Saturday Morning Writer's Clinic

Two local authors – David Armand and C.W. Cannon - will be the featured speakers at the Saturday Writer’s Clinic for May 10, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie.

This event is free of charge and open to the public.

9:30 a.m. – Saturday, May 10

David Armand on Realistic Dialog vs. Perfect Dialog

These are the two main forms of dialogue. Realistic dialogue (sometimes called naturalistic dialogue) is where your characters speak like real people. The tempo matches their emotions more than the topic, they might stutter and forget what they’re saying, they’ll make mistakes, they’ll speak from emotion. They talk like real people talk. This is the exact opposite of perfect dialogue. In perfect dialogue, the tempo is purposeful, adding suspense or humor, and is untied to the character’s emotions. They’ll rarely stutter or trip over their words, they’ll stay on topic and every beat advances the discussion.

David Armand is an New Orleans' writer of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. He has published four novels, The Pugilist's Wife, Harlow, The Gorge, and The Lord's Acre three collections of poems, The Deep Woods, Debt, and The Evangelist as well as a memoir titled My Mother's House. From 2017-2019, he served as Writer-in-Residence at Southeastern Louisiana University, where he is assistant professor of creative writing. His latest book, a collection of essays called Mirrors, was published by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press. Armand is the 2022 recipient of the Louisiana Writer Award, presented annually by the Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana.

11 a.m., Saturday, May 10

C.W. Cannon on Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction is a genre of writing that uses literary techniques and storytelling approaches to present truthful, non-fictional narratives. It emphasizes narrative and tone, often approaching subject matter through an emotional lens. Examples include memoirs, personal essays, literary journalism, and travel writing. The goal is to communicate information like a reporter, but to shape it in a way that reads like fiction. 

C.W. Cannon is the author of four novels—Soul Resin, French Quarter Beautification Project, Sleepytime Down South, and Katrina Means Cleansing. He attended and graduated from New Orleans Public Schools—McDonogh 15, Gregory, Franklin, and NOCCA. His latest book is I Want Magic: Essays on New Orleans, the South, and Race. He teaches New Orleans Literature and writing at Loyola University, and conducts writing workshops for the New Orleans Writers Workshop. 

For more information regarding this presentation, contact Chris Smith, Manager of Adult Programming for the library, at 504-889-8143 or wcsmith@jefferson.lib.la.us.