, such as Be Your Friend's Narrator.
• Writing the same scene sketch in first person, in third person limited, and in omniscient narrator points of view.
• Beginning the stories.
• Sharing and wrap-up.

Fourth Session - Writing, Writing, Writing:

• Working on one entire scene or chapter in a story.
• Sharing and wrap-up.

Fifth Session - Writing and Critique:

• Reading two versions of the same scene from my work-in-progress. One will be the early version, one the revised version.
• Discussing revision.
• Choosing to critique as a group or one-on-one.
• Critiquing and revising pieces.
• Sharing and wrap-up.

Sixth Session - Reading:

• Writing.
• Reading of works.
• Final discussion.
• Students leave with all their source materials, their work, and a resource sheet from me.

Logistics
Contact me to arrange writing workshops. My fee is available upon request, as are recommendations.