Education

Sara enjoys sharing her love of books and writing with students of all ages and writing levels. She offers interactive workshops and other speaking events about being a writer.

 

"Music to Massage the Muse"
(appropriate for 4th grade and up)

This one-hour workshop uses music to inspire even the most reluctant students to write. Sara covers:

•	Creative writing jobs outside of books and magazines--"Somebody had to write what's on the back of the cereal box you were reading at breakfast this morning."
•	The writer's life--"I get red ink and have to do rewrites on my work too."
•	How to use different forms of music to inspire even the most reluctant students to write. From techno to classical to just plain weird, Sara has a stash of unusual music guaranteed to massage the muses of students young and old.
•	Spiderwebbing--By connecting the students' music-inspired ideas, Sara helps the class form a backbone for a story.
•	Flash fiction--Using the 5 W 's and an H , Sara helps students begin to flesh out the skeleton story into a full piece.

Here's what past participants had to say about "Music to Massage the Muse":

This workshop gave my students a love of writing. As a direct result of the workshop, two students began writing books, chapter by chapter. The class eagerly read their new installments, and enthusiasm spread. Now, several months later, we spend time almost every day reading aloud from someone's book. 

After this workshop, my students finally understood how to give their writing voice. The workshop gave them the tools they needed to make their writing more expressive and personal.

My students didn't want Sara Francis Fujimura to leave! 

- Sarah Green, 5th grade teacher, Meridian Elementary, Gilbert, AZ

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I saw the light of imagination shining from the eyes of my students after the workshop. Some could scarcely stop writing!

- George Self, 5th grade teacher, Mesa, AZ

 

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"Writing 101: Marketing Your Muse "
(appropriate for teens and adults)

This one-hour workshop covers basic writing skills in both fiction and nonfiction. It includes:

•	You've written the next best seller. Now what do you do with it?
•	How to write a query letter.
•	How to format you manuscript.
•	How to decipher editorial calendars and guidelines.
•	How to get your foot in the door and create your own possibilities.

 

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**NEW** "What's the Scoop: How to Write Fun, Informative Nonfiction"

(appropriate for 3rd grade and up)

This one-hour workshop covers:

•	Finding the scoop--How to uncover stories people want to read about.
•	"Just the facts, ma'am."--How to sort facts from gossip.
•	Get to the point already--Using the 5 W's and an H in an inverted pyramid format to structure your article.
•	Learning how to write a newspaper article from scratch using a fun story featuring the students' teacher. Strong emphasis is placed on the editing and revising process.
•	This workshop is a great springboard for teachers wanting to start a class (or grade) newspaper.

Want a brochure about the "Muse" workshops? Click here for a pdf version.

 

 

WHAT IS SARA WORKING ON NOW?

"School is back in session, and I am gearing up to teach MUSE again at several Valley schools. I can't wait to get back into the classroom. I love to see the faces of kids who 'hate to write' when they suddenly discover the well of creativity inside them. I am currently at work on a new brochure (and corresponding webpage) for my newest writing workshop: What's the Scoop: How to Write Fun, Informative Nonfiction. I'm hoping that this new workshop will inspire teachers and students to start their own class (or grade) newspaper."--September 2009.