Nationally published writers Adam Fell and Caryl Pagel read several of their creative pieces and held a question and answer session for University of Wisconsin-Platteville student and faculty attendees, Nov. 6.

Pagel is the author of “Experiments I Should Like Tried at My Own Death” and “Twice Told.”

Her work focuses on gothic literature and references from her childhood.

In addition, Pagel’s work explores how a story is changed and mutated when it is continuously repeated or told from a different person’s perspective.

“That’s where the title ‘Twice Told’ comes from; I had the idea of a traveler and the value of telling stories,” Pagel said.

Fell is the author of “I am Not a Pioneer” and more recently “Dear Corporation.”

He said that he wanted to show how corporations have a greater effect on the government in comparison to citizens.

A majority of his poems are letters to his friends and family members that address some major issues in today’s political system.

“I didn’t even know that you could write poems until college; that’s actually something you could do with your life,” Fell said. “Somehow, I figured out how to get all of my personality out on the pages. That first book came from a really dark place; I even have a hard time reading it. I don’t feel like that person anymore and it shows how much you develop as a writer.”

“It was so real,” Emalydia Flenory, sophomore English and forensic investigation double-major, said. “Adam said what was on his mind, while Caryl was more sensitive. Overall, they complemented each other and allowed the audience to have a good time.”

Pagel ended her portion with a love poem.

“This will lift the spirits before whatever Adam is about to do,” Pagel said.

The question and answer session followed the readings in which the authors offered advice to students on how they became successful writers.

“Time. That’s something that everyone will tell you,” Pagel said. “I remember hearing that when I was younger. It’s seemingly meaningless to me because time is meaningless. You think you don’t have all the time in the world, but you do. Well, some time.”