The close of the quarter also means the end of the winter segment of the Ivy Hall Writers Series.
The final weeks of the winter round of the series featured such names as Margaret Atwood, author of “The Year of the Flood;” Will Pearson, president and co-founder of mental_floss magazine; and Margaret Anthony, a writer and producer for CNN. Each writer offered a wealth of information to the groups of students who got to participate in roundtable workshops with them at Ivy Hall.
Margaret Atwood
The soft-spoken Canadian novelist and poet talked to students Feb. 23 at Ivy Hall about a myriad of topics, including what she thinks separates her work from others in her genre.
Atwood is perhaps best known for her works of science fiction — although she prefers the term “speculative fiction.”
Labels are merely “bookstore conveniences,” she said. “Genres are always cross-pollenating.”
So what does make her work different from the books with “monsters, pixies and talking vegetables”?
“I write about the kind [of things] that could actually happen,” Atwood said.
Atwood also gave students insight into her creative process and how she develops characters. To connect with and understand the people in her tales, she said creates timelines of their lives and assigns each character a zodiac sign. For instance, Jimmy, from Atwood’s book “Oryx and Crake,” is a Gemini, she said.
Atwood kept students engaged with her mix of knowledge and humor.
“I thought she was interesting,” said Angelica Washington, a graduate arts administration student. “She had a very entertaining approach, which I enjoy.”
After her intimate workshop with graduate and undergraduate students, the popular author read before a packed public audience in event space 4C.
Will Pearson
Following Atwood in the winter roundup of Ivy Hall lecturers was the president and co-founder of mental_floss magazine. Pearson describes the general interest publication as one that “blurs the lines between education and entertainment.” Mental_floss puts a fun spin on facts — everything from the history of toilet paper to the origins of ice.
He said the idea for the magazine was born out of a dorm room at Duke University where he and co-founder Mangesh Hattikudur were students, and it stemmed from watching the hit game show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.”
During his March 2 workshop, Pearson offered a wealth of tips for aspiring writers. Among them: Look at yourself as a small business. Much like a business, he said, all writers should have a quick pitch — of 30 seconds or less — that sums up who they are as writers. He urged writers to start blogs and develop personal advisory boards for feedback and networking.
Pearson also invited the writers at the workshop to e-mail him personally any ideas they may have for mental_floss, with one small caveat — “know the content of the publications before you start pitching to them.”
Students said they found Pearson’s workshop helpful and inspiring.
“He’s the type of person who makes you want to go out there and attempt the impossible; to reach for higher things,” said graduate writing student Alexandria Jemison.
Pearson also gave a lecture open to the public in event space 4C.
Margaret Anthony
Although not a part of the lecture series, Margaret Anthony, a writer and producer for CNN, also stopped by Ivy Hall to workshop with students on March 4. Her visit was a part of the Ivy Hall Writers Roundtable, which is open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in SCAD’s writing program.
Anthony spoke candidly about her work at CNN and other professional experiences. She described a typical day for her at the news network and demonstrated how she creates on-air spots to promote CNN’s prime-time shows. She walked students through the process, from the brainstorming and storyboarding stages to the finished product.
Anthony also offered advice to up-and-coming writers and stressed the importance of having multiple skill sets to survive in today’s job market.
“I’m here to tell you today,” she said, “have as many functions as you possibly can.”
Anthony’s workshop also contained tidbits for students interested in other aspects of TV journalism and the inner workings of CNN.
“When she spoke about the techniques she used to create the bumps for the broadcasts, it [shed] light on things that I did not know about CNN,” said Brandon Marshall-Todd, a graduate writing student. “I hope to hear some more from her in the future.”
Coming up
The spring round of the Ivy Hall Writers Series will kick off on March 25 with a visit the Emmy-winning writer for “The Simpsons,” Joel Cohen.
Sarah Nelson, author of “So Many Books, So Little Time” and former editor-and-chief of Publishers Weekly, will kick off the Writers Roundtable series with a workshop on April 1.