TORI KELLEY, PH.D. is the founder of Central Florida Mental Health. After graduating with a doctoral degree in Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy from Barry University, Tori decided to follow her dreams as a multi-disciplinary artist and later earned an MFA at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She loves writing, singing, and exhibiting her artwork. Most recently, she represented the United States in the 24th Japan International Art Exchange Exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, curated by Julienne Johnson, and earned the Gold Award for Excellence for her photograph, “Flying Through Italy.”
Tori is an avid writer and poet and is represented by Joyce Sweeney of the Seymour Agency. The Society of Children’s Book ...
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Latest from the Blog
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Deepen the Story
A to B-story: How to Deepen the Story by Adding Another Story Layer
By Tori Leigh Kelley
One way to make a story go from a flat, one-note operation, is to create a B-story for another character that mirrors or contrasts the ...
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Write Responsibly
The Silenced Howl: How Children’s Literature Contributed to the Near-Extinction of the Wolf and How it Evolved to Save It
By Tori Leigh Kelley
“Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? Tra-la-la-la-la-a-a-a!” Banta, et al., (14).
Mary Quattlebaum’s lecture, Depicting Animals “Realistically” in ...
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Artificial Intelligence in KidLit
Preventing Human Extinction through an Examination of the Robotic Hands of : Ones, Zeros, and Everything in Between
By Tori Leigh Kelley
“Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.” –Oscar Wilde
Technology is advancing at a breakneck pace, from ...
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Building Empathy
Shepherding Your Young Reader into Rocky Picture Book Terrain: How to Use G.O.A.T.S. to Build Reader Connection and Resiliency
By Tori Leigh Kelley
“The reason I write is to explain my life to myself. I’ve also discovered that when I do, I’m explaining other people’s lives to them.” Pat ...
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Show Don’t Tell
Pump up the Interest: Move the Camera
By Tori Leigh Kelley
Many of us prefer to watch cinematic movies over documentaries. One reason may be the varied use of interesting camera angles. The same could be said in writing. If a writer keeps the camera focused on one object, or one character, ...
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