2022 Book Creator Profile: Angela Misri

 

Available for virtual visits in : British Columbia, Alberta, New Brunswick & Nunavut

Craft: Author

Genre: Middle-grade Fiction/Teen Fiction

Target Audience: Grades 4 – 12

Cost for School and Public Virtual Workshop Program with CCBC subsidy: $200.00

Website: www.angelamisri.com

Virtual Workshop Information

1. WRITING DYSTOPIC FICTION 
This a two-part workshop where we go through some examples of great dystopic fiction and then break it down into three working sections: plot/setting, characters and story arcs. Each working sections starts with a 15 minute discussion about the phase of writing, and then we do some guided writing (with a handout). I will then circulate through the group while they are doing the guided writing parts to draw out elements of the phase of writing. The afternoon section includes the 15 minute discussion and demo of how a story arc is built, using sticky notes (or Jamboard if we’re doing it virtually) to move the characters through the story. There are slides on the screen and questions can (and should!) be asked throughout. There may be an optional Q&A and/or book giveaway to end the session.

2. IMAGINATION AND CREATION (Grades 5-12)
This is a 45-minute presentation. I talk about the path from imagination to creation (this is visualized for the class on the screen) and how too often artists can get stuck between the two. I take them through the steps from an idea to a produced piece – whether it’s writing, or art or music. The point is to encourage that next step – actual creation – so I share some of my process in creating videos, books and art with an emphasis on the maxim that creativity takes courage and they all have it in them.
 
3. HISTORY TALKS: Research and Writing Fiction (Grades 10-12)
This is a half-hour presentation with half an hour of discussion. Tapping into the curriculum for high school in Canada, we focus our talk on Portia Adams’ time – the 1930s in Canada and in London. This is a Prezi visualized presentation, giving the students a view into the culture, social mores and political ideals of the day with a particular focus on what it was like to be a woman in the time between the two world wars. After the presentation, I open up the floor to Q&A about the time period. We wrap up the presentation with a discussion about research, sourcing and writing and how it pertains to both fiction and non-fiction writing. The class is encouraged to talk about their own experiences with researching history and I lead the discussion towards them trying some historical fiction of their own based on their interest in history.
 
4. THE MYSTERY WORKSHOP (Grades 5-12)
This is an hour-long workshop with a half-hour presentation and then half an hour of classwork/ discussion. We talk about what makes a great mystery story – from the simple to the complex, breaking down the elements; this presentation uses a custom infographic as a visual aid. I do a brief reading of Portia ‘deducing’ something in a scene, as an example. VARIATION A: We break into groups of 4 and start constructing a mystery story plot. Students receive a handout with questions that take them through the steps. VARIATION B: We take a look at three detectives from fiction (Nancy Drew, Temperance Brennan, and Portia Adams) and talk about their characters and what makes them tick. This is a highly visual presentation with lots of interaction from the audience.

Book List

ValHamster (DCB, 2022)
Trip of the Dead (DCB, 2021)
The Detective and the Spy (Cormorant, 2020)
Pickles vs the Zombies (DCB, 2019)
No Matter How Improbable (Fierce Ink Press, 2016)
Thrice Burned (Fierce Ink Press, 2015)
Jewel of the Thames (Fierce Ink Press, 2014)

Biography