Workshops and Presentations for Writers
Motivational
Note: These motivational presentations can also serve as keynote addresses.
New Year, New Start: Let’s Set Goals and Learn How to Achieve Writing Success
Goal-setting is important to achieve our aspirations, and, for writers, this practice is crucial to guiding us along the road to success – whatever success means for each of us. Valerie will take you through a process to create specific writing goals and action plan strategies and hold yourself accountable for accomplishing them throughout the year. There will also be time for questions at the end.
Being a Creator: Tips for Getting Started and Staying Motivated
Do you have a dream of being a published children’s creator? Do you enjoy writing or drawing but sometimes lack inspiration or motivation? Are you a published creator in need of new ideas and/or opportunities?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this presentation is for you. Valerie will share tips about:
• What to do if you’re getting started as a creator
• How to stay motivated whether you're getting started or have been creating for a while
• What opportunities exist for creators at all levels
There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation and a handout.
Writing Is a Revolution. Loving Your Writing Is the Real Revolution.
• Do you need inspiration to write?
• Would you like to jumpstart your writing routine?
• Could you benefit from thinking about your writing practice in new ways?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this presentation is for you. Attend Valerie’s motivational presentation, inspired by Renée Watson’s Love Is a Revolution. Among other things, you will learn how to honor your writing and yourself. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation and a handout.
How To Survive and Thrive in a Competitive Market
It's no secret that it's a challenge to sell books for children in the current market. That doesn't mean that you won't be able to sell a book, but you may have to wait longer. So, what do you do in the meantime? Focus on authorly things that can bring you joy until you sell your next book.
In this session, Valerie will give you concrete suggestions for what you can do to revive your creator self while waiting for your “Yes!” from an acquisitions team!
Create Boldly! The World Needs Your Story
The best way to react to challenging times and a competitive market is to be bold. It can be tough to forge ahead, but if you remember the children for whom you’re writing, you’ll know that they need stories that only you can write.
In this session, Valerie will provide examples of how to be bold and remain true to yourself. She'll share some of her personal experiences as well as examples of “bold” books. After this presentation, you’ll be inspired to make bold moves of your own as you create stories for young readers.
Informational
Tips for Your Picture Book Publication Journey
This presentation will provide tips for THREE important parts of the publication journey: WRITING, QUERYING, and PUBLISHING.
A few of the topics addressed will be:
• To rhyme or not to rhyme? That is the question.
• Should I query only agents, or should I include editors and small presses?
• How can I promote my book in creative ways, both prior to and after publication?
There will, of course, be time for questions.
To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme… That is the Question.
Do you write rhyming picture books or plan to?
In this session, we’ll explore:
• The advantages and disadvantages of writing in rhyme
• Considerations when querying with rhyming manuscripts
• The difference between rhyming and lyrical writing
• Rhyming tips and resources
• Recommendations of books by authors who write in rhyme
We’ll also engage in a writing exercise to help you decide whether your story should be told in rhyme or prose. And there will be time for questions throughout the presentation.
School Visits: Connecting with Your Readers
School visits offer a great way for authors and/or illustrators to connect with children, and they can also provide an opportunity to sell your books. Before contacting schools to propose a visit, however, there are many things you should consider, such as:
• What grade level would you like to visit?
• What setting would work best for you (whole school, multiple classes, or one class at a time)?
• What specific program choices will you offer?
• Will you offer only full-day visits, or are you open to half-day visits or even a single session?
• Are you open to both in-person and virtual visits?
Valerie will respond to these questions as well as others that will be helpful to you as you prepare to visit schools.
Marketing Moves That Matter
You may have heard that part of your job as an author and/or illustrator is to do your part to promote your book. That’s true. Most publishers will do their job to get your book in front of professional reviewers, into libraries and bookstores, and submit it for major awards. However, no one can generate interest for your book better than you! After all, you know it best and can share your inspiration and insight with readers.
In this session, we’ll discuss the most highly leverageable marketing moves to (hopefully) move book sales and, most of all, keep you excited about your book.
Writing Your Own Professional Book
Putting It on the Page: Writing Books for Educators by Educators
Since many children’s authors are also teachers, now that you’ve been writing books for children, you might be interested in writing books for educators. Valerie and her Stenhouse editor, Kassia Omohundro Wedekind, will share ways to get started writing, grow as writers, and publish books. Whether you have a seed idea, an outline for a book, or are just curious, this session will be full of innovative and inspiring ideas for educator-writers!
Valerie’s Personal Stories
Path to Publication
Learn about Valerie’s path to publication (what inspired her, how she gets ideas for her books, how long it takes for a book to be published, etc.) In addition to sharing her story, Valerie will read excerpts from several of her books, and you’ll be able to ask questions to learn more about her story and also to inquire about how to move ahead on your own path to publication.
Researching and Writing a Picture Book Biography
NOTE: This presentation is centered around A Flea for Justice: Marian Wright Edelman Stands Up for Change. It’s helpful if participants have read this book prior to my presentation, but it’s OK if they haven’t.
• Learn what inspired Valerie to write about Mrs. Edelman and how she conducted her research and developed her story.
• Participants will have the opportunity to respond to questions that will help them focus their own research.
• Participants will be able to ask questions related to the presentation and about the writing process, in general.
Craft
Revision Rhapsody: What are the best revision techniques to transform your story? In this session, you’ll be introduced to numerous revision tips and will have time to apply a couple of them to one of your manuscripts.
Infinite Ideas: Do you sometimes struggle to come up with story ideas? You’ll go through a brainstorming process in this session where you’ll generate oodles of ideas to jumpstart your stories. You may even be inspired enough to start a draft.
Tightrope Tension: Do you want your book to captivate and create tension that makes your readers feel as if they're walking on a tightrope suspended 50 feet above ground? We’ll analyze examples from picture books, and you’ll learn strategies that will show you how to heighten the tension in your story.
Luscious Layers in Picture Books: In today’s competitive picture book market, your stories can benefit from having multiple layers to attract the attention of agents and editors. Using a variety of picture books, we’ll identify different types of layers that you might consider as you write and revise your picture books.
Valerie Bolling Bio
Valerie Bolling is an award-winning author/educator who is passionate about creating stories in which all children can see themselves and feel seen and heard, valued and validated. She is the author of eight picture books, a three-book early reader series, two board books, and two books for teachers.
She's active in the kidlit community as a member of: 12X12 Picture Book Challenge (serving as DEI Committee member and Black Affinity group co- facilitator), SCBWI, Kindling Words East Black Creatives, Diverse Verse, SWAN, the Soaring 20s co-marketing group, and three critique groups. In addition, Valerie teaches picture book classes (independently and for Boyds Mills and the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance) and presents at conferences and in schools and libraries. Teaching both students and adults, and inspiring them to write their own stories, brings her immense joy.
Note: These motivational presentations can also serve as keynote addresses.
New Year, New Start: Let’s Set Goals and Learn How to Achieve Writing Success
Goal-setting is important to achieve our aspirations, and, for writers, this practice is crucial to guiding us along the road to success – whatever success means for each of us. Valerie will take you through a process to create specific writing goals and action plan strategies and hold yourself accountable for accomplishing them throughout the year. There will also be time for questions at the end.
Being a Creator: Tips for Getting Started and Staying Motivated
Do you have a dream of being a published children’s creator? Do you enjoy writing or drawing but sometimes lack inspiration or motivation? Are you a published creator in need of new ideas and/or opportunities?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this presentation is for you. Valerie will share tips about:
• What to do if you’re getting started as a creator
• How to stay motivated whether you're getting started or have been creating for a while
• What opportunities exist for creators at all levels
There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation and a handout.
Writing Is a Revolution. Loving Your Writing Is the Real Revolution.
• Do you need inspiration to write?
• Would you like to jumpstart your writing routine?
• Could you benefit from thinking about your writing practice in new ways?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this presentation is for you. Attend Valerie’s motivational presentation, inspired by Renée Watson’s Love Is a Revolution. Among other things, you will learn how to honor your writing and yourself. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation and a handout.
How To Survive and Thrive in a Competitive Market
It's no secret that it's a challenge to sell books for children in the current market. That doesn't mean that you won't be able to sell a book, but you may have to wait longer. So, what do you do in the meantime? Focus on authorly things that can bring you joy until you sell your next book.
In this session, Valerie will give you concrete suggestions for what you can do to revive your creator self while waiting for your “Yes!” from an acquisitions team!
Create Boldly! The World Needs Your Story
The best way to react to challenging times and a competitive market is to be bold. It can be tough to forge ahead, but if you remember the children for whom you’re writing, you’ll know that they need stories that only you can write.
In this session, Valerie will provide examples of how to be bold and remain true to yourself. She'll share some of her personal experiences as well as examples of “bold” books. After this presentation, you’ll be inspired to make bold moves of your own as you create stories for young readers.
Informational
Tips for Your Picture Book Publication Journey
This presentation will provide tips for THREE important parts of the publication journey: WRITING, QUERYING, and PUBLISHING.
A few of the topics addressed will be:
• To rhyme or not to rhyme? That is the question.
• Should I query only agents, or should I include editors and small presses?
• How can I promote my book in creative ways, both prior to and after publication?
There will, of course, be time for questions.
To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme… That is the Question.
Do you write rhyming picture books or plan to?
In this session, we’ll explore:
• The advantages and disadvantages of writing in rhyme
• Considerations when querying with rhyming manuscripts
• The difference between rhyming and lyrical writing
• Rhyming tips and resources
• Recommendations of books by authors who write in rhyme
We’ll also engage in a writing exercise to help you decide whether your story should be told in rhyme or prose. And there will be time for questions throughout the presentation.
School Visits: Connecting with Your Readers
School visits offer a great way for authors and/or illustrators to connect with children, and they can also provide an opportunity to sell your books. Before contacting schools to propose a visit, however, there are many things you should consider, such as:
• What grade level would you like to visit?
• What setting would work best for you (whole school, multiple classes, or one class at a time)?
• What specific program choices will you offer?
• Will you offer only full-day visits, or are you open to half-day visits or even a single session?
• Are you open to both in-person and virtual visits?
Valerie will respond to these questions as well as others that will be helpful to you as you prepare to visit schools.
Marketing Moves That Matter
You may have heard that part of your job as an author and/or illustrator is to do your part to promote your book. That’s true. Most publishers will do their job to get your book in front of professional reviewers, into libraries and bookstores, and submit it for major awards. However, no one can generate interest for your book better than you! After all, you know it best and can share your inspiration and insight with readers.
In this session, we’ll discuss the most highly leverageable marketing moves to (hopefully) move book sales and, most of all, keep you excited about your book.
Writing Your Own Professional Book
Putting It on the Page: Writing Books for Educators by Educators
Since many children’s authors are also teachers, now that you’ve been writing books for children, you might be interested in writing books for educators. Valerie and her Stenhouse editor, Kassia Omohundro Wedekind, will share ways to get started writing, grow as writers, and publish books. Whether you have a seed idea, an outline for a book, or are just curious, this session will be full of innovative and inspiring ideas for educator-writers!
Valerie’s Personal Stories
Path to Publication
Learn about Valerie’s path to publication (what inspired her, how she gets ideas for her books, how long it takes for a book to be published, etc.) In addition to sharing her story, Valerie will read excerpts from several of her books, and you’ll be able to ask questions to learn more about her story and also to inquire about how to move ahead on your own path to publication.
Researching and Writing a Picture Book Biography
NOTE: This presentation is centered around A Flea for Justice: Marian Wright Edelman Stands Up for Change. It’s helpful if participants have read this book prior to my presentation, but it’s OK if they haven’t.
• Learn what inspired Valerie to write about Mrs. Edelman and how she conducted her research and developed her story.
• Participants will have the opportunity to respond to questions that will help them focus their own research.
• Participants will be able to ask questions related to the presentation and about the writing process, in general.
Craft
Revision Rhapsody: What are the best revision techniques to transform your story? In this session, you’ll be introduced to numerous revision tips and will have time to apply a couple of them to one of your manuscripts.
Infinite Ideas: Do you sometimes struggle to come up with story ideas? You’ll go through a brainstorming process in this session where you’ll generate oodles of ideas to jumpstart your stories. You may even be inspired enough to start a draft.
Tightrope Tension: Do you want your book to captivate and create tension that makes your readers feel as if they're walking on a tightrope suspended 50 feet above ground? We’ll analyze examples from picture books, and you’ll learn strategies that will show you how to heighten the tension in your story.
Luscious Layers in Picture Books: In today’s competitive picture book market, your stories can benefit from having multiple layers to attract the attention of agents and editors. Using a variety of picture books, we’ll identify different types of layers that you might consider as you write and revise your picture books.
Valerie Bolling Bio
Valerie Bolling is an award-winning author/educator who is passionate about creating stories in which all children can see themselves and feel seen and heard, valued and validated. She is the author of eight picture books, a three-book early reader series, two board books, and two books for teachers.
She's active in the kidlit community as a member of: 12X12 Picture Book Challenge (serving as DEI Committee member and Black Affinity group co- facilitator), SCBWI, Kindling Words East Black Creatives, Diverse Verse, SWAN, the Soaring 20s co-marketing group, and three critique groups. In addition, Valerie teaches picture book classes (independently and for Boyds Mills and the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance) and presents at conferences and in schools and libraries. Teaching both students and adults, and inspiring them to write their own stories, brings her immense joy.
For more information about scheduling and fees,
please contact me at [email protected].
please contact me at [email protected].