Yvonne Battle-Felton: Why I Write

I love the fall weather almost as much as I love stories and storytelling. I'm proud to be hosting a storytelling event in collaboration with Lancaster Words and The Priory.

The event includes a workshop, writing time, and a storytelling event.

During the one-hour workshop (5-6 PM), we'll be writing about setting and characters inspired by our time in the Priory. Then, armed with some techniques, prompts, and inspiration, you'll write for an hour (6-7). You may even choose to write underneath the Moon (exhibit). From 7-8 we'll share our stories at the open mic/storytelling event. You can share the story you write for the event or bring along one to share. You can also choose to participate in the open mic without attending the workshop (or attend the workshop without reading at the open mic). I'm hoping that like me, you'll do both.

I'm happy to review the piece you're considering reading and to give you some of my tips of reading work in front of audi…

I'm an American writer living in the UK. A writer of fiction and Creative Nonfiction, my writing has been published in literary journals and anthologies. My debut novel, Remembered, (Dialogue Books) was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2019) and will be published in the US in 2020 (Blackstone Publishing).
Winner of a Northern Writers Award in fiction (2017), I was shortlisted for the Words and Women Competition (2017) and the Sunderland University Waterstones SunStory Award in 2018, and awarded a Society of Author’s Foundation Grant for Remembered in 2018. I was commended for children’s writing in the Faber Andlyn BAME (FAB) Prize (2017).I have six non-fiction children’s titles forthcoming with Penguin Random House. The first three are included in Ladybird Tales of Superheroes (Sept. 2019).
I am represented by the Elise Dillsworth agency and hold an MA in Writing (Dual Concentration fiction and nonfiction) from Johns Hopkins University and a Creative Writing PhD from L…

Secrets: Just About the Only Thing You Can Take to the GraveTrick or Treat! What better way to celebrate Halloween than a night of true or false stories with good friends and a few secrets shared between us?
Join us for a night of true and false stories as we share stories loosely exploring the theme “secrets.”
To sign up for a 3-5 minute open mic slot, please email storiesatstorey@gmail.com, or message/tweet/morse code us.
When: Thursday, October 31 7-8PM Where: Printroom Café and Bar, The Storey, Lancaster
Whether you have a story to share or just want to listen, there's always room for one more. As always, if you'd like feedback on your story before you share it, get in touch. We're happy to provide brief feedback. We're also happy to share tips on reading your work in front of an audience.
If you have a piece you would like someone to read for you, let us know. One of us is usually available to read. There are lots of ways to get involved, whether you want to read or p…

Celebrating my Birthday with Stories, again You may remember that last year I celebrated my birthday by recording a month of stories.  Many of the pieces were true stories written for Stories at the Storey, our monthly true-story open mic night. Some of the pieces were fiction, others were something in between.
Although I found it challenging to record, edit, and upload a story each day, this year I decided to sort of do it again. This year, I celebrated my birthday by launching a Stories at the Storey podcast. The stories included in this podcast were commissioned especially for the launch.  We would like to create a monthly podcast where real people share real stories loosely exploring a theme. I love being told a story, a podcast was a great way to celebrate. I also really enjoy learning things, I'm learning Audacity so that I can edit audio.
I'm sharing my birthday present with you. So, sit back and listen in. I hope you enjoy the stories as much as I do. If you'd lik…

Seasons, people, minds, places, time, climate. What do all of these things have in common? Change. Change might be good, bad, somewhere in between or merely just change. At this month’s Stories at the Storey, we want to hear your true stories loosely interpreting the theme “change.”
For a change to our usual one-theme format, we have two themes for July. They say time heals all wounds. When things end, we often find ourselves searching for reasons, waiting for apologies, unable to move on, move past it, move. It seems we need closure to move from one phase to another. We want to hear your true stories loosely interpreting the theme “closure.”
Have a true story to share? Email (storiesatthestorey@gmail.com) to sign up for your 3-5-minute (2-4 pages A4) open-mic slot. Remember, you don’t have to be a writer to share your story. We are looking for anyone with a true story to share.
Not sure you're ready to read your true story? That’s fine too. Come by and listen. If you would like to s…

Call for Writers, Readers, Storytellers, Yarn Spinners, Friends, Neighbors, and anyone with a good story to tellAt one time or another, we have all needed, received, given, wished for, prayed for, declined and/or accepted help. Regardless of your relationship to it, sometimes the hardest thing to do is to ask for it. Whether you need or have needed, offered, given, rejected, or accepted help (loosely interpreted) we would love to hear your story.
Stories might be about asking for, seeking, needing, giving help or anything in between. The theme is open to your interpretation.
Have a true story to share? Email (storiesatthestorey@gmail.com) to sign up for your 3-5-minute (2-4 pages A4) open-mic slot. Remember, you don’t have to be a writer to share your story. We are looking for anyone with a true story to share.
Not sure you're ready to read your true story? That’s fine too. Come by and listen. If you would like to share a story but want us to offer some feedback, get in touch. We ca…