Institute Childrens Literature

Rx for Writers

Writer's Support Room - Create the Writing Life You Want

"Create Satisfying Author Visits"

by Kristi Holl

If it hasn't happened to you yet, it will. The phone rings and your third grader's teacher says, "Maribeth told us in sharing time that you're an author! Would you speak to our class about writing?" You want me to speak? you think frantically. You stutter, but you agree to come. You may have only scribbled your first story in a notebook, or you may have published six picture books. Whatever your experience, the word is out: there's an author in our midst!

If You Can Write, You Can Speak?

For most of us, author visits began in our local schools. Your neighbor, your child, your best friend who is a teacher--someone will recommend that you talk. If it's your first time, you'll shake in your boots. (Actually, it can last a lot longer than your first time. I felt nauseous before every speech the first five years!) While authors all talk about different things during their visits, I want to share some tips with you that ALL writers--regardless of publishing experience--can use BEFORE the big day. These things will make a world of difference in your experience.

I've gone to some school talks where I was overwhelmed at the preparation done by teachers and students [banners, posters, receptions]. Here my presentation generated excellent questions and responses from students. On the other hand, I've also gone home from school visits, wondering why I'd even been invited. Students hadn't been introduced to my work ahead of time, and the PE teacher was mad that I'd used the gym and he'd had to take kids outdoors. Those days I did more crowd control and babysitting than talking about writing.

What Makes the Difference?

How can you get the most out of your author visit, whether it's your first one for free or your fiftieth high-honorarium speech? Much of the success is due to what happens before the visit.

Plan ahead as far as possible. Give yourself plenty of time to think and prepare, decide what visuals you want to take, and practice your talk. Just because the school calls you and wants you tomorrow or next week, you don't have to say "yes." You can take all the time you need. Published authors often commit to speeches a year or more in advance. Even if you're talking to your son's writing class, you can "check your calendar" and offer the teacher a date 2-4 weeks away, or however long you'd like. Just because they waited till the last minute to ask you ("But we're finishing our book unit tomorrow!") always remember: their emergency is not your emergency.

Be clear about your expectations. Experienced writers know to get it in writing! State the arrangements you've discussed on the phone, the AV equipment you'll need, a schedule, the number of talks, and whatever else is important to you. Even if you're speaking for free at a local school, be clear about your expectations. After the teacher calls you, drop her a line and restate what you said in your phone call, that you're looking forward to talking with her class on ___ date at ___ time for ___minutes. Otherwise be warned! You may find yourself arriving at the school, facing a day-long series of talks in six classrooms "because the other teachers heard you were coming and surely you wouldn't mind."

Horror stories happen when you don't have clear expectations. The worst story I heard happened to a friend of mine, Connie Hizer, who agreed to talk to six classrooms one morning in a school--she did six half-hour talks. Another town called as she was leaving this school at noon and asked her stop by on her way through town and "just walk through the school so the kids could see her." She agreed. She was met at the door of this second school with a schedule for eight speeches to give that afternoon. She gave a total of fourteen speeches in one day. You can bet that NOW she is very clear IN WRITING before each event.

Write your own introduction ahead of time. This will get your presentation off to a good start and help you stay on schedule if you're talking more than once. For example, David Harrison (picture book/poetry writer) related: "Once I spoke five or six times in a day and was introduced each time by the same person. She kept adding more and more material from my presentation [she sat through it each time] so that by the end of the day there wasn't much left for me to say." A written introduction prepared ahead of time for someone to read prevents this type of problem.

Prepare the children before the visit. If you've had anything published, be sure the school has a copy of your story or book and ask that the teacher read your work to the children. The more they've read, the better prepared they are and the more excited they will be about your visit. They will ask better questions if you have a "question and answer" session. They'll know what you're talking about when you describe where you got ideas for certain aspects of the story or how it was molded into the story/book they read.

When they see the rough drafts and revisions of the story they have read, they'll have a better understanding what goes into a book--and that all writers rewrite. If they illustrate a scene from the story or book, they get a good idea of what the artist goes through in deciding what to put on the cover. When you send your story/book to school for the children to read, send a photo of yourself if you can. Then you'll be a real person to the children from the beginning.

One Last Suggestion

Ask the teacher ahead of time how to get to her classroom or the principal's office. Better yet, ask to have a child meet you at the front door and take you there. You'd be amazed how hard principals' offices are to find in some buildings. Over the years I've wandered through dozens of school kitchens and boiler rooms trying to find the main office.

Writers usually give talks at some time or another. Rather than learning the ropes by hit and miss (and several catastrophes), try these suggestions from the very first time you visit a school. Your experience--and the children's--will be vastly improved!

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