Writing for Children Workshops
From getting started to getting published to getting the word out about your children’s book, we’ll cover it all! It will be high energy, non-stop fun—and Michelle promises to bring the chocolate!
Specifically, we’ll explore:
- The many different types of children’s books—from board books to picture books to middle grade fiction—and where your story fits best, as well as non-fiction versus fiction.
- The “make or break it” building blocks that your story must have to keep an editor’s attention and a child’s enthusiasm.
- The process—from idea to finished story…
- The myths and truths of children’s writing, answering those lingering questions you’ve been dying to ask, like, “Do I need an agent?”
- The various venues for your children’s stories—from magazines to websites to anthologies to curriculum to library books.
- The best ways to format your board and picture books for successful submissions, as well as the keys to building a killer book proposal for your tween and teen fiction and non-fiction books.
- The elements of an intriguing query letter and the most effective ways to get your foot in the door with publishers today.
- Ways to come up with great article/book ideas and what to do with those genius ideas once you have them…
- Methods for marketing your published children’s book(s) once you enter “The Published Author World.” (Getting TV interviews, newspaper articles, celebrity endorsements, etc.)
- How to enjoy the journey on the way to publication…
In this session, Michelle will give tips for breaking into the world of children’s/youth magazines, and she’ll teach participants how to hook up with library publishers and write several books a year! She’ll show participants that you can earn consistent cash and gain essential experience writing for kiddos…
In this session, Michelle will discuss children’s books—from board books to YA, and everything in between. You’ll learn the proper word counts for various kinds of children’s books, layout, submission formatting and useful tips that will answer questions such as: “Where does my book fit?” and “How do I break into the world of children’s books?” If you’ve got questions, she’s got answers! Aspiring children’s writers will love this session!
Michelle teaches you the 10 most misleading mindsets concerning the world of children’s writing, and she also shares the truth. And let’s face it—the truth will set you free and put you on the road to publication!! Don’t be fooled anymore. Find out the real deal and begin selling those children’s stories and books!
As the author of more than 30 published children’s books, including her award-winning board book, “God Knows You” and her best-selling “What Is…” series, Michelle shares some do’s and don’ts that have taken her manuscripts out of the slush pile and into the editors’ hands. Great for beginning children’s writers!
If you’ve always wanted to write for children, but you don’t have any kiddos of your own (or your children are already grown), don’t despair! Having children isn’t a requirement for publishing great children’s books. Join her for this informational session and learn how to get into the head of a child; learn kid lingo; find and develop kid-friendly ideas; etc.
Want to be a children’s writer but not sure where to begin? In this workshop, Michelle gives you ten tips that will send you in the right direction. You’ll discover how to come up with ideas, how to find the right publisher, how to break into the market and more!
Career Workshops
- Tips to writing effectively in someone else’s voice
- How to make the most of an interview
- How to find ghostwriting assignments
- The importance of a ghostwriting contract
- The various kinds of ghostwriting opportunities & more
Beginning writers unite! If “querying with clips” is impossible for you because you’ve not yet been published, or if your only writing award is for a poem you wrote in third grade—you need immediate results. Come to this session and discover how to build your credentials in a hurry while learning and earning…
Michelle has three words for you—Specialize, specialize, specialize! Are you an expert at something? Are you passionate about a particular hobby or interest? Then, you’re on your way to carving out a freelance niche in today’s competitive marketplace. Come to this Session and get on the path to publication and compensation!
When the well runs dry, how can writers generate articles that will sell? How can we tap into new markets? How can we remarket what we’ve already written? Those are just some of the questions Michelle addresses in this inspiring and practical session.
Article ideas. Book ideas. Short story ideas. Where do they come from, and how can we find them? In this session, we’ll discuss where to find good ideas; what to do with those ideas once you’ve discovered them; how to turn those ideas into marketable articles/books; and how to find publications to buy them. Bring your ideas, a notebook, some chocolate for me, and we’ll have a brainstorming session that’s guaranteed to produce sellable stuff!
Let’s face it; if you don’t hook your reader with a captivating lead, that reader will be long gone. Leads set the pace, set the tone, capture curiosity, create an atmosphere, and provide the pull that makes a reader continue on. In this session, we will talk about the different kinds of leads, and learn which ones are most effective for certain types of articles. Bring several of your articles with you, and we’ll “try out” different leads on them. It’ll be fun!
In this session, full-time freelance journalist and author Michelle Medlock Adams discusses what it takes to become a full-time freelance writer. When Michelle quit her “day job” in December 1999 to pursue a freelance writing career, she also left behind that wonderful, regular paycheck. After being on her own for almost three years, she’s learned many lessons that she will share in this discussion. Specifically, she’ll cover: how to prepare to launch out; how to find writing gigs; how to keep clients coming back; and how to enjoy the journey.
After being in this business for more than 25 years, (Yes I began at age 5, haha) Michelle Medlock Adams has enough rejection letters to wallpaper most of her home. But, that’s all a part of the process. In this session, she will help writers “read between the lines” of their rejection letters; use the letters to their advantage; and finally, turn that rejection slip into a contract.
If you’re feeling discouraged and confused, wondering if God can ever use your writing skills for Him, join Michelle Medlock Adams for this session. The life of a writer isn’t always an easy one, but it is definitely worth it! If you need reminded that God uses imperfect people (even writers with lots of rejection slips and no best-selling books), join her for this inspirational session. This session is guaranteed to put the pep back in your step! 🙂 (And, she will have chocolate for all who attend!)
When Michelle quit her 9-to-5 magazine writing job in 2000 and entered the world of fulltime freelance writing, she learned (through trial and error) how to earn consistent cash. Come to this session and discover how to double your fun and finances as a freelance writer! This is always a writers’ conference favorite!
Great! You’ve secured an interview with the person who will totally enrich your article. Now what? Learn to add life to your non-fiction articles and books by getting the most out of those all-important interviews. In this session, you’ll discover how to get an interview, prepare for it, nail it and use those quotes effectively in your work!
Michelle Medlock Adams graduated from Indiana University with a degree in journalism and began her writing career as a newspaper reporter, so research has been a big part of her life for more than 25 years. As a regular contributor to The Believer’s Voice of Victory, HomeLife, Light & Life Magazine, Christian Single, Elegant Lifestyle, American Cheerleader and several other magazines, she knows the tricks to gaining important interviews, getting reliable sources, and pulling important statistics and facts from the Internet. In this workshop, Michelle will cover six keys to good research and offer some red flags that will protect you from unreliable research.
Christian Writing Workshops
Harness the power of a preacher’s message by clipping, condensing or expanding sections of your morning worship into thought-provoking articles. Also, learn how and where to sell those articles once you’ve crafted them! (This is great for pastors who desire to write alongside their preaching…)
You can do it! –From a single message to a ten-week series, you can follow this step-by-step procedure to convert sermons into books that perpetuate the message, as well as discover tips for finding a publisher for those books. (This is great for pastors who desire to write alongside their preaching.)
So, the conference is drawing to a close, and you’re overwhelmed, overtired and overwrought. Don’t despair! Join Michelle for this practical and inspiring session, and get a plan for when you get home. You’ll walk away with five steps to get you going in the right direction—the direction of publication, compensation and jubilation!
Writing for both Christian and general markets, Michelle often sprinkles biblical truth throughout her mainstream articles and books. In this workshop, she discusses ways to weave the Word into general-market pieces without turning off readers and editors.
