Black Diamond Writers Network will offer presentations on using the natural world to inspire fictional worlds when it meets from 10 a.m. until noon Oct. 19.

Nature has long served as inspiration for writers. Countless works have been composed about the beauty of the scenery, the changing seasons, or simply the passing of time. BDWN will host a special interactive workshop at the Carbon County Environmental Education Center (CCEEC) where writers can learn how to use the great outdoors to help create compelling fiction.Doyle Dietz, outdoors editor of the Pottsville Republican-Herald and longtime outdoors enthusiast, will lead the workshop. Learn how to pay attention to the world around you and capture important details, then use these techniques to strengthen short or book-length fiction. The workshop will include a nature walk, hands-on exercises, and an informal presentation. Please dress for the weather.Susan Gallagher, chief naturalist at the Carbon County Environmental Education Center, will provide a brief overview of the center's programs and services at the beginning of the workshop.The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information about the Black Diamond Writers' Network, call Kathy Ruff at (570) 645-3059.The Carbon County Environmental Education Center is located at 151 E. White Bear Drive in Summit Hill.