WRITERS’ NIGHT OUT 2025

The Hero’s Journey: More Than Just a Plotting Tool

Writers’ Night Out is a chance to meet and mingle, to gather and connect, and to learn. The goal is to bring Rochester Writers into the community with a speaker, food & beverages, museum tour, raffle, and networking. This year’s Writers’ Night Out will again be held at the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm in Rochester Hills on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and will feature author Colleen Cambridge (AKA Colleen Gleason).

The Hero’s Journey is the essence of story-telling. Understanding the structure and components of this classic character arc can help writers develop better craft and create compelling stories that help readers connect deeply. The Hero’s Journey showcases the essence of what makes us human, and its familiar elements are what attracts us to certain stories that remain in our hearts and minds. Colleen will explore every aspect of the Hero’s Journey from the perspective of fiction writing, as well as the archetypes that most often appear in our most common and familiar stories.

Colleen Gleason, who also writes as Colleen Cambridge, is an award-winning, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author. She has written over sixty full-length novels in a variety of genres, and has been published by major publishers such as Penguin, HarperCollins, and Kensington. She was an early adopter of indie publishing, and continues to publish both traditionally, with a small boutique press, and as an indie author. Her works have been translated into ten languages and counting.

Food, soft drinks, and coffee will be served before the speaker begins and museum tours will be available after the presentation. Networking, social time, and a raffle are included for a fun night out with other writers.