Writers meet, build community at Story Catcher Festival

Members of the diverse group, which included writers from all ages, hailed from small Nebraska towns like Dalton and cities like Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The workshop, which discussed techniques such as turning place into a character, using the environment as a backdrop and writing from another person’s point of view, was preceded by an advanced workshop Thursday. In it, eight participants worked closely with Writer-in-Residence, and keynote speaker Anna Keesey.

In her opening remarks for the general workshop that convened Friday morning in the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center, Keesey urged those in attendance to give themselves a “bouquet” of permissions to facilitate their writing ambitions.

“Go inward to find the time and place to write, allow the fragile voices to be heard, reveal yourself, set a timer and write as much as you can in 27 minutes,” she said.

Katie Bradshaw of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, said Keesey’s advice resonated deeply with her.

“Anna said some things I really needed to hear. The workshop was a good opportunity to connect with a writing community. It was helpful to be around people who understand the unique craziness of writers,” Bradshaw said.

Madison Culberson, who will be a junior at Central High School in Rapid City, South Dakota, this fall echoed Bradshaw’s observation that time together with other writers was beneficial.

“When I opened my Christmas gift from my grandmother and it was this workshop, I thought it might only be lectures. But I’ve been surprised to meet so many kind people here who are generous with their time. I felt like I could talk with them about what I want to do,” Culberson said.

Judi Tiller of Rapid City, Culberson’s grandmother, said she was delighted with what they both gained from the workshop.

“I would recommend it to anyone looking for a writing workshop next summer,” Tiller said.

CSC English faculty member Steve Coughlin led a Friday session featuring tips to help break through or prevent writer’s block.

Saturday, the workshop moved to Camp Norwesca south of Chadron. Presenters at that location included Sean Prentiss, a former colleague of Coughlin’s at the University of Idaho, who spoke about creative nonfiction and his recently published book, “Finding Abbey.” The book chronicles his search for the unknown gravesite of environmental writer Edward Abbey, reportedly set without permission on federal land in the southwestern U.S.

Prentiss challenged those in his workshop to use all five senses during individual nature walks to create descriptive phrases about the elements of nature around them.

Rori Leigh Hoatlin, a former student of Prentiss’ and adjunct faculty member at the Writing Center at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was named the recipient of the Mari Sandoz Emerging Writer Instructorship. She presented a session focused on the development of character in creative nonfiction.

“It was especially nice to be with other young, ambitious writers and mentors with no great divide between us. The accessibility to the other faculty members was a cool opportunity,” Hoatlin said.

Coughlin’s colleague from his doctoral program at Ohio University, Alison Stine, led a class about writing young adult fiction and offered a reading from her Kindle book, “Supervision,” at the Chadron State Park Pinecone Shelter Saturday evening.

An open mic highlighting participants reading their work and a presentation by Poe Ballatine, the Chadron author of the memoir “Love and Terror on the Howling Plains of Nowhere,” concluded the workshop and festival Sunday morning.

—Tena L. Cook, Marketing Coordinator