I’ve spent most of my life fighting my brain by listening to writing advice (and advice in general) intended for those with neurotypical brains (a fancy way of describing the general public). Little did I know that my brain works a little differently.
Despite having undiagnosed ADHD most of my life, I managed to struggle through writing and publishing six books for middle-grade and teen readers. Now, I use neurodivergent techniques to write my books, including time management, organization, and living a life with better well-being.
I grew up thinking I hated reading. It turns out it was ADHD, making it a struggle to engage in anything that didn’t grab my enthusiastic interest.
Things that grab my enthusiastic interest:
—Storytelling with Dungeons and Dragons
—3D printing
—Learning animation with Blender
—Learning coding with Inkle
—Nature photography
—And, yes, writing.
I have written book reviews for CM magazine and have taught countless workshops for schools, school divisions, libraries, universities, BCLA, BCTELA, Writer’s Union, BC Writer’s Federation, Canadian Authors Association, Surrey International Writers Conference, BC Raise a Reader, and many after-school programs. From 2006 – 2009, I was the president of CWILL BC. I work in a library, helping to run a recording studio and assisting patrons with digital creative projects.
Whether your students write contemporary tales or fantasy epics, the popular game of Dungeons and Dragons can make you a better writer. See how modern writers have been influenced by creating characters, maps, and collaborative storytelling to work through tricky plot points!
In this workshop, participants will play and write a modified version of the popular role-playing game and unlock that story hiding within themselves through collaborative storytelling and dice rolling!
At the end of this workshop, your students will have the tools to say goodbye to writer’s block forever and get their novel written and polished.
(This workshop requires participants to have their own computer or a computer lab and the ability to download and install the open-source program Inkle.)
Creative writing and computer coding at the same time! This creative writing workshop teaches students to program in Ink, a free Python-based open-source program, to write interactive stories like Choose Your Own Adventure books that can be transformed into game apps.
Get ready for a dynamic and interactive learning experience! This workshop is a fusion of basic computer programming skills and creative writing, designed to be engaging and fun.
Why fight your brain? Most writing advice is great for those with neurotypical brains (a fancy way of describing the general public), but what about those whose brains work a little differently?
Despite having undiagnosed ADHD most of my life, I managed to struggle through writing and publishing six books for middle-grade and teen readers. Now, I use neurodivergent techniques to write my books, including time management, organization, and living a life with better well-being.
Join me in an interactive workshop where we delve into my story creation process, starting with my first story—my personal journey. Explore the two dozen jobs I’ve had, how I found my way to bookselling, writing novels, working in a library, and how playing Dungeons and Dragons shaped the writer I am today.
Your students will learn what it’s like to become an author through my personal story as someone brought up to believe he hated reading, only to discover that my brain just doesn’t work in the way I was being taught. We’ll discuss characters and their relationship to the world—and how being ADHD played both a strength and a struggle in writing them.
Discover the art of storytelling from the most important story—you! Learn how to ignite that tale and how to keep it alive. This workshop will empower you with the tools and techniques to unleash your creative potential.
Suitable for all ages.
