Here are some of my tried and true presentation topics.
Feel free to suggest a new theme that suits your venue. Whether you want one “Meet the Author” visit in your library, or several days of presentations to all the students in your school, contact me to ask about availability. And be sure to check out potential sources of funding for an author visit.
Making up Stories (Grades JK+; 30-60 minutes)
Virtually meet the squirrel that inspired When the Squirrels Stole my Sister and the cat that inspired My Cat Isis. Learn to spot story ideas in your everyday life. Identify what every writer needs to succeed; explore everyday writing opportunities you couldn’t find in ancient Egypt; and discover how a picture book is made.
This talk is perfect for the youngest grades, or for schools celebrating Family Literacy Day. The presentation includes a reading and can be extended with an optional writing exercise.
10 Tips for a Fearless Writing Life (Grades 3+; 60 minutes)
Get the scoop on what it takes to become an author, summed up in an hour and accompanied by cartoons, memes, and fun facts about phobias. Learn how to spot a good story idea, face years of rejection, and find publishing opportunities at every age.
This talk is perfect for students in elementary or junior high school. It’s especially suited to those considering writing as a profession, but its “tricks” are adaptable to every career.
The presentation can include a reading from a recent story and can be extended with an optional writing exercise to transform real-life moments into fictional scenes.
Reading as a Subversive Activity (Grades 6+; 60 minutes)
Book clubs for children? Parents encouraging kids to read novels? These are modern notions. Fiction used to be thought to drive people mad, make them sad, or turn them bad.
This talks presents a social history of reading, with its wild claims and prejudices revealed and its costs and benefits tallied. Guaranteed to make every reader feel better about her late-night anti-social book binges.
The presentation was developed for Red Maple readers (grade 7-8) but is adaptable to high school or CEGEP students. It ends with advice on transitioning from reader to writer.
Writing through a Lifetime (Grade 9+; 60 minutes)
This is a candid talk about why we write, how to write for different age ranges, and how to stay sane through the ups and downs of a writing life. About craft, genre, and the publishing landscape in all its brutality.
The presentation includes a reading of short fiction and can be extended with a writing exercise to explore dark emotions.
Several of my workshops for older writers are easily adapted into presentations for grades 7 and up, including the following topics:
- What a messy ms! Revising a longer work.
- No more nice guys. Characterization in picture books, middle grade novels, and young adult novels.
- Developing and depicting setting in short stories and novels.
- Why and how we fracture fairy tales.
- Writing an original myth (without cultural appropriation).
If you’re feeling super casual, or you’re studying one of my books in class, I can drop by to perform a reading, talk about my writing process and the themes of that book, and answer your questions.
Contact me to request a visit.
Catherine Austen 