On May 31, The Lewisburg Literary Group will offer two free workshops by two outstanding WV Writers, Michael Knost and Marie Manilla. • 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., <i>Writing Outside Your Comfort Zone </i>by Marie Manilla. Writers are often called upon to create characters quite different from ourselves: different genders, ages, ethnicities, religious views, political stances, sexual orientations, etc. The challenge is to create credible and multidimensional characters, not caricatures, or shallow stereotypes of who we think they are. The hands-on workshop will explore ways to create fully-realized, believable characters, even if their backgrounds are quite different from our own. • 2 to 3:30 p.m., <i>Show, Don’t Just Tell</i> by Michael Knost. We’ve all heard the creative writing mantra show, don’t tell, but that is not true. Of course, we do want to show as much of our story as possible, but there are times when we need to tell. The workshop will endeavor to stretch your mind into the realm of having a good balance, and mixing the showing with the telling until your reader will not see either - seeing only the story, the characters, and the backdrop. Marie Manilla is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her fiction has appeared in the <i>Chicago Tribune, Prairie Schooner, Mississippi Review</i>, and other journals. Booklist calls her forthcoming novel, <i>The Patron Saint of Ugly</i> (2014), “Beautifully written, filled with detailed prose meant to be savored.” <i>Shrapnel</i> (2012) won the Fred Bonnie Award for Best First Novel. <i>Still Life with Plums: Short Stories</i> (2010) was a finalist for both the Weatherford Award and ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year. More about Marie at www.mariemanilla.com. Bram Stoker Award-winner Michael Knost is an author, editor, and columnist of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and supernatural thrillers. His Writers Workshop of Horror won the Black Quill and Bram Stoker Awards for superior achievement in nonfiction. He edited the critically acclaimed <i>Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy</i> in early 2013 - a writer’s guide with works by Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. Le Guin and many others. He has served as ghostwriter for several projects with the Discovery Channel and Lionsgate Media. His latest novel is <i>Return of the Mothman</i>. To find out more, visit www.MichaelKnost.com. The workshops are being held at the Greenbrier Valley Visitors Center at 200 W. Washington Street, Lewisburg. Participation in both workshops is free, but seating is limited. Please call 888-716-5082 to reserve your space. The Lewisburg Literary Festival is a vibrant two day event, featuring authors, outdoor art installations, musical entertainment and performance art, all inspired by literature. The festival takes place annually on the first Friday and Saturday in August. This year, the event will be held on Aug. 1 and 2. For updates on the festival, call 888-716-5082 or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lewisburgliteraryfestival.
