SHOW ME, DON'T TELL
ME
The classic advice to a young writer is “Show me, don’t tell me,” and in this sure-fire, field-tested presentation Diane does just that by clearly showing young writers how to create powerful “word pictures.” Using the five senses and direct observation of their own experiences, students will enjoy an immediate sense of mastery. By using simple models, exercises and strategies like “Squeeze the Grape,” they will clearly understand how to move from writing short vague ‘tells’ like “We had fun.” to detailed and descriptive “shows” like “We had fun beating up my brother Max with big fluffy yellow pillows!" Combined with rapid-fire rounds of writing and “laser sharing, ” these activities provide satisfying and enjoyable writing experiences guaranteed to inspire even the most reluctant writer.
Contact Diane to bring this program to your school, library or club.
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VISION & REVISION - HOW TO STORY CONFERENCE & REVISE
With clear and simple guidelines, Diane models a reflective story conference with the class. When everyone understands what to do, students team up to begin one of the most enjoyable, the most energizing and the least advertised parts of the writing process - the story conference. As students talk and take notes, their stories - and their understanding grows. They gain new insights that allow them to take their writing from sketchy drafts to fully formed and well-articulated ideas. The story conference is a simple and deceptively powerful tool for guiding writers to inspired revisions and building dynamic classroom communities.
Contact Diane to bring this program to your school, library or club.
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INSTANT POETRY
Take the mystique out of poetry by tapping a young writer's most valuable natural resource - personal experience - and combining it with a step-by-step presentation of student models that show ways to make line breaks, create and use metaphors, and distill meaning. Great kickoff for teachers beginning a poetry or creative writing unit.
Contact Diane to bring this program to your school, library or club.
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POETRY IN MOTION
The name of this game is total engagement, steady action and a battle of wits as students compare, contrast, and uncover the secret plans underlying poems written by Jack Pretlutsky and Emily Dickinson- structure, beat, rhythm, rhyme and - most important of all – white space. In the process, students begin to recognize “style.” By the time we’re done, students can tell a Jack from an Emily, and an e.e. cummings from a William Blake.
Contact Diane to bring this program to your school, library or club.
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HOW TO DISSECT A POEM
The Poetry-go-Round involves scissors and lots of mixed up poems. At each stop of the round, the team’s task is to reassemble the poem. But each time, the task gets an added layer of difficulty. After working with poems they’ve dissected, rebuilt, discussed and interpreted, the teams prepare to move the poems off the page and onto the stage using simple low-risk performance strategies.
Contact Diane to bring this program to your school, library or club.
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ONE HAND CLAPPING
The world’s tiniest poetic form is the Haiku. Using Japanese fans, delicate paper umbrellas, and an explanation of the Samurai culture which gave us martial arts and delicate poetry, we begin to experiment with ways we can translate big emotions into tiny poems using the language of nature.
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MY JAZZY LIFE
Using carefully chosen questions, teams work together to interview each other and then write their own autobiographies. Depending upon how the interview questions are structured, this process can also lay the foundation for curricular connections to literary themes planned for the upcoming year. A great activity to kick off the new school year to help students and teachers get to know each other and lay the foundation for the classroom community. Through this process, students understand the idea that they are the authors of their own lives - and that they may rewrite their own stories at any time. These autobiographical interviews build self-esteem, classroom community and curricular connections.
Contact Diane to bring this program to your school, library or club.
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FLASH! FICTION
The rise and fall of the story empire in 250 words or less
It’s fast, it’s intense, its the thrill ride of short story....it’s FLASH! FICTION. It’s all here ... great opening lines, tight structure, powerful storytelling and knockout endings. At the end of the day, everyone wobbles out of the classroom with a short story in hand.
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WRITE TO THE POINT
Designed to help third and fourth graders master the skills required by fourth grade language arts tests: this program stresses descriptive writing, using details in writing narratives, and organizing information. Also includes an intensive experience in story conferencing, which stresses listening and reflective response skills. Program includes ‘before’ and ‘after’ drafts of student writing that clearly demonstrate an improved use of detail in description. Working with each class for at least 2 (40-60 minute) sessions, Diane takes students step-by-step through the writing process that helps them discover how to weave detail into their narratives. Optional companion workshop for teachers which supports and extends classroom presentation.
Contact Diane to bring this program to your school, library or club.
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TWENTY WAYS TO LOVE YOUR ESSAY
Professional magazine writing tips to help students in their struggle with essays, term papers and speeches. Topics include finding and dissolving your writing blocks, zeroing in on your topic, entertaining yourself and your reader, developing themes, the pleasures and perils of research, meeting deadlines, understanding structure, organizing information, titles and opening hooks, clarifying fuzzy thinking, smoothing transitions and creating satisfying conclusions.
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THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
Fear of public speaking is the number one fear in America. Fear of death ranks only third. In this presentation, students assess and address their own fears about public speaking. Presentation includes making fear work for you, finding an interesting topic and slant, presenting - memorized speech or flexible flow? - organizing information, telling stories to help you make your point, handling mistakes and interruptions, eliminating distracting mannerisms and enjoying your audience and yourself.
Contact Diane to bring this program to your school, library or club.
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WRITING FOR FAME & FORTUNE: Getting Published & Maybe Even Paid
Writing was just the beginning. Now you want to publish. This program covers preparing your manuscript for submission, choosing a market, submitting your work, working with editors, rejection, acceptance, publication and finally "the check is in the mail."
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