MD (Mandi) Weems

Presentations

In 2014, I began to do customized writing presentations for kiddos of all ages to get them more involved in writing. Why? Because I remember when I was in school and almost everyone in my classes hated writing - I was that nerd that loved it. I also remember that it seemed there was no fun in writing at all, and there always should be fun in writing. I want to share the fun that writing can actually bring, if you have the right motivation. Note: I'm not saying that all teachers are bad at teaching writing - so don't think that. I simply know that writing is one of those areas that kids never want to do - mainly because they don't understand that the process can be fun instead of being a chore. That is what I try to teach to each kiddo that sees my presentation.

 

 

Why Hire Me?

Sure there are thousands of writers out there who will happily come speak at your school. Most of them charge much more than I do, some in the range of $5000+; however, I charge way less for one main reason: I want to inspire the kids that I speak to.

 

So what makes me different from other writers out there? I mean, I'm not a household name, I don't have movies made of my books, I don't have thousands of children's books to my name. Here's why you want to hire me: 

 

• I have been a ghostwriter/professional writer for over 18 years both in online and hard copy formats.

• I have written thousands of articles and blog posts, hundreds of ebooks, hundreds of gaming guides, and hundreds of both paperback and hardback books.

• I have worked with large and small publishing companies in all aspects of the writing process.

• I have worked with publishing companies to set up major book campaigns.

• I have worked with people around the globe on projects ranging from gaming guides to text books.

• I have had to overcome language and cultural barriers in working with people all over the world.

• I have consulted on multiple game company's upcoming games - from writing the game dialogue to character and mob creation to beta testing the games (seeing if I can break them).

• I have been honored to beta test more games than I can count simply for my writing and assessment skills to help the game developers be completely sure that their game is as close to perfect as possible before it's released.

• I have been both a beginning writer and a Managing Editor, as well as everything in between.

• I have the ability to inspire kids of all ages to write and to become better writers in school and in their lives.

• And, I am way more fun than the average writer...

 

 

What Do You Talk About?

During my presentation, I bring in several books that I had a hand in making. I explain the entire process of writing - usually starting with the fact that I can have crazy colored hair, work in my pajamas, and I get paid to play video games so I can write about them. The books that I bring in range from paperback game guides for extremely popular video games to hardcover textbook cookbooks that college courses use and everything in between. I also bring one of my books for them to see as well. The books are passed around the class for them to look at and give them a face to put to a book they are holding. Most kids, especially younger ones, don't understand that an actual person wrote every word in a book they are looking at. Giving them the opportunity to see that a real person did that, and meet that person who had a hand in making a physical book, gives them a whole new perspective on writing and the whole process.

 

I begin with the fun of writing and how there is a writing job for any topic that kids may like - video games is a huge one, but so is fashion, animals, movies, music, and more. I take them through the process of what professional writing entails and then move on to the editing process. I explain to them how to editorial process works in both a publishing company and in a writer's normal life, as well as all of the cool jobs and stages that a written piece goes through.

 

From there, we go into the design aspect of writing, which includes graphics for books, screenshots for ebooks, cover design, and more.

 

I take the class through the entire process of writing, editing, publishing, and marketing books in both large publishing companies and online in digital formats.

 

I also go through the fun of writing when dealing with people around the world. As a professional ghostwriter, I have had people travel from all over the world (as far away as Seoul, South Korea and Australia) to gain my perspective on upcoming games, written projects, and more. 

 

However, I do go over the fact that it's not all fun and games. There are times when I have sat up until the wee hours of the morning for a skype meeting with someone on the other side of the world. There are times when I have had to play game that totally stunk because I was paid to play them and write about them. There are times that I have had to work through the night on a rush project. Depending on the ages of the groups I speak to, I will make sure that they understand it's not all a glorified position - just like any job. I want to inspire kids, but I do not want to give them unrealistic expectations either.

 

Depending on the age of the class I'm presenting to, I customize the presentation to their levels: putting in more detail and information for older kids and easier to understand stages and steps for younger kids. I do allow the kids to ask questions during the presentation and we talk a lot at the end - all depending on time limits of course.

 

One thing that has surprised me out of these presentations is the interest that the kids show in the books, the process, and writing in general after I leave. I have had several teachers tell me later on that kids in their classes that they had to force to write, suddenly love to write and want to be authors. I have had parents tell me afterward that their kid went home and wrote a small book of their own, which is awesome, especially when the parent says that their child never liked to write before. I try to impart to every child in that room that writing is something that can be extremely fun, if you look at it from a different perspective.

 

One of the most memorable feedback experiences I have had was from a 3rd grade class in Tulsa, OK. The teacher emailed me a couple of days after I did a presentation for his class and told me that he had a young man that refused to write anything in class because he hated writing. After I spoke to the class, the young man came into class the next day with a small book he had written that night at home and showed it to the teacher. The teacher said that the kiddo told him that he now wanted to be a writer. The teacher said that the book the kiddo wrote was extremely creative and he was surprised at the detail that the kiddo put into the book. He asked the parents about it and the parents told the teacher that the kiddo had come straight home from school and went into his room and started writing - no video games, no playing outside, nothing - just writing. They said that he had went on and on about the author that came to his school and how he wanted to be a writer when he grew up now. The parents were amazed because this kiddo hated homework and they had to fight him nightly to get homework finished. 

 

That is why I do presentations. If even one kiddo gains a love of writing or begins to work harder in school, then any traveling, any speaking, any long hours writing presentations is all worth it.

 

 

Bookings

Want to book me for a school presentation? Here's the scoop on what you need to do:

 

For all presentation requests, please book at least 2 weeks in advance for those within a 250 mile radius. For those outside of that 250 mile radius, please book with at least 1 month advance notice. However, if you need me sooner than these time frames, please don't hesitate to ask. We'll see what we can work out that will fit both our schedules.

 

Local Visits

I am based in Stillwater, OK. For schools and libraries within a 75 mile radius (about 1 hour drive time), I am happy to do one day presentations. These 1 day presentations can be for more than one grade or more than one school. For example, if there are 2 elementary schools that would like me to visit, I can easily do one school in the morning and the other in the afternoon so they can split the costs. I am also happy to eat lunch with teachers or librarians to answer questions or give ideas on getting those stubborn kiddos to write more. I prefer to do class sized groups, however, I can easily work with larger groups of children. I want to make sure that the groups are not too large for questions.

 

For local visits, I charge $150 per day, (yes, I'm pretty cheap, and I'll explain why at the bottom of this page). If I will be speaking to a larger group of students (above normal class size), I will need to know the venue size so I can plan accordingly. Larger venues will require a microphone so that I don't have to yell across the void of faces.

 

Farther Visits

For those that are over a 2 hour drive, but can still be driven (within a 300-350 mile radius), I will require an overnight stay so I am bright eyed and bushy tailed the next morning. These further visits can also be split among different schools or libraries as well to split costs. Again, I prefer class sized groups, but I can easily work with larger groups of kiddos - such as 2-4 classes together, or several grades together in a gym, library, or other space. Please do let me know when booking if you plan to mix grades together so I can plan accordingly.

 

For farther visits, I charge $200 per day as well as lodging for the night before and a minimum booking of 2 days. If I will be speaking to a larger group of students (above normal class size), I will need to know the venue size so I can plan accordingly. Larger venues will require a microphone so that I don't have to yell across the void of faces.

 

Out of State Visits

I am always happy to do out of state visits as well. For these types of visits, I will require airfare from either Tulsa (TUL) or Oklahoma City (OKC) airport, local transportation, an overnight stay with lodging, and a minimum booking of 2 days at $350 each day. On local transportation, I am more than happy to ride with teachers or administrators or you are welcome to book a rental car for me - I am not too picky as long as I can get where I need to be. Again, please let me know if I will be speaking to a larger group of students (above normal class size), I will need to know the venue size so I can plan accordingly. Larger venues will require a microphone so that I don't have to yell across the void of faces.

 

 

Why Am I So Much Cheaper Than Other Authors?

I've been asked this question and understood the meaning behind it. Other authors out there charge anywhere from $500 into the thousands to come and speak at a school or library, so why am I so much cheaper? Here's the main reason again: because I want to inspire kids to become better writers. With the massive amount of sites on the internet today and with no sign of that growth stopping, there are so many jobs that are there for all stages of the writing process. No matter what type of personality a child has, there is some stage of the process that they will enjoy - if they can be inspired and see that it can be fun. Every aspect of their school careers will involve some type of writing, and I want to impart to them that this can be fun and not just a chore.

 

 

Ready To Book Me?

When you're ready to book me to come to your school, please email me at zownder@gmail.com, call me at (918) 527-7998, or use the contact form here on my site.