Ann Eisenstein Offers School Visits

 GRADE LEVELS: K-12

I welcome the opportunity to visit your school to discuss my books, the writing process, and the road to publication. A school visit gives me the chance to share my stories with children and listen to theirs as well. I enjoy sharing the craft of writing, and I like to personalize the visit to meet the needs and desires of students, librarians, and teachers. My presentations are flexible and can include readings, dramatic presentations, discussions, and interactive workshops per request. I welcome class participation in the discussion of the writing process, creative thinking, and any aspect of publication. I can tailor my presentation to include any writing and/or publishing topic that you may choose.

Standard in-person visits for Pre-K through elementary may include a reading of the text, student interaction to test for recall and discuss themes, and a Q&A session that allows students to ask questions about writing and the publication process.
 

Full-day school visits may include 2 large-group presentations, small-group discussions or writing workshops, a Press Conference with kids, Book Sale/Autograph Sessions, and/or any combination of the above.

Press Conference: Each grade/classroom selects two reporters who take questions from their classmates to a meeting with Author Ann

Book Sale/Autograph Session: 

Books available through me can be discounted for schools.

K-3 - Interactive reading of the book 

What If? Or If You Were…followed by an illustration session in which children pretend to illustrate the story while listening to music (approximately 35 min).

Grades 4-6 In-depth presentation of the life as an author, the writing process, and/or how to become an author. - (45 min. - 1 hour)

Grades 7-12 - More in-depth presentation of the writing process, becoming an author, and how to get published. (2 - 3 hours)

Specialty Presentations (can be tailored for any age group):

Puzzles! Puzzles!

I show students how to put together the puzzle pieces of a story. Where will it take place? Who is the main character? Who are the minor characters? What kind of mood will the story have? Put those puzzle pieces together, and the story starts to color in the lines. In this presentation/workshop, I use the brainstorming strategy behind my own books and help young writers get started on a story of their own.

Inspiration, Ideas, and Imagination

I present the writing process in an interactive PowerPoint presentation, tailored to age and grade level and the desires and needs of the teachers/librarians.

Dialogue Dish Du Jour 

I show students how to use captivating, believable dialogue to bring a novel to life. I teach them to develop characters, choose words carefully, and interweave dialogue and description while strengthening their cooperative and independent writing skills.

Color Your World

To create a vivid world, I teach students techniques to improve, enrich, and enhance their writing by using all 5 senses. They will develop skills in using descriptive language to deepen and color the story experience for the reader by showing, through the viewpoint of a character, by dialogue, or by portrayal, the wonder, touch, and feel of the surroundings - to make the images come alive. 

You Are Your Emoticon

A fun exercise for younger students that shows them how to describe emotions. I show them how to draw their character’s facial expression and nonverbal clues if they are sad, mad, happy, or scared. This can be further developed depending on the age and grade level of the presentation.

The Art Of The Craft - Beginning Fiction Writing 

Do you have a story in you? A great idea for a novel? Are you a natural storyteller? Do you have a creative imagination? Have you always wanted to write but don’t know how to begin? 

I teach the writing process to beginners. It explores the various forms of fiction, emphasizes the elements of writing, and explains the basic building blocks of narrative writing. I focus on these elements necessary for the craft of writing: theme, conflict, plot and structure, characterization, symbolism, setting, figurative language, style and dialogue, tone and voice, description, and point of view.

Honing The Craft - Intermediate Fiction Writing

Are you ready to write that novel or short story?

This workshop is for writers who already understand the basics and are ready to begin their novel or short story. We will build on the process and elements of writing, as well as the skills learned in the introductory class.

The focus will be on the “how” and “where” to begin to hook the reader and create worthy protagonists and antagonists, plus compelling secondary characters. The goal is to advance the craft, strengthen skills in narrative voice, dialogue, and fictional use of time, and solidify description, dialogue, character, and plot. We will explore the subtler shades of craft, such as mood, pace, authority, imagery, and structure.

Polishing The Craft - Advanced Fiction Writing

Have you written your best manuscript? Are you ready for publication? Have you read and reread your work? Do you see holes in the plot? Is there enough conflict? Is there an ebb and flow? Does your story follow the “3-act” structure? Is your imagery fresh and original? Does your story have an emotional impact? 

This workshop focuses on reading, revising, and rewriting the first draft. We will focus on reviewing what we have written with an editorial eye. The goal of this class is to sharpen the writer’s skills as a reader, writer, and editor.

We will research publishing markets, review their submission requirements, and learn how to prepare the manuscript for submission.

Presentation Description:

I present a high-energy digital slideshow and discuss how I became a writer, how I come up with ideas for my books, and how I start a first draft and stick with it through the rewriting process. I talk about the two dreaded ‘R’ words – research and revising – and how I’ve learned to (almost) love them. I’ve never had a teacher or librarian who wasn’t thrilled with the infectious enthusiasm I bring to their students. I’m a literary cheerleader – I love to write and love even more sharing that passion with students.

Some Comments from Teachers About My Presentations:

“I love that you make the connection between what the kids do in writing and what you did by allowing kids to see that a real author does the same thing their teachers teach them to do.”

“My class loved hearing about how you started writing when you were their age, and now you are a published author! They were so inspired!”

“Thank you for the statement that all kids are authors – they need to feel that what they write matters, and you communicated this.”

“Your inclusion of the writing process was wonderful! This was very valuable because it reinforces what I do.”

“Thank you for the wonderful presentation “Inspiration, Ideas, and Imagination”. My kids were able to repeat those words back to you when you were finished. They made a connection with that, and they were able to remember what you said.”

“Your presentation was interactive. My kids loved it because you played with them all the while teaching and reinforcing great writing skills.”

Some Teacher Reviews of My Books:

“Engaging”

“Rich & vigorous vocabulary”

“Chock full of figurative language”

“Page turner – cliffhangers in every chapter”

“Lots of plot twists”

“Springboard for teaching reading skills”

Some Student Reviews:

Skylar (4th grade girl): "I like it a lot! The reason is because of the advanced words. And the scenes had so much tension. I think 4th, 5th, and 6th graders should read this!"

Marie (5th grade girl): "Hiding Carly is a magnificent book! I loved it! It includes some real-life experiences. I would recommend it to all kids ages 10-14."

Tiarra (5th grade girl): “I would recommend this book to 5th and 6th graders who are interested in mysteries and the FBI.”

LG (5th grade boy): “I really liked this book because it was a good piece of action and the plot was amazing! It was also a good mystery.”

Christina (4th grade girl): “I thought it was a great mystery. I liked the cliffhangers. I think you should write another book!”

Markus (5th grade boy): "I love your story, Hiding Carly! It seemed so realistic! Sean did something his father would have done - fighting for what he believed in!"

My Needs for Your School Visit: 

A computer hookup for a PowerPoint presentation (in auditoriums) and a microphone.

My Fees:

My school-visit fee varies depending on the distance between my home in Chapin, SC, and your school. They are as follows (in addition to mileage compensation if more than 45 minutes from Chapin, SC):

Local Visits:

A half-day visit is available only for local schools within a 45-minute drive. It consists of 2 presentations (about 45 minutes each). A half-day visit is $150.

A full-day visit consists of no more than 4 presentations. For local schools, the fee is $300 per full day. 

If your school is more than 45 minutes but less than 2 hours away, I will do only full-day visits at $500 plus mileage.

Long-distance Visits:

If travel is more than 2 hours and up to 6 hours of driving, please schedule a 2-day school visit at $800 per day plus mileage and overnight accommodations. You may partner with other schools in your area to share these expenses.

Long-distance Visits Requiring Air Travel:

If your school is more than a 6-hour drive away, please schedule a 2-day school visit at $800 per day, plus airfare and overnight accommodation. You can partner with other schools in your area and book back-to-back events to share travel expenses. You can also split a day between two schools if they’re close enough together. Please have someone from your school or parent organization handle local transportation.

For a full-day visit, I like to have lunch with students. You can handle this any way that you like, for example, holding a contest in which the winners get to eat at the author’s table. 

If you want to provide books for the students to purchase, I can get them at a discount, or you can contact a local bookstore to arrange this. I will donate one signed book for each school I visit, which can go in the school’s library, a classroom, or be offered as a prize.

Every student will receive something from the event: a signed bookmark, a pen, a pencil, stickers, depending on the presentation and grade/age level.

*If the above fee schedule is beyond your school’s budget, there are ways to make my visit more affordable. You can partner with other schools in your area by booking back-to-back events to share travel expenses. You can also split a day between two schools if they’re close enough together. 

I am available for online chats via ZoomZoom! Contact me for details!

For more information, contact me at: anneisenstein@gmail.com.

I appreciate your interest in booking an author visit with me!