Writing & Communications

 WRITE TO YOUR DREAMS

We’re born to be big dreamers. Most of us have visualized ourselves in the spotlight: revving up a crowd, winning a championship, curing a disease, or leading people to better lives. Today, as we’re bombarded with messages of fame, glory, protest and struggle, that’s truer than ever. In “Write to Your Dreams,” students discover how to use nonfiction writing as a tool to touch their biggest goals. Author and journalist Tim O’Shei takes them on a high-energy, interactive tour through the stories of presidents, big-league athletes and coaches, Hollywood performers and real-life superheroes. They’ll learn lessons in thinking big, making tough choices, overcoming rejection and being resilient. They’ll also discover exciting ways to use their research, reporting, writing and speaking skills to pursue their dreams.

Format: Keynote or assembly; can be extended into a hands-on workshop.

Audience: Students grades K-12 (content is leveled for age interest); staff development workshop; parent-child programs. “Write to Your Dreams” can be extended with the “Adventures in Nonfiction” workshop.”

 

ADVENTURES IN TRUTH: THE REAL FUN OF WRITING

Nonfiction writing should be fun. But it isn’t always that way, and this workshop is designed to change that. In “Adventures in Nonfiction,” author Tim O’Shei helps you transform writing into a engaging, exciting and active activity. The author of 60-plus books and a veteran journalist who has interviewed presidents, sports stars and Hollywood celebrities, Tim shares the research and storytelling skills needed to create powerful nonfiction.

He reveals:

• the three ways to begin a writing piece;
• the magic question that injects energy into every part of the writing process;
• how to sprinkle gems into writing;
• how to dig like a detective and turn small details into big examples;
• ways to make writing a fully immersed, participatory experience.

This fast-paced, interactive workshop is loaded with stories about Tim’s own experiences interviewing some of today’s most famous athletes, entertainers and newsmakers (and even an anecdote about his one-time appearance as a boy-band tambourine player). By the end, students, teachers and writers of all kinds will be excited to create clear, engaging and energetic prose.

Format: Workshop for small, mid-size and large groups

Audience: Students grades K-12 (content is leveled for age interest); staff development workshop; parent-child programs. This workshop can be paired with “Write to Your Dreams.”