Elaine van der Geld is the author of Broke Girls Can’t Quit, a YA novel published by Groundwood Books.
Her short stories, essays, and poems regularly appear in online and print magazines, including The Kenyon Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Normal School, Grain, Contemporary Verse 2, and others.
She has received notable mentions in Best American Essays and Best Canadian Poetry, was shortlisted for both the EVENT and Room CNF contests, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC, and is a Canada Council Grant recipient.
I offer a talk about my journey to becoming an author, with a focus on the perseverance and resilience needed to build a career in the arts. I also discuss how real life informed the characters and plot of Broke Girls Can't Quit. These sessions can include a short reading, a Q&A, and a guided build-a-character or write-from-life activity, and can be adjusted as needed to suit your audience.
I offer 45- to 90-minute creative-writing workshops for teen and adult audiences. All sessions are available in person or online and can be warmly tailored to the needs of your group, setting, and schedule. I am the author of the YA novel Broke Girls Can't Quit, as well as numerous essays and short stories. As such, I'm happy to offer presentations on memoir and personal essay, writing fiction from life, building a writing routine, plotting and "dreamstorming," and finding your story.
I offer a 45- to 60-minute talk about my journey to becoming an author, with a focus on the perseverance and resilience needed to build a career in the arts. I also discuss how real life informed the characters and plot of Broke Girls Can't Quit. These sessions can include a short reading, a Q&A, and a guided build-a-character or write-from-life activity, and can be adjusted as needed to suit your audience.
With more than 20 years of teaching experience, including 10 years teaching a middle school creative writing course, I am also happy to offer 45- to 90-minute creative-writing workshops for classes of up to 25 students, for students in Grades 8–12. All sessions are available in person or online and can be warmly tailored to the needs of your group, setting, and schedule.
