Teen Ink Workshop by  Lara Zielin, author of Donut Days.
Saturday,  January 30, 2010 3:00 – 5:30

 Do you have a poem, story, or even a novel that you want to share with the world? But do you wonder how you, as a teen, go about getting something published? Never fear! Author Lara Zielin has tips and tricks for teens who want to take the first steps toward getting their work into the public eye. From figuring out the right market to contacting editors to avoiding publishing scams, Lara has the right road map for young writers, using examples from her own writing journey. In conjunction with the workshop, Lara will also be doing a reading from her debut novel, DONUT DAYS.

Anthony Horowitz talks faster than anyone I have ever heard.  After 45 minutes of intense listening, I was exhausted!  But he was also funny and very entertaining.  I was happy to hear him, along with some die-hard Alex Rider fans from our Teen Advisory Board.  Horowitz spoke about how he came up with names for his characters, his least favorite character, how his sons help in  his work, and how he got some of his ideas.  I was surprised when he said that at the beginning of the series  he wasn't going to have any gadgets in the series because he didn't want it to copy James Bond.  I'm glad he changed his mind - I think most of us like that part.  My favorite part was when he said emphatically that reading is not passive - the reader is in collaboration with the author to discover new ideas. (I wish my parents thought that when I was a kid and reading all the time - they would give me more chores since I "wasn't doing anything" ).  Did you go to hear Anthony Horowitz?  What was your favorite part?  What did you think?  Add your comments, below.