The Wayne State College fiction slam at the Max Bar and Grill at 7:00 p.m. on April 18 is open for all to participate. 

Registration for the fiction slam will begin at 6:30 p.m. before officially starting at 7:00. Participants interested in registering will need to come prepared with two original short stories and $5 for an entry fee.  

The event will consist of two rounds and is judged by well-known fiction writers from the region.  

“We ask some established, published, really awesome fiction writers to be the judges,” Chad Christensen, an English professor at WSC and the advisor of the fiction slam, said. “It is a competition, but it is an opportunity for students to get up there and read their stuff. The competitive aspect has really brought out the best in students in the past years.” 

“It is a unique opportunity for people who write to share their work in a small college town,” slam master Collin Hain said.  

“Students can get up at the fiction slam and really shine,” Christensen said. “A lot of them might be taking workshops here and it gives them a venue to share their work. Plus, the fiction slam is completely open to the community. We’ve had people from Lincoln come and even adults get up there and slam.”  

The event is open to all, but it is important to understand the content that may come up. None of the works are censored, so the slam collaborators advise attendees to be prepared for anything.  

“This is all put on by the editing and publishing students,” Christensen said. “It is the editing and publishing minor, but we have a core class within the minor and they are the ones that put the entire event on. We appreciate all the support and the students.” 

“I kind of plan the slam, but I don’t have to do it all on my own,” Hain said. “Other people step up and help make posters, along with social media posts. It is such a fun, supportive, welcoming environment.”  

“If you are thinking about it, you should just do it because it’s fun and you’re going to be so happy you did it,” Christensen said.  

The top four competitors will receive cash and other prizes from local sponsors.