Designed for slightly older grades and/or adults, my Zine Workshop is equal parts storytelling, word play and drawing game. It’s a great icebreaker for groups interested in creating narratives that combine words and pictures—as in graphic novels, comics and picture books. But where do you start? Where do ideas come from? And how do you get past creative blocks to put your story on the pages? Here’s how it works…

With minimal materials and randomly selected words, we begin brainstorming as a group with a discussion of ideas, free association and how everyone can find the building blocks for a story. We discuss the importance of the “page turn” as it functions like the punchline in a joke. By providing a little bit of structure, we bring down the barriers and demystify the storytelling process so that students can get to work.

Next, everyone chooses their own words at random and begins writing and drawing in blank, 8-page booklets, or zines, to sketch out their stories. It’s not unusual for students to create multiple books in just one short period that they can then share proudly with the group. In fact, that is one of the best parts—at the end of the session, each new author reads and presents their work to the group. Seeing their triumphant faces is the greatest reward!

Results are always remarkable and often hilarious! It’s no wonder that my Zine Workshop has become one of my most rewarding teaching activities. For more information on rates and bringing the Zine Workshop to your school or event, please contact me here.