INTRODUCING....

This is the cover for BEHOLDING BEE, which will be in bookstores in February.

Inside the front flap, the copy will read:

"Bee is an orphan who lives with a carnival and sleeps in the back of a tractor trailer. Every day she endures taunts for the birthmark on her face, though she prefers to think of it as a precious diamond.

Then one day a scruffy dog shows up, as unwanted as she, and Bee realizes she must find a home for them both. Soon she discovers a cozy house with gingerbread trim that reminds her of frosting. There two mysterious women, Mrs. Swift and Mrs. Potter, take her in. They clothe her, though their clothes are oddly out of date. They feed her, though there is nothing in the house to eat. And, strangest of all, only Bee seems able to see them. Whoever these women are, they matter. They matter to Bee. And they are helping Bee realize that she, too, matters to the world. If only she will let herself be a part of it.

This tender novel from an acclaimed writer beautifully captures the pain of isolation and the healing power of community."

I am proofing final edits this month, and am getting more and more excited to welcome BEE into the world!

WRITING WORKSHOPS

Writing Workshops

with

Kimberly Newton Fusco 

As a children’s author, I enjoy meeting young people and sharing my passion for writing. I love to watch the faces of students who realize that when we write from the deepest places within ourselves we become very powerful writers.  My role is to encourage, and I do that with great enthusiasm!

I offer hands-on, practical writing strategies that directly support school curricula and standardized writing assessments.  My workshops are creative and inspiring and consistently receive high praise from teachers and students.

 

Since I write for middle grade and young adult audiences, I am able to present a range of programs to fit many curriculum needs and grade levels.  I also speak with teachers and give writing workshops to adults.

 

Workshops:

DIGGING FOR GOLD - A writing workshop on inspiration and the creative process, with free-writing, imagery, metaphor, and figurative language.  Students learn to shut down their inner-editor so they can write deeply and poetically.  Students “show” without “telling,” and are often surprised at how much their writing improves when they write from a place deep within themselves.  With group sharing and revision. All ages.

CREATING CHARACTERS THAT LEAP OFF THE PAGE – Great characters don’t just happen, they are planned. What makes a strong character?  What’s the difference between a boring character and an awesome character?  How do you create main characters who are worthy of their starring role, and villains who have some depth and a little bit of goodness to them as well?  Remember, most people aren’t ALL good or ALL bad.  This workshop will focus on creating characters that sizzle. Includes handouts. All ages.

READY FOR A RIDE?  - A rollercoaster is a great way to picture how to plot a novel.  In this workshop we plan the Beginning (What kind of rollercoaster are we riding?), the Exciting Event (Getting on the Rollercoaster), Rising Action (Climbing the Big Hill) the Top of the Rollercoaster (the Climax), the Falling Action (Speeding Down the Tracks), and the Ending (Getting Off the Rollercoaster).  This workshop (requires a  2-hour presentation) is a fiction planning workshop and when the day is over, students will be ready to begin writing a short story or novel on their own.  Includes handouts.  Grades 4 and up.

ONE AUTHOR’S LIFE – I have written three successful novels and love to talk about how I dreamed up each one.  I talk about where ideas come from, how I plot and plan a novel, how I created characters that would resonate with readers, and how I kept writing when the writing got tough. Students are often surprised how much rewriting is involved in the writing process. This is also a workshop on having a dream and the persistence and discipline necessary to stay on course.  All ages.

A WRITER ON THE SIX TRAITS OF WRITING – Professional writers use the Six Traits of Writing that teachers are teaching nationwide because they work: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions.  An author might call coming up with “ideas” day-dreaming and “organization” might be a plot or scene sketch.  An author might check for “sentence fluency” and be thinking, where is the poetry in this line?  An author usually calls “conventions” editing or the final draft.  But the truth is, we use these traits every day.   Find out how an author incorporates these traits into the writing life.  Includes handouts and writing/revising time. All ages.

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Additional Information

- I give up to two presentations per school visit, plus a book signing if desired.  Each presentation runs 45 minutes to one hour. (An alternative would be a two-hour workshop for 25 students, such as is required for the READY FOR A RIDE? workshop.)

- Each presentation should include no more than 25 students, and should be offered in a classroom or similar small space.

- Teachers interested in a book-signing may order my books through Random House at http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/set-up-a-visit/

- I am also available to speak to larger audiences, assemblies, conferences and literature festivals. To make those arrangements, please contact Lisa McClatchy, Author Appearance Coordinator, Random House Children’s Books. liske@aol.com

- I have many teachers/librarians who will provide references. Please ask.