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Click here to sign up for Dr. Sontag’s Newsletter and get the freebie of the interactive pre-release of Aeneid Jr. This free gift to subscribers will only be available until January 1, 2026. After that, the Aeneid Jr. will be available from mesontag@gmali.com for $6.50.

If you’d like a signed copy of a book by Dr. Sontag, use this form. Send her the name of the book, along with your name and address. You will receive an  invoice for the Amazon cost of the book, plus $2.50 for shipping. You will also receive Venmo or PayPal information for payment.

You can click this link to book an author visit. Here is a list of  topics:

  1. Chasing Your Dreams
    – Motivation and Inspiration
    – Example of Ryan Murphy, Three-time Olympic gold medalist
    – What inspiration and motivation means, and how I find these for my writing
    – How students can find and maintain inspiration and motivation
  2. The Writing Process – Like Baking a Cake!
    – What’s involved in the fiction writing process
    – Personal writing-process examples
    – Tips for students when writing fiction
  3. Dreams Are Like Hard Boiled Eggs
    – How I pursued my childhood dream of becoming an author
    – Help students identify dreams they have
    – Motivate students to pursue their dreams

Here is a list of workshops for authors:

  1. Setting: Support Your Theme and Advance your Plot
    This presentation includes a PowerPoint to illustrate concepts presented in the workshop. Handouts and prompts will be provided, allowing writers time to process and practice the items discussed. Length – approximately 60 minutes. Available to present online (ZOOM, for example), or live.
  2. Shallow vs. Deep Point of View
    How can we pull readers into our stories, helping them identify better with the emotions experienced by our characters? Use Deep Point of View. This presentation includes a PowerPoint to illustrate concepts presented in the workshop. Handouts and prompts will be provided, allowing writers time to process and practice the items discussed. Length – approximately 60 minutes. Available to present online (ZOOM, for example), or live.
  3. Wrapping Your Head Around Theme and Plot
    Through discussion and a PowerPoint, this presentation will illustrate the Moral Premise and how it relates to a story’s theme and plot structure. Discussions and links regarding the Hero’s Journey, The Virgin’s Promise, and The W Plot will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each plotting method. Links to planning sheets for each structure will be provided, as well as Character Arc Plot Charts. Length: approximately 60-90 minutes. Available to present online (ZOOM, for example), or live.
  4. Research: How to Write Believable Fiction
    This presentation discusses how background research for fiction can either pull you into a story making it more compelling and believable or throw you out of a story when it’s not properly conducted and/or presented. Potential research pitfalls will be illustrated and discussed, as well as suggested places to investigate when conducting research for a story. Interactive research exercises will be explored providing authors with time and practice to discover helpful background information needed for their specific genre and story ideas. Length: approximately 60-90 minutes. Available to present online (ZOOM, for example), or live.
  5. Mirror Moments and Other Novel Reflections
    Through discussion and a PowerPoint providing examples of the items we will workshop, participants will identify what comprises a “mirror moment” in a movie or a novel. We will also discuss formats for structuring a novel such as “Save the Cat,” “Virgin’s Promise,” and the “W Plot.” Bring a work in progress, a published book, or a favorite novel to use as workshop material. Length: approximately 60-90 minutes. Available to present online (ZOOM, for example), or live.

Here’s a sample of Dr. Sontag interacting with students and parents: