For more information or to schedule a visit, please contact
info-at-maryamato-dot-com
Workshops and Presentations For Children
The Writer’s Notebook (Grades 3-6)
The writer’s notebook is an important writing tool. Mary explains the difference between diaries and writers’ notebooks, shares material from her childhood diaries as well as writer’s notebooks, shows how to this tool in the writing process, and concludes with a humorous game.
Creating Characters (Grades 3-6)
How does a novelist create and develop characters? Mary shows students her strategies for developing characters and uses improvisational games to help students create and give voice to a character. Literary elements that are covered: voice, point of view, character traits, pre-writing, webbing, and self-questioning.
Story-Inventing Workshop (Kindergarten-Grade 3)
Students learn the three-part trajectory of the classic story. Using theater games, they learn how to construct a story—often with hilarious results. Especially helpful for young, reluctant writers.
Author Visit (Grades 3-6)
Mary takes students on a journey through the writing process. Where do ideas come from? How do journals, webs, and outlines help? Why is revising so important? How does a book get published? Mary concludes with an improvisational “revision” game.
The Chicken of the Family (Preschool and Kindergarten)
Mary shares the story of how she turned a personal experience (being teased) from her own childhood into a picture book and a musical. She reads the book and then involves the audience in a fun improvisation.
Workshops and Presentations for Adults and Young Adults
What’s So Funny: Finding and Writing Humor in Children’s Books
Explore elements of humor and push yourself to find and exploit humor in your own writing. Each class will be a combination of short lectures, in-class writing exercises, and shared reading/analysis. We’ll look at the funniest characters, scenes, plots, and language in great children’s books and share our own work as well.
Fresh Eyes and a Sharp Knife: How To Make a Good Story Great
Did you start your book because a childhood memory or a kernel of an idea kept haunting you? Sometimes holding on to that initial impulse is crucial, but sometimes letting it go is even more important. Hear the stories of how one writer moved from “good idea” to “great idea” with both a picture book and a novel and come away with some “how to” strategies to face your next revision.
Using Memory Wisely in Writing Fiction for Children
Children’s book authors often tap into their own memories of childhood to get ideas, inspiration, and even voice. We’ll explore how memory can help and harm us in the fiction writing process. The goal will be to use a memory as a springboard to a fictional work for children. Each class will be a combination of short lectures, in-class writing exercises, and reading/analyzing work.
Don’t worry if you can’t remember much about your own childhood! You should leave the class with one new work, more ideas, and a set of techniques to help you in the future. This class can serve beginning writers as well as published authors.
Writing for Voice
What is “voice”? Why is it so important? How do you find it? How do you write with it? Mary analyzes and explores the concept of voice, using samples from her own work and the work of others.
Writing the Soul
Writing is a process that not only enables you to capture life, but also to figure out what it means. In this inspirational talk, Mary Amato reveals how a profound loss led her to journal writing and how that has shaped her as a professional writer and as a person and as a mother of two. Hearing her story will motivate you to write yours.
Breaking into Print
Mary shares advice for writing and publishing articles, stories, and more.
Revising is the Real Writing
The nuts and bolts of revision for the serious writer.
Growing Writers
Mary teaches how to encourage kids to write. For teachers, parents, and librarians.
Residencies
Mary is available for short and long term teaching residencies in fiction writing, non-fiction writing, and poetry. These sessions can be designed to support and complement specific objectives in your language arts curriculum. Contact Mary directly for more information.
Book sales
In conjunction with an author visit, many schools and libraries like to offer book sales/signing. You can order books in quantity at a discount from the publisher, work with your local bookseller, or a bookselling agent. Mary can pass on information regarding this once a visit is booked.
See also