Inspiring creativity in kids!
From children’s books to news articles, Chenée loves storytelling in every form!
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Not only that, but she loves sharing her passion with young writers and inspiring them to get creative.
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Chenée offers author talks, as well as workshops in creative writing and journalism.
Author talks
In these sessions, Chenée shares her own creative adventure. She talks about her path to becoming an author (including her time as a TV journalist), podcasting, the things that inspire her stories and the process of writing a book.
Workshops
These sessions are all about unlocking imagination and getting kids excited about writing.
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It takes a lot of bravery to write a story and quite often, the hardest part is getting started. Chenée helps kids build their confidence by having fun with words. Her workshops are engaging, interactive and fast paced.
Workshops are tailored to fit the age and needs of each group. Depending on the length of a session, workshops can include a mixture of creative writing and journalism if requested.
Creative Writing Workshops
Suitable for Grades 4 -12
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Topics:
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Growing an idea
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Story structure and plot
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Bringing characters to life
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Getting messy with a first draft (and how to tidy it up in edits!)
Journalism Workshops
Suitable for Grades 4-12
Topics:
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Sniffing out a good story
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Interview techniques
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How to write a news article
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How to write a review (Books, movies, games and more!)
Reach out for a flyer featuring more details on presentations and available workshops.
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Chenée’s rates are based on the Australian Society of Authors’ recommended minimums.
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For a quote, please contact Chenée.
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TESTIMONIALS
"From ballerina to journalist to author, Chenée Marrapodi was an absolute gift to our book week. Our students were engaged from the moment she began sharing her literary journey. We appreciated that she was down to earth and made her story accessible to our students; with a series of life lessons and advice intertwined. The message of ‘don’t give up’ was clear and could apply beyond the writing circle. We loved hearing the story behind writing ‘One Wrong Turn’. We couldn’t recommend Chenée more!"
JANINE WALSH, ST BRIGID'S COLLEGE
“Some of our most talented young writers were involved in a series of workshops, uniquely crafted by Chenée to enhance their writing skills. Our boys absolutely loved the chance to connect with a ‘real-life’ writer. Chenée designed engaging and purposeful learning tasks whilst also weaving in her experiences as both a writer and journalist. The boys were captivated by her industry stories. Her enthusiasm and passion for books brought a wonderful energy into the classroom. The writing tips she shared saw the boys bursting to put their pen to paper and dabble with the messy job of being a writer. We were thrilled to host Chenée on campus.”
VANESSA HALLETT, HALE SCHOOL
"Chenée was a motivating presenter. She kept the students' attention and interest. She taught them some useful writing techniques. She related well to the age group/audience. She encouraged the right amount of collaboration. It was great to see her slide show on being a journalist as well. Very inspiring for the students!"
THERESE CIANFRINI, WINTHROP PRIMARY SCHOOL
"What a fantastic workshop led by Chenée Marrapodi. Students were fully engaged and actively involved in all the writing activities. It was great to have a 'coming of age' workshop appropriate for year 6 students. The day sped by!"
FELICIA HARRIS, METHODIST LADIES COLLEGE
"I loved today's session! The variety of activities – group work/partner, time for writing, balancing ballerinas, competition sentence starter –were fantastic. It was also great for students to hear about a journalism career stemming from a love of reading and writing."
ASHLEIGH CINELLO, SCOTCH COLLEGE
"Chenée is very relatable. I love how she encouraged the students to 'not be scared' and keep writing. It was great for the students to explore very different writing techniques."
LAURA BELL-OCEJO, WINTERFOLD PRIMARY SCHOOL
"Chenée did a fantastic job of working the crowd and keeping students engaged. Students were introduced to multiple ways to start the creative process of writing and the possible outcomes."
EMILY MILLS, SOUTH COAST BAPTIST COLLEGE
"Chenée was engaging and provided great ways to get the kids excited about writing. The activities had our kids writing which sometimes can be tricky!"
HAYLEY PARTINGTON, TUART FOREST PRIMARY