Author Visits & Workshops
Ashley enjoys providing engaging workshops for middle school, high school, and college students that focus on unlocking their own voice. While many elements of craft are important, as a vocalist and writer, Ashley understands that the real heart to storytelling is embracing your identity and confidently leaning into your worldview.
Ashley is available for in person and virtual events. Please contact her for availability, rates, and other booking details.
The Writer's Journey
(45 mins)
Ashley has been a writer since she was five years old, and since then, she has never stopped writing. In this 45 minute talk, Ashley will share her journey with young writers (8-12), about her first published book, her experiences with poetry, writing in high school, in college––all the way until where she is now.
Young writers are encouraged to share their own writing journey with her during the Q&A portion of this discussion.
Finding Your Voice
(45 min)
Music is a powerful tool and is the source for much of Ashley's inspiration. As a singer and songwriter, she's interested in the architecture of lyrics and sonic landscapes. Yet, as a children's writer, she's interested in how music can become the soundtrack to our narratives––literally.
In this 45 minute workshop for young writers (8-12), Ashley will share her process of how musicians and their music can shape a story and help find their unique writer's voice. In addition, she will provide musical writing exercises and prompts to help understand the parallels between both mediums and how they interact with one another.
Externalizing the Internal Narrative
(80 mins)
As a writer, Ashley faced difficulties externalizing an internalized plot. After years of exploration and reflection, she realized her neurodivergence contributed to the distance editors and agents often remarked about.
In this 80 minute collaborative lecture, Ashley invites writers of all backgrounds into how the study of screenplays helped her engage with the plot from the inside out. Through an amalgamation of exercises borrowed from well known craft writers and tailored for externalization, Ashley will lead all writers to creating accessible narratives.
Writing for Kids for Adults
(90 mins)
First taught at UCR's MFA Residency in Palm Desert (2023), Ashley invites advanced writers to tap into their inner child, and explore what needs went unmet in those formative years.
In this 90 minute collaborative lecture, she discusses her own journey of the transition from writing for adults to a middle grade or young adult audience. In addition to discussions of genre and craft––plot, emotional landscape, and voice and identity––Ashley also guides graduate writers through a series of meditations and exercises to rediscover the world through the eyes of a child.
