Negotiable Deborah Savage encourages students of all ages to listen for their most honest voice and to write from that place. In her workshops and presentations, Deborah uses characters from her young adult novels to illustrate this process of creation. Workshops and residencies can focus on character development, the use of language or plot design. Students work on writing exercises individually or in groups. Seymour Simckes conducts writing workshops to help students find their own voices through brief exercises that jump-start the imagination, encourage spontaneity and draw upon life experience, fantasy and the dictionary as springboards.
Students read aloud, discuss their work and publish an anthology.
Students join in the creative steps of Jonathan and His Mommy, the street games of Irene and the Big Fine Nickel, the rap of Dawn's Friends, or an African-American slave girl's Johnkankus Christmas celebration. Students can re-enact the Johnkankus festival using props provided by the author. Irene also shows slides, talks about the writing process and how a story becomes a book, and relates her experiences as a writer. Teacher workshops and seminars are available. Elementary and middle school sessions can be integrated with classroom units.