“Look Who’s Talking: POV and the Story You Want to Tell”
Point of View (or POV) refers to the vantage point from which a story is told. Deciding who is telling the story is one of the first choices we make when starting to write something new–and it’s one of the most important ones. The POV of our poem or prose shapes every subsequent choice we make as writers.
In this workshop, we’ll take a close look at the strengths and weaknesses of first person, first person plural, second person, third person, third person subjective, and alternating points-of-view. We’ll then experiment with techniques for creating narratives that have distinctive perspectives and an authentic voice.
Whether you’re ensconced in a writing project or want to begin something new, this workshop will give you a space to explore different points of view and clarify who’s telling your story and why.
Participants should come prepared to write, so have a notebook or laptop handy.
“Write for the Love of Words but Edit for the Money!”
In this workshop, we’ll explore different techniques for initial drafts, writing, rewriting, and editing. This workshop will provide participants with an opportunity for discussion, complete with a Q and A session.
“A Mummy Walks into a Museum”
An exploration of flash fiction writing using prompts from the museum. Participants in this workshop will walk away with the first draft of a flash fiction story.
Steve Cleaver can’t help but write. His first novel, Saving Erasmus, was published by Paraclete Press (2007) and won Publishers Weekly Best of the Year and was named a Borders Books Original Voice – then they went bankrupt. He is a playwright -has written poetry and songs and started Wayne Writes because he wanted to increase local support for writers.
“Hey Batter, Batter! Negro League Baseball and Nonfiction Storytelling”
Using Negro Leagues Baseball as a backdrop, the session will cover the basics of weaving together a compelling
narrative of the nonfiction variety. Learning the importance of effectively utilizing a wide range of both primary and secondary sources, participants can expect a spirited discussion surrounding research and writing nonfiction.
Alex Painter studied history at Earlham College and currently works for the Wayne County Foundation. His burning
passion is researching and writing about Negro Leagues baseball. He is credited with the discovery of multiple
Negro Leagues teams that had never been chronicled. His book ‘Blackball in the Hoosier Heartland: Unearthing the
Negro Leagues History of Richmond, Indiana’ was released in 2020. He also released ‘Baseball Immortal: The Odyssey of Trailblazing Slugger John ‘Snowball’ Merida’, East Central Indiana’s own Black baseball star, that year as well. Alex is married to Alicia and they have three children – Greyson, Eleanor, and Harper