Speaking Engagements

Authors conference develops writers, community

The Toledo Blade, April 5, 2025

ARCHBOLD, Ohio — Dozens of authors gathered at Sauder Village for its inaugural storyteller conference, honing their craft and learning from published area authors about how to put stories onto paper.

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Beth Ann Baus, an author from Archbold, spoke about the art of observation, which she said has been crucial to her genre-spanning work as a writer. She has written fiction and nonfiction books that range from historical and contemporary fiction to a book on Biblical counseling.

“If we get in the habit of observing everything around us, all the time, those are things that make our writing feel more real,” she said. “Putting the real world on paper makes fiction feel more real, and even for poetry or nonfiction, anything that we write will resonate more with the reader if there is something they can connect to in the real world.”

Mrs. Baus said she encourages writers to sharpen their observation skills by going out to eat by themselves and doing some people-watching. There’s also value in strolling slowly down the busiest aisles of grocery stores and spending time in the places that serve as settings for their stories.