Simon Rose's Blog, page 222

Creative Writing for Homeschool Students at South Fish Creek Recreation Association - January and February 2011

Join me this winter for classes in creative writing especially for home school children at South Fish Creek Recreation Centre in SW Calgary. Classes take place every Tuesday, from January 4 to February 22, 2011. Registration details are available here.

Junior Adventures in Creative Writing Ages - 7 to 9
January 4 to February 22, 2011 - Get the Write Stuff In these classes, children will create their own unique stories, with great beginnings, page turning action and cliffhanger endings. Participants will create crazy characters and learn how to write effective and engaging dialogue, plus lifelike scenarios for their creations. Learn all about inspiration, story creation and more as children give full reign to their imagination as we explore the wonderful worlds of words in an exciting series of fun-filled creative writing exercises. 
Adventures in Creative Writing Ages - Ages 10 to 15
January 4 to February 22, 2011 - Spectacular Story Starters  What if you discovered a door into another universe at the back of your bedroom closet? Or a flying boy dressed all in green appeared at your bedroom window, inviting you to take a journey to a magical land? Perhaps you followed a rabbit down a hole and ended up in a bizarre underground universe? Learn where ideas come from and how writers turn them into stories. Find out how writers get ideas from pictures and paintings, craft your own sequels to your favorite movies, create alternate endings to familiar stories, and more in these classes guaranteed to provide inspiration, spark imagination, and stimulate invention
All classes commence Tuesday, January 4 and run until February 22, 2011. Registration details are available here.
Contact me directly at sorcerersletterbox@gmail.com or through my website at www.simon-rose.com for details on all my programs for home school children, including online writing workshops for children and young adults.

Classes with Chinook Learning Services in Calgary, Saturday November 20

[image error] The Calgary Board of Education provides adult and continuing education through  Chinook Learning Services . This fall, I am pleased to be offering the following courses.


Writing Children's Books: Intro - 9.30 am to Noon November 20In this workshop you will discover how to balance youthful imagination with adult professionalism, and gain awareness of writing for various age ranges. This workshop explores the do's and don'ts of writing for younger readers, turning ideas into stories, the writing process, the importance of editing and revision, story structure, and the role of research. Come and get a taste of a wonderful craft!
Forming Fictional Characters - 1.00 pm to 3.30 pm November 20Characters are the heart of every story - their actions drive the plot. Their individuality is what readers or audiences most remember. This workshop explores where writers get ideas for characters, and how to use descriptive language to build them. Participants will invent their own unique characters and learn how to write engaging dialogue and lifelike scenarios. Create an unforgettable story with unforgettable characters.
Register now with Chinook Learning Services.

Words4TheWebwise – Copywriting and Website Design and Development.

[image error] Let your voice be heard: using microphones for podcasts.
Last month, I introduced you to the idea of using podcasts to broadcast your own online radio show. Podcasts are a great way to engage your audience online on a regular basis. If you're really stuck for something to say, just use your blog. You could even begin a back catalogue of blog posts republished as podcasts. It would be a great way to get into podcasting without worrying too much about content. This time around, we'll discuss mics for recording your podcasts.
Built in. If your computer has a built in mic, there's no reason why that can't be used, but don't expect broadcast quality audio. There are things you can do cheaply and easily to make the recording better, which we'll cover later. The same things will work for all mics.
Plug in mics. The easiest to use are USB mics. Blue make very high quality products such as the Snowflake mic. Logitech also make a USB desktop mic. Many stores also stock the cheaper style mics, the kind that often come bundled with computers. Use them if you have to, but the limited frequency response (the amount of lows and highs it can record) will make them sound on the cheap side.

Acoustics.If you're using a laptop or any other portable device, it would be a good idea to move to a room with better acoustics. Clap your hands in a room that may work for you. If you hear a 'ping' or short reflection (echo), the room will need to be treated. Ideally, a small room with lots of fabric would work, something like a walk in closet. Alternatively, position yourself so you are facing hanging curtains, or hang some fabric (a towel will work) in front of you.
Technique.Talking straight into a mic at close proximity will result in popping on certain syllables, like p and b. If you have a mic on a stand you can buy pop shields to prevent this, but with table top and portable mics, technique can help. Instead of talking straight into the mic, speak at a 45 degree angle. Listening to your recording and adjusting your angle will show you the best angle and distance.
I can be reached by e mail (Contact at nburmandesign.com) and Twitter (@nburmandesign). NBurman Design can be found online at http://www.nburmandesign.com and you can also visit my blog LifeImitatingDesign.

Tips for Teachers: Author Visits Part Five - Presentations versus Workshops

An important thing to consider when deciding to host an author visit is what type of presentation you're looking for. There are usually numerous types to choose from and all authors are different in this regard. Are you looking for an author who will just read to the children or only be there to answer questions from the students, either about their book or about writing in general? Perhaps there's part of the school curriculum that you would like to emphasize and the author's books are related to it in some way? Is there a project the students have been involved in to which the author can contribute, either by assisting them in getting started or in bringing it to a satisfactory conclusion? Are you looking for workshops, in which you want the children to actually do some writing or would you like them just to listen to a presentation? Are there particular general topics on writing, rather than those related to the subject matter of the books, that you want the author to focus on? Do you want small groups in classrooms or the library or a hundred or more children in the school gym? How long do you want the sessions to be, to fit in with the normal schedule of the school day? Do you want the author to actually teach the children something or simple appear almost as a celebrity guest to inspire them? These are all important things to consider when planning an author visit and ensuring that it all goes smoothly.

Christmas Parties - Storybook Parties Have the Write Stuff

[image error] For your company's children's Christmas party this year, have kids create a truly unique story, complete with their original illustrations and have it printed in their very own special book. 

Employing inspiration, imagination and invention, children invent a one of a kind action packed story during a fast paced session where laughter is compulsory. Children will also learn about the writing process, where ideas come from and how authors turn them into stories.

Personally inscribed and autographed books are also available for prize draws and all party guests will also have the opportunity to purchase autographed copies of all my titles. 

In addition to large or small company Christmas parties this holiday season, I am available for individual children's birthday parties,  plus many other varieties of seasonal events with larger audiences. I am also happy to customize the event to meet your requirements. For fees and availability for children's parties and company events, please contact me directly at sorcerersletterbox@gmail.com

Tips for Teachers: Author Visits Part Four - Types of Presentations

Many authors who conduct school visits on a long-term basis have a well thought out set of presentations, workshops and other material. These might be related to their own books, but also to topics such as editing and revision, for example. Authors might talk about where they get their inspiration, character development or just how a book comes together, and whenever possible they leave time for questions from the children. In addition to the subject matter of my own books, I cover such topics as where ideas come from, story structure, editing and revision, character development, time travel stories, the superhero genre, history and research and more. I will present to up to a hundred students at a time, although the smaller the audience the more participation from children, as a rule. I also consider workshops with smaller groups or individual classes. A list of some of the presentations I offer can be found here, but I am always happy to discuss matters with teachers to design sessions to best serve the needs of their students.

The Calgary Children's Book Fair and Conference, November 27, 2010

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The Calgary Children's Book Fair and Conference featuring local children's authors and illustrators in Calgary and the surrounding area, will be held on Saturday November 27, 2010 from 10 am to 4 pm at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Commmunity Centre in north west Calgary.The Calgary Children's Book Fair and Conference represents a fabulous opportunity for children to meet local writers, chat with them about their work and obtain an autographed and personally inscribed copy of a favourite book. All participating authors will also be reading from their own work, followed by a short question and answer period, throughout the day. If you are interested in becoming an exhibitor at this year's event, you may find registration information here.The Calgary Children's Book Fair and Conference will also feature the very first Children's Fiction Writing Award. Children in two age categories, eight to twelve and twelve to fifteen, will unleash their own incredible imaginations to create a truly unique story, in the genres of science fiction, fantasy or mystery. The winning entries, to be announced at the Book Fair and Conference on November 27, will then be published in an anthology. Learn more about how to register for the Children's Fiction Writing Award here.
This year's conference will feature a number of highly informative presentations by authors, illustrators, publishers and industry professionals throughout the day. Some of the topics to be covered at this year's event will be character development, science fiction and fantasy writing, the art of illustration, marketing and promotion, methods of research, publishing your novel and more. 
The Calgary Children's Book Fair and Conference - Inspiration, imagination and invention, right here in your own backyard.

Tips for Teachers: Author Visits Part Three - Booking an Author

There are a variety of ways to book an author. Personally, I deal with all the school bookings myself and all inquiries come to me either directly via e mail or through my website and other places online, such as my blog, Facebook, and other sites. Most authors have websites these days, which usually contain some kind of contact details, even if the authors don't administer the sites themselves. With other authors, you may have to contact the publisher, or if they aren't able to help, the author may have an agent or even a publicist who looks after all their personal appearances, including signing events, school and library visits. 


If you still have trouble locating contact information for the author of your choice, you can look into writer's organizations that the author may belong to or is somehow affiliated with. Perhaps your chosen author or illustrator is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators or SCBWI, which you can contact via the national office or the relevant chapter either in your own area or in the area where you know your selected author resides. SCBWI can be reached at www.scbwi.org and you can usually easily locate other writing groups on the Internet. Depending on the author, do be prepared to not hear back right way. If you are contacting an agent or publicist, they may be dealing with a number of different clients and their schedules and may simply be very busy, so be sure to give yourself plenty of lead time when planning the visit or event.

Autographed Books - Ideal for Christmas Gifts - Discounts Always Available

Ideal for Christmas. In addition to bookstores across Canada and around the world, you can also obtain signed copies of my books directly from me. I am always happy to sign books for my readers and to inscribe a special message. 

Full details of all my novels - The Doomsday Mask, The Heretic's Tomb, The Emerald Curse, The Clone Conspiracy, The Sorcerer's Letterbox and The Alchemist's Portrait - can be found here on my website.

Individual books are just $10 and discounts are available for those purchasing a full set of all six books. Complete the order form at www.simon-rose.com or contact me directly by e mail at sorcerersletterbox@gmail.com.

Tips for Teachers: Author Visits Part Two - Choosing an Author

How you choose an author to visit your school is entirely up to you. You should make a wish list of authors that you're interested in. Maybe there's a book that the students have been studying in class or for projects or perhaps an author has just received an award for their latest novel? Perhaps the author is a prolific writer of non-fiction on topics such as volcanoes, earthquakes and other natural phenomena and this fits in well with what the children in a particular grade have been studying? Maybe you're looking for an illustrator to talk to the younger grades about picture books? Your reasoning might even be related to those books that are always very popular in your school library. Perhaps you're considering someone who has written books about local history or culture? In the past, a school has contacted me following a referral from another school in the same district. On other occasions, teachers have moved to a different school and recommended me to their new principal or librarian.
My own books are in the science fiction and fantasy genre, but also deal with history, with The Sorcerer's Letterbox and The Heretic's Tomb set in the Middle Ages, which fits in with the curriculum at many schools who are covering the medieval period in certain grades. The Emerald Curse involves the superhero gene and some schools see a good connection with children who are learning about heroes and villains. The Doomsday Mask features the legend of Atlantis and ancient artifacts and this fits in classes where children learn about civilizations such as Greece, Rome and Egypt. The Clone Conspiracy involves scientific experiments and some schools have adapted this to science classes, while The Alchemist's Portrait features art galleries and museums, which some teachers have found useful when running classes about fine art or organizing field trips to local museums and galleries. Both girls and boys in equal measure enjoy my books, but some teachers and librarians also utilize my novels as excellent resources for reluctant boy readers and this is sometimes a factor in my securing bookings as well. Whatever your motivation and preferences, there's usually an author out there who will fit the bill and who you can investigate inviting to your school.