No matter how hard we try, no matter how thoughtful we are, all of us at some point in our writing journey, have found ourselves staring at the screen. So what do we do?

In this interactive workshop, authors Elly Swartz and Sarah Aronson will give you 5 tips to get you unstuck and writing.

We will explore play, story boarding, dancing, emojis, and mine those old photos so that you can finish your draft and share your story.

Together let’s get unstuck. Advocate for your imagination. Trust us, this will be fun!

Elly Swartz is the acclaimed author of five middle grade novels: Finding Perfect, Smart Cookie, Give and Take, Dear Student and Hidden Truths (coming Halloween 2023). Swartz’s books reflect her commitment to raising awareness about mental health and have been referred to as “toolkit for kid’s hearts.” Her debut novel, Finding Perfect, was named one of the Best Children’s Books About Mental Health by the Child Mind Institute and her most recent book, Dear Student was recommended by Parents Magazine and named to Publishers Weekly 2022 Children’s Books for Mental Health Awareness. Swartz studied psychology at Boston University and received her JD at Georgetown University School of Law. She travels the country meeting with thousands of students each year to empower their own personal narrative. Swartz resides in Massachusetts. Connect with Elly at ellyswartz.com, on Twitter @ellyswartz or on Instagram or Threads @ellyswartzbooks.

Sarah Aronson began writing for kids and teens when someone in an exercise class dared her to try. Since then, she has earned an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and published the following books for kids and teens: Head Case, Beyond Lucky, and Believe, a young MG series, The Wish List as well as Just Like Rube Goldberg, illustrated by Robert Neubecker, and Brand New Bubbe, illustrated by Ariel Landy. Get ready to speak your truth with Sarah's next book, a picture book biography of Bella Abzug, called Abzuglutely! (Calkins Creek, Astra Publishing) in 2024. When Sarah is not writing or reading (or making great soup or riding her bike), she is talking to readers about creativity, writing, social action, and of course, sparkle power! She loves working with other writers in one of her classes at the amazing Highlights Foundation, SCBWI, or Writers on the Net. Warning: When she gets really excited, she makes funny faces and talks with her hands. Don’t be shocked if she talks about the power of play. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Live Class: How to Get Creatively Unstuck ~ Tips for Reaching Beyond Your Creative Comfort Zone