Monday, March 30, 2009

Finding the Writer Within

I had the opportunity to attend the second in the series called Finding the Writer Within at the Woodford County Library. George Ella Lyon gave a talk/reading followed by a workshop about writing in the voice of a child or adolescent. George Ella, an accomplished and beloved writer, is also a generous and compelling teacher.

One of the exercises was responding to a set of questions asked to draw out memories and details from our younger selves. I was surprised at the responses these questions elicited, and I was reminded that the interview process is a wonderful tool to gain access to information, about ourselves as well as fictional characters.

Finding the Writer Within continues through July, when each month a prominent local author will present a public lecture and a workshop about a topic important to them.