Ohio State is hosting two Writers’ Weekends this spring that will bring in nationally recognized authors to discuss writing techniques for children’s books, memoirs, autobiographies and personal essays.

The Office of Continuing Education and the Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing are working together to bring the day-long writing seminars to OSU, said Donna Jarrell, Outreach Specialist for the Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing.

“Columbus has a huge writing community,” said Carol Ventresca, associate director of credit programs for the Office of Continuing Education. “Our mission in providing the weekend writing seminars is to reach out to the community and make OSU resources accessible to the community and students.”

The first seminar to take place April 28, “Writing Life Stories: Memoir, Autobiography and Personal Essays,” will be led by author Bill Roorbach, associate professor of English and creative writing at OSU.

“Bill Roorbach is the author of five books,” Jarrell said. “He will instruct students on how to take life stories and turn them into material for a book.”

The second seminar will be May 19, and is titled “Primary Elements: Writing a Children’s Book.” According to Jarrell, this discussion will be led by Tracey Dils, award-winning author of more than 20 books for young readers and current publisher of McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing.

“Tracey Dils will talk in-depth about writing style and technique for children’s books and conventions of children’s book categories,” Jarrell said.

According to Jarrell, the seminars will count as one credit hour of graduate or undergraduate study at a cost of $190 each. There will be a $30 fee waiver for people who don’t have a bachelor’s degree from OSU or another university.

“We have had these programs in the past and are bringing them back due to the large interest from the Columbus community and also to help students improve their writing skills,” Ventresca said.

The seminars are open to the public and require advance registration. Both seminars will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Mount Hall. Sign-in begins at 9 a.m.