Author and Illustrator LiveLink — formerly known as Youth Online

Our popular author/illustrator talk program, offered to schools throughout the region and beyond, via video link and smartboard. This year, presenters will include local author John Heffernan (two workshops) local author-illustrators Kathy Creamer and Fiona McDonald, and Booked In visiting guest authors Jan Latta and Belinda Murrell.

Benefits of the program to children:

• access to professional writers that would not otherwise be able to visit the area
• specific skills for particular projects
• teachers can incorporate this professional input into class projects
• direct contact with writers inspires and encourages
• provides insight into the life of a writer
• developing communication skills through interviewing
• encouraging reading, discussion of stories, and extending reading ability

The Youth Online (YOL) project is a writing program developed by us to take writing skills to youth in the region—particularly in isolated areas, via video-conferencing and smartboards.

They also get to learn the technical side of things such as:

• drafting
• editing
• publishing
• developing voice and characters
• understanding point-of-view
• how to use dialogue
• how to turn personal experience into something broader
• improving the school newspaper