The “Telling Your Story” One Book event was hosted Wednesday by Cynthia Bond, a New York Time Best Seller author. She spoke on the idea of “telling your story” and her creative writing process for her works.

This workshop event was the first of four events planned for the day that Bond was attending, including the panel on ‘The Fight Against Sexual Violence’ and a book signing. This writer’s workshop was designed to be an intimate event to benefit students in learning to transform their personal narratives into “exemplary pieces of writing.”

“This is what you will need to be able to work,” Bond said. “You need craft, to be able to learn how to create a story because a lot of people have a story but you need to able to take the steps to learn.”

Bond spoke on how she turned her personal life experiences and stories of her family and past into stories for the public to experience through her works.

She covered her concept of “spinning straw into gold.” The idea of taking difficulties that writers have in their lives and turning them into stories and giving them power, said Bond.

Doug Winters, 51, an undeclared major and local photographer, said he wishes for social change as he photographs homeless people and talks to them about their lives.

“Every Tuesday I post those images and excerpts from what they tell me online and on social media,” said Winters.

Bond also described her admiration and inspiration that comes from today’s youth.

“I have to say again and again and again that I am inspired by the fact that young people have this vision that things can change,” said Bond.

Some writing tips provided during the workshop were to have prompts to go off of, a mad of the body, outline and post it-s. Bond described that around her workspace she has all of her ideas written down on post it-s to help her create her work.

“As a writer I have experienced a lot of writer’s block,” said November Rain, 24-years-old, a photography major. “She has a lot of experience that could improve my writing.”