I would love to visit your school, library, or writers group. I’m also happy to attend conferences, book festivals, or teen book clubs. Keep reading to learn more about my workshops and presentations.

Create Characters Worth Following

This workshop will use exercises, visual aids, and tips that really help students to get to know their characters. Starting with the vital stats that tell us little more than what we can learn from a driver’s license, we’ll add layers, details, and back story that make the story practically start writing itself. Students will see how these details will not only bring the characters to life, but make the story more vibrant as well.

Pieces and Parts

Every story is made up of the basics of character, plot, and setting. How many characters should you use? How detailed should your plot be? How does an author decide where to set the story? What about all those other story elements such as genre, point-of-view, tense, backstory? What’s the difference between a short story, novelette, novella, and novel? In this workshop we’ll discuss all of these elements and how to decide to best use them.

How an Idea Becomes a Book

You’ve got what you’re sure is the perfect idea for a story. Now what? We’ll talk about how to develop that idea into a first draft, the multiple revisions that come next (including the necessity of kill-your-darlings), the benefits of working with critique partners, finding an agent and selling the book or going indie, further revisions, and then the process of checking galleys, writing flap cover and so on.

Buffet Style

Tell me which aspects of the writing process you’d like me to talk about and I’ll do it! (Within the scope of my abilities, of course.)

THEMES

(These are the topics/issues covered in my books that I am passionate about and would love to talk to your group about.)

• Dating Violence

• Bullying & Teen Suicide

• Divorce

• Death of a Family Member

OTHER

Day in the Life

What’s it really like to be an author? I’ll tell you about my own writing journey and what some of the things are that you have to do if you want to be an author.

Self-Publishing vs. Traditional and What’s a Hybrid?

There are so many ways to get your work out there now. I’ll speak about each of the options and what the pros and cons are of each.

Start by sending me an email giving me details on when, where, and what at Shawn @ Shawn-McGuire .com (remove the spaces)

RATES

Local Visits (no further than 60 minutes from my home in Parker, Colorado)

Half-Day (2 sessions + book signing) $250 + travel*

Full-Day (up to 4 sessions + book signing) $400 + travel* – Please allow 10-15 minute breaks between sessions.

Visits Requiring Travel (more than a 2 hour drive from Parker, Colorado)

Full-Day visits only (up to 4 sessions + book signing) $400 + travel* and overnight expenses if applicable – Please allow 10-15 minute breaks between sessions.

*I’ll drive 30 minutes for no additional charge. My travel rate is $25 for each additional 30 minutes of travel. This is a roundtrip rate.

COPIES OF MY BOOKS

You may purchase copies of all of my book through Amazon or CreateSpace (Sticks and Stones, Break My Bones, Never Hurt Me, Had a Great Fall, Back Together Again).

You may also purchase copies directly through me at the discounted rate of $10/book. If you would like the discounted rate, the books must be paid for at least one month in advance.

The most positive aspect of the workshop was “The interaction with students. Allowing their input and questions to lead the direction of the workshop.” Jeanette Nelson, creative writing teacher – Daniel C. Oakes High School, Castle Rock, CO

“You opened my eyes and helped develop my skills in character development. Your activity of making a character was awesome and I hop you continue to do it with other students!” – student – Daniel C. Oakes High School, Castle Rock, CO

“I found your workshop on character development to be most informative and helpful. I always have trouble developing a character. In the past I always wrote the character as part of the story and they were rather shallow, but the way you taught us to develop characters has been quite helpful.” – student – Daniel C. Oakes High School, Castle Rock, CO

“Meeting you was something special that most schools don’t take advantage of, so we’re very thankful that you chose our family at Daniel C. Oakes High School for the wonderful experience.” – student – Daniel C. Oakes High School, Castle Rock, CO

“Loved how flexible you were & just let the class lead you.” Jeanette Nelson, creative writing teacher – Daniel C. Oakes High School, Castle Rock, CO