Writers' Voice

CSI for Writers

at LVW/ YMCA Workshop

Are you working on a mystery story? If you’d like to learn more about crime scene investigation and police procedures for writers, come to the next Ligonier Valley Writers program on Saturday afternoon, June 19, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Ligonier YMCA, 110 W. Church St. in Ligonier. This talk is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served and all supplies will be provided. Please call (724) 238-7580 to reserve your spot.

The speaker will be retired police officer Ed Kelemen, who has 23 years of experience in law enforcement. He will discuss the most common mistakes writers make when writing about police and investigative procedures and give advice on how to correct them.

"There are too many master criminals in today's literature,” Ed says. “For every whodunit, there are a thousand smoking-gun solutions. But remember, most criminals are stupid."

Ed has received numerous citations and awards during his career, including the Variety Club Award for service above and beyond the call of duty. He was a founding member of the Allegheny County Police Bomb Squad and has taught police procedures and investigative techniques at numerous locations, including the Allegheny County Police and Fire Academy and the FBI Academy at Quantico, Virginia.

Ed's weekly column, "At the End of the Line," appears in the Blairsville Dispatch. His writing credits include articles and stories in numerous local and national publications. He also contributed two short stories to the Greensburg Writers Group’s mystery anthology, The Phantom Detectives.

The next writing workshop in the LVW/YMCA series is “Hands-On CSI for Kids,” taught by Marilyn Newcomer, on July 17.

LVW and the Ligonier Valley YMCA are collaborating series of classes in creative writing. Joyce Shaffer, Swimming Instructor and Gymnastics Coach at the Y, and Barbara Miller have been chosen by YMCA of the USA to administer a grant in the YMCA Writer’s Voice program, one of only twelve grants awarded nationally. These workshops are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. All ages and skill levels are welcome to classes in the Writers' Voice program. For more information about the free Writers' Voice workshops, contact Joyce Shaffer at the Ligonier Valley YMCA, (724) 238-7580.

The first workshop in the series, How to Write Ghost Stories, was held at theLigonier Valley YMCA October 23, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., as part of its 2009 Y Arts Program. Writing a good story is the first step in being able to tell a good story. This free workshop took 21 attendees through creating a scary ghost, using the senses to heighten suspense, and coming up with that all-important twist at the end. Three of the participants came from Erie, PA, for the session. The presenter was Barb Miller, who teaches in the Writing Popular Fiction Program at Seton Hill University. She has published historical novels, mysteries, young adult books and a paranormal mystery. Her play Regrets was performed by the 2009 Pittsburgh New Works Festival. You can reach Barb at www.fallsbend.net.

November 21, 2009, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Fiction: Storyboarding for Children and Teens. Through the use of comic strip pictures and captions, writers will create a fantasy character who they'll take on a hero/heroine’s journey. For those too young to write long sentences, the story comes out in the pictures. Instructor is Linda Ciletti Rodkey, author of several published medieval fantasy novels.

February 20, 2010, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Poetry: Basic Poetry Lessons will explore both free verse and traditional forms of poetry. This is a fun workshop for writers of any age or those who are not yet sure they are writers. Instructors are April Serock, educator, and Heath Bing, poet.

March 20, 2010, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Journaling: Memoir Writing for Adults and Teens. Mining your memories for writing ideas brings some surprises. With the help of concrete prompts, you'll remember incidents long forgotten and begin to tap into what has made you who you are. Instructor is Marge Burke, docent at Hannastown and published writer.

April 17, 2010, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Nonfiction: Writing Essays and Letters. School essays and even college entrance essays can seem daunting until broken down into easy steps. And completing an application for a job or a query letter to sell writing seems excruciating until you know the formula of what to include. Grammar tips and critiques will be supplied. Instructor is Judith Gallagher, professional editor.

May 15, 2010, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Playwriting: How to Write a Mystery Play. Adults are taught the process of script writing, character development, acquiring props and costumes and developing improv skills in amateur actors to put on successful performances. Instructor is Mary Ann Mogus, writer and producer of many plays.

June 19, 2010, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Research: CSI for Writers. This lecture on the latest crime scene investigative techniques appeals to both adult and teen writers. Given by a retired police officer, this is always a popular talk. Instructor is Ed Kelemen.

July 17, 2010, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Report Writing: Hands On CSI for Kids. Children and teens solve crimes by fantasy characters by traveling through fake crime scenes, gathering evidence to be placed in labeled evidence bags, examining the motives of the suspects and writing up reports. Prizes are awarded to the investigators who solve the case. Instructor is Marilyn Newcomer, retired educator.

September 18, 2010, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Storytelling: Round Robin Storytelling is a great family-oriented exercise. Each person in the circle contributes a sentence to the story. Though you might think chaos would result, some very coherent stories result from this. A faithful scribe will write everything down so it can be printed and given to participants. Instructors are Judith Gallagher and Barb Miller.