WRITING: Author David Poyer recently dropped by The Era during a visit to the area. He and his wife, Lenore Hart Poyer, are both writers. While Poyer was visiting the Bradford area, Lenore was finishing up a fellowship in Germany. The following are some tips Poyer has on his website, www.davidpoyer.com, for aspiring writers:

— You need to hear how others react to your work. Poyer notes that the fastest way to learn to write is to attend an accredited creative writing program. There are numerous programs available, including an 18-month low residency program taught at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre.There are three mandatory one-week residencies, and classes are taught online in between. This program is one where both Poyer and his wife are among the noted writers, screenwriters and poets involved in teaching the program.

— For those who prefer not to take the route to a formal degree, Poyer recommends attending local writers’ workshops. “Also, go to as many writers’ conferences as you can conveniently make,” he advises on the site. This will help educate an aspiring writer in the craft and also help to develop contacts who may be vital in the future.

David Poyer and his wife have, either individually or together, presented at the following institutions: Florida State University, the Cape May Institute, The Naval Academy, George Mason University, Eckerd College, Florida Community College, Old Dominion University, University of Pittsburgh, The New College, and many other venues.

Poyer’s 43rd book, “Heroes of Annapolis,” tells the true stories of more than a dozen graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy. He also has written fictional tales that were centered in Hemlock County, an imaginary county set between McKean and Potter counties and work that focused on the sea in various time periods.

Lenore Hart Poyer has published works titled “Ordinary Springs” and “Waterwoman” and has had work featured on Voice of America, in Poets & Writers Magazine and on the PBS series Writer to Writer.