Ballpoint pens wiggled, keyboards clicked and seven community members fought writer's block during the Intro to Journalism and Article Composition workshop at the Sacramento Press office Thursday evening.

Holly Heyser, faculty adviser for The State Hornet and professional journalist in residence for the Communication Studies Department at Sacramento State University, was on hand to help writers develop their stories and flesh them out onto paper.

Attendees brought ideas such as how to get a motorcycle license, what it's like to be a delegate for the Democratic National Convention, the Assembly bill that would legalize marijuana and the positive aspects of RT, among others.

Heyser gave basic advice about writing news stories and tailoring them to the Sacramento Press. She stressed the importance of good grammar, accuracy and breaking up your story into simple, easy-to-understand sentences and short paragraphs.

The headline and lead should also grab the reader's attention. Depending on the way your headline is worded, you might attract some people who are just searching on Google, according to Heyser, and even better, they might keep coming back to the blog or website.

Heyser also encouraged people to read their articles out loud after writing them.

As the workshop ended, participants walked away with stories in hand and the story-writing process know-how.

If you were unable to attend this workshop and would like to receive the powerpoint presentation, please e-mail journalism@sacramentopress.com.