EVENTS BRING BOOKS TO LIFE
Let’s Do This!
Hearing from authors is more about just talking about books—although that’s fun! Here are some benefits of author events:
• better writing skills
• inspired attendees
• building confidence.
Scroll down for my information about my presentations and resources.
What People Say About My Presentations…
Samantha’s presentation “made our students feel empowered. … That anyone can accomplish great things.”
Lisa Henson, Librarian
Anderson Mill Elementary,
Austin, TX
“This was possibly the best guest presentation we’ve ever had.”
Cathy Lewis, Librarian
Long-View Micro School,
Austin, TX
“Samantha Clark is a great instructor, very enthusiastic and organized. I liked that she made the class interactive with short exercises. Very helpful!”
Workshop attendee
The Writing Barn, Austin, TX
Samantha’s presentation “helped students connect books and stories to real people. They were able to see how life experience can be used to make an impact as a writer and turn negatives experiences into a positive outcome. … Sharing the writing journey including having ideas, the endless revisions and multiple submissions and rejections finally ending in success was inspiring to the teachers and students.”
Amy Colicher, Librarian
Ada Mae Faubion Elementary,
Cedar Park, TX
“Samantha Clark was delightful and engaging to Skype with. My students interacted with her by asking questions about THE BOY, THE BOAT, AND THE BEAST and learned about what it’s like to be a writer. Samantha’s responses to our questions were interesting and informative. It was such a fun way to celebrate books and learning!”
Dawn Giordano & PVC’s Mock Newbery Crew, Teacher of 6th Grade ELA
Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School,
Croton on Hudson, NY
“After [Samantha’s] presentation, our lesson centered around teaching the learners that writers think and rethink the structure of their writing to make it the best it can be. To do this they study the work of mentor authors for possibilities. Our learners certainly soaked up all Samantha said as they each went off to write and determine a structure to let their own writing grow into.”
Rebecca Andersson, Literacy teacher
Long-View Micro School,
Austin, TX
Presentations for Children
I love to talk about writing almost as much as writing itself. I’ve got lots of presentations I’ve prepared, but I’m always happy to tailor a session to your students’ or event’s needs. Here are some examples…
HOW TO GROW A STORY: WRITING FROM SEED TO TREE
Just like a tree grows from a seed, a story grows from a small idea. In this presentation, Samantha M Clark will guide students on how to grow their story, from their initial idea (seed), to building backstory (roots), to adding complications (knots) in the main plot (trunk), and even subplots (branches), all coming together in the climax (canopy). This presentation can be deepened if students have read her ARROW, which will be used as an example.
TREES, BEASTS, AND DRAGONS: MY WRITING JOURNEY
It took over 100 rejections over 5 novels before Samantha M Clark to sign with her agent, and another 13 rejections before her first novel, THE BOY, THE BOAT, AND THE BEAST, was published. In this presentation, Samantha discusses how she went from writing about her neighbors when she was a child to becoming an author as an adult, and the tips she learned along the way.
BE A TREE HERO: THE SCIENCE BEHIND ARROW
Samantha M Clark’s novel ARROW might be fantasy, but every piece of magic is based on science. As a child, a little bit of magic went a long way for her learning science. In this STEAM presentation, the author shows the research she did for the book, how trees communicate with each other, and why we should all be tree heroes.
WORD GAMES: FUN WITH FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Samantha M Clark loves playing with words and figurative language, using sounds to speed up action and poetic phrases to deliver emotion. In this workshop, she’ll show your students her favorite techniques and how they can use them in stories to make their friends laugh, cry or scream. Bwah ha ha ha ha! Start your students with these Creative Writing Exercises.
HOW STORIES ARE TOLD: FROM CAMPFIRES TO NEWSPAPERS TO BOOKS TO MOVIES
People have been telling stories since they lived in caves. As a former journalist, Samantha M Clark has worked and studied writing for newspapers, magazines, the screen and — her favorite — books. In this workshop, your students will develop parts of a story (character, plot, etc.), then see how that story would be told in different ways, like in a conversation between friends, in a newspaper article, in a magazine, in a book, in a stage play, in a movie, and even in a videogame.
WHOSE STORY IS IT? CREATING A WORLD OF CHARACTERS
In this workshop, Samantha M Clark will teach your students techniques to create characters that will draw in readers, whether they’re the protagonist, the antagonist, or secondary characters. She’ll also look at point of view, and how it teaches us about our characters and helps us tell our stories in the most compelling ways. By the end of the workshop, your students will have created a world full of characters with flaws, likes, dislikes, challenges, and strengths that readers will love to care about.
I also do FREE 20-minute virtual Q&As with classrooms and book clubs that have read my book.
Contact me to schedule one.
Plus I’m part of the Spooky Middle Grade group, which does FREE 20-minute Skype Q&As with multiple authors.
If you’re at a school in Austin, Texas, you can get a FREE school visit with me through the Writers League of Texas Project WISE.
Get a Flyer + Writing Exercises!
Presentations for Adults
From webinars, to workshops, to keynotes, I can teach and inspire writers at all levels. Here are some suggested presentations, but I’m also happy to talk about plot and structure, finding the heart of your story, marketing and cracking conference proposals, and any other topic you’d like.
YOUR WORDS, YOUR VOICE: HOW LANGUAGE BUILDS CHARACTER AND STORY TO BREATHE LIFE INTO YOUR BOOK
Voice is something of an enigma in writing. Agents and editors say they want “fresh voices”, but also say “they know it when they see it”. Teachers talk about the “author’s voice” but also staying true to the “character’s voice”.
Where does voice come in when you’re writing in third person, second or first? And can your voice be recognizable throughout a career if your books are very different?
In this workshop, you’ll…
· Explore voice in all its forms,
· Understand how voice works with story and character,
· Look at how voice is affected by a story’s POV,
· Learn how to create your own voice as an author,
· And harness the power of language to propel not only your author’s voice, but also your characters, your pacing, and your entire book into the hearts of readers.
THROW MORE STONES: HOW TO BUILD CHARACTER THROUGH CONFLICT
No matter whether you’re writing a character-driven or plot-driven story, comedy, drama or tragedy, it’s the characters that readers follow. And to keep those characters moving and growing, you need conflict.
Conflict can be big or small, come from outside or inside, but it must be challenging. When story gurus tell students to chase their characters up a tree then throw stones at them, they’re talking about conflict. Conflict not only drives stories forward, it helps readers learn who the characters are by the decisions and actions they make. Conflict makes the story go round!
In this class, you’ll learn…
· About developing well-rounded, fully realized characters,
· The importance of conflict
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· The types of conflict
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· And how to use it to make your stories better.
Tips & Resources
We all want the best experience for your students. Here are some ways we can achieve that…
1
How can I prepare?
Making an author visit go smoothly takes a lot of planning. After your booking, I’ll be in touch to work out the details, but there are other ways you and your school administrators can prepare.
GET AUTHOR VISIT TIPS2
How can I get students excited?
Whether I’ll be talking about my book or teaching about writing, your students will be more excited and engaged if they know about me and my work. I’ve got fun downloadables you can do together.
GET FUN DOWNLOADABLES3
How can I raise funds?
Authors would love to present at schools and events for free, but the time away from our families and writing is precious. If your budget is tight, there are lots of ways you can raise funds—and excitement.
GET FUNDRAISING IDEASWant to Win Books and School Visits?
Then you want to get my enewsletter! Almost every one has a giveaway of some kind, whether a school visit, a discount, books or more.
YES, I DO!