"This mark is like a mirror held up in front of the viewer. It reflects where inspiration, thoughts, ideas, and stories originate—in the mind."
Designer, Gordon Smith.
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August 2021 Volume 28 Issue 11
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Our mission: to support local writers and promote their development through education, recognition, and community.
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A Message from the President:
In these dog-days of summer I have been thinking about club milestones specifically about Open Mic Night and the Virtual Write-In.
Open Mic Night at Mugs is live again and earlier this summer marked its third year of giving club members the opportunity to practice reading their work to an audience. This idea came about during Debra S. Wallin’s term as club president. She ran with it; from idea to event to the Facebook posts celebrating the bravery of each participant. Debra was the sole emcee until Hope Smyth joined the team in December of 2019.
When COVID restrictions required us to move all meetings to cyberspace, Debra and Hope tag-teamed those Zoom sessions for 15 months. This monthly event has probably attracted 300 participants both live and online. In July, there were two opportunities at the mic, those 12 slots filled up in days. Going forward, Debra or Hope will meet you at Mugs on the 4th Friday each month from 6:45-to 9 pm.
In August, our Virtual Write-In will be a year old. Tiffany Grantham, prompt master for this core group of plotters and poets, provides inspiration and more with music or pictures, artwork or short video that invites the creative to come out and play. Although there is no pressure to share what you write, those that want are given time to read aloud. This is an outreach to the greater writing community but many who have visited Tiffany’s social write-in have joined our ranks. Even as we return to in-person meet-ups, we will keep this going as long as Tiffany is willing and there is a demand.
Lastly, after a nearly two year pause of in person, social activities, we’re going on a garden walk and guided tour at UNC-Charlotte’s Botanical Gardens this fall. Thanks to Anshu Gupta for getting us back on schedule. Mark your calendar, and sign up for this walk and talk on Thursday October 14, from 10:30 am to noon.Members will receive an invitation, the walk is limited to 18. If folks are interested, we’ll grab a bite to eat together after the tour.
Stay Healthy & Keep Writing!
Caroline
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Club Stuff, Opportunities to Write & Submit |
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CWC North & Main Street Books Virtual Event,
August 18, 7 pm
Suffrage 101
celebrates the 101st anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment and investigates the complexities of the women’s suffrage movement. Learn more about the presenters at
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Spend a Virtual Day with NYT Best Selling Novelist Jill McCorkle
On Saturday, September 25, Zoom with CWC North
for McCorkle's workshop, Finding a Story, from 2-4 pm then log on with Main Street Books at 7pm and "the born novelist" reads from her latest best seller Heiroglyphics.
For More about these events sponsored by CWC North & Main Street Books
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Beyond Poems & Paintings An Ekphrastic Art Exhibit 2
Poets, check the CWC September newsletter for a new collaboration between Charlotte Writers’ Club North and Mooresville Arts.
Hint: Review your poems about pieces of art and polish those ekphrastic poetry skills.
The Writer Contests
2021 Summer Flash Contest
Show us your very best work in any genre, fiction or nonfiction. The catch? We’ll only accept works that are 1,000 words or less.
Deadline: August 12, 2021
Grand prize: $1,000 and publication in our magazine.
Additional The Writer contests with deadlines:
Four Line Poem-8/6
Dialogue Only-8/10
Twist & Twain Short Story Contest 2020-21-8/15
Future Flash Fiction-8/20
Faith Poetry Contest-8/26
3 line Poetry-8/28
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3 LINE Poem
Purple grapes
sweet and succulent
an arbor of love
A haiku is an often interesting and sometimes powerful poem. It consists of just three lines, but this doesn't necessarily mean that it's simple.
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Women and Feminity Quote from To Kill a Mockingbird
"I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to be doing things that required pants" (Lee 108).
This quote demonstrates Alexandra's views on femininity and her ideas of how proper Southern women are supposed to behave.
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Femininity/Feminine
Energy Books
- Women Who Run With Wolves
Clarissa Pinkola
Marion Woodman
Michelle Hammond
- The Audacity to Be Queen: The Unapologetic Art of Dreaming Big and Manifesting Your Most Fabulous Life
Gina DeVee
Women's Suffrage Highlights
1848 The first women's rights convention is held in Seneca Falls, New York. After 2 days of discussion and debate, 68 women and 32 men sign a Declaration of Sentiments, which outlines grievances and sets the agenda for the women's rights movement. A set of 12 resolutions is adopted calling for equal treatment of women and men under the law and voting rights for women. 1850 The first National Women's Rights Convention takes place in Worcester, Mass., attracting more than 1,000 participants. National conventions are held yearly (except for 1857) through 1860.
The Vote
It was a decisive victory, and the split among Democrats and Republicans was staggering.
In all, over 200 Republicans voted in favor of the 19th Amendment, while only 102 Democrats voted alongside them. Subsequently, on June 4, 1919, the 19th Amendment passed the Senate by a vote of 56 to 25.
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"I want every girl to know her voice can change the world."
Malala Fund
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HELP Wanted:
Co-Program Chair
Volunteer your talents and learn the ins and outs of program planning, working with Dave Collins. Your main duties this coming year are likely to be technical; leading and or assisting our online audience with Q&A that follows monthly speakers. You and he will be searching for and booking presenters for our meetings in 2022-2023.
If you see yourself in this role, please contact Dave for more about this important post.
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Writers Volunteer
If you love writing and want to share that love with young people, we have a volunteer opportunity that is right for you.
Charlotte Writers Club members have big hearts, and right now the club needs your service. Please volunteer for available positions (like the one above) and also for the youth initiative volunteer office hours assisting CMS students who log on needing writing assistance and guidance.
If you are interested in this fantastic opportunity please contact Axel Dahlberg; he and the youth writing committee would greatly appreciate you using your gift in this area.
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“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.”
~Winston Churchill
“Start where you are.
Use what you have.
Do what you can."
Arthur Ashe
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“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
Mahatma Ghandi
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Why Students Should Learn Good Writing Skills
Many students avoid writing because they struggle to organize and understand the use of the mechanics of writing. They are slow and inefficient in retrieving the right words to express an idea.
What they've yet to learn is that effective writing skills help them express their ideas more clearly and proficiently.
Writing skills also help students organize their thoughts into well-defined, coherent explanations. A strong writer communicates with purpose.
Additionally, writing promotes the brain's attentive focus to class work and homework, promotes long-term memory, illuminates patterns (possibly even “aha” moment insight!), includes all students as participants, gives the brain time for reflection, and when well-guided, is a source of conceptual development.
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Saying
by student Clairel Estevez
I got you, I got you
Be humble, be adventurous
Be happy, you are free.
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"If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write."
Martin Luther
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"There is only one plot-things are not what they seem."
Jim Thompson
"Books are more than words, they’re experiences, and where you buy them from can sometimes be as
memorable and special as the stories themselves."
Devon A. Corneal
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Women Are Like Water
Jaspreet Kaur
Women are like water they are the source of life
Adaptable to any environment
They can nurture their surroundings or tear them apart.
Women are like water
They can be calm, soft and warm an eternal comfort. quench your thirst or they can melt and seduce inch of your spine.
Women are like water
They can be solid and as cold as ice. They can create a storm ripping words apart or they can feed the seeds of their soil.
Women are like water they can move mountains
They can take over lands
And as time has shown us through ancient civilizations until now
We need them.
You need them.
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Always Be Careful of what you hear about a woman. Rumors come from either a man who can’t have her or a woman who can’t compete with her." Unknown
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Virtual Writing Salon & Social Time
On Monday, August 9 at 7 pm, take 75 minutes to write and share. We'll start with a little face time and catch-up time, bring your imagination; Tiffany provides the prompts. No pressure, no angst, just writing fun! Be our guest by clicking on this link to sign up.
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On Tuesday August 17,2021 the Ruth Moose Flash Fiction Contest opens, kicking off our 2021-2022 contest season. Gary Powell is this year's judge.
Visit the CWC Contest Page to learn more about Powell, who is a CWC member and get cracking on those pieces of short fiction--up to 500 words--and submit until October 17, 2021.
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August
The Month of Augustus
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This month is also named after a great Roman emperor, Augustus Caesar, but was first called Sextilis, the sixth month. Augustus, whose full name was Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus-Augustus (the Majestic) being a title given him after he became emperor was a young man at the time of Caesar's murder. Julius, who had no son of his own, adopted Augustus as his son and heir, in order that when he died Augustus should become emperor in his place. The nobles who had killed Julius, however, did not wish Augustus to become emperor, and it was not until he had fought and won many battles that he became the head of the Roman Empire. As soon as he had conquered all his enemies, he returned to Rome, and, closing the temple of Janus, proclaimed peace throughout the Empire. During his reign there lived the greatest poets and writers that Rome ever had, of whom the best known are Virgil, Horace, Ovid, and Livy; just as in the rein of our Queen Elizabeth there lived some of England's greatest poets and writers--in fact the time from Spenser and Sidney in Elizabeth's reign, passing beyond Shakespeare to Milton in Charles II's reign, is spoken of as the "Augustan Age" of English Literature. The month known as Sextilis was chosen as the one to be named after Augustus, because it was during that month that the most fortunate events of his life had happened. In that month he had first become consul, the most important man in Rome; he had three times entered the city in triumph after his great victories; he had conquered Egypt and had ended the civil wars. As the month had only thirty days, and the one named after Julius Caesar had thirty-one, a day was taken from February in order to make them equal.
More than once the poet Virgil's most famous work has been mentioned, in which he describes the wanderings of Aeneas, who gathered together all that was left of the Trojan army and escaped from the fallen city, carrying his father Anchises on his back, since he was old and weak and unable to walk. The fugitives reached the shore in safety and sailed away from their ruined country. But the goddess Juno, not satisfied by the death of Paris and the disaster which had fallen on the Trojans, pursued Aeneas and his followers with her hatred, and again and again brought them into misfortune. They wandered from country to country for many years, seeking a spot where they might settle down in peace and safety, but Juno gave them no rest. She brought sickness upon them so that many died, and sent fierce storms which scattered their fleet and destroyed many of their ships. At last they reached a harbour on the coast of Africa, and made their way to a city which they found to be Carthage. Aeneas was welcomed by Dido, the queen of the city, who listened eagerly to the story of his adventures. Now, Aeneas had been destined by the gods to found a new kingdom, when his wanderings finally came to an end, but the time was not yet. The goddess Venus caused Dido to fall in love with Aeneas, and the hero, happy in her love and the pleasant life of her court, lingered on. A year passed, and the gods at length sent Mercury to remind Aeneas of his destiny. Aeneas' heart sank at the thought of leaving the beautiful Dido, and afraid of her anger, he secretly set sail one dark night while the queen was sleeping. When Dido discovered her loss she was filled with grief. She ordered her servants to make a funeral pyre on which was placed an effigy of her lover, and then setting fire to the pyre with her own hand, she sprang into the flames and perished.
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"Leaving any bookstore is hard, especially on a day in August, when the street outside burns and glares, and the books inside are cool and crisp to touch."
Jane Smiley
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Meet-a-Member:
Judy Hovis
Bio:
An Army brat, the author was raised primarily in Europe where her father was stationed after serving in World War II. The family moved from Germany to Austria and then on to Italy giving her insight into her own European heritage. Judy is married with three children and nine grandchildren. She lives in Charlotte with her husband Robert.
In her early thirties she had her first brush with entrepreneurship, owning and managing two hardware stores. She then launched a career in the telecom/technology field becoming one of the founding partners of a telecom start-up company.
A past president of the Charlotte chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, she helped start a mentoring program for businesswomen called Extreme Mentor, a platform to steer women to success.
As a Business Journal “Women in Business” award winner, she had the opportunity to give motivational speeches to women which inspired her to write a novel. She spent fifteen years writing ‘All the Seasons Never Lived’, a tribute not only to the strong women in her family but celebrating women everywhere.
When and Where Do I Write?
Because I had a busy career until two years ago, most of my writing was done in short spurts at home or an occasional blitz on the weekend. I also would take the opportunity to write while on vacation finding great inspiration sitting in a charming coffee house, lounging by a pool or even sitting in the lobby of a hotel. Now I write after lunch almost every day.
Favorite writing tool?
My most creative time is when I have a fresh pen and pad in hand and just start writing!
A favorite writing resource:
Initially, I found information online and started digging. There was a wealth of information for a novice like me. But I would tell any new writer to first find a good coach/teacher or take some writing courses. Fortunately, I found my writing mentor, Tom Gill, a six-time published author who has helped me so much with the editing of my novel and coaching me on the specifics of launching and selling a book
Best Writing advice you’ve received and actually taken?
Don’t get hung up on writing perfect English in perfect structure; just let your imagination flow. Keep writing what you imagine and let the pictures in your head speak through you.
One thing I would like help with?
I’m good at marketing products but when it comes to selling myself, I need help! My goal is to get out there to the multiple types of author support venues and pitch my book; however, it seems I’ve developed a shyness about promoting myself and book. Anyone who has had experience with selling their novel,I welcome your input and suggestions.
To start a conversation with Judy send her a message through the Member Directory
If you'd like to participate in Meet-a-Member please contact the newsletter editor,
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Celebrate all of those wonderful writing projects you've labored over.
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Charlotte SHOUT Returns to Center City from Sept. 17 to Oct. 3
On Saturday,
September 18, CWC is pleased to collaborate with Blumenthal Performing Arts to present three FREE events at Spirit Square, 345 North College Street, we hope to see you there!
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Charlotte SHOUT Day of Words
2:00-4:00 pm: Shout the Mic! Join a lively group of readers from Charlotte Writers Club and from the community on Spirit Square Plaza for an afternoon of words--Watch the website for details on how to sign up.
7:30 pm: Let the Laureate Tell It. An evening featuring Poets Laureate from across the country at The McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square for more visit the Charlotte SHOUT page.
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Find Your Writing Inspiration
at Mt. Mitchell Scenic Byway
Boundless Blue Ridge beauty on Mt Mitchell Scenic Drive just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the country's most famous scenic drives, but even famous cruises have their backroads, too. If you venture off the route, you'll find the Mount Mitchell Scenic Drive, a stunning road that takes you deep into the Pisgah National Forest and down through the Toe River Valley. Small, artsy communities and babbling waterfalls are tucked away just off the parkway, and you'll get to experience the true beauty and charm of the North Carolina Mountains as you explore and write.
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CWC Authors
We'd like to feature a few of our own authors each month. If you're interested in having your book listed, please submit author name and book title to the newsletter editor, Teresa Taylor by the 15th of the following month. Only 5 authors per newsletter and it will be first received, first printed. A list will be kept and used in the upcoming editions.
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Writer's Affirmations
My writing is strengthened by constructive criticism from others and from myself
I write every day, with confidence and enthusiasm
Move and the way will open. Write and the story will appear.
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The Editor's Notes
by Teresa Taylor
Affirming the Writer in You
Reflections
As writers we must reflect; look back on not only what we felt went wrong, but also all that went right. We must focus on the positive, and leave negativity behind. The reflection of what we see is our strength, our power source, our muse.
We are writers, our words have meaning, and create images that not only we can see, but those who read our work as well, but you've got to believe in you!
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"We do not learn from experience...we learn from reflecting on experience."
John Dewey,
Philosopher and Educator
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The Blaze
Set fire to my pen
Ignite my words
Until they're seared
in your memory.
When emotions smolder
and paper turns to ash,
Sift remnants for lyrics,
Pull verse from remains,
Until inspiration sparks
and my pen is lit again.
Christy Ann Martine
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Excerpt from the article
Why Do Writers Write?
By Lawrence R. Samuel Ph.D.
The psychology behind the pursuit of a literary life is not precisely clear.
Over the years, theory upon theory has put been forth regarding the rationale for writers doing what they do. At its most basic level, some have argued, writing is about someone sharing something with someone else, making connection a key component of the pursuit. The possibility that a book or perhaps just a single sentence or phrase can be deeply moving or at least interesting and informative to a reader is a prime motivation for writers to keep on writing. Through their work, writers have the potential of having a bond with far more people than they can in real life, a perspective that recasts writing from its accepted view as a solitary and lonely exercise. “Writing links writer to reader, reader to writer, and reader to reader in a marvelous way,” observed Melannie Svoboda in America, shifting the concept of the profession from an expression of individual creativity to a builder of relationships. Like actors, novelists often find themselves “inside” their characters, making the former miss the latter if they are not around them for some time. Writing can also serve as a therapeutic release; but perhaps the simplest and most compelling reason why writers write is we write for love.
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"i not only sing because I'm happy, I also write because I'm happy."
---Teresa G.S. Taylor
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A single word, a single line
It all begins with what's in your mind.
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If you're you looking to get more involved or have an idea share it
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CWC CRITIQUE CALLS
New Poetry Critique Group
Forming in Belmont
The organizational meeting is on Thursday, September 9
4-6 pm.
For details and location,
click on Paul Bruchon to send an email or give him a call @ 704-689-5007.
The South Charlotte Fiction Critique Group Seeks Two more for peer review
This fiction group meets in Pineville on the last Thursday of the month from 9-11 am.
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What is a Critique Group
These are groups of writers who share their work with each other on a regular basis for the purpose of exchanging feedback and improving their craft.
Importance of Critique Groups
Critique groups can help you improve your writing by offering feedback, perspective, and ideas. They also can provide emotional support, motivation, and accountability, as other writers understand the joys and struggles involved in writing.
The object of critique is to force the writer to take an objective look at what has been written, evaluate its suitability, tighten the piece where needed, then let your words stand on their own.
Finding the Group for You
Whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned pro, participating in a critique group is beneficial in many ways:
- Flexibility. There are on-line groups and in-person groups. Choose the one that's best for you.
- Craft. Participating in a group greatly helps you improve your craft. Good, sound feedback never hurt anyone.
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Accountability. There’s nothing like having other people waiting on your submission and feedback to get your butt in the chair. The pressure alone is enough to get you reading their work and fixing up your own. In this case pressure can be a good thing.
- Networking. Meeting new writers, cheering squad and making lifetime friends.
Writing can be a lonely process, but it doesn’t have to be. Join a critique group today; you and your writing will be glad you did; but remember, wear your thick skin.
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“To bear critique shows one's courage; however, accepting it mirrors the way of knowledge and wisdom.”
― Ehsan Sehgal, is a Dutch-Pakistani poet, author, journalist, scholar, and founding chairman of the Muslim United Nations.
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If they say, "It's impossible," remember that it's impossible for them, not you.
---Eric Ellis, Jr.
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All things are possible, if you only believe.
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Got the Theatre Itch?
Check out these upcoming stage plays and save the date:
Save the Date
August 11-21
August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
by Rory Sherriff,
writer and director
African AmericanPlaywrights Group (AAPG) member
Duke Energy Theatre
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Hindsight is a collection of stories about 2020, written by people just like you. We’re seeking nonfiction stories from people around the world that capture what it was like to wake up every day to a new normal — whether that means navigating emergencies as a first responder or tying the knot over Zoom.
Hindsight is an independent, one-time publication. The very best submissions will be compiled into a print anthology, which will be published in 2021.
Submission fee: None
Length: Up to 2,000 words
Deadline: Rolling
Compensation: Writers whose work is selected for the print anthology will receive a complimentary hard copy of the book, as well as a digital file.
To learn more, please visit the website: HINDSIGHT
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“It's so difficult, isn't it? To see what's going on when you're in the absolute middle of something? It's only with hindsight we can see things for what they are.”
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Getting to Know You
Pearson was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He was a student at North Carolina State University, where he gained a BA and MA in English. Pearson also collaborated with John Grisham on early drafts of the screenplays for The Rainmaker (1997) and Runaway Jury (1998), films based on two of Grisham's novels. He is the author of seventeen novels and four works of non-fiction, including A Short History of a Small Place, Cry Me A River, Jerusalem Gap, and Seaworthy. He has written three additional novels -- Ranchero, Beluga, and Nowhere Nice -- under the pseudonym Rick Gavin.
Recommended reads:
Devil Up
Sleep Away
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"For most people who write, writing is a compulsion. If I could be healed of it, I would, and I think a lot of people who write feel the same way."
TR Pearson
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Author Success Stories to Encourage You
If you've ever read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, then you already know that Maya Angelou's early life was far from ideal. She was abused as a child, briefly homeless, and gave birth to her son at age seventeen. She was then a sex worker for a brief period as a young adult, and struggled to raise her young son while still growing up herself. The tide began to turn when
Ms Angelou found work as a singer and dancer, and then eventually shifted her focus to writing and activism, publishing seven acclaimed memoirs and several books of poetry, essays, and prose.
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Charlotte Lit:
POETRY CHAPBOOK LAB
Write, revise, and publish a chapbook. Charlotte Lit's new Poetry Chapbook Lab is an intensive year-long program that guides you through the process of writing, revising, and preparing a chapbook-length selection of poems for publication. Program features monthly in-person workshopping with Dannye Romine Powell; quarterly one-on-one mentoring from Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Stuart Dischell, Lola Haskins, or Jessica Jacobs; four master classes from our award-winning poet mentors; and chapbook publication from Charlotte Lit’s new Writers/South Press. Application deadline is August 15 for the upcoming program year, which runs September 2021 to August 2022.
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Poets, Playwrights, Prose Publishing Opportunities: |
Attention Poets & Artists:
The William Faulkner Literary Competition Student Short Story
Deadline: August 31. 2021
First Prize: $250
Second Prize: $150
Third Prize: $100
Entry Fee: Free
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HARD TIMES: 5,000 words or less about a difficult experience in your life, how you overcame this obstacle, and how you were changed by it. Winning stories will be chosen for originality and creative writing style. Deadline: August 30, 2021
LITERARY FICTION: 5,000 words or less, enter can be short stories or a chapter of a novel.
Deadline: September 30, 2021
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Waterbean Poetry Night at the Mic LIVE in HUNTERSVILLE
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Andy Thomason Presents Discredited UNC Scandal
We want to celebrate
Andy Thomason's new book, Discredited. He will discuss this book in-store at
7 PM on Wednesday, September 1st.
Please pre-order the book,
we look forward to seeing you at this free event.
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Resources, grants and places to submit your work at NCArts.org.
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North Carolina Poetry Society emuse at NCPS.
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August 12, 2021,
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Online. A pre-recorded finale for Teen & Adult Summer Reading winners will be released at 4 p.m. The top five adult (ages 18 and up) readers, determined by the number of summer reading hours logged, will receive Amazon gift cards ranging from $25 to $75. All teen readers (ages 11 to 17) scored raffle tickets by converting points earned from reading hours and activities; teens then selected which raffles they wanted to enter. Teen raffle prizes include a new Kindle tablet, a $100 gift certificate to South Main Book Company, gift baskets for your pets, art kits, and more!
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Curl Up With a Good Novel
Adult
- All the Light We Cannot See
Anthony Doerr
Erin Morganstern
Ray Bradbury
Charlotte Brontë
Daphne du Maurier
Young Adult
Karen M. McManus
John Green
Children
Lois Lowry
- Flames in the Fire (Poems)
Phillip Shabazz
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What Causes Seasons?
It's All About the Earth's Tilt
Earth's tilted axis causes the seasons. Throughout the year, different parts of Earth receive the Sun's most direct rays.
So, when the North Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and when the South Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Happy Summer!
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Any CWC Songwriters?
If you don’t know how to write song lyrics, it can be overwhelming to imagine where to start. Here are a few tips to get you started on that #1 hit song:
- Start with what you want to say. Don't try to rhyme. Start with a small moment in time using your five senses as a guide.
- Read lyrics of other songwriters (don't listen to the music). Notice how much repetition, simple language, and how clean and clear the main message is in the chorus.
- Notice the conversational quality. Keep in mind that the most important quality of a great lyric is authenticity.
- Collaborate as frequently as possible with other good lyricists.
Happy Writing!
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“I don’t force it. If you don’t have an idea and you don’t hear anything going over and over in your head, don’t sit down and try to write a song. You know, go mow the lawn… My songs speak for themselves.”
Neil Young is one of the most influential songwriters and guitarists of his generation, known for recording such favorites as "Old Man," "Harvest Moon" and "Heart of Gold."
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Songwriting Tips
- Don't write about what you know.
Go find out about something then write about that.
- Opening lines are important
Grab your listener by the lapels from the get-go.
There's a song by Roy Orbison called ‘Running Scared which is the tale of one man watching his girlfriend look over her shoulder for her former boyfriend, everywhere they go. Then they accidentally meet him, and she has to make a choice, it’s Roy or her ex, who will she choose? You’re already downloading it to find out, aren’t you?
Your words have to move with the music, either as a perfect flow, where all the stresses are in the right place in the melody, or a more jagged, sp;uttery thing.
If you can thrown in a few funny lines into your serious song, it makes your point stronger and adds warmth and humanity to the song.
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“It’s very helpful to start with something that’s true. If you start with something that’s false, you’re always covering your tracks. Something simple and true, that has a lot of possibilities, is a nice way to begin.”
–Paul Simon
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Calling all CWC Lyricists
Email the newsletter editor at gorgeoustt@aol.com and let's see some of those lyrics in the newsletter. |
Knowledge is Power!
Charlotte Writers Club Members
CWC writers share your writing tips for the September issue. Send to Teresa Taylor by August 15.
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Writing Tips from Authors Who've Won the Nobel Prize
- Don't use dead language-Toni Morrison (1993)
- Use concrete imagery when you write about large concrete things-Wislawa Szymborska (1996)
- Work stories out in your head when you can't write-Alice Munro (2013)
- Read and draw on wide influences but don’t cram your work with others’ ideas-Wole Sryinka (1986)
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Make people believe your story first and foremost- Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1982)
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Tips for Breaking Into Playwriting
First and foremost use what's unique to the theatre to your advantage.
Playwright Hannah Khalil, says, "Play with the fact that it’s live and that your audience is so intimately involved in the piece;" understand the importance of valuing what theatre is and make the most of that, but you shouldn’t write your play based on what you think your audience wants to see. Write the story you want to tell, yet don’t forget to write a piece that could only work in theatre. The theatre is a magical medium – use it.
Tips
1. This is a community, one that I feel provileged to belong to.
2. Don’t do it alone.
Comraderie gives you connections and access to more opportunities, but you also get to meet people to share ideas with and it’s much easier to self-produce work in a team than on your own.
3.Start off small.
10-15 minute scenes. Try a 10x10 and submit it see how it goes over.
4.Remember you are not your work.
Writing personal things can be therapeutic , Fairviewand it’s important to bring a valuable story to stage that isn’t shown enough. But don’t pour so much of yourself into it that if the piece gets rejected or a bad review, you’ll feel like it’s a personal attack.
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A Few Playwrights to Know
William Shakespeare
Arthur Miller,
Death of a Salesman
Tennessee Wiliams,
A Streetcar Named Desire
Jackie Sibblies Drury,
Fairview
Encouragement Quote
"Write the story that's in your heart, not the one you think will pay the most money."
Brenda Jackson,
Author of Forged in Desire
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- The English word summer comes from which Proto-Germanic word?
- Summer soltice happens on which two sequential days in the northern hemispehere?
- In which year was Don Henley's nostalgic song, 'The Boys of Summer' released?
- From which novel does this quote come from? "There was summer, and then there was the rest of the time."
- Who is a favorite summer writing novelsit?
Look for answers in the lower right column of the newsletter.
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On Thursday August 19, 2021
from 7:00 - 8:00 PM Main Street Books & Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation
present a virtual evening with
ASH DAVIDSON, and her debut novel Damnation Spring,
in conversation with
KELLY MUSTIAN, whose first novel is The Girls in the Stilt House.
Learn more about the author and the interviewer and their books at MSBsEvents.
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Fellow CWC member Herman Myrick is looking for readers who are willing to post comments on Amazon after reading his latest book, Brother ODell Gets the Call to Preach Book of Short Stories. If you are interested in helping him with this please contact Herman Myrick Here. |
Shepherd's Center of Charlotte - Seeks Volunteer Poetry/Creative Writing Instructors for Fall Courses
The Shepherd's Center (3115 Providence Rd) provides services for senior citizens in the community, in particular the Adventures in Learning series that offers classes on a variety of topics.
Typically this involves doing 1 hour sessions - 1 per week for 4-6 weeks. In person and via Zoom. If this interests you please contact Alicia Celek to volunteer your talent.
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Laugh a Minute
A JOKE for
WRITING JOKESTERS
Three writers, Al, Ben, and Carl, were attending a writing convention and booked a room on the 75th floor of a hotel. When they arrived back at the hotel from the convention, the receptionist told them, "I'm terribly sorry, but the elevator is broken. In the meantime, you will have to take the stairs."
Now, Al was a writer of funny stories, Ben was a writer of scary stories, and Carl was a writer of sad stories. The three of them agreed that, to make it less boring, Al would tell the other two his funniest stories while they climbed from floors 1 to 25, Ben would tell his scariest stories from floors 26 to 50, and Carl would tell his saddest stories from floors 51 to 75.
They started to climb the stairs, and Al started to tell funny stories. By the time they reached the 25th floor, Ben and Carl were laughing hysterically.
Then Ben started to tell scary stories. By the time they reached the 50th floor, Al and Carl were hugging each other in fear.
Then Carl started to tell sad stories. "I'll tell my saddest story of all first," he said. "There once was a man named Carl who left his hotel room key in the car..."
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Ready for Vacation
Let's Take a Trip
Town Creek Indian Mound
Town Creek Indian Mound is an unusual phenomenon in the history of North American archaeology. While most archaeological sites are investigated for a few years before archaeologists move on to new locations, Town Creek, situated on Little River (a tributary of the Great Pee Dee in central North Carolina), located near present-day Mount Gilead, Montgomery County, (509 Town Creek Mound Road), has been the focus of a consistent program of archaeological research for more than half a century. This research has contributed to scientific understanding of the original inhabitants of our continent and has provided educational opportunities for many graduate and undergraduate students in anthropology. Moreover, these contributions to science and higher education were made as the site contributed directly to public education.
To learn more about
Town Creek Mound read
Town Creek Indian Mound:
A Native American Legacy
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"What makes you a poet is a gft for language, an ability to see into the heart of things, and an ability to deal with important unconscious material. When all these things come together, you’re a poet. But there isn’t one little gimmick that makes you a poet. There isn’t any formula for it". ~Erica Jong
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Excerpt from the Song
That Summer Feeling
by Jonathan Richman
Well when your friends are in town and they got time for you
When you and them are hanging around and they don't ignore you. When you say what you will and they still adore you, if that's not appealing, it's that summer feeling.
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Jonathan Richman is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970, he founded the Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key acoustic and electric backing. He now plays only acoustic to protect his hearing. He is known for his wide-eyed and childlike outlook, and music that, while rooted in rock and roll, is influenced by music from around the world.
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"It is always possible to create something original."
George Gershwin
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Looking for a new way to to promote your book?
Look no further
The Gypsy Farm Fair is waiting for you!
Last spring, the fair welcomed nearly 8k shoppers, and for the fall fair planners anticipate double the number of vendors and 10k shoppers or more to peruse the wares of artisans and antique dealers from across the nation as well as from the Carolinas.
Welcoming an author section to the fair is a new idea from our event team.
Registration deadline is August 11, 2021 for the event on
Saturday, November 13, 2021
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
6533 Fallston Rd.,
Lawndale, NC 28090
WHAT WE OFFER AUTHORS:
- Tent, Table and Chair
- Volunteer to assist with crowds
- 2 hour Book Signing Session
- Unlimited Books Sales
- Vendor Set-up Diagram attached
- Cooler for water and drinks as needed
- Social graphics and announcements for posting and online marketing
Bring your own supplies such as books, pens, table cloth (if applicable), signage.
Cost to participate is $30
To reserve your spot, please reply with your first choice of time slot:
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
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Don't be afraid to try something different. |
I Am Me
by student Ambia Heggins
Being different makes me my own person. Unique in all I do. I am like a butterfly, my wings spread far and wide. My smile is my own,
I am a queen on the throne.
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Great Smokies Writing Program
Register Now for Fall Session
Whether you're a beginner, an old pro, or anywhere in between, there's a class for you.If you've taken a class this Spring or Summer, you can complete the continuing student form.
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Sign Up for Equity Impact Circle a weekly discussion series hosted by the Community Building Initiative at cmlibrary.org/calendar. This 5-week series will be guided discussions around topics of equity and inclusion.
Thursday, September 2,
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Write Like You Mean It, Thursdays 10:00 – 11:30 am Join from the comfort of your space to write and share our work. Contact Ed McDonald
Prolific Pens Writing Group 11:00 am– 1:00 pm
The first and third Saturdays of the month with the exception of holidays to learn more contact Sally Deason.
North County Regional Wordsmiths, Thursdays, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Writers of poetry and prose, all experience and skill levels are invited to meet every Thursday Group contact Darcey Mesaris.
Chapter Three Book Club meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 1pm.
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Literary Dishes Inspired by a Good Novel
Pond
by Claire-Louise Bennett
“Sometimes a banana with coffee is nice. It ought not to be too ripe – in fact there should be a definite remainder of green along the stalk, and if there isn’t, forget about it. Though admittedly that is easier said than done. Apples can be forgotten about, but not bananas, not really. They don’t in fact take at all well to being forgotten about. They wizen and stink of putrid and go almost black.”
Easy Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients:
1 cup cold 2% milk
1 Pkg (3/4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 carton (12 oz) frozen whipped topping thawed, and divided
1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)
2 medium firm bananas
Directions
- In a large bowl, whisk milk, pudding and vanilla for 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Fold in 3 cups of whipped topping.
- Pour 1-1/3 cups of pudding mixture into pie crust. Layer with sliced bananas and remaining whipped topping. If desired garnish with additional sliced bananas. Refrigerate until firm and serve.
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Trivia Answers:
- Sumaraz
- It happens on either 20 or 21 June
- 1984
- Sag Harbor by Colson whitehead
- Elin Hilderbrand
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Believe It or Not
In 1927, Charles Lindbergh made his treacherous solo voyage across the Atlantic, flying his single-engine Spirit of St. Louis nonstop from New York to Paris and becoming an instant hero for accomplishing a feat long thought to be impossible—crossing an ocean in a day and a half; traveling 60 miles an hour for more than 3,000 miles; flying alone through the night, through storms, without sleep. It was the most daring and astounding achievement of its day.
Months later, Robert Ripley a connoisseur of mosts and bests, of fastest and furthest—featured Lindy in his popular syndicated
New York Evening Post cartoon, Believe It or Not.
Instead of heaping more praise on the aviator, however, he declared that Lindbergh was not the first but the 67th man to make a nonstop flight across the Atlantic. Thousands of irate readers sent incredulous letters and telegrams, berating Ripley for insulting an American icon, and calling him all sorts of names, primarily a liar.
At the time, Ripley’s Believe It or Not was nearing its 10th anniversary. Although he and his cartoon weren’t yet household names, for a decade Ripley had entertained and taunted readers with hundreds of illustrated bits of arcana—the armless man who played the piano, the chicken that lived 17 days with its head cut off, and the public had responded with increasing loyalty and, at times, anger and frustration. Despite Ripley’s avowal that everything in his cartoon was absolutely true, many readers simply refused to believe him, and they wrote letters, sometimes thousands each day. The letter writers had even created their own fad, addressing envelopes simply to “Rip,” while others wrote backwards, upside down, in Braille, Hebrew, shorthand, semaphore, or Morse code (“.-. .. .--.” equals “Rip”)—or to “The Biggest Liar in the World.” When Ripley sponsored a contest seeking readers’ own Believe It or Nots, he received 2.5 million letters in two weeks. (The winner: Clinton Blume, who was swimming at a Brooklyn beach when he found the monogrammed hairbrush he’d lost in 1918 when his ship was sunk by a German U-boat.)
During the Depression, as Americans sought affordable means of escape and entertainment, Ripley provided both. His cartoons appeared in more than 300 newspapers around the world, in dozens of languages, and were read by many millions. By 1936, a newspaper poll found, Ripley was more popular than James Cagney, President Roosevelt, Jack Dempsey, and even Lindbergh.
Though the odds were sometimes against him
Ripley believed.
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Beating the Odds
From Special Ed to Best Selling Author
Ronnie Sidney self-published Amazon best-seller Nelson Beats the Odds, a comic book about a young man who struggles with the stigma of being placed in special education. Since releasing his book, Sidney has been featured on MicheLA, Fox and Friends Weekend and NBC 12.
After being diagnosed as learning disabled and spending seven years in special education, the last thing Ronnie Sidney, II, MSW thought he would become was an author.
Sidney, an author, therapist and entrepreneur, hails from Tapphannock, VA, otherwise known as the home of Chris Brown. On August 21, 2015, Sidney self-published Amazon best-seller Nelson Beats the Odds, a semi-autobiographical comic book about a young man who struggles with the stigma of being placed in special education.
Since releasing Nelson Beats the Odds, Sidney has been featured on MicheLA,
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"Strength doesn't come form what you can do, it comes from OVERCOMING the things you once thought you couldn't." |
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LIVE and IN-PERSON AGAIN!
Every 4th Friday, arrive by 6:45, readers will begin at 7 and continue until 9 pm,
Members Open Mic readings at Mugs Coffee. Drop in for a listen!
5126 Park Rd #1d, Charlotte, NC 28209
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Support CWC Members & Community Partners
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CHARLOTTE READERS PODCAST
Click the calendar image to see what podcast host and CWC member Landis Wade has on tap for August.
Wade also hosts a community blog and a community vlog. Visit CRP's Community Voices to "find readerly and writerly content." and maybe contribute your own. |
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The North Carolina Writers' Network encourages the serious pursuit of writing excellence. But that doesn't mean we can't have serious fun.
On Thursday, August 12, at 7:00 pm EST, NCWN will host its first-ever online Game Night. For more information go to ncwriters.org
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MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the Charlotte Writers Club entitles you to participate in workshops, critique groups, contests, and guest speaker programs. The cost is a modest $35 per year for individuals and $20 for students.
We welcome all writers in all genres and forms to join our Charlotte-area literary community. Your membership in the Charlotte Writers' Club helps support writers, readers, and literacy at a critical time in our nation's and our city's history.
To Join or Renew click this Membership Link and follow the instructions.
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Charlotte Writers Club PO Box 220954, Charlotte NC 28222
Please "LIKE" our Facebook page to encourage discussion among fellow
writers and keep up with the club offerings.
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