Janet loves talking to students about her favorite subject: writing!
Janet Nolan’s fun and engaging, yet very informative,
classroom and auditorium presentations celebrate the craft of writing.
Presentations are forty-five minutes to an hour in length and can be adapted to fit the needs of grammar, middle grade or high school students.
Non-Fiction Fun
Learn how to write about historical events in a personal and meaningful way
Janet discusses the importance of research: gathering information, contacting sources, and verifying facts. Janet explains to students how facts can be used to guide their writing, but it is the heart of the story that will inspire their words. She uses examples from Seven and a Half Tons of Steel, PB&J Hooray! and The Firehouse Light to illustrate the importance of finding a story’s emotional core.
For more information about Janet’s school visits,
please contact her at janet.nolan@gmail.com
Growing a Book
The development of a book from original idea to
finished product
From the first spark of an idea to a published book, Janet takes students on a journey through the publication process. Students will learn about the importance of first drafts—getting it down on the page—and, more importantly, second and third drafts, where students’ writing can be revised and improved. Janet considers revision a gift, an opportunity to try again.
Students will also learn about the specific elements of a picture book including: dummies, thumbnail sketches, finished art, double page spreads, half page spreads, the gutter, the spine, and the cover art to show how the individual pieces come together to create the whole: a picture book.
Packing a Writer’s Toolbox
Don’t Forget to Pack your Imagination!
Author + Illustrator = Magical!
Janet discusses how the writing process of a picture book author, a story told in words and images, differs from that of a middle grade or young adult author. Using examples from her own work, students will learn how picture book authors make word and language choices that leave room for illustrations.
Janet believes all students have a voice and deserve to be heard. She discusses the importance of grammar and punctuation as well as creativity and imagination in developing a writer’s voice.