As an author, I can trace my creative path back to definitive moments and special people who poured energy into fostering the storyteller inside me. I would not be where I am today if someone didn’t take the time to encourage my hopes and dreams. Children truly are the future, and in a time when storytelling is being reduced to memes and short captions, it’s more important than ever to build into the authors of tomorrow.

As a very young child, I met Canadian children’s author superstar, Robert Munsch. I showed him a story I’d written and illustrated myself.  “I want to be a writer someday,” I told him. He handed back my homemade book and said, “You already are.”

That was a powerful moment. Knowing a grownup believed in me and my aspirations fuelled a long pursuit of making sure he wasn’t wrong.

A writer isn’t a writer because they have books published. A writer is a writer because they write. Children are fearless storytellers and it is while they are fearless that we should teach them and encourage them and push them.

The Writer’s Café came into being when I was invited to run a short weekly program for children based on my own passion. The lessons fell into place with ease and I found the experience of the beta program invigorating. With Robert Munsch echoing in my mind, I led a group of thirteen children from brainstorming to finished stories.

I’ve designed the Writer’s Café to encourage children up to the age of twelve to embrace their voice, remove the mystery of ‘new ideas’, unlock inspiration, and discover the joy of storytelling. This five lesson program can be split into blocks to fit your own schedule.

Using the opening sentence from William Golding's Lord of the Flies, students will craft their own stories, learning that even if everyone starts from the same place, they will find themselves going in wildly different directions.

With many opportunities to contribute to discussion and participate in collective brainstorming and sharing sessions, children will learn to appreciate the diversity of imagination, and in the end, have a story to share with their families.

What Kids Are Saying:

TO BOOK ALANNA TO LEAD THIS WORKSHOP:

You need 5-15 children ages 9-12 who are academically inclined (motivated, keen, can write full sentences unassisted).

You must be located less than three hours away* and provide a space conducive to learning with tables, access to washrooms and water. Libraries, schools, churches, even a private home if there is enough table space are good options.

Alanna would prefer to run a two day program to reduce travel and accommodation expense, but is open to other options.

    COST:

• $65 per child - this includes their workbook & pens, fancy hot chocolate, etc.

• 25¢/km travel both way

• $150/night towards accommodations if you are more than an hour away

          Payment must be complete before the event

Dates can be booked before the final number of children is determined. A $150 deposit will be required to secure your date(s).

Please contact Alanna with your request. Share your preferred weekends in order of preference. (If you'd rather do two weekdays, put that in your request. It may be possible.) Give a description of the location, the number of children you expect and their approximate ages. If you have a large group, children could be split into younger and older classes as long as each class doesn't exceed 15.

TO RUN THIS WORKSHOP YOURSELF:

Order everything you need to run this workshop with the Writer's Café Super Pack! Get the teacher's manual, workbooks, and other goodies to make your seminar a success!