Fink Student Becomes Published Author

Fink Student Becomes Published Author
Posted on 02/26/2021

Makenzie Willard

Stephen KozanStephen Kozan is a central Pennsylvania native and published author who provides creative writing workshops for local schools. On Thursday, February 27, 2020, Mr. Kozan met with the students in grades 3-5 at Fink Elementary to begin the creation of a new children's book. The most exciting part was that the book would be authored by a selected Fink student!

Kozan began his workshop by engaging the students in something he calls “InstaArt.” The students contributed ideas for a unique fictional creature as one of Kozan's illustrators, Tony Maulfair, starting bringing Fink's creature to life on paper. While Maulfair developed the creature on paper, the students participated in a flash fiction writing contest. The students wrote a fictional story idea on a single piece of paper. Mr. Kozan read each of the students' writings then selected three authors to develop their stories further.

But then the country went into shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and plans had to be adjusted. But that couldn’t stop a book from being published.

Kozan provided the three winning students with further writing guidance. After the second round of editing, Kozan informed Makenzie Willard, a fourth grader in 2019-2020, that she was the chosen author and her story would be turned into a published book!

Makenzie's role in developing her final manuscript was all hers. Kozan offered her writing advice, but he did not supply her with any ideas for her actual story. The result? Mia’s Magical Adventure!

Fink Elementary will be celebrating their resident author with a Book Launch Party on March 16, 2021. Mia’s Magical Adventure, will be featured and available for purchase HERE.

Mia's Magical Adventure
Mia's Magical Adventure Makenzie Willard


Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.