School Visits
Ms. Russell is more than happy to visit schools in western Washington, free of charge*. Visits will be tailored to best-fit the needs of the individual class or school. Possible components include:
- Reading aloud from one of the Summer Island books
- Presentations
- Writing workshops
- Signing books
- Q & A with students
If you are interested in learning more, please send an email to info@robinrussell.net.
* Schools outside the Seattle area may be asked to reimburse for traveling expenses.
Writing Activities
Ms. Russell is available to teach writing activities for all ages. Each activity can be tailored to fit the needs of the audience. In general, activities are one hour and the fee is $100. Sample topics include:
Showing not Telling is a strategy authors use to make their work more engaging and sophisticated. It's what allows you to paint a picture in your reader's mind. For example, Martha pulled over a stool to reach the curry powder on the second shelf, shows the reader that Martha is short. As we read more, we might also discover that Martha is self-sufficient (perhaps she's cooking dinner for her family) or mischievous (perhaps she's planning a prank), that she's Indian, or in India or maybe just likes spicy food.
Story Mapping is used by many authors to help them plan. I use this for my books, but writers could also use it for short stories. It's especially helpful in delineating one's plots and subplots. For example, the main plot of the story could be Martha making a special anniversary dinner for her parents. The subplots might be her fear that they are getting a divorce, her anger that her older brother is off to college or her struggle to get a passing grade in her cooking class.
Character Development is the key to making readers feel like the characters in a story are real people. It's what vests the reader in the story and keeps them from setting the book aside. For example, Martha and her brother may have had a big fight before he left. Now he's studying in London and she finds out from a friend that he switched the salt and the sugar to play a trick on her and that's why she failed her Cake Test! Everyone has experienced fighting or losing contact with a friend, being hurt by a joke or maybe being the person who took a joke too far. Everyone has felt like a failure, so we sympathize with Martha. We too are angry at her brother and care what happens to her.
Writer's Block is the nemesis of every writer. It's the worst thing that can happen - to have no ideas. There are a million tactics writers use to battle this debilitating demon. For example, we might play "what if," and brainstorm a bunch of ridiculous ideas in the hopes that there might be a good one hidden in there somewhere. What if her brother is a secret agent? What if the curry powder is poisoned? What if she's adopted? Sometimes Writer's Block occurs before the story even begins, when we try to think of a good idea and all we get is a blank page that just seems to be getting bigger and bigger. Here too we can brainstorm items for three lists: setting, character and plot. We can mix and match - concocting all sorts of silly and stupid combinations until - aha! We've found our inspiration.
For more information or to book a writing activity for your class or group, please contact Ms. Russell at info@robinrussell.net.
Book Clubs
Ms. Russell is available to visit book clubs for all ages. Hear excerpts from Summer Island books - and possibly a sneak peak at the latest installment. Discuss writing and have your Summer Island books autographed by the author.
For more information or to book a visit, please contact Ms. Russell at info@robinrussell.net.
