School Visits
As a creative writing teacher for The Writers Circle, I am known for comprehensive yet entertaining workshops:
- “Tara Lazar is very knowledgeable.”
- “Excellent! Full of information and extremely motivating.”
- “She even answered questions I did not know I had!”
- “Great insights and such a wealth of info.”
And now I am available for school visits!
HOORAY! (I am so excited. I hope you are, too.)
I can tailor a program to meet your specific classroom needs, or you can choose from these workshops/presentations:
- A Storm in Your Brain: Brainstorming and idea-generating exercises to expand your students’ imaginations and help them create exciting stories.
- From Lightbulb to Nightlight: How a picture book is made, from first idea to finished book.
- Don’t Lollygag, Lollapalooza!: Explore fun, tongue-twisting words and expand vocabulary through word games like “Monster Mash-Up” and “Onomatopoeia Olympics”.
My programs typically run 40-50 minutes including a question & answer period. Or, I can accommodate your time slot(s).
Recommended grade range is Kindergarten through 4th grade. Preferred location is the NJ-NY metro area, but I may be able to travel further. Sponsor’s expenses include presentation fee, transportation, lodging (if necessary) and meals. (I recommend hosting a small “author lunch”. I’ll dine with lucky students who win a contest you create.)
Beginning in the 2013-2014 school year, I will be able to offer readings and signings of my debut picture book, THE MONSTORE. Schools can order copies direct from my publisher at a discount and I’ll sign and personalize each one.
Please inquire at tarawrites (at) yahoo (dot) com for a program brochure, fees, availability, and to discuss your specific needs.
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Events
I’ll be at the following conferences/events in 2013:
NJ-SCBWI Annual Conference
June 7-9, 2013
Princeton, NJ
(Presenter)
The Bookworm Reading/Book Signing
June 20, 2013
3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
99 Claremont Road
Bernardsville, NJ
Watchung Booksellers Reading/Book Signing
October 19, 2013
10:30 a.m.
54 Fairfield Street
Montclair, NJ
Please Touch Museum Monster Mash
October 26, 2013
Time TBA
4231 Avenue of the Republic
Philadelphia, PA
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Skype Visits
Yes, I can do Skype Visits! I will be offering free visits as well as in-depth fee-based programs. Stay tuned for more info or inquire at tarawrites (at) yahoo (dot) com.
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Book Reviews
I occasionally review picture books and middle-grade novels on my blog. If you’d like to send a book for review, please contact me first at tarawrites (at) yahoo (dot com). Please note that I only review books I truly enjoy (and those I have time for). So I cannot guarantee a review, but I never post a negative review.
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Manuscript Critiques
Occasionally I’ll offer free critiques on this blog, so be sure to subscribe via email so you don’t miss out!
While I don’t offer fee-based critiques at this time, I will donate critiques to auctions and charitable causes. In the past I’ve donated to the Kidlit Cares auction for Sandy relief, the Bridget Zinn Auctions, the Kidlit4Japan event, and Jean Reidy’s “Light Up the Library” auction. Please contact me if you’d like me to donate a critique to your event.
Please do not send me your manuscript unsolicited. Due to time constraints and legal concerns, I cannot open it nor critique it.
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As a children's book author and mother of two, I'm pushing a stroller along the road to publication. I collect shiny doodads on the journey and share them here. You've found a kidlit treasure box.
21 comments
Comments feed for this article
March 9, 2009 at 9:00 pm
CA
I look forward to visiting your blog for added inspiration.
April 8, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Taylor Beisler
Nice!
Keep writing; that’s definitely the key!! 
I just recently became a YA author and that was some hard work right there, but it was truly worth while. 
Hope your writing becomes a success!
God bless,
Taylor J. Beisler
http://www.taylorbeisler.com
http://www.eloquentbooks.com/ArintSaratir-WarriorsLight.html
May 2, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Robin Tyndall
Thanks Taylor! I love your site! (Mine is dull.) I am an aspiring YA and kidlit writer but I love flash fiction (just entered the WOW contest). Your site reaffirms I’m not alone in the journey.
May 13, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Donald Saxman
I found your site when we bid on the same critique on the Bridget Zinn auction. What kind of high tech marketing did you do?
I’ve published about 80 non-fiction technology market reports over the years and my day job is a proposal writer and business analyst. But what I REALLY want to do is publish science fiction. I’ve published a few SF role playing games over the years but (as I bet you already know) none of this is the same if you love fiction writing.
Anyway, I’d be happy to exchange any information on non-fiction writing, especially technology analysis, and can assist in getting this kind of thing published through a non-fiction writer’s co-op (see http://www.stix-market-research.com).
I’m pretty good at this, but am pretty bad at marketing my YA-ish science fiction novels and could use all the help I can get in this area (see http://www.thesestrangeworlds.com).
Maybe there’s somebody out there who is a marvel at YA marketing who badly wants to get into tech analysis (seems unlikely, but I can dream).
June 2, 2009 at 10:47 am
Vicki
Hi Tara
Congrats on all of this! I didn’t realise you wrote. Hope to bump in to you sometime and catch up on the kids.
Vicki
July 6, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Taylor
Hi there! I just now saw your comment! I’m so sorry…life is really busy.
And, thank you about my site! Yours is not dull at all; it’s clean-cut and nice to look at…believe me: a lot of people get all caught up in a bunch of fancy stuff and it looks crazy. This is nice! That’s so great that you are an aspiring YA author; you’re right: you are definitely not alone out there! Keep writing! I hope to see your name on a book shelf some day!
God bless,
Taylor J. Beisler
July 29, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Nina Aksell
Hi. I just found your blog and want to thank you for this great resource. I’ll be popping by regularly.
September 1, 2009 at 4:29 am
Nicola Morgan
Hi
So sorry to bother you but I notice that you’ve very kindly linked to my publishing blog (Help! I Need a Publisher!) on your blog. I need to tell you that I’ve just moved it to a new address and I’d be really grateful if you could find time to change your link.
The new address is: http://www.helpineedapublisher.blogspot.com
If you want to confirm that this is actually me, do go to the old blog at http://www.need2bpublished.blogspot.com through your existing link, and see the message I have left there.
Thank you!
Best wishes
Nicola
Nicola Morgan, children’s author
http://www.nicolamorgan.co.uk
http://www.helpineedapublublisher.blogspot.com
September 7, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Chris Wilson
Hi Tara –
Came across your blog through a link on someone else’s blog (linda-leftbrainwrite). I just started a website myself a few months ago, on children’s literature. Still not sure where I’m going with it, but was told I should add a page on how to get published.
Like you, I LOVE children’s books and someday hope to write one. Unlike you, I’m not currently working on one. Am still trying to make money doing the stuff I’ve done in the past (writing articles & newsletters, editing, and a little copywriting thrown in now and then).
I’m bookmarking your blog, and will probably mention it in my own blog at my Kids-and-Books site.
Good luck getting published!
November 11, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Jean Reagan
Hi Tara.
Nice to hear from you via Maw’s blog. Yes, I definitely remember meeting you at the Blueboard party before the Rutgers conference. Now I’ve found your blog. Looking forward to checking in regularly.
Jean
November 18, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Debbie Austin
Hi, Tara.
Great blog! Deb Lund recommended your blog on her blog so I’m a little late in arriving. Can I still join in the PiBoIdMo or is it too late? I’ve been doing NaNoWriMo but more just to keep my writing thing a daily habit. I’ve been using it to write (a very rough draft) of a story a day. I’m a little behind on that goal but your blog has injected me with newfound enthusiasm.
Thanks,
Debbie
November 18, 2009 at 1:11 pm
tara
Welcome Debbie! You can jump in at any date. At the end of the month, if you’ve collected 30 ideas (that’s the goal), can you take the PiBoIdMo pledge and qualify for one of the three grand prizes, an agent review. There’s still 12 days left in the month, you can do 2 ideas a day to catch up!
November 28, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Jodi
I am really enjoying your site! I am trying to come up with all my 30 ideas! I started late, so that is an extra challenge! I have enjoed all of the inspiration and information you have to offer here! Do I need to do anything else to join the challenge besides come back on 12.1 to take the pledge?
November 29, 2009 at 4:57 pm
tara
Hi Jodi. You don’t need to do anything else to sign in. Maybe next year I’ll have a sign up AND a pledge at the end, but I didn’t have that foresight for this first year. All you need to do is return on December 1 and sign the “I’ve got 30 ideas” pledge.
December 5, 2009 at 1:58 am
StoryPlease
Hi Tara!
We’re in the same boat you’re in — except working on iPhone publishing on a new platform called StoryPlease!. Thanks so much for your blog… this is incredibly helpful stuff. Actually, we’re doing an open call for authors and illustrators right now if you’re interested, check us out!
Check out our app if you have a chance =) We’d love to get feedback and we’re actively looking for new authors and illustrators to make funny, lighthearted books with strong characters.
Here’s the link to the website:
http://bit.ly/STORYPLEASE
Link to iPhone app: (also works on iPod Touch)
http://bit.ly/getStoryPlease
December 5, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Janice D. Green
Looking over your blog… It’s fantastic. I’ve put in my favorite places and will be back. Hope I can get into your 30 ideas for PBs next year. Guess I missed it this time around.
December 6, 2009 at 2:11 am
tara
Thanks, Janice. Sorry you missed PiBoIdMo! But I will be hosting it again next year. Be sure to visit Paula Yoo’s site for NaPiBoWriWee, the first week in May.
December 22, 2009 at 5:01 pm
darlene Jacobson
I, too am a writer for children and am looking to connect with other writers online. I love your blog and hope you will visit mine. I’ll add you to my list of writer’s if you like. darlenebeckjacobson@blogspot.com. May 2010 be a successful year for us.
March 31, 2010 at 12:57 am
Trent Aitken-Smith
Hey Tara. Just surfed my way onto your blog via tags and really enjoyed the posts I have had time to read. One question that quickly surfaced after a post was, did you create a “dummy” picture book before submitting it to agents and do you think this is the best way to go? I have just decided to do this with my PB purely because I thought just sending a MS looked so plain and boring. Hope to read more of your posts soon.
October 31, 2010 at 1:22 pm
tara
Trent, you shouldn’t submit a manuscript in anything other than the standard format–double-spaced, 12 pt font–unless, of course, the guidelines state otherwise. The dummy is more for the writer’s benefit–to understand where logical page turns happen, to understand scenes, to help the pacing of the story. Submitting a dummy may cause your manuscript to be overlooked or rejected for not conforming to standards.
June 19, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Author School Visit Vlog! In Which I Appear Very Animated and Slightly Ethereal « Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)
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