Mary Amato

Writing with Humor & Heart

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Private Lessons

July 30, 2020 by Mary Amato Leave a Comment

Writing and Music I am currently SOLD OUT for my one-on-one sessions are available in creative writing, manuscript coaching, songwriting, ukulele, and performance. PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE WAIT LIST (right column, underneath updates form). All private lessons are booked on a month by month basis. When you book a class, you’ll be asked (more…)

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Tagged With: Mary Amato, online writing, writing ages 8-12

Small Group Creative Writing

July 30, 2020 by Mary Amato Leave a Comment

Award-winning author Mary Amato will lead small-group online sessions in her writing studio. Maximum six students. Classes will meet either once or twice per week. This will be a project-based experience, meaning we will be writing stories, poems, songs, plays, and more. Classes will be a mix of instruction, discussion, and in-class writing. We’ll cover (more…)

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Tagged With: Mary Amato, online writing, writing ages 8-12

Writer’s Studio for Adults & Teens

July 29, 2020 by Mary Amato Leave a Comment

Join award-winning author Mary Amato via ZOOM in her writing studio every Friday from 1:00 to 1:30 EST pm. for $5.00 per class. Each week, Mary will choose a different topic related to some aspect of the writing process and give a short, energized talk and then lead a writing exercise on the spot. The (more…)


Tagged With: creative writing, Mary Amato, online writing, writing ages 8-12, writing classes

Writer’s Studio for Ages 8-12

July 29, 2020 by Mary Amato Leave a Comment

Grab your notebook and pen and join award-winning author Mary Amato in her writing studio every Wednesday from 4:00 to 4:30 EST pm. for just $5.00 per class. Each week, Mary will choose a different topic related to some aspect of the writing process and give a short, energized talk and then lead a fun (more…)


Tagged With: Mary Amato, online writing, writing ages 8-12

New Courses for Adults & Teens

July 27, 2020 by Mary Amato Leave a Comment

Open Mic Night at Westminster Cemetery

Fall 2020

Monthly Virtual Novel-Writing Retreats

and

Weekly Writer’s Studio with Mary Amato

Find out more about each of these experiences below.

Monthly Virtual Novel-Writing Retreats

Through College Park Arts Exchange, join authors Mary Amato and John Feffer and fellow colleagues for an energizing mix of lectures, facilitated discussion, and forced time to write! As Shawn Achor points out in his book, Big Potential, studies show that people are more productive when they know that others are working, too.
Amato and Feffer are both discipline-crossing writers who are simultaneously working on novels, plays, essays, and poetry. These writing retreats will be focused on novel writing, but we welcome explorers of any genre—fiction, non-fiction, poetry, screen or stage play, etc.

Use these inspiring virtual retreat days to take a work-in-progress further or to write something completely new.

10:00 am-5:30 pm EST

  • 10:00-10:15/Intro & Warm-up Writing Exercise
  • 10:15-11:00 /Lecture #1
  • 11:00-11:30/Facilitated Chat (or log off and get to your writing)
  • 11:30-2:15/Writing Time
  • 2:15-3:00/Lecture #2
  • 3:00-3:30/Facilitated Chat (or log off and get to your writing)
  • 3:30-5:00/Writing Time
  • 5:00-5:30/Final Q/A


$40 per person per retreat or $20 per person per half-day retreat. You may sign up for one retreat or as many as desired. Once you have registered, you’ll receive three Zoom links for each of your retreat days. Each retreat day will include three Zoom sessions with writing time in between. PLEASE NOTE: Registration for full day occurs through College Park Arts Exchange. If you can only attend half day, contact the instructors to register.

 

Sat Sept 26          Tense & Time

Pros and cons of writing in the past or present or a combination of both. Are you writing in the best tense to tell your story? Are you telling your story chronologically? What are your options? What role does time play in the lives of your characters? How can keeping track of chronological time in your story can make a huge difference in the revision process? Are you using your time as a writer most productively?

Register

 

Sun Nov 1            Voice & Point of View

Establish authenticity, commit to a POV or multiple POVs , and know when to come in for a close up and when to pull back. What are the various voices and POVs in your work?

Register

Sat Nov 21           Recurring Symbolism & Surprising Metaphors

Identify and explore symbols and metaphors and determine how and when they should repeat. What are the symbols and metaphors that are already in your work? Are you doing all you can or do you need more?

Register

 

Weekly Writer’s Studio with Mary Amato

Join award-winning author Mary Amato in her writing studio every Friday from 1:00 to 1:30 EST pm. for $5.00 per class.

Each week, Mary will choose a different topic related to some aspect of the writing process and give a short, energized talk and then lead a writing exercise on the spot.

The experience will be designed for adults and teens who are serious about writing. What we cover will cross genres and can be useful in writing fiction, poetry, essays, plays, and creative nonfiction.

All classes and private lessons are booked on a month by month basis. When you book a class, you’ll be asked to pay for that entire month. You’re welcome to register for as many months as desired. Payment is made through a credit card or a Paypal account online. After your invoice is paid, you’ll receive a zoom link that will be the same for each class that month. There are no make-up lessons and no refunds. I will not cancel. If for some reason, I cannot teach a session, I will arrange for a qualified guest teacher. There is no limit to the number of participants, which means there will be no one-on-one interaction. However, the energy and the quality of instruction will be high.  Register here.

Bios

Mary Amato is a novelist, poet, essayist, songwriter, and playwright, who has a great day-job writing fiction for young adults and children with 22 published books. Her creative non-fiction has appeared in The Washington Post, Education Week, Mothering, and more. A passionate teacher with a master’s in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins, she is also co-founder of Firefly Shadow Theater and founder of several organizations that promote creative networking and artistic growth. www.maryamato.com.

John Feffer has published three novels, including the critically acclaimed Splinterlands. The final volume in the Splinterlands trilogy, Songlands, will come out at the end of 2020. He has written and produced ten plays, including four one-man shows, and is the author of several non-fiction books and numerous articles on foreign policy. He serves as the director of Foreign Policy in Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies. www.johnfeffer.com.

Please note that in addition to these retreats, both Amato and Feffer offer partial or full manuscript critiques on a rolling basis throughout the year. $30 per half hour. You can cap your investment at any amount. If you’re interested, contact either instructor individually.

Questions? Contact either of the retreat leaders through the contact forms on their websites.

 

 

Filed Under: What's New Tagged With: Mary Amato, writing retreat

The Writer’s Notebook

May 22, 2020 by Mary Amato Leave a Comment

My new educational video about the process of keeping a writer’s notebook.

Filed Under: What's New Tagged With: Mary Amato, Mary Amato author visits online, video about writer's notebooks, writer's notebook

The Chicken of the Family Collection

March 16, 2020 by Mary Amato Leave a Comment

Enjoy this free collection of stories. Perfect for ages 3-6.

When you’re little, even an ordinary day is filled with big troubles and triumphs—especially when you have two older sisters who win trophies, play tricks, and seem so brave. Four-year-old Henrietta struggles with her jealousies and fears as she finds her place in her funny and loving family. This audio collection, narrated by the author, includes five new stories plus The Chicken of the Family, the beloved picture book in which Henrietta was first hatched.

Written and narrated by Mary Amato. All rights reserved.

Original music by Amy Bormet. More about her at: amykbormet.com/about/

To listen on soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mary-amato-author/sets/the-chicken-of-the-family-collection

Filed Under: What's New Tagged With: audio book, audiobook, children's book, family stories, Mary Amato, story about four-year-old

Free Skype Day 2020: March 25

November 20, 2019 by Mary Amato Leave a Comment

Every year, I offer one free Skype day for schools and take reservations for time slots for 15-minute Q&A on a first-come, first-served basis.

To schedule a free Q&A session, please email me info (at) maryamato (dot) com from your school/library email address with all of the following info listed in one message:

    • Preferred time (listing your time zone, please)
  • Your name and your skype name.
  • Name of school, snail mail address, and phone number of school or library
  • Grade level(s), size of audience, and which of my book(s) you’d like the Q/A to focus on.

If your session is approved, you will receive guidelines via email and your school name will be added to this schedule.

Skype Workshops

I also offer effective Skype workshops for classes, groups, and individuals. See more.

Rave Reviews

  • “The skype visit with Mary Amato was great and inspiring!” –Mary Litwinczuk,  Weaver Lake Elementary, MN
  • “We had a very successful Skype experience with Mary Amato. We did the two-part character creation workshop. We would like to schedule for the same time next February!” –Hope Preston, Gill St. Bernard’s School, NJ
  • “This afternoon was incredible! All 70 sixth graders were riveted to the screen while you were talking. I can’t thank you enough for all the wonderful things you shared with us about your writing process. What a truly inspiring discussion. One really neat coincidence was that I had just shared my writing notebook earlier in the morning and then you shared yours. The connections were flying like wild fire…You have made a wonderful lasting memory for so many students today.” –Franklin, WI 6th grade teacher
  • “My students loved her and I loved the way she subtly got across the message of ‘grit.’ She told students how important it is to revise written work… and how mistakes can be a fabulous opportunity for learning.” Patricia London, Media Specialist Avon Middle-High School, MA

From Students:

  • “I don’t like writing, but when Mary said that she did not like writing as a kid and now she is a author it encouraged me to want to learn how to write now. She let me know that I could be a great author some day.” – R.J.
  • “The thing that really was a life lesson and really inspiring was the quote she said – ‘The only way you fail is by not trying.’ – Laykin
  • “The Skype with Mary Amato taught me that if you jot something down you are more likely to remember it.” – Ava
  • “It was a great experience to meet Mary Amato, and talk to her about her writing process! Skyping is a very fun activity. I would love to do it again. It is fun to see different ways authors, like Mary Amato, create amazing books. So all in all I loved Skyping with Mary Amato.” – Bailey

In-Person Visits

Want information about actual, in-person visits with me? Go to: Workshops.

Filed Under: What's New Tagged With: free skype, Mary Amato, skype, skype-an-author

Kidlit TV Appearance

September 1, 2019 by Mary Amato Leave a Comment

Kidlit TV asked me to talk about my Lucy McGee series and answer one very interesting question. Find out about my books and what I’d do if I found a whale in my bathtub.

Filed Under: Uncategorized, What's New Tagged With: Kidlit TV, Lucy McGee, Mary Amato, songwriting

Songwriting Workshop at Stedwick Elementary School

March 6, 2019 by Mary Amato Leave a Comment

How spirit-lifting it was to walk into Mary Ruth McGinn’s classroom at Stedwick Elementary School and see a circle of third graders with their ukuleles, ready to write songs.

Before my arrival, the teacher and I had already begun to give the students the experience of critique and revision—an essential part of the songwriting process. About a week before the workshop, McGinn emailed me a draft of a collaborative song, I wrote comments, made suggested edits, and emailed it back. She shared that with the students and together they re-wrote one of the verses and talked through why I had made the suggestions I had made.

During the workshop, we set those lyrics to music and practiced it. After that, we wrote an entire new song together. The focus for this workshop was on a trio of elements that are often employed in songwriting: rhythm, repetition, and rhyme. As we wrote, we tested each lyric line to a beat to make sure the rhythm of the words sounded right. Sometimes, we had to make a change, such as substituting a one syllable word for a longer word if the line sounded awkward.

When it was time to write our new song, I taught how I often start by writing down a lot of possible ideas, rather than just one idea for each line. For example, in the first four-line verse, when it came time to write the last line, I asked them for lots of ideas. I wrote them all down so we could pick the one we liked best.

If I built a wall,
I’d build three more
It would be a small house
With a door
(or one of these instead)
With four doors
With sixteen doors
With a floor
With a floor and a door

We ended up liking the humor and the symbolism of sixteen doors.

Next, we worked on the idea of establishing and repeating a pattern. In this case, the pattern for each verse was four lines with the second and fourth line repeating. We also worked on the idea that the chorus of a song can be simple and make use of repetition.
Here’s the whole song:

If I built a wall,
I’d build three more
It would be a small house
With sixteen doors

If I built a window
I’d look outside
I’d say, “Hello World”
To the bright blue sky.

CHORUS:
So many people can come inside.
So many people can come inside.
Come inside!

If I built a roof
I’d make it warm
It would keep us safe
From the big dark storm.

If I built a floor
I’d use it for my band.
Everybody come
And jump and dance.

CHORUS:
So many people can come inside.
So many people can come inside.
Come inside!
Come inside!

Thanks to Carpe Diem Arts, Inc., the non-profit arts organization that organized and funded the experience, to Busy Graham, CDA’s founder, Ms. McGinn, and all her students.

Filed Under: What's New Tagged With: Carpe Diem Arts, Mary Amato, songwriting, Stedwick Elementary School

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Humor and Heart

I give voice to the funny, sad, messy, and wondrous stories of life, especially the stories of children and young adults. My mission: each book has humor and heart. If you are a teen and/or you're looking for info about my books and music for older readers, please check out my www.thrumsociety.com site.
Learn more about my mission and resources.

Appearances and Private Lessons

See my appearance list and find out about private lessons via Skype or in person.

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I play Luna Ukes & Guitars

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