AUTHOR VISITS
School VisitsI'd love to visit your school for a talk or workshop. Have a look at some of my suggestions below or I am happy to tailor a specific topic to your needs.
I have lots of great travel photos from northern Finland, so you can imagine yourself in the Ice Age. I also have a sabre tooth tiger fang I can show you. (I think it's a replica, but it still looks pretty awesome!) You can make a booking via these fabulous agencies. Speakers Ink Literary Speakers' Agency Creative Net Speakers' Agency |
My author talks and workshops are designed to inspire imagination and creativity, while imparting advice on plotting, world building, creating characters and structure. I use my own writing and research as a basis and I'm happy to tailor a talk to your requirements. I have experience talking to school groups from Year 3 through to first year High School.
I am also have experience presenting masterclasses to adult writers, at retreats and professional development meetings.
I am happy to speak in person, or via Zoom.
Some of my suggestions:
General Author Talk:
I share the historical research and real-life travel that inspired Tarin of the Mammoths. I touch on world building, developing plot, inspiration, problems encountered and using your own experiences in your writing.
World Building: What in the World?
Learn how to create an authentic world for your story. Do you want to run through a medieval market place, dodging the King’s soldiers? Or perhaps your world is set during the Ice Age, like the world of Tarin of the Mammoths? Perhaps you want your world to be magic, or have two suns and ten moons? This can be presented to larger groups with a discussion on how I create my own worlds backed up by a Powerpoint presentation, or more interactively with smaller groups, building their own worlds and settings.
Plotting: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
All stories need a plot, and this workshop looks at how to craft an exciting adventure story, filled with tips on creating tension, drama and cliff hangers. We look at using our imaginations and inspiration to keep our characters in trouble!
Characters and Character Arcs: Who are You?
No one wants to read boring, one dimensional characters. No one wants to read about perfect characters. So how do we create well developed characters that engage and inspire? How do I keep my characters interesting across a series? And most importantly - how does my character's development change the plot, drive the action and affect the resolution?
Dialogue: What are you Talking About?:
A workshop that pulls dialogue, speech tags, monologues and exposition apart. Listen to a conversation between two strangers. Now write it down, word for word. It doesn't work, does it? Our half sentences, interruptions, strange noises and rolled eyes don't translate well. So how do we craft effective dialogue that makes SENSE? Well - let me show you how!
Testimonials
Jo Sandhu was an excellent masterclass presenter who shared so much of her unique knowledge and skills with our 2019 Sunshine Writers Retreat delegates. Everyone loved her session. Not only that, Jo made the extra effort to spend quality time with our delegates and connect with them in a way that was just as valuable as her thoroughly informative workshop. She was amazing!
The boys loved Jo's presentation and they liked her tips for building the story particularly her travels to Finland for research.
It was really really good and I liked going through the photos. She took a really good photo and we all didn't know it was a fake!
I enjoyed that she had a lot of description about how she made her three books come together.
She told us about the prehistoric times and the characters. It was fun.
Jo gave us tips for our writing and it was nice to know that new and different stuff.
What a lovely person you are!
Jo Sandhu was an excellent masterclass presenter who shared so much of her unique knowledge and skills with our 2019 Sunshine Writers Retreat delegates. Everyone loved her session. Not only that, Jo made the extra effort to spend quality time with our delegates and connect with them in a way that was just as valuable as her thoroughly informative workshop. She was amazing!
- Aleesah Darlison, Award-Winning Author, Guest Speaker and Owner of Greenleaf Agency
The boys loved Jo's presentation and they liked her tips for building the story particularly her travels to Finland for research.
- St Joseph's College Gregory Terrace - November 2020
It was really really good and I liked going through the photos. She took a really good photo and we all didn't know it was a fake!
I enjoyed that she had a lot of description about how she made her three books come together.
She told us about the prehistoric times and the characters. It was fun.
Jo gave us tips for our writing and it was nice to know that new and different stuff.
- Year 6 students, Pottsville Primary School
What a lovely person you are!
- Carmel Evans Teacher Librarian, Murwillumbah East Primary School