An Author Visit That Teaches Kids How to Fail — and Keep Going

A high-energy, story-driven Growth Mindset talk that shows students how creativity, confidence, and resilience are built through real struggle and perseverance.

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Presented by Mark Cheverton — internationally published New York Times bestselling author and former classroom teacher.

What Students Gain From This Visit

More than motivation — a message students carry with them.

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Resilience Through Failure

Students learn that struggle and rejection are not signs of weakness — they’re part of every meaningful creative journey.

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A New View of Creativity

Writing and creativity stop feeling “mysterious” or intimidating and start feeling accessible and human when you’re not afraid to fail.

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Confidence to Try

By seeing real setbacks and honest mistakes, students feel permission to try — even when success isn’t guaranteed.

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Hope That Sticks

Students leave energized, encouraged, and believing that effort can change outcomes — in writing and beyond.

What Teachers & Librarians Are Saying About Mark’s Author Visits…

Our school loved hosting Mark Cheverton for an author visit. His presentation was engaging and laugh-out-loud funny for all students in grades 3-5. We loved that he focused on having a growth mindset and being persistent in his presentation. Staff thought this was one of our best author visits ever! I highly recommend having him visit your school.

Rosendale Elementary School Librarian — Schenectady, NY

Students loved Mark’s author visit in our library! Every eye was on him as he described the hurdles and triumphs of the writing process and his voyage to becoming a bestselling author. He kept students engaged throughout his presentation, asking them questions and making them laugh. Students left the library inspired not only to read and write, but to generally persevere! I highly recommend having Mark speak to your students, too!

Maple Ave Middle School Librarian — Saratoga Springs, NY

As a librarian of over 20 years, Mark Cheverton was one of the best author visits we’ve ever had. My 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders were engaged, focused, and captivated by his presentation. I had multiple teachers comment on how wonderful his presentation was and how much they enjoyed it! I would highly recommend having Mark for an author visit!

Craig Elementary School Librarian — Niskayuna, NY

Why I Share This Story

For a long time, I didn’t think I was very good at writing.

My first four novels failed completely. They were rejected again and again, and for a while, I was ready to quit. I didn’t know how to write a novel yet — but after each failure, I tried to learn more and keep going.

Everything changed when my son was bullied while playing Minecraft. Instead of giving advice, I wrote a story just for him. We read it together at bedtime, and as we talked about it, he began to see that hurtful behavior often comes from people dealing with their own struggles. That moment reminded me why stories matter.

I share this story with students because I know what it feels like to doubt yourself. I want kids to see that failure doesn’t mean you should stop trying — it just means you haven’t found the right path yet. And learning, even when it’s hard, is where growth begins.

Ready to Bring This Message to Your School?

I’d love to help your students see failure, creativity, and confidence in a new way.