Online Session: Writing Workshop for Secondary Students

Deborah aims for her workshops to be informative, interactive and fun. With her teaching and TV background, she uses images, videos and her own work to explain the writing process and help kids develop their own engaging stories, leaving them
excited about books, reading and writing.

She will share what she believes are the fundamentals of writing gleaned from a writing career that has spanned over twenty years. She will explain the basic principles of how she writes and the fundamentals of editing. She will talk about where her
ideas come from, how she develops her ideas to create characters, plots and finally, the finished novel.

Topics covered

Session can include any of the following, depending on teacher preference:

• Creating compelling and believable characters
• Creating rich and life-like locations using our five senses
• Editing – how to hone your writing so it sings and why this is the best part of the writing.
• Story Construction – planning stories with a strong beginning, logical sequence of events in the middle and a satisfying ending.
• Discuss the 3 Act Structure that underpins many narratives and creates tension to keep readers engaged and excited.

Delivery platform

Zoom is my preferred delivery method, but I can use Skype. I’m also happy to explore Google hangouts or Microsoft Teams if the school prefers.