Summer Camp The "Write Way" by Kathy Halsey

 

Welcome to nErdcamp!

As you look at your summer schedule, you might want to add camping to your bucket list for fun. Not just any camp . . .nErdcamp! Nerd camps have been around for quite a few years now, and they're a great way to connect with librarians, educators, other authors and illustrators in a more relaxed manner. After all you might run into a bear like we did last year at the inaugural nErdDCamp Ohio!

nErDcampOH features friendly bears!

From the officlal NerdCamp site, these “free professional development and literacy events” are held virtually or in-person. They’re “organized independently and they are hosted all over the country.” For authors they are a great way to soft launch a new presentation one might be tweaking, or a way to mingle and connect with dedicated educators and even pick up few school visits.

 

Perhaps one of the longest running nErdcamps is in Parma, Michigan. My partner in all things kid lit, Lindsay Bonilla and I have attended both the last camp in Michigan and Ohio’s first camp last summer. More established events attract hundreds of literati (We met Jason Reynolds, CeCe Bell, Josh Funk, Miranda and Baptiste Paul) while newer camps may suit first-timers better. Sadly, nErDcampMI disbanded but the crowds and energy were palpable! ( Shoutout to Colby Sharp and Donalyn Miller, the founders of  the MI event! Thank you for all the years!) All staff are volunteers and camps are usually located in larger school districts in the summer.

The Last nErDcamp MI

Besides the bear, Lindsay remembers “a special synergy that happens when so many people who love children AND books come together! Like a conference, there are many different sessions happening concurrently. But, at nErD camp, if you start in one session and discover it’s not a good fit for you or if there are two sessions happening simultaneously that you really wanted to attend, you are encouraged to leave, and no one is offended. There are usually SO many great sessions happening that this is very freeing!

Kathy and Lindsay & Photobomber Bear

Attendees Recall the Benefits of Nerd Camps

Patricia Newman remembers attending a Vermont nErdcamp where the participants voted on the topics in the morning. She says, “The sessions were informal - no slides, no panels - and all attendees contributed. I'd call each session more of a discussion than a presentation. For most of the sessions, we sat in a circle. I liked the whole vibe of a mutual sharing of ideas.”

Sherry Hyberger Howard shared her experiences, recalling,”a guaranteed audience of people interested in books and authors. Unlike, say, a bookstore event where you may get only a few people not even super interested. The enthusiasm is palpable with Nerd Camp—you’re with soulmates who love you.”

Ohio author Keila Dawson has presented at virtual nErDCamps in different states, but she plans to attend Ohio’s in-person this summer.  For virtual camps, Keila says, “ I've never received feedback from viewers, so there's no way to tell if educators found panels informative. However, organizers always send their appreciation! I do recall one of the camps shared a survey of topics educators were interested in before the event and that was very helpful for me as an author when assembling a panel.”

Nancy Churnin’s attended Pennsylvania's camp a couple of times and will be doing two panels for nErDCampPA July 14 (both online). She enjoyed nErDCampLI ( Long Island) in person, remembering “lots of fun, lots of camaraderie, a chance to bond and connect with educators and fellow kidlit creators in a relaxed and informal way!”

Have you attended a Nerd Camp yet? Or will you this year? Name the camp and share your experience in the comments below!

A Tale of Two Talks: Public Speaking for Writers by Kathy Halsey

The scene: a middle school gym crowded with 6/7/8th graders at 45 minute intervals on the first sunny Monday in weeks. An author with a microphone, a wooden chair, and a table. No Power point, no bells and whistles, but lots of enthusiasm and nary a peep from the crowd until Q & A time. 

Who? Author Gary Schmidt, who was unflappable and mesmerizing! Let's check out his secret sauce recipe to keeping kids engaged.
Middle grade author Gary Schmidt is used to these scenarios and knows how to work a crowd of antsy kids. (I witnessed Gary and the sixth grade group after gym and lunch. If you've ever corralled a group of kids at this hour, you know what a herculean feat it truly is.)
Gary is a rather low-key, mild-mannered speaker, but he is an accomplished storyteller. As soon as the kids sat down he said, "I'll tell ya a story." In his conversational tone, he began telling a true story about a whale going "berserk-o" as it thrashed and began dying near a barge. It was covered in fish hooks, barbs, and steel cables. Three men attempted to untangle the whale armed only with the crudest of implements. 

  

What I Observed from a Pro 

1. His introduction was very different. Kids leaned in to hear the riveting story. He did not talk about himself or his books until the mid-point of the session.
2. He asked his audience questions about what might happen next. He had them anticipating the plot.
3. Once kids shouted answers, Gary redirected their attention quickly, with a polite, "OK, stay with me, guys." Then he waited for quiet.
4. He traversed the gym floor, paced, and finally came as close as possible to the students at the tale's climax. 
5. When the story ended, he discussed WEDNESDAY WARS, but through the POV of the 6th grade Gary who hated his teacher. Kids nodded their heads in agreement as he tickled off a litany of concerns: boredom, the slow reading group, feeling different. 
5. During the Q & A, Gary repeated questions so his audience could hear, and he innately sensed when his audience grew restless.    

6. Gary Schmidt connected with his audience by relaying and amplifying how it feels to be a tween and by being himself. He spoke of drama and adventure. He did not give a speech, he engaged in storytelling and group conversation. 

Segue: My First Gig as Luncheon Speaker

Scene: A crowded hotel ballroom on a rainy Saturday. Family groups, proud/nervous student honorees for the national PTA Reflections contest, Ohio PTA attendees, and me in uncomfortable heels and a Power Point...

Who? Pre-published writer, former English teacher, judge of Reflections' compositions for middle grade

I am comfortable speaking to library groups, educators, and other writers at conferences, but this was a new kettle of fish. I knew no one and I had never been a luncheon speaker for 250 people. However, as a writer, I knew once I had a published book, I'd be on the circuit of school visits as well as more formal occasions such as this. I took a deep breath and plunged in! 

Newbie Revelations

1. Practice, practice, prepare. I had fifteen minutes to "tell my story" and I know I'm chatty. I shaved my presentation to 10 minutes via practice as I knew students would receive their awards after my speech. My long-suffering critique group timed me, too. Unlike other presentations, I practiced this one orally for 4 days beforehand.

2. Fortunately, I followed Gary Schmidt's lead and focused on my audience. Students grades K-12, wrote, filmed, created art, composed music all on the theme of story. My goal was to inspire them as young creatives, urging them to take that passion to the next level.

3. I asked my social media friends how to structure my talk. The consensus was to keep to 2-3 points, discuss each point, and repeat the theme at the end. (When in doubt, Facebook and Twitter can be a useful "hive mind.")

4. I calmed my nerves by engaging with the families and honorees. I offered to take pictures of proud families, and asked students about their work. My mind was on my audience, not me. I relaxed.

5. After the event, unexpected benefits were mine. Student writers wanted to chat with me and even take my picture. A PTA coordinator shared that I had inspired her to write for pleasure not just for her PhD.

A tale of two talks shows that authenticity, focus on others, and learning from the pros are proven ways to tackle public speaking for writers.  

Part 2 - Library Visit from a Writer's POV - by Kathy Halsey

Today we'll focus in on one area of the school library program that most directly connects to the writer/author/illustrator to the librarian and school – the author visit. In the district from which I retired, author visits have always been big celebrations that are planned almost a year ahead with the school librarian being the point person. (If your school library does not have a certified librarian, the point person may be a reading teacher, English teacher, or even a parent group such as the PTO/PTA.)

When you visit your school library, look to see if there are clues that point to former author visits. Front and center at the Winchester Trail School library (3-5 building) is a wall that is signed by every author since 2004. 

How Are Authors Chosen?

Ask your librarian how they choose authors and how they plan to make the visit successful for the school, the author, and themselves.  Often, school librarians ask each other through social media if other librarians in their area have had a certain author for a visit or if another school/district would like to share an author and expenses. An author's reputation with school visits, his/her book titles and how they fit into the curriculum, as well as travel considerations are all factors in choosing authors. 

At Winchester Trail, librarian Janie Kantner has an interesting student population to consider, also: Third graders and fifth graders can be light years apart in reading and interest levels. This year an author who writes graphic novels is under consideration because his books are accessible to the youngest demographic and still "cool" enough for fifth graders. 

Other Considerations

 1. Librarians become super stars, too. With the right PR ahead of an author's visit, kids become enamored with the author and by association, the librarian. 

2. You may be surprised to learn that the school librarian's roll and visibility are heightened, too, with a successful author visit. Superintendents, school board members and local media are often invited by savvy librarians who need to build capacity and credibility in order to have funds for future author visits. 

3. Funds come from many sources: book fairs, grants,  and the book budget which keeps shrinking as book prices rise. As an author, think about how you can keep costs affordable. Could you stay at the librarian's house instead of a hotel the night before? Would a Skype visit be just as impactful? What value-added piece could you add without changing your price structure?

4. A vist begins long before an author sets foot in the door.  A librarian usually buys multiple copies of the author's books for the collection, reads them all, and book talks them through class visits. They create lesson plans that harried teachers swamped with tests and mandates can use before/after the author visit. Simple evaluation tools and feedback forms may be used to see if the visit was successful. Data talks these days. The school librarian becomes a "jobber" and secures books for students to buy and sends letters home to parents regarding the book buying procedure. 

If you have book flyers already created, evaluation sheets made up, a teachers' guide of your books, you have made the librarian's job much more efficient. Author Miranda Paul has great tools on her web site already in place. Check them out here to get ideas of your own. It is no coincidence that Miranda visited the Canal Winchester K-2 building last year. Miranda was traveling to an Ohio SCBWI convention, stayed at my house overnight, reduced her fee for a half day visit and sold a ton of books. (I was Miranda's escort to the SCBWI conference so this was a special circumstance, but Miranda's flexibility made this event possible.)

5. With a great visit, the author's impact is felt long after. As I shelved books this past Friday, many books by Blue Balliet were on the cart, They fly off the book shelves still because Blue was our featured author last year. Today when checking the library catalog, most of multiple copies of her many titles were on hold or checked out. ( I counted 36 books by Blue Balliet in the collection.) She did large group and small class visits. Students were inspired to write plays from her MG works, discover the writing process from a published author's point of view, and create word mobiles of their favorite words from her books.

Next Steps

1. Ask your local school librarian if you can visit and help out during the next author visit. You could organize the stacks of books to be signed, help set up an author luncheon, ferry the author to and from the school if the librarian is busy. 

2. Take your writer's notebook and shadow the author if possible, but be discreet. Note how the author introduces him/herself, how they interact with students and adults, how they personalize books, what added value they bring to the visit. 

3. Even if you are pre-published, you can interact with students in small ways now. Offer to read at story times periodically at your school library, help out during book fairs, suggest sharing how you conduct research as a "real" writer when the librarian conducts research units with teachers. Make sure to have permission from administrators and teachers before you plunge in. I've been lucky enough to interact in all these ways the past two years at Winchester Trail. 

4. If you have no real connection or feel shy about approaching a school librarian, maybe one of your published author friends will let you tag along on a visit. The more you can connect with schools, school librarians, and students before you conduct your own author visits, the more confident you'll feel when you make your debut. My very first pre-pub writer visit was with a middle school student writers' club after school. They treated me as a true author and even gave me roses. You never know what is possible unless you put yourself out there and create opportunities that benefit students, teachers and you!

If you have questions on visiting your school library that I haven't answered in Part 1 (here) or Part 2 of this series, leave them in the comments and I'll answer them or do another post. 

   

Author Skypes with Picture Book Expert Laura Murray by Tina Cho

I have a special guest for you today--picture book author, Laura Murray, who writes the award-winning Gingerbread Man series, starting with The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School. Recently, Laura did an author Skype with my students in South Korea. I was impressed with her organizational skills and thought I'd let her share her experiences with our Grog blog fans.

Author Laura Murray

1. How did your Gingerbread Man become a series? Was that your idea? Your editor's? Do you get to come up with each book or do they?

The Gingerbread Man Loose at School was written as a stand-alone picture book, but after it came out, I happily offered to write more Gingerbread Man adventures if my editor was interested.

I was a teacher before becoming a writer and I had fun drawing on that experience for story ideas. My hope was to mirror some of my student’s favorite activities during the school year, with the GB Man’s adventures.  I proposed a GB Man/community helpers idea next, and the publisher suggested a more specific Fire Station setting. So the GB Man & his class went on their first field trip in The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck!

Later my editor asked if I’d be interested in two more in the series, one with a holiday theme, and the other being my choice.  So the topic of The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas’ was their suggestion and The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo was mine.

There is also a fifth adventure coming in 2018 that includes a feisty new character for the GB Man to match wits with. More on that later in the post J. 

2. My school really enjoyed your author Skype. You  were very organized from sending out emails ahead of time with expectations and things the school should do. What advice would you give new authors regarding Skype presentations?

Thank you! I thoroughly enjoyed reading to and talking with your smart cookies in their cute GB Man hats!

Being able to connect with classes all over the world is such a thrill – I love to spread enthusiasm for reading and writing, but I also love hearing the student’s ideas and connections!  I would encourage new authors to start with 15 minute free Skypes for classrooms and do some research online as to how other authors have organized their Skype Visits.  To get started, take a look at Kate Messner’s Skype guidelines.  

Tara Lazar and Bruce Hale also have Skype information/blog posts on their sites.

 Here are a few possible questions to send out to teachers/librarians to help organize the details of the virtual visit ahead of time.

·         Name:

·         Email:

·         School:

·         City, State:

·         Time zone:

·         Skype Username:

·         Cell Phone or classroom phone (used to reach you in case of tech difficulties):

·         Grades at the visit:

·         Approximate number of students:

·         Three dates when your class can Skype:

·         Three times or blocks of time when your class can Skype:

Next steps:

o   Let the T/L know your Skype and contact information, as well as general format information.

o   You can also ask if the students are interested in ordering books (you can send signed bookplates.)

o   Double check any time zone differences.

o   While Skyping remember to look at your computer camera, talk slowly so the audio is clear, use props if you have them, and be enthusiastic!

o   It’s a good idea to test the Skype connection beforehand if possible.

o   Follow up with a thank you. And shout-outs on social media are always fun.

3.  About how many school visits or author Skypes do you do each month?  Do you "market" yourself to schools or wait for schools to contact you?

I thoroughly enjoy doing school visits, and my in-person and Skype school visits vary monthly. With the Gingerbread theme, I often do back-to-back in-person school visits in November/December.  Other months vary depending on my writing schedule, conferences, family events, etc. I generally stick to 20-30 in-person visits per school year, and about the same amount of Skypes.  I typically reserve January - March to focus solely on my writing, so I usually don’t do in-person visits then, but I do schedule a few Skype visits during those months.

This year I’ve planned three seasonal Skype days via my website Activities Newsletter, where I schedule a full day of free 15 minute Skype Visits. If a teacher/librarian is interested, he/she can join the newsletter and receive those dates, along with seasonal printables & classroom activities. A new Skype winter date will go out in the Nov./Dec. Activities Newsletter soon.

As for outreach, I’ve found that many librarians hear about my presentations through positive word-of-mouth from other schools I’ve visited, and through my website. I also try to seek out new opportunities to support reading. Last year I participated in author Kate Messner’s initiative to support World Read Aloud Day through volunteer author skype visits. It was such a great way to connect with students about reading/writing that I plan on participating again this year. Thanks, Kate! 

4. Could you give new authors a timeline of what they should be doing up to the day of the author event?

Well, it depends on the event. In-person school visits, book launches, book store or library visits, conference presentations, and Skype Visit all have common elements, but can vary greatly in terms of preparation and audience. Since we are talking about Skyping, I’ll stick with the topic of Skype event planning. :) 

It’s generally good to plan a Skype event at least a month in advance. Start organizing by sending organizational questions to the teacher/librarian, and giving them time to return the answers. If you’re planning a whole day of Skype visits, organize a schedule (with time zones in mind,) and then send out Skypes times and reminders about tech & connection to all the schools. Add the school Skype name as a contact in your Skype account. I often send a few book-related printables and activities to the school via email a week before the visit. The day before the event, it is good to do a quick check of the connection between you & the school.  On the day of the event, you want to make sure your computer, Skype account, props, etc. are all ready, but you can still wear your bunny slippers ;). 

Laura's Skype with my school

5.  How do you make your presentations interactive?

Student involvement is super important, so that you are not just a “talking head” during a Skype Visit. I try to involve the students in helping me read the book through a call and response of certain parts.  I ask questions, and either request a whole group answer or ask the teacher to call on students to answer. I love to use props. The question and answer session at the end is one of my favorite parts because I get to hear the students’ creative ideas too!

6. How many years have you been writing?

I’ve been writing for about 11 years now :)

7. You said you're working on a MG novel. Do you think writing a novel is harder than a picture book? As a pb writer who has to use a sparse amount of words, do you find it difficult to write a novel with lots of description and details that a picture book doesn't need?

I’ve been working on a Middle Grade novel, but had to put it away for a bit to focus on the Gingerbread Man stories and a couple of family moves.  I’m pulling it back out this year and moving forward with the writing, along with a few picture book ideas as well.

And yes, jumping to a new genre definitely has “its positives and its challenges.” I’m sure I’ll have more than a few hurdles to clear on the MG because it is my first one, but there is also something thrilling about trying something new, and freeing about having more words to play with.  I’m hoping that as I write the MG, my PB experience will continue to come into play when choosing the right words and whittling them down to exactly what needs to be on the page, with no “filler.” :)

8. You have worked hard to create followers. Could you let our readers know some of the tactics you use? (newsletter, blog, teacher resources...)

I genuinely enjoy connecting with people who love books, reading, writing, children, and teaching. I have a great deal of respect for children and an admiration for their sense of wonder and creativity.  Being a former teacher, I know how hard educators work for their students, and it’s that teacher in me that loves to provide fun lessons/activities for student engagement and connection.

·         Website – Includes MANY book-related GB Man printables, mentor text lessons, teacher’s guides, book trailers, reader’s theater, activities, school visit information, etc.

·         Activities Newsletter – Sent 3-4 times a year. Highlights new activities & printables, Skype Visit dates, events, and fun teacher-submitted ideas

·         Blog – I’ve just started to post little blog tidbits on my website. They often highlight curriculum connections, writing themes, pictures of class GB Man hunt ideas, etc.

·         Connections – I try to make genuine connections with educators and “kidlit people” on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest, as well as making personal connections through school visits, book events, and book/writing conferences.

Gingerbread Man Hats I found on Laura's website and had my students make

9. What's in store for the G'man for the future? 

The Gingerbread Man & the Leprechaun Loose at School will be fresh out of the oven in 2018, and is based on our own mess-making classroom leprechaun.  A mischievous little leprechaun is wreaking havoc throughout the school, and the GB Man and his class are determined to protect their classroom from this cheeky chap with a very clever homemade trap. 

10. For fun:

favorite color:  Sunny & bright colors: Yellow, Robin’s Egg Blue, Red

favorite food:  Warm cookies with a bit of icing ;)

favorite children's author:  I have SO many favorites, but if I had to pick just one -  JK Rowling

favorite book:  Harry Potter Series, but again - SO hard, as I could list pages in each genre!

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?  Italy and France – We love to travel and would like our kids to start to experience the wonder of different cultures, different languages, and different ways of life. 

About Laura...

Laura Murray was a teacher before becoming an author and had to deal with many an escaped Gingerbread Man in her time. She is the author of the award-winning rhyming picture book series – The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School, The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck, The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas, and The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo.  Laura lives with her family in northern Virginia and loves speaking at schools about reading, writing, and creating. Visit her online at http://www.LauraMurrayBooks.com for fun educator resources, and on Twitter @LauraMurrayBook.