Writing Workshops, Book Talks & Keynote Presentations

Kris regularly speaks at writing conferences, schools, and business events. She has taught workshops for Fortune 500 companies, military commands, and university groups, and she has given talks from small book clubs to standing-room only audiences at public events.  Some of her favorites writing workshops and presentations include:

Grammartopia

When we think about grammar, often we think of the dry instruction we received in school or the intimidating jargon we never quite learned. But strong grammar is essential to powerful communication, no matter the form or genre. “Grammartopia” is a game-show style panel, where three to twelve contestants battle it out for grammar prowess in this entertaining and educational program. What was the punctuation mark first found in graffiti of ancient Pompeii? A member of what boy band once left the stage mid-concert to correct a fan’s sign?  Should we “flesh out” or “flush out” an idea? Prizes for winners and audience members include book edits, professional development workshops, free books, and more.

“Story Stop Tour” Events

Initiated as part of the virtual book tour for Kris Spisak’s third book, The Family Story Workbook, her Story Stop Tour events take on two formats:

  • Programs with local storytellers taking the virtual spotlight, sharing the family stories that shaped them as well as memories from their own lives that impacted their personal missions and the greater world around them.
  • Workshops where attendees are guided through memory prompts and creative techniques for preserving their own stories in more powerful ways than ever before.

In partnership with indie bookstores, writing organizations, historical societies, and community groups, Story Stop Tour events can spark profound community conversations and treasured personal histories.

“Secrets of Process-Driven Editing” Workshop

Yes, there can be a method to the editing madness. Having a revision strategy in place and clearly defined goals can bring your manuscript draft from average to awesome if you’re ready to put in the effort. Don’t skip the necessary steps that allow your project to become what you’ve always envisioned it could be. In this workshop, attendees learn how to rethink their editing processes, dividing it into three stages. All will walk away with macro-editing goalposts and techniques, micro-editing cheat-sheets and strategies, proofreading tactics to put to use right away, and the knowledge that self-editing is an essential tool in every successful writer’s toolbelt.

“Find & Replace – Editing Secrets” Workshop

Just like any other piece of the writing process, editing is a craft to be learned. So often the best of stories are held back not by the author’s creativity but by common typos, cliché phrasings, and vague descriptions that don’t hook the reader as much as they could. How can an opening go beyond what readers have seen before? How can a writer think past smiles, nods, and glances? How can a simple interaction come alive? In this workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to brainstorm weak story examples together and will be given a “cheat sheet” to bring their writing to the next level using Kris’s favorite editing technique.

“Mining Your Life Story for Memoir or Fiction”

No matter who you are, you have stories to tell, and some of these stories are made to be captured on the page. Whether you have always wanted to write your life story but just haven’t quite known where to start, or whether you have been curious about how you could transform your own experiences into a fictionalized narrative, this workshop is crafted to enable you to dive in. It is designed for anyone ready to mine their memories to create something powerful, just for themselves or for greater audiences.

“Changing the World One Word at a Time” Presentation

There are more people writing today than ever before in human history. We use language effectively to communicate personally and professionally, and getting it right matters. After all, what is more important than connecting with other humans—across the office and across the world—through our language? Those concerned about the state of writing today will be shocked to learn that the first known use of “OMG” was in a 1917 letter to Winston Churchill, and an argument can be made that connects modern-day emoji and Egyptian hieroglyphs. In Kris’s presentation, “Changing the World One Word at a Time,” she will share the fascinating history of the English language, everyday strategies for elevating our communications, and where writing may be headed in the future.

Baba Yaga: Witch, Godmother, Feminist

Every culture has stories about witches, but Baba Yaga is so much more than just a witch. She may grant your wish or eat you for supper. She might imprison you within the gates of her fence made of human bones, or she might give you the power to create your own destiny. Living in a hut that stands on chicken legs deep in the woods, flying through the skies in a mortar and pestle, Baba Yaga is a complicated icon of fear and female identity itself.

This presentation is ideal for book clubs and university settings, and can easily be paired with Kris’s forthcoming novel, The Baba Yaga Mask, publishing details coming soon…

Unraveling Wonderland: The Hidden Secrets of Lewis Carroll’s Alice Books

So often considered simply “nonsense,” Lewis Carroll’s famous children’s books are actually much more thoughtful than most readers ever notice. Steeped in allegories and philosophical examination, Charles Dodgson (writing as Lewis Carroll) explores complex subjects such as identity, politics, education, social norms and etiquette, and more–if we only take the time to look. His questions about the world we live in are as relevant today as ever.

This presentation is ideal for book clubs and university settings, and it can easily be paired with Kris’s forthcoming novel, Cheshire Smiles, publishing details coming soon…