Donna will be presenting a 90-minute creative writing workshop, "Cross-Examination, Closing Argument & Credibility: How to Write Compelling Fiction & Poetry." She has presented a similar program in the past at the Nebraska Writers' Guild Conference in Omaha (2019) and, more recently, at the Gail Borden Library (2023), the Sterling Public Library (2024), and the Yorkville Public Library (2024).

Kelly is an attorney who has practiced law for three decades, primarily in the Illinois criminal justice system. During the class, she discusses how her own life experiences have influenced her creative writing. The workshop is a dynamic, interactive approach to creative writing: one that encourages attendees to reflect introspectively on their own life experiences in drafting realistic fiction and poetry. The workshop includes a writing exercise, focusing on dialogue and character development, so attendees should bring a piece of paper and a pen along to participate.

Donna Kathryn Kelly [@donnakathrynkelly.com] is a poet, playwright, and novelist. Kelly's paranormal horror thriller, THE DESCENT: A Halloween Novel, was a semi-finalist in the 2023 Soon to be Famous Illinois Author Project Manuscript Contest. Her latest novel, THE LION AT THE FALLS, was a finalist in the 2024 Killer Nashville Claymore Award Competition (Supernatural Category) and the third place entry in the 2024 West Virginia Writers' Competition (Book-Length Prose Category).

*Photo of Donna by Linda M. Barrett Productions