Workshop Nov. 5 on “Pictures, Speaking: Photographs as Story Prompts”

As writers, sometimes our well of ideas seems to go dry and we need fresh inspiration for new stories, but the solution may be as easy as flipping through your own photo albums. Join short story writer, Angela Mitchell, as she talks about the art of using personal memory (or someone else’s memory) as a springboard for your own, original short stories.

Bring paper and pen (or a laptop) and be prepared to churn out story starts and character descriptions, as well as identifying the essential conflict in your narrative, during this fun and interactive workshop. Held from 10 a.m. to noon, Nov. 5, at Kirkwood Community Center, 111 S. Geyer Rd., Kirkwood, Mo., the workshop is free to St. Louis Writers Guild members; $5 for nonmembers.

Angela Mitchell's stories have appeared in literary journals and magazines, including Colorado Review, New South, Carve, Midwestern Gothic, and others. Her story, “Animal Lovers,” was the winner of the 2009 Nelligan Prize from Colorado Review; it was given special mention in The Pushcart Prize XXXV, and listed as one of thirty “Distinguished Stories” in the inaugural issue of New Stories from the Midwest. In 2011, the Riverfront Times honored her as a MasterMind recipient for her work in the literary arts.

Recently, she attended the Sewanee Writers’ Conference as a Tennessee Williams Scholar. Angela holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, as well as an M.Ed. in Higher Education from the University of Arkansas, and a B.A. in English from the University of New Orleans. She is the current director of the St. Louis Writers Workshop.

Learn more about the St. Louis Writers Guild at www.stlwritersguild.org.