Charlotte Writers' Club
JANUARY 2015 | VOLUME 21, ISSUE 5
January Program: Selected Members' Reading
Happy New Year! What better way to start your writing year than by attending our annual showcase reading of Charlotte Writers' Club members on January 20, 2015 at 7 p.m. at Providence United Methodist Church? Several CWC writers will regale us with their literary talent, reading from their best work. This is always an exciting time when CWC members young and old get to "strut their stuff" before their colleagues. Find out what your fellow Charlotte writers are creating and show your support.
CWC-North Event

Please join us on Sunday January 25, 2015 from 2 to 4 p.m. as CWC North celebrates the publication of The Medicine Man's Daughter at the Warehouse Performing Arts Center in Cornelius. Carolyn F. Noell will read from her memoir, published by The Bridge.

The Medicine Man's Daughter is a coming of age account of Dayou Tucker, a Liberian refugee who came to Charlotte to escape civil war. 
Jan Blodgett, archivist for Davidson College Library, says it is a "poignant and captivating story that reveals not just one woman's courage, but that of a whole community of friends and strangers whose lives are changed forever by knowing one another."

Noell is a retired teacher and counselor with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system. She and her husband Tom live in Davidson where she is involved with the Stephen's Ministries at Davidson College Presbyterian Church. Noell has also written a book of poetry, Weathered Pine.


For more information please contact Caroline Kane Kenna CWC-North liaison ckanek5@gmail.com.
Meet-A-Member: Ben Sharpton

Quick Bio:
Ben Sharpton moved from Atlanta, GA to Waxhaw, NC just a year ago. The 61-year-old is a full-time fiction writer but occasionally teaches college-level business courses. His background is in corporate training for Fortune 500 companies. 

Originally from the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World (Plant City, FL), Ben moved around a bit to earn a bachelor's degree from Asbury University in Wilmore, KY and then two master's degrees, one from Rollins College in Winter Haven, FL and the other from Wheaton Graduate School in Wheaton, IL. 

Get in touch with Ben by email ben@bensharpton.com on Twitter @bensharpton or check out his website www.bensharpton.com. 

1. What type of writing do you do? What challenges you the most and what comes naturally?
I write novels intended to encourage people to think. My books also tend to be somewhat controversial.

I find it challenging to keep on writing and not be distracted while working. Also, my writing has been called, "minimalist", resulting in a fast read. So, another challenge is adding more detail and description.

I f
ind creating plot is the easiest part of my work.

The part of writing I find most fun is when I create a character and plot out where he or she should go, and that character starts moving in another direction - one I had not anticipated. That's fun.

2. How do you cultivate inspiration for your work?
Most of my work is based on personal experience. For example, much of my novel, The 3rd Option takes place in Klaipeda, Lithuania, where I taught a college course on Business Ethics. As a former trainer, I also am inspired by challenging others to think about certain issues.

3. What do you enjoy most about the Charlotte Writers' Club?
I tend to enjoy and look for opportunities to network with other writers. Writing is very solitary, and writers are often introverts, so it is critical to communicate with other writers to keep fresh and somewhat sane.

4. What writing advice would you pass on to other writers?
a.) Keep writing. As you do, you'll find your skill improving with every article or book. Also, as you publish more work your audience will grow and you will tend to make more sales.
b.) Edit everything you write. A lot. Hire an editor (or two) for larger projects. Don't expect your agent or publisher to edit it. They may make a few changes, but they usually select books that are "ready to go."
c. )Be prepared to market your work. These days only the Big Five Publishers provide marketing support. New writers need market their own work.

5. In a sentence or two, what else would you like people to know about you?
I inherited a 1931 Chevrolet and am looking for someone to help me get it started. (I'll offer a book blurb for help).
Correction
In the December newsletter the Meet-A-Member section about Joseph Cavano listed his education incorrectly. It should have read: Cavano has completed a BA degree in English from Marist College, an MA degree in English from American University, and graduate level philosophy at Georgetown University. My apologies for the error.
Annual Workshop: Recalling Memories for Your Family or the Public
Author and editor Margaret Bigger is offering her annual six-week course: Recalling Memories for Your Family or the Public. This opportunity is sponsored by the CWC and is designed for anyone considering writing a memoir or non-fiction book.

Classes will be held on Wednesdays from 2-4 p.m. from January 21-February 25. Classes will meet at Christ Episcopal Church on 1412 Providence Road.

The cost for CWC members is $60 and for non-members the cost is $72. Vietnam veterans receive a special reduced rate at half-off the member or non-member price.

To register, call Margaret Bigger at 704-364-1788. The class is limited to 20 participants so sign up soon!
Membership
All the varied and talented reading you will hear at this month's program? From our writers. The people you sit next to at any of our nine programs throughout the year? Dedicated writers from the greater Charlotte community. The kudos section in the newsletter with accolades, publication announcements, and other brilliant successes from storytellers next door? Our writers. 

And you have access. 

You have access by attending our monthly programs and chatting up the person next to you - maybe your next mentor, an inspiration for one of your characters (and we do have some characters!), a published author, or a friend to encourage and challenge your writing. You have access by participating in critique groups, volunteer opportunities, and the Board to develop personal connections that are strengthened through a commitment to participation in the literary arts community of our region. As a member, you have access to the Charlotte region's premier network of writers. Are you a member? If not, click here to become one.
In This Issue
Calendar
January 20
General Meeting
Annual Selected Members' Reading
7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Providence UMC

January 25
CWC-North Event
Reading from The Medicine Man's Daughter
2-4 p.m.
Warehouse Performing Arts Center, Cornelius, NC
General Meeting Location
Providence United Methodist Church
2810 Providence Rd.

Click here for a map of the new location.
Contests
Children's Story Contest
Deadline:
January 20, 2015

Anthony Abbott Undergraduate Poetry Competition
Deadline: 
February 15, 2015

For a complete listing of CWC contests, please click here.
Kudos
Doris Thomas Browder's chapbook Searching for Maypops will be out in early January 2015. It is being published by Finishing Line Press with cover art by Rosemary C. Gray.

Ruth Moose, long time member of CWC and sponsor of Ruth Moose Flash Fiction Contest, has a short story in the
January 2015 issue of "Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine." Moose's first novel Doing it at the Dixie Dew won the Malice Award and
was published by St.Martin's Press. Dixie Dew is considered by readers and reviewers "more fun than frightening" and recently went into a large print edition.

M.C. Tuggle's novella Aztec Midnight has been published by The Novel Fox. It is available at Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble. 
Writing Prompt
Write an end-of-days story from a non-human point of view (animal, tree, insect, cloud, etc.).

By Brian A. Klems at
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"My ideas usually come not at my desk writing but in the midst of living."

~Anais Nin

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