YA author talks for grades 7-12
I would love to visit your middle school, high school, or library to chat about writing! In general, I’ll give a short reading from my debut YA novel, I’ll Be There for You, and answer any questions about craft, the writing process, tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way, and my path to publication. Presentations can also incorporate one of the three topics below, or I can create something unique to suit your needs.
Feel free to share this page with other teachers, librarians, PTO/PTA members, and parents as well.
If you would like more information or to schedule a visit, please email me at brieannawilkoffauthor@gmail.com.
50,000 Acts of Kindness
In conjunction with I’ll Be There for You, I’ve launched an initiative aimed at inspiring 50,000 acts of kindness (read more at kindnessdominoeffect.com). We’ll talk about how students can replicate one of the novel’s acts of kindness—writing uplifting messages on Post-it notes, which can be placed on lockers, bathroom mirrors, etc. We can do this together during my visit, or I can leave custom book-themed Post-its for you and the students to use afterward.
Embracing Revision
Revision is often messy, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Revising I’ll Be There for You involved everything from writing new scenes and chapters, addressing an overused sentence structure, and rewriting the ending to changing the genre and protagonist of the story. I will share some of the changes I made to the novel and why and will offer advice for ways to approach revision, both practically and attitudinally.
Real-Deal Characters
Characters are the heart of the story and are often why readers remember books long after they turn the last page. I’ll walk students through three techniques I use to develop realistic, believable, well-rounded characters, providing examples from my notes and brainstorming work on I’ll Be There for You. This presentation can also be conducted as a hands-on workshop.
Pricing for the 2023-2024 school year
For classes that have read I’ll Be There for You, I’m happy to donate a free 15-minute virtual visit. I can be booked for longer sessions as follows:
In-person visits
$200/hour
Half day: $400
Full day: $700
Evening: $150
In-person visits outside the Greater Columbus area require a full day plus travel expenses.
Virtual visits
$50/30 minutes or $100/hour
A 30-minute visit will include a Q&A without a presentation/workshop.
Book signings
For students (or staff!) who would like a signed copy, I personalize books in a special way: I add my inscription to the fictional kind messages on the “reverse burn book” pages at the end. During my visit, students can also sign a real-life reverse burn book by writing something nice about someone they know. I’ll feature these messages on my website and social media!
Purchase the book
If you’d like to purchase copies of I’ll Be There for You, I encourage you to support your local independent bookstore. For those in the Columbus, Ohio, area, I’ve partnered with Cover to Cover Children’s Books: