Workshops, talks aid aspiring writers

Kelly Writers House was a literary haven on Saturday as the College of General Studies held its fifth annual Writers' Conference at Penn. About 130 people -- most of whom were community members who hope to become professional writers -- attended the various writing workshops, co-sponsored by the Writers House and the Penn Humanities Forum, throughout the day. Portions of the event were also held in Williams and Logan Halls. "The conference was an opportunity for writers to meet other writers," said Emy Halpert, who coordinated the event. Stephen Fried, editor-in-chief of Philadelphia magazine, gave the keynote address entitled "Bitter Pills and Inside Stories: When Personal Writing Meets the Facts." Following the speech, attendees broke into groups for several different workshops throughout the day. An average of about 15 people attended each workshop. Workshops included topics ranging from "Story and Structure: Tricks of the Trade" -- which focused on how to write about intriguing characters and events in a structured way -- to "Did the Critic See the Same Show That I Did?" in which Janet Anderson, dance critic for The Philadelphia Daily News, shared tips on how to write good and unbiased reviews of artistic performances with a group of aspiring writers. Adrienne Miller, literary editor of Esquire magazine, led a workshop called "Publishing Short Fiction in Major Magazines." The workshop focused on how to get published as well as fine-tuning skills for writing fiction for magazines. Participants were asked to submit their own work before the workshop for discussion and feedback. Miller spoke about the role of the editor in giving positive and negative feedback to the writer and emphasized the importance of a well-written, original story. Those involved in the group were advised about how to submit their work to contests for magazines. The day ended with individual critiques by published writers of works submitted by the participants. Sessions were 20 minutes long and focused on how to improve non-fiction and fiction writing. According to Halpert, bringing all participants together was a valuable experience. "It was an inspirational event because most people who attended do their work in a solitary situation, outside of work, and they were able to get tips on better ways to write," she said.

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