For Students in Grades 5-8

Everything I Know About Writing, I Learned from Professional Wrestling

Young Authors Conference Thursday, March 14, 2019

Northland Community & Technical College Thief River Falls, MN 9:15 am - 2:30 pm (8:45 Registration/Check In)

AUDIENCE: The YAC is targeted to students in grades 5-8. The day will begin with an opening session and each student will attend 3 breakout sessions.

COST PER STUDENT: $35.00 Schools are billed after the conference for the number of students registered. Late registration will cost $5.00 more per student.

LUNCH: Lunch is not provided. Participants bring their own lunch and beverage. No refrigeration is available.

ADULT/STUDENT RATIO: One chaperone is requested for every 10 students and each student must have a designated chaperone.

SUPPLIES: Students will be given a notebook. We ask that students DO NOT bring backpacks or other unnecessary things to the conference. Cell phones must be turned off during the keynote and breakout sessions.

ITEMS FOR SALE: Some presenters may have books for sale at the Book Fair. A list of books and other materials will be sent to the school contact prior to the conference.

EARLY DEPARTURE: You must indicate on the registration page if you will need to depart the conference early. If you need to depart within 30 minutes of the beginning of the third breakout session you may not be assigned a third session so the session is not disrupted.

CONFIRMATION: Following registration, a mailing will be sent to school contacts with additional details for the day, breakout session assignments and student tickets for each session, site maps, chaperone and lunch instructions and more. School contacts distribute breakout session tickets to their students prior to the YAC, keeping in mind a student’s specific interests with an effort for each student to attend a well-balanced variety of sessions.

QUESTIONS: Sadie Miller, Student Programs Assistant 218-681-0900 ex. 105 [email protected]

Registration deadline: February 8, 2019

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2019 Young Author’s Conference March 14, 2019 Northland Community and Technical College 9:15 am - 2:30 pm A one-day event designed to celebrate the arts, nature, science, creativity, and problem-solving for students in grades 5-8. The 2019 Young Author’s Conference will inspire young students in this hands-on event that encourages self-expression, critical thinking, and creativity. The day will begin with an opening session for all students with breakout sessions to follow. Each student will attend three breakout sessions. (An overview of sessions is included in this brochure.) School contacts distribute breakout session tickets to their students prior to the festival, keeping in mind a student’s specific interests with an effort for each student to attend a well- balanced variety of sessions. Agenda 8:45 - 9:00 Registration & Check-in 9:15 - 9:55 Announcements & Keynote: Everything I Know About Writing, I Learned from Professional Wrestling - Ryan Jacobson 10:05 - 11:00 Breakout Session 1 11:10 - 12:05 Breakout Session 2 or First Lunch and Autograph Session 11:55 - 12:50 Breakout Session 2 or Second Lunch and Autograph Session 1:00 - 1:55 Breakout Session 3 2:00 - 2:30 Autographing Session 2:30 Departure

Key Note: Everything I Know About Writing, I Learned from Professional Wrestling Heroes, villains, epic battles, drama — professional wrestling has it all. In fact, it has everything a writer needs to tell a great story. Award-winning author Ryan Jacobson examines the various elements of everybody’s favorite scripted sport and uses them to introduce students to concepts like character development, conflict, and plot twists. So grab a ringside seat, and get ready for a wild and hilarious time learning how writers can learn a lot from professional wrestlers! (See breakout session description for Ryan's Bio!)

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Sessions Page Room Write, Publish, & Sell, Yes You Can! 5 Creating Your Own Wild Images 5 Writing a Movie Scene 5 The No Fail Plot Plan 6 Inter-Galactic Wrestling Character 6 Creation Dear Cousin… A Snail Mail Revolution! 6 Superpower - Look What I Can Do 7

Train of Fate 7 What If? 7 Flash Fiction or the Short, Short Story 8 Scriptfrenzy! 8 Writing a Movie Scene 8 Writing about Nature through the 9 Eyes of a Wildlife Photographer Flash Fiction! 9 Registration Form 10

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Write, Publish, and Sell - Yes You Can! You are old enough to be a published author. It just takes a little know-how. Award-winning author Ryan Jacobson presents information on choosing a topic, building a story, publishing a book, and even selling it on Amazon – all without needing to spend a dime. This session is fun and full of information, and it’s for anyone who’s ready to become a published author this year! Ryan Jacobson is the author of more than 50 titles - including everything from comic books and ghost stories to “choose your path” adventures and football biographies. On top of that, he has nearly 15 years of experience working at a book publishing company, and he is the co-owner of a publishing company, too. The award winning author greatly enjoys sharing his knowledge of writing and book publishing at schools and special events. When he isn’t working on books, Ryan likes to build LEGO sets, play board games, and try new restaurants. He lives in East Central Minnesota with his wife and two sons. For more about Ryan, visit AuthorRyanJacobson.com.

Creating Your Own Wild Images Imagine a Martian teapot pouring tea for three young girls as they fly to the moon on the back of a great horned owl. Susan will share her personal experiences, which she used to write Tina Christina Sestina, and will encourage participants to rethink events from their lives to create their own wild images for a story. Susan Hawkinson lives north of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. She has been writing and performing her play for the past three years. She is the author of Tina Christina Sestina: A Northwoods Adventure. Tina Christina’s next adventure is the subject of her play, Paddle off the Map.

Writing a Movie Scene Who doesn’t love movies? Every movie you’ve seen is first written out as a screenplay before it’s shown on the silver screen. In this session, we’ll explore screenwriting and talk about what makes a screenplay such a modern, exciting form of writing. We’ll watch a film clip and then the fun begins – we’ll write a movie scene together and act it out! Bly Pope earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. He is a professional studio artist and art teacher, and has a movie script that has been optioned by a Hollywood agent. Together, he and his twin brother have written four full-length screenplays. Illustrated an original book, and have written and illustrated a book of poetry. He teaches at MCAD and the University of Minnesota.

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The No Fail Plot Plan What make a story move? What makes the reader keep turning the pages? What makes a story a story? Plot! What’s the secret to a great plot? Find out in this session - it might be simpler and more fun than you expect. In fact, you’ll write your own story - I mean book! - using the No Fail Plot Plan - a plan you can use for all your stories! Margi Preus is the author of the Newbery Honor book Heart of a Samurai and other books for young readers, including the Minnesota Book Award winning West of the Moon, and the Midwest Booksellers Choice Award book The Clue in the Trees, part of the Enchantment Lake mystery series. Her books have won multiple awards, landed on the New York Times bestseller list, been honored as ALA/ALSC Notables, selected as an NPR Backseat Book Club pick, chosen for community reads, and translated into many languages. She lives in Duluth where she likes to ski, hike, paddle, or sit quietly with a book in her lap.

Inter-Galactic Wrestling Character Creation In this presentation we will imagine that the earth has been challenged by aliens (Inter-Galactic Wrestling Federation) to compete in a galaxy wrestling tournament to determine what planet has the best wrestlers. Students will use a provided handout that includes tutorials and helpful things to create a human or an alien wrestler and other fun material. Scott Rolfs is a freelance illustrator that creates kid friendly art for clients, enjoys drawing comics, drawing caricature of guests at parties and events and attends comic conventions.

“Dear Cousin…”: A Snail Mail Revolution! In her latest book, The Twelve Days of Christmas in North Dakota, Roxane Salonen introduces Henry, whose hand-written letter to his cousin Piper inviting her to his home for Christmas begins a great adventure. What is this strange thing known in ancient history as a “letter?” Together we’ll explore how the lost art of letter-writing can still be valuable in a digital world of smartphones and laptops, and maybe even start a Snail Mail Revolution! Roxane B. Salonen, a wife and mother of five from Fargo, N.D., is an awarding- winning children’s author, newspaper columnist, radio host and speaker. Roxane loves coffee and hanging out with her friends and family, including her dog, Snickers, and cats, Spice and Skittles. Her previous children’s books include “First Salmon,” and “P is for Peace Garden: A North Dakota Alphabet.”

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Superpower—Look What I Can Do Create a story about having a superpower. Explain how you got it, experience the new things you can do. Share how you help others, surprise your family and have a little fun. Include some interesting plot twists with lots of good details. Bob Gasch has been telling stories in schools, libraries and for special events for over thirty-four years. His presentations help people become more aware of and interested in history.

Train of Fate Life went off track for Ranier’s Smokey Dog and that thieving Raven. If only Smokey Dog had stayed off the Cantilever Bridge! If only Raven wasn’t caught stealing a charbroil burger at the BBQ! Stories are full of good and bad decisions. In this workshop we will invent new characters and decide what makes your characters click clack. Naomi Woods writes and paints on the railroad tracks in Ranier. Naomi’s house shimmies in earthquakes each time the train passes. The clickity-clackity, whistle blasting, shaking train keeps Naomi on track with her writing ideas.

What If? Who likes problems? Readers do! Conflict is essential to an exciting story. Get ready to ask “What if?” as we dream up story problems. Sheryl Peterson is the author of 24 non-fiction books and one award winning picture book. She lives and writes on the shores of Rainy Lake, outside International Falls, MN.

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Flash Fiction or the Short, Short Story Have you heard of flash fiction, micro-fiction, or the vignette? No matter what name you give the short, short story, it is a challenging form with a rich literary tradition. In this session, we’ll study examples of famous short, short stories; and students will have an opportunity to compose at least two stories of their own. Experience the amazing things you can accomplish using fifty-five words or less. William Durbin lives on Lake Vermilion at the edge of Minnesota's Boundary Waters Wilderness. A winner of the Great Lakes Book Award and a two-time winner of the Minnesota Book award, he has published thirteen novels for young readers, including, The Broken Blade, Wintering, Blackwater Ben, The Darkest Evening, Song of Sampo Lake, and The Winter War. His latest work, authored with his wife Barbara, is Dead Man’s Rapids. For more information visit his website at www.williamdurbin.com.

Scriptfrenzy! Scriptfrenzy is a play writing workshop where students create characters and write scenes. We’ll read the opening of a short play together, then create characters and continue the story. Students can chose to share their descriptions and scenes if they like. Mary Aalgard is a playwright and piano/theater teacher, living in the heart of Minnesota. She writes theater reviews and supports the arts through her blog Play off the Page. She teaches youth theater workshops in the Brainerd lakes area, writes articles for regional magazines, and works with both seniors and youth in multi-generational programs to enhance quality of life and build community. Her website is playoffthepage.com. You can follow her on her Play off the Page Facebook page, @MaryAalgaard on Twitter, and email her at Mary@playoffthe page.com

Writing a Movie Scene Have you ever wanted to write and star in your own movie? Now’s your chance! Before a blockbuster movie is shown in theaters, it starts out as a screenplay. In this session, we’ll talk about what a screenplay looks like and what makes it such a unique, modern, and exciting form of writing. We’ll watch a film clip and then the fun begins -- we’ll collaborate on writing a movie scene together and act it out! Rowan Pope earned his B.A. from Stanford University and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Minnesota. He is a professor at the U of M and at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and he is a screenwriter and studio artist, whose meticulous drawings explore the human condition through visual narratives. He has written four original screenplays with his twin brother Bly.

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Writing about Nature through the Eyes of a Wildlife Photographer Have you ever seen something unusual in nature and caught yourself saying, “If I would have only had my camera” or have you ever had a great idea for a story about a special outdoor experience, but you just weren’t sure how to put it down on paper? We’ll discuss these topics and how a camera can be a valuable researching tool for nature writing as we take a photographic journey from the planning stages through the completion of poems for posters and greeting cards, articles for newspapers, stories for magazines, and manuscripts for books. Steve Maanum is an educator, writer, photographer, and storyteller. All of those backgrounds are blended together as he helps his audiences make connections to nature through a series of writing activities. He says, “It seems like everyone can relate to nature on some level. It might be a favorite outdoor location, activity, or family memory, but whatever it is, it contains a story just waiting to be told.” Although he has published four e-books (It’s Raining Ducklings, Jasper Sound, Spending Time with Loons, and My Endless Childhood), most of his writing has been for magazines and newspapers, including his columns titled, “From Backyards to Backwoods” and “My Endless Childhood”. Work samples can be viewed at www.stevemaanum.com.

Flash Fiction! Flash fiction is a popular new form of the short story--only much shorter. How do you write it? Mary Casanova will help you craft your own flash fiction to grab the reader's attention. Fast! Mary Casanova - Ever since high school - when I discovered the power of words - I wanted to be a writer. In required essays and in my journal writing, words were my paintbrush, a way of interpreting the world and exploring my thoughts. I found my voice and discovered my dream of writing books for children.

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The Young Author’s Conference is a program of the Northwest Service Cooperative 114 West 1st Street, Thief River Falls, MN 56701 www.nw-service.k12.mn.us

2019 Young Author’s Conference Registration Form March 14, 2019 Northland Community & Technical College Thief River Falls, MN 56701 9:15 am - 2:00 pm Cost: $35.00/Student

Contact person ______

School District ______

Work phone ______Cell phone (in case of weather cancellation)______

Email address ______

School Chaperone (s) ______

All students should have a designated chaperone with one adult chaperone recommended for every 10 students.

Our school district/building would like to register _____ students. *Any registration after the deadline will result in a $5.00 fee per student registered.* **Permission is granted to the NW Service Cooperative to photograph student(s) and to use the photograph in print, broadcast, video, Web, Public Service Announcement, media release or relating marketing and communications materials. The image will be used to communicate the programs of the NW Service Cooperative. (No individual names will be printed.) If there are students who can not be photographed, please let us know and we will make sure they aren’t in any pictures.

Schools will be billed after the Young Author’s Conference for the number of students registered to attend.

Register by February 8th, 2019: Sadie Miller, Student Programs Assistant [email protected] 218-681-0900 ext. 105 Fax: 218-681-0915

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