I love visiting schools and teaching workshops that inspire young writers to:
use creative writing in a variety of academic fields
strengthen literacy skills
promote confidence in their individual voices and empathy for a variety of narratives.
As a former middle and high school English teacher, I always enjoy getting back to the classroom (or assembly hall) and sharing how my multi-cultural background influenced me to write YA science fiction.
Workshops & Presentations for Teens (Grades 6-12)
Creating an Original Story World, Setting the Scene-In this workshop I’ll teach your students techniques to create the beginnings of an original story with a fully dimensional setting that is rooted in character objectives, point of view, and narrative layering. Students will understand how setting must be wedded with the inner life of the character. We will discuss our beginning story ideas and next steps students can take in their stories. Examples from Eloia Born will be explored as well as how to go from creating a landscape to a story.
From Idea to Book: How Do I Become a Published Author-There are a lot of steps involved in writing a book and the journey becomes even more interesting after one has finished that first draft. In this workshop I?ll explore with students all the steps involved in the publishing process, pass out visual examples of my working process and how it has changed in the decade that I’ve been a professional writer. Students will get a chance to see the development process of the five books I’ve written (and why some are not yet published) and how sequels are handled in YA science fiction.
The Voice of the Character-How do characters speak and come alive on the page? How do authors create vivid narratives and believable characters? In this interactive workshop, students will create their own character’s voice and explore ways in which this character speaks internally and externally as well as learning from the four main characters in Eloia Born. Students will explore the development process in creating characters of various cultural and disabled backgrounds and the challenge of balancing multiple voices and points of view in a book.
Disability in Fiction-Eloia Born’s two main characters are visually impaired and still manage to go on a huge adventure, save lives and create a better life for themselves. Students will explore the process of writing from the voice of someone whose experience they haven’t lived. Several exploratory writing prompts will be utilized, as well as reading directly from passages in Eloia Born from the two main narrators’ points of view. A discussion will follow with time for Q&A, if desired.
If the above don’t mesh with your school’s learning objectives, I can create a bespoke programme. Please fill out this form to schedule in a school visit. If your school is interested in ordering books, bulk orders of 20+ books receive a 20% discount off the cover price.
Britta’s Books
Winner of the Writer’s League of Texas 2019 YA Discovery Prize!
The exciting new sequel to Eloia Born
From the award-winning author of the Eloia Born series, comes a new novella about identity
PRICING*
(For a 50 mile radius from 78715)
SINGLE SESSION…$200
Single in-person or virtual session
Up to 1 hour presentation
Book signing
HALF DAY….$375
Two in-person or virtual sessions (up to one hour each)
Up to 1 hour each session
Book signing
FULL DAY….$700
Up to four 1 hour sessions virtual or in-person
Lunch with students & the librarian
Book signing
You can also request Britta through The Writers League of Texas Project Wise program, but your school must enroll in this program through the Writer’s League of Texas (see writersleague.org).
Thanks for your interest and I look forward to visiting your school!
