Talks and Visits
School Visits
I live in the Detroit area, but I’m willing to travel. Mileage is already included unless your school is more than a one-hour drive away. Then I charge a small additional fee. For out-of-state presentations, I require travel expenses. This includes hotel fees if one-day travel is not available. Depending on times of the year, the real Topsy-Turvy Bus may be available to accompany me on school visits. Contact me for details and availability.
1 hour-long session
$500 – The presentation includes steps on becoming Climate Warriors at any age. I discuss fresh new ideas that are changing the world. I also take a look at historical pollution problems and the ideas that saved us from calamity. This is a glimpse into today’s topsy-turvy world problems, while still giving young people hope and a positive focus.
Full Day – Including 2-3 sessions
$1,000 – The presentation is the same, but I’m willing to have lunch with kids, visit classrooms, and/or help set up Climate Warrior challenges. This can also include up to three separate presentations in one day.
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Library Events
$250 – This includes a one-hour story time with adequate time for questions and audience interaction, and interactive displays. Travel expenses may be required.
“It was a ‘Topsy-Turvy’ treat to host Anita Fitch Pazner at Royal Oak Public Library as she read The Topsy-Turvy Bus to a Family audience. She also talked about cars, pollution, and the wonders of poop, which delighted our young patrons. Anita also brought different 3-d stations, one showing how composting is done, and one even providing edible ‘dirt.’ A good time was had and a good deal was learned by all.” –Tracy Karbel, Librarian at the Royal Oak Public Library
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Schedule a Visit
Professional Development Presentations
So You Published a Book? Now the Real Work Begins
As a debut author, I knew nothing about what it takes to market my shiny new book. Isn’t that what the publisher is for? Hmmmm. Not exactly. With publicity falling mainly on most author’s these days, it’s best to start early and cover all your bases. I answer questions like: “Can I get a Kirkus Review even if I’m self-published?” and “What do I need to do six-months before my book is released?” and “How do I handle pre-order sales?” or “How do I manage to book a 400-kid virtual visit without ever having to contact a school district?”
Creating Your Comic Tool Box
No, not everyone is organically funny. You don’t have to be to add humor to your writing. I explore, through picture books, middle-grade and young-adult novels, elements of comedy that can be translated into any genre. You’ll learn the tools that allow you to add humor to even the darkest of places.
“What did you say?” Perfecting Dialogue
A common mistake when creating dialogue is to take conversations verbatim, or on the flip side, write a conversation in the most grammatically correct fashion. Neither will make your work-in-progress sing. “Umm . . . like, ahhh, no!”
Plot Development: Taking random acts and transforming them into a usable plot
There are numerous plotting books and diagrams on the market and on the web. Let’s dive into the ones that make the most sense to you as a writer.
The longest possible path to publication: Don’t Give Up!
Yes! It’s my story.
Expecting the Unexpected: Writing the twist
I love a good twist. Let’s see how the pros do it. We’ll explore picture books and novels that include a twist that, although inevitable, blindsides the reader and fulfills their expectations all at the same time.
Transforming Your Everyday Language into lyrical prose
My background is journalistic, not poetic. Yet, I crave crafting lyrical prose that sings from the page. It wasn’t easy, but I learned the tools of the trade, and I’m here to share them with you.
Setting: Using it as Character
Your setting is a character. Let’s discuss how to choose one that benefits your story, and use it to its fullest potential. What do the mountains in the distance really mean to your character? Are they merely a pretty backdrop? A visual reminder of what the character needs to overcome to reach their goals? Or perhaps they are metaphors for the overbearing parents, looming in your character’s backstory.
The World is Topsy Turvy. Let’s find ways to think outside the box and live in a cleaner world
Renew, recycle, reuse, and rethink! Let’s show young people creative ways to bring about a cleaner world through innovation. This presentation coincides with my picture book, The Topsy Turvy Bus, and is geared for an elementary school audience. Released March 1, 2022.
When Good and Evil collide: Using moral ambiguity to craft a novel
In today’s hot political climate, people often see the other side as evil. Our culture is divided into severe polar opposites. That’s why, as writers, it’s important to create stories that bridge the gap and show humanity and depravity on both sides of a conflict. Human beings are rarely 100% good or 100% evil. Your characters shouldn’t be either.
