This content was published: August 24, 2000. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Stranger than Fiction? Put it in Writing
Photos and story by James Hill
BEAVERTON – At one time or another, we’ve all had a great story to tell. Maybe it was something that happened on your way to work, or a great moment from your past. Maybe it’s just some funny idea that popped into your head one day, but you’ve never been able to sit down and put your thoughts on paper in the correct way. For all frustrated storytellers out there, help is here. Portland Community College has developed a series of workshops titled Becoming a Storyteller that will give you the skills to start spinning your yarns into paper and weaving masterpieces.
The series is divided into six workshops that are designed to equip the beginning writer with the necessary tools to become a master craftsman.
July 8 – Defining the Idea – Just what is it that you are trying to say?
July 15 – Structuring the Plot – Creating the proper framework can mean the difference between losing the reader in the first paragraph or hooking them until the end.
July 22 – Knowing Your Characters – If the characters are as flimsy as cellophane, the reader has no choice but to see right through them.
July 29 – Point of View – Will you be a character in your own work or step outside and narrate from a distance?
Aug. 5 – Concept of Time – Dealing with the "when" can be as crucial as dealing with the "how."
Aug. 12 – Use of Place – Handled correctly, the setting acts as an extra character.
Tuition for the entire series is $72, or take the particular workshop that suits your needs for $15 each. The class meets on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in room 1521 of PCC’s Workforce Training Center at the Capital Center, N.W. 185th and Walker Road in Beaverton. For more information, contact PCC Community Education at 533-2708.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »