J. FitzGerald McCurdy

Readings

The content of my presentation includes a demonstration of the difference between writing a book and writing a film; the power of imagination; the historic roots of fantasy and the “great plot” concept; magic as metaphor; how characters become strong; hilarious tales about my own characters; reading of a brief passage from one of my books in The Serpent’s Egg and The Mole Wars trilogies. Presentation ends with questions from students.

Workshops

The content of my workshops includes: the power of words; plotting a fantasy story; the hierarchy of characters; developing likeable heroes and fantastic antagonists; the rationale for secondary characters; what is magic; creating and easing tension in the story; using learned allusion to give deeper meaning to the story; writing to make readers feel strong emotion. Workshops are given in a relaxed, interactive, environment.

Book Sales:

Copies of books can be brought to be sold and autographed.

Other Presentations

The content for keynote addresses focuses on how literacy affects every facet of society. There is no formula for instant success. Canadian idols may have their moment of fame, but they will disappear quickly if they are not literate. Importance of reading; how reading improves writing and feeds the imagination. Importance of fantasy as moral literature; the “great plot” and why it survived.

Biography

J. FitzGerald McCurdy was born in Ontario and grew up in Canada’s smallest province. But she has been known to insist that she is from Gondor, a mythical land in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. She studied English Literature at Concordia University in Montreal, and obtained a Law Degree from the University of Ottawa. She lives in Ottawa where she is currently working on her seventh book.