I have given presentations about all sorts of elements of my writing career to all sorts of audiences – including book groups, writers, travelers, educators and students. For more information (and fee information), contact me at brad@bradherzog.com.

THE AUTHOR’S PERSPECTIVE
I have visited with book groups over the years – both via conference call and in person as a special guest at the monthly meeting. It is a joy for me to discuss my books with people who have just finished reading them, to receive their critiques and questions and to explain my point of view.

FIFTEEN PATHS TO A GOOD STORY
For writers’ groups and prospective freelancers, I present a handful of tips about how to generate ideas and turn those ideas into viable magazine articles. My 15 tips (each accompanied by a concrete example or two from my own writing career):
1. Counter conventional wisdom
2. Approach from an odd angle
3. Embrace whimsy
4. Wonder out loud
5. Celebrate the deserving
6. Participate
7. Self-deprecate
8. Publicize the overlooked
9. Make lists
10. Find glory in the mundane
11. Pursue a search
12. Remember anniversaries
13. Find the real story
14. Sell no wine before its time
15. Inspire

HEMINGWAY WAS A SPORTSWRITER
For educators and parents, I offer a personal, anecdotal, historical discussion about how kids’ passion for athletics can translate into enthusiasm for reading and writing. I examine the world of sports as it relates to literature, society, the classroom and my own evolution as a writer. The point: If enthusiasm for sports gets a child to read and write, by all means let them run with it.

CONNECTING THE DOTS
My theory is that America is not a patchwork quilt or a melting pot. It is a masterpiece of pointillism, a dot painting. From far away, the dots (small-town America – those tiniest dots on the atlas) blend together to form an image. But from up close, each tells its own fascinating story. In this presentation about my journeys along the roads less traveled (which I have given at venues ranging from the National Steinbeck Center to the Winnebago-Itasca Grand National Rally), I recount some of the stories that can be found, explore the various means of exploration in classic American travel narratives and suggest myriad possible travel themes that have yet to be pursued.

SCHOOL VISITS
About 20-30 times each year, I visit public and private schools around the country, from K all the way through 12th grade. I discuss how I became a writer, the joys of the writing life, how I generate ideas and the process of creating one of my books – from idea to promotion. Click here for more information about my school visit program.