Elizabeth Ellis, a Kentucky-born woman her fellow performers call the “grande dame of storytelling,” will come to the North Olympic Peninsula for a special workshop Friday, Oct. 20.

“Build a Better Mousetrap,” an afternoon session devoted to creating strong stories, is for anyone who wants to become a more compelling writer and speaker. It’s set for 1-3:30 p.m. in the PUB conference room (J-47) at Peninsula College, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd., Port Angeles.

The fee is $50; advance sign-up is required at www.ClallamStoryPeople.org.

The “Mousetrap” workshop is a process-oriented class taken from Ellis’ award-winning book “From Plot to Narrative.”

Community activists, storytellers, actors and other performers are among those who can benefit, said Erran Sharpe, president of the Story People of Clallam County.

The nonprofit organization is hosting Ellis, who is also one of five featured tellers in the Forest Storytelling Festival, Oct. 20-22 at Peninsula College.

Ellis is a teller, teacher and coach who has received two National Storytelling Network prizes: the Circle of Excellence award and the Lifetime Achievement award.

For more information about Ellis’ workshop and the weekend-long storytelling festival – which includes more workshops and concerts — call festival director Chris Wright at 360-452-8092, or Jan Lamont at 425-273-5929.