"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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November Volume 29 Issue 3
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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:
Can You Believe it's November?
One of the exercises Jill McCorkle recommended at her September workshop was to write 1,000 words without stopping (in my case without picking up the pen). It’s a safe bet that what begins as prompt or an assignment–turns into a story. That's how we humans communicate--we swap tales, one story primes the pump for another and so on.
In two months, we cross the century mark and we’d like to add "our" history—the stories from the last 25 years of so—to the CWC history Dede Wilson created for the 75th anniversary. So, here’s where you come in, tell us yours—Long term members, new members, creators of poetry and prose. What brought you to this writing community? Why did you stay? Did we help you meet a goal? It doesn’t have to be 1,000 words, but when you find your story,
please share. Email me, text or call me, I'm in the members directory.
And if you missed our October 19th meeting: Liam Callanan's Tell it Like it Is: Crafting Effective Dialogue, check out the CWC RECAP Page.
Stay Healthy & Keep Writing!
Caroline
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Join Us for Our Next Meeting: VIA Zoom
on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, 6:30-8:30 pm
Structure, Marketability, & Other Screenwriting Secrets
Sarah Archer, author of The Plus One, will speak about the overlap between screen play and fiction writing, drawing from her experiences with both.
Visit the CWC Calendar of Events page to learn more about our presenter & her subject. Members will receive an announcement with the Zoom link. If you want to be our guest, contact Axel Dahlberg and he'll send you a link.
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Club Stuff, Opportunities to Write & Submit |
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Meet us in Charlotte:
The Tyvola Senior Center, 2225 Tyvola Road, is our New Home for general meetings.
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The door is open at our new space in the Tyvolva Senior Center. We'll gather LIVE and IN PERSON in December, and for the remaining months of the 2021-2022 program year.
Click the photograph with Program Chair David Collins, for directions from your place to this new meeting space and join us!
Social time is from 6:30 to 7pm so plan to get here early. Business will begin promptly at 7pm because we must be out of the building by 8:30 pm sharp.
See more about the December meeting in the Critique Groups block below.
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Craft Class is Coming For Jan. & Feb:
Flash Fiction 101 Essential Elements of Very Short Stories: A Five Session Course with Annie Frazier Crandell.
On Saturday mornings, 10am to 1pm, in January: 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29 and in February: 2/5, 2022.
The cost for this multi-session craft course is $150 for members, $200 for non-members.
How to register will posted on the website when details are available.
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CWC Authors
Congratulations to
Dan Gallagher, Ancient of Genes,
Author of Fun and Useful Stuff
If you would like to have your book featured in an upcoming CWC Newsletter, please contact Teresa Taylor, Newsletter Editor
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Free Regional Mentorships Available
Deadline to enter is November 15, 2021
Attention Poets-- middle school to college and adults not in school--The Gilbert-Chappell Mentor Series, is a free program sponsored by the North Carolina Poetry Society (NCPS) to take your poetry to the next level!
Poets/students selected will work one-on-one with The 2021 Distinguished Poet for central North Carolina, Grace C. Ocasio.
A three-time Pushcart Prize nominee, her second full-length volume of poetry, Family Reunion (Broadstone Books), received honorable mention in the Quercus Review Press Fall 2017 contest. She was a finalist in the 2016 Aesthetica Creative Writing Award in Poetry and received the 2014 North Carolina Arts Council Regional Artist Project Grant. She is a member of the Carolina African American Writers’ Collective.
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Finding a Publisher
Finding the right publisher has never been as crucial as it is in this age of overload of information and readers being "spoilt" for choice.
Writers need to think, focus and choose the ight publisher if they want to excel in the iterary field.
North Carolina has an interesting history in publishing with a late start due to its agricultural economy and then a boom in printing books because of high costs involved in transporting books from other states.
- Warren Publishing- Charlotte
- Chapel Hill Press
- Wisdom House-Chapel Hill
- Franklin/Kerr Press-Concord
- Black Mountain Press-Asheville
- McFarland Books-Jefferson
- Backbones Press-Durham
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*Press 53-Winston Salem
- The University of NC Press
- Gryphon House-Lewisville
- Taylor Made Publishing-Greenville
- Carolina Academic Press-Durham
- Alabaster Book Publishing-Kernersville
- Intellect Books-Wilmington
- Duke University Press-Durham
- Regal House Publishing-Raleigh
- Lulu-Morrisville
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**Author's Boutique-Raleigh
- Baen Books-Wake Forest
- *Alonquin Books/Workman Publishing-Chapel Hill
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***Supposed Crimes-Matthews
*Closed for submissions
**Manuscript Evaulations
***LGBTQ sci fi, action, horror
North Carolina is a burgeoning market for all kinds of publishing companies.
The choice is yours!
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“To write is human, to edit is divine.” – Stephen King
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How Important is a Publisher?
A publisher is the bridge between author and reader that helps make content readable. This function has grown all the more important in the Web era, where readers can be lost in a sea of content without the publisher's guiding hand.
From the production of your book to its distribution, a book publisher handles everything. They help with the printing and illustration of books too. They make sure your books are well-stocked in online stores and physical stores. They do their best to increase sales through online book marketing.
So give yourself a break; let the publisher do the work.
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"A publisher simply is a useful middle man."
Oscar Wilde
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What is Music Publishing?
Music publishing is the business of promotion and monetization of musical compositions: music publishers ensure that songwriters receive royalties for their compositions, and also work to generate opportunities for those compositions to be performed and reproduced.
When artists and songwriters hear “music publishing” for the first time, there’s usually a fair amount of confusion. When artists and songwriters begin to read more about “music publishing”, the confusion mounts even further. Not to fear – while music publishing is a complicated subject, it has a lot to do with how you make money from your music, and understanding the basics can go a long way.
In short, music publishing is really all about songwriters
and copyrights. When music is used commercially (whether sold, licensed, or publicly
performed), the songwriter and copyright owner is owed royalties. A music publishing company can offer multiple services for songwriters. As a ‘publishing administrator’, they administer the copyright – protecting the use of songs as well as collecting royalties owed from use. On the creative side, some music publishers focus on the use and exploitation of the copyrights they administer by securing opportunities in the form of 'sync licenses; for film,TV, ads, video games, etc. Additionally, these creative teams play an active role in setting up co-writes and pitching songs to artists and labels to be recorded for the first time.
Most deals with larger music publishers see copyright owners receiving 50% of all royalties the music publisher helps generate. At the end of the day, the songwriter still “owns” the song, but working out licensing, pitching to music supervisors, and collecting royalties is a lot of work.
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“I wrote a book. It sucked. I wrote nine more books. They sucked, too. Meanwhile, I read every single thing I could find on publishing and writing, went to conferences, joined professional organizations, hooked up with fellow writers
in critique groups, and didn’t give up. Then I wrote one more book.”
Beth Revis, Across the Universe trilogy
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Gianfranco Lovino was born in Rome, Italy, September 3, 1965. He has authored several books including:
- Oltre Il Confine (Over the Border)
- Antololgia Premio Internazionale Liberiamoci con le Parole (Anthology International Prize Let Us Be Free
- Curri Nella Torment (Hearts in Trouble)
- Dietro di Me (Behind Me)
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"Man has two great gifts:
'words' to give sound to thoughts, and 'writing' to give thoughts meaning forever."
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CWC Advisory Board
Critique Groups Coordinator
- Organizes critique groups, monitors their progress, & keeps the Critiques Group page up to date.
- Works with critique group leaders to ensure all participants are CWC members.
- Prepares newsletter and website items on critique group activities.
Program Co-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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Wednesday November 24, 2021.
&
Wednesday, December 22, 2021
6:45-9:00 p.m.
Mugs Coffee
5126 Park Rd
Charlotte 28209
CWC presents another amazing night for members to share their awesome talent. Please note the special Wednesday meetings in November and December. We will return to the 4th Friday sessions beginning with January. 2022.
You must be a member and register ahead of time to read. Register Here for November.
If you aren't reading, come out and support your fellow writers.
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CWC
Opened: October 19, 2021
Closes: January 2, 2022
Announce Winners: February 15, 2022
Nonfiction from 750-2000 words.
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CLOSED! Best wishes to all who entered. Your short fiction of up to 500 words is in the hands of our judge Gary Powell and the winners will be announced on at our December meeting.
Coming soon!
Opens: December 21, 2021
Closes: February 15, 2022
Announce Winners: April 19, 2022
Poetry of fewer than 50 lines; haiku excluded.
Opens: January 18, 2022
Closes: March 15, 2022
Announce Winners: May 17, 2022
A short story between 1500-4000 words.
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November Comes
November comes and November goes,
with the red berries an the first white snows.
With night coming early, and dawn coming late,
and ice in the bucket and frost by the gate.
The fires burn and the kettles sing,
and earth sinks to rest
Until next Spring.
Elizabeth Coatsworth
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To help your creative writing juices continue to flow, try writing something
every day in November.
Remember the rhyme we learned in school...
Thirty days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have thirty-one, excepting February alone, and that has twenty-eight days clear and twenty-nine in each leap year.
Give it a try and 30 days of writing is what you'll have. Here are a few prompts to start youron your writing way.
- What was your favorite book as a child? If you have kids, do your children love it as much as you did?
- Do you wander when you go shopping, or are you focused on a prepared list?
- Imagine you are lost on a deserted island, or in an unexplored forest. What would you see and do?
- Was there a time you wanted (or needed) to say something, but kept quiet?
- Share your favorite recipe that includes chocolate.
- Turkey. Dressing. Cranberry Sauce. Pumpkin Pie. What does Thanksgiving dinner look like at your house?
- Thanksgiving
- Black Friday. Are you going out to shop, or are you staying at home with a good book and plate full of left-overs?
- Write a poem. Or write about your favorite poem.
- What are you looking forward to in December?
Here are ten, twenty more is what you need. I'm sure you will think of them while drinking coffee and roasting pumpkin seeds.
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“Indeed, learning to write may be part of learning to read. For all I know, writing comes out of a superior devotion to reading.” — Eudora Welty |
Fall is the Perfect Writing Season
Teresa G.S. Taylor
From changing leaves to fond memories fall is the perfect writing season. It's a time when nature puts on her most magnificent show. Her outer clothing changes from flower blossomed branches and emerald green grass and leaves to more colorful brown, golds, reds, oranges, and still a touch of green.
The air is cool with a hint of briskness, just cool enough for a light jacket or sweater while sitting on the porch or even on your favorite beach with your feet in the sand. The wind whisking through your hair just crisp enough to clear your mind-this is all lets you know it's the perfect writing time.
Autumn offers writers so many themes, holidays, family gatherings, love stories on moonlit nights and spooky stories with Halloween fright; funny and patriotic too these are not all, just a few.
So shake off the cobwebs and the dusty robe too, pull out pen and paper (it's the best writing tool). Write all things autumn with heart and so much freedom.
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Thanksgiving
Author Unknown
The year has turned its circle
The seasons come and go.
The harvest all is gathered in and
chilly north winds blow.
Orchards have shared their treasures
The fields their yellow grain.
So open wide the doorway
Thanksgiving comes again.
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“THANKSGIVING DINNERS TAKE EIGHTEEN HOURS TO PREPARE. THEY ARE CONSUMED IN TWELVE MINUTES. HALF-TIMES TAKE TWELVE MINUTES. THIS IS NOT COINCIDENCE.”
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Thanksgiving Fallout
Why not let the literary greats teach you fascinating things you never knew, get you stocked with quotes to share with your loved ones at the dinner table, and, most of all, rescue you from the inevitable perils holiday travels brings, like traffic and delays, and do it all without having to tap into that Thanksgiving wine before dinner (unless you just want to).
Top 25 According to Oprah. com
Anne Tyler
- An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving, Louisa May Alcott
- The Ice Storm,
Rick Moody
Alexandra Sokoloff
- Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade, Melissa Sweet
- Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message, Chief Jake Swamp
- There There, Tommy Orange
- The Nest, Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
- 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving, Catherine O'Niell Grace
- Still Life: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, Louise Penny
- How to Bake the Perfect Pecan Pie, Gina Calanni
- Thanks a Million, Nikki Grimes
- The Book of Delights, Ross Gay
- One Big Table, Molly O'Neill
- Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen, Laurie Colwin
- Thanksgiving, Janet Evanovich
- We Are Grateful:Otsaliheliga, Traci Sorrell
- Menus, Jacques Pépin
- The Crack Up, F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Ghost at the Table, Suzanne Berne
- Strangers at the Feast, Jennifer Vanderbes
- Courting Disater, Julie Edelson
- Duck for Turkey Day, Jacqueline Jules
- Molly's Pilgrim, Barbara Cohen
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Reading is Good for the Brain
Reading consistently strengthens connections in the brain, improves memory and concentration, and may even help you live longer. Reading can also reduce stress levels and prevent age-related cognitive decline. To read more, set aside time every day to pick up a book, whether it's during your commute or before bed.
Benefits of Reading Books
- Reading Makes You More Empathetic. Reading is a way to escape your own life, and can take you to faraway lands, other times, and put you in other people's shoes. .
- Reading Keeps Your Brain Healthy.
- Reading Reduces Stress.
- Reading Helps You Sleep Better.
- Reading Sets an Example for Kids.
"Read like there's no tomorrow."
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Virtual Writing Salon & Social Time
The Second Monday of the month: November 8th at 7 pm.
Give it a go! Then logon to see what prompts she comes up with next!
Take 75 minutes to write and share. We'll start with a little face time and catch-up time, bring your imagination; No pressure, no angst, just writing fun!
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People Born in November are:
- Healthy
- Friendly
- Positive
- Athletic
- Intelligent
- Appreciative
- Secretive
- Goal-Oriented
- Patient
- Determined
- Tough
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Good Advisers
The name November derives from the Latin word novem
meaning nine. It should have been the ninth month of the year. However, thanks to January and February which were added to the calendar some 2700 years ago, November is now the 11th guy in the 12 member team. November's birthstone is topaz and its flower is chrysanthemum.
Did You Know???
There is no mention of November in any of Shakespeare's works.
November is also the month dedicated for mustaches and beards; for men to let their hair grow wild and free.
This is to raise awareness of men’s health issues; issues like prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Remember to wear your purple ribbon.
Historical Facts
Elections are generally held in November.
The Suez Canal opened November 17, 1869.
November Events
1512-Michelangelo's paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican, Italy were first exhibited. He started the work in 1508.
1604 - William Shakespeare's tragedy The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice was first presented.
1611 - Shakespeare's romantic comedy The Tempest was first presented.
1945 - First issue of Ebony magazine published by John H Johnson. The first magazine he started was 'The Negro Digest' (later called Black World) in 1942.
1967 - Cool Hand Luke starring Paul Newman, George Kennedy, and Strother Martin, was released. "What we've got here is failure to communicate."
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“Welcome sweet November, the season of senses and my favorite month of all.”
― Gregory F. Lenz
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But these are the days we dream about when the sunlight paints us gold. |
Charlotte Area November Events
The Melody of Latin American Stories-Presented by
Criss Cross Mangosauce. This free virtual bilingual story-time and music series is on Facebook though November 20th.
for a glimpse of Latin American childhood connecting songs and forgotten melodies with its illustrations.
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Dinner Detective
Saturday, November 27th, 6- 9 PM
DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Charlotte - SouthPark
6300 Morrison Blvd, Charlotte, NC
America's largest interactive comedy murder mystery dinner theatre show is now playing!
Solve a hilarious mystery while you feast on a fantastic dinner. The culprit is hiding in plain sight.
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November 11th-21st-They Fight 2.0
Free Reigh Theater is Back by popular demand, with the best brawls in literature.
Journey though the iconic faceoffs of Macbeth, Cyrano de Bergerac, Hamlet, Robin Hood, and more.
Presented by Brooklyn Grace
219 S Brevard St
November 6th 12-3 p.m. 'CRIPPLING COMFORT' A BOOK LAUNCH & SIGNING / ART EXHIBIT
at Waterbean Coffee, 9705 Sam Furr Rd, Huntersville
Learn more and get tickets
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HOW TO MARRY KEANU REEVES IN 90 DAYS
by KM Jackson On Wednesday Nov 3rd, 8-9 pm -
Join Main Street Books for a celebratory evening with USA Today bestselling author
KM Jackson in conversation with Xio Axelro
Free to Attend to learn to learn more about the author & her book visit
The WNBA-Charlotte Chapter invites you to BIBLIOFEAST 2021
Free! Online on Wednesday, November 3, from 7-8:30 pm
Via Zoom
for this virtual feast of award-winning, Great Group Reads authors:
Anjali Enjeti, Heather Frese, and Jason Mott;
Susan Walker will moderate the discussion.
There will be readings, author Q&A, and a book raffle! For more go to Bibliofeast2021
Michael Graff and Nick Ochsner Discuss Their Book The Vote Collectors
during a virtual event on Wednesday, November 17, at 7 pm. Get the link at ParkRoadBooks
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The October tour through the McMillian Greenhouse and The UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens, one of the best kept secrets in Charlotte. Garden Director Jeff Gilman was our guide. |
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The weather was perfect for a stroll! Thank you Deb Isaacs and Socials Chair Anshu Gupta for coordinating CWC's first in person social event since early 2020. |
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Meet-a-Member: John Heaslet
Bio:
Jonathan (Jon) Heaslet has had a diverse career, first as a health economist, secondly as an ordained minister, and now as an author. His first book HAWKS NEST CHRONICLES - STORIES FROM OSCEOLA, IOWA is a novel in short stories, self-published last winter available at Park Road Books and Amazon. He is currently writing a second book of fiction, EAST OF APPLE GLEN, with a release date in 2022.
As a health economist, Mr. Heaslet assisted premier hospitals in the Southeast with revenue enhancement strategies. Tiring of spreadsheets and financial analyses, he became an ordained minister serving congregations in the Midwest and Richmond, Virginia.
He is a graduate of the University of Iowa, the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, and Eden Theological Seminary. He remembers visiting Charlotte for the first time in 1971 when the tallest building was the 32-story Wachovia Center (now Wells Fargo). Jon, his wife Linda, and their five children became Charlotteans in 1981.
When and Where Do I Write?
I am best at the creative side of writing in the early morning hours. I make a cup of coffee, and Chester (my Standard Poodle) and I head downstairs to my boys’ old bedroom converted to a study. When my boys were in their 30s, they told me that as children, they thought their bedroom was haunted and were scared to sleep there. I guess that makes me a horrible father.
Favorite writing tool?
My favorite writing tool is humor, especially the hyperbole. Perhaps that stems from my degrees in mathematics where the equation y = 1/x is a hyperbola. Take someone, put an x under them, then see what happens. Isn’t that what a writer does?
A favorite writing resource:
My favorite writing resources are the Old Testament prophets and their strong forth tellings (as opposed to fore tellings) of God’s intended realm. Readers will have little difficulty in discerning a strong sense of ought and ethics in my writing. I’m working on adding reconciliation to my writing tool belt, but it’s been difficult.
Best Writing advice you’ve received and actually taken?
Without a doubt, participate in a critique group. Seek honest feedback. Otherwise one’s characters can be either two dimensional or appear to be just another iteration of the author. It is especially important when including characters beyond one’s own experience to invite readers with that or those backgrounds to offer their critiques.
One thing I would like help with?
My writing tends to be plot driven rather than character driven. Going forward, in order for my writing to improve, I’m going to need to move toward a balance between these poles.
To start a conversation with Jonathan send him 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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In December We're Talking Critique Groups Creation & Support
Did you know that participating in a critique group or in multiple critique groups is a benefit of membership in our writing community?
Do you need fresh eyes for an old project, or want to jump into something new in 2022?
Come to the December meeting--on the second Tuesday, the 14th. It's a week early because of how the holidays fall on the calendar this year. We will be forming new peer review groups and established groups will be looking for additional members. There's plenty of room at the Tyvola Senior Center for mingling and we'll help you find peers to cheer you on, keep you on track, readers to help you with plot holes and bad grammar, if you ask.
New Poetry Group Forming in Belmont
If enough interest is shown, the group will meet in Belmont, NC, near where Highway 74 (Wilkinson Boulevard) crosses the Catawba River (the border of eastern Gaston
and western Mecklenburg counties) at a private home with easy suburban on-street parking.
The host and hostess are offering their space for a monthly meeting either indoors or on their deck, and suggest a start time between 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. and end time no later than 8 pm, on a day, Monday- Saturday, that best suits the members of the group. During the odd time we're living in, masks will be required. Email Paul Bruchon or contact him by cell phone, at (704) 689-5007. You can also message him from the Member Directory.
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Inspiration and Motivation Starters |
6 Simple Ways To Stay Inspired As A Writer
It’s a contradiction we writers know all too well: wanting to write with every fibre of our being, but lacking the necessary inspiration to get started and/or keep going.
So what are we to do when creative motivation is lacking? Simply waiting around for inspiration to strike isn’t a viable option, but neither is forcing something onto the page just for the sake of writing. We’re left with no choice: we have to take inspiration into our own hands and seek it out ourselves.
This is definitely easier said than done, so to help our fellow writers out of your creative ruts, here are six simple tips for becoming and staying inspired as a writer.
- Gain Experience
- Read Widely
- Become a part of the writing community
- Keep Things in Perspective
- Know Yourself as a Writer
- Focus on Writing First,then Editing
Now after all that, are you feeling any more inspired? If not, don’t worry. It could just be one of those days – we all have them. Take a break and come back to your writing later; but most importantly, Don't Give Up!
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"You can't wait or inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."
"Don't loaf and invite inspiration; light out after it with a club."
Jack London
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This is how you do it; you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it's done. It's that easy, and that hard."
Neil Gaiman
"Many of my books come from what if questions that I can't answer, things that I'm worried about either as a woman, a wife, a mom, an American."
Jodi Picoult
“Take a good book to bed with you—books do not snore.”
Cicero
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Find Your Fall Writing Inspiration in
Tryon, NC
Nestled in the mountains, you'll find beauty, inspiration, and music in Tryon. If you're seeking the perfect verse to finish a song, or simple storytelling inspiration, visit the Nina Simone statue. As a native to Tryon, the singer went on to national stardom. The isolation, small town, and gorgeous horse country will get the creative juices flowing.
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"How do you explain what it feels like to get on the stage and make poetry that know sinks into the hearts and souls of people who are unable to express it?"
Nina Simone
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“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.”
"I'm writing a new love story, set in eastern North Carolina. Surprise, surprise, huh?"
Nicholas Sparks, New Bern, NC
"The man who has no imagination has no wings."
Muhammad Ali
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Now Accepting Submissions for 2023 New Play Project
GREENSBORO, NC (September 14, 2021) – Creative Greensboro is now accepting submissions for the 2023 New Play Project. Submissions are open to any North Carolina resident or student playwright. The deadline for submissions is November 12.
The New Play Project has been presented for 29 years with support from the Mark Gilbert estate – annually awarding a $500 cash prize to a selected playwright along with a workshop production of the selected play. Creative Greensboro, the City of Greensboro’s office for arts and culture, continues to offer this opportunity to advance innovation and support the play-writing community.
Founded in 2019, Creative Greensboro provides support for, ensures access to and drives awareness of Greensboro’s creative community. Through a range of programs, services and partnerships, Creative Greensboro supports the development of a vibrant city.
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Charlotte Lit: $10,000 in Prizes Plus Publication — Charlotte Lit’s New Writers/South Awards. Charlotte Lit is excited to announce the inaugural Writers/South Awards. Four categories: poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, and flash. Four prize levels: $1,500 1st, $500 2nd, $250 3rd, $50 honorable mentions.
All prize winners published in the new Writers/South: Journal of Charlotte Lit. Judges include Ron Rash, Jessica Jacobs, Nickole Brown. Submissions open September 1 to December 1. More info: charlottelit.org/writerssouth/awards
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Waterbean Poetry Night at the Mic is Back
LIVE in Huntersville on the 4th Wednesday of the month. Mask Up to Mic Up.
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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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The Editor's Notes
by Teresa Taylor
Affirming the Writer in You
The theory behind affirmations, and why this form of self-talk is becoming popular, is that if you repeat this positive idea to yourself often, you’ll impress it into your conscious mind and alter your thinking patterns.
It might sound a little hippie or New Age but it's something that you already know, as you've probably used the strategy in other aspects of your life. Like when you don't have a pen or pencil to write with and you want to remember a number or a name. what do you do? Yep, you repeat it over and over until it's in your conscience.
Some may think it's silly, but, the more you try it, the more you'll open up to the power of positive self-talk as a tool against doubt and fear.
"When the writer in me connects with the reader in me, magic happens!"
"Bring it on blank page! I am ready to fill you with amazing words!"
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What Personality Type are You?
To write a book: for some people, it’s the ultimate dream, but for many, in an age of Twitter, Bitmoji, and Instagram, it seems old-fashioned. But thanks to the advent of platforms like CreateSpace and Wattpad, anyone with a computer can write a book and publish it too. According to figures from Bowker (an agency that issues book ISBNs), the number of books published in the United States every year has grown to more than one million, roughly two-thirds of which are self-published. How that has affected the market is another matter, but it’s at least safe to say that as a society, our yearning to write books is anything but waning.
To gauge our community’s enthusiasm for writing in this landscape, readers were asked to agree or disagree with the statement, “You think that someday you will write a book.” Overall, 46% agreed, with Intuitive personality types strongly in the lead. Intuitive type people live their lives questioning, wondering, and connecting the dots in the “bigger picture,” and they love the theoretical. They often ask, “What if?” and ponder the possibilities the future might hold.
But what makes us want to write? First, we should acknowledge that “writing a book” can mean very different things to different people: a blockbuster bestselling novel, an exhaustive study of a microscopic scientific phenomenon, a modest self-published family history, and everything in between, and different people can have very different motivations for writing.
When asked if you will ever write a book to the following personality types the replies and percentages are interesting.
Diplomats and Analysts (intuitive types) love to think deeply on ideas and imagine new possibilities or an alternate reality. This group
responded with 59% and 58% positive reply respectively.
Sentinels and Explorers (observant types) this group isn't terribly interested in searachig for hidden meanings or forming abstract connections. They replied unlikely with 34% and 32% resepectively.
Constant Improvement and Social Engagement (*turbulent types) these two personalities must be separated as they are not one in the same. Constant improvement types are somewhat introverted and like working in solitude (which) some writers struggle with. On the other hand, social engagement types dream of making the best seller list or winning a major award. These two personalities ranked at 51% and 49% respectively. *Ernest Hemingway is considered to be one of the famous turbulent type writers.
People Mastery and Confident Individualism (assertive types) the People Masters would rather influence others and the Confident Individuals don't feel the need to share their work or life experiences with the world. These types had a 45% and 42% rating respectively.
So what does all this tell us? For many people, the notion of writing a book is too daunting or simply not relevant to what they want to accomplish in life. But for some personality types, especially Intuitive and turbulent types who spend a lot of time in their heads, questioning and analyzing and dreaming, the urge to write a book cannot be ignored.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to write, be they lofty, romantic, or pragmatic, it’s helpful to understand that writing is ultimately an “act of ego”: it’s you, carving out solitary time to explore and solidify your ideas, your discoveries, your opinions, and your identity.
Have you decided what your personality type is?
**Information excerpted from
16 Personalities
Quotes for each personality type:
“If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must be the one to write it.” – Toni Morrison
“If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.”
– Maya Angelou
“The road to hell is paved with works in progress.”
– Philip Roth
“[Writers] are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
– Ernest Hemingway
“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.”
– George Orwell
In conclusion, no matter your type remember...
“Writing is an act of ego, and you might as well admit it.” – William Zinsser
So, since you've decided that a writer you will be, then make the most of that act and that time every day, and keep going!
"It's a writer's life for me."
Teresa GS Taylor
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Personality
O differing human heart,
Why is it that I tremble when thine eyes,
Thy human eyes and beautiful human speech,
Draw me, and stir within my soul
That subtle ineradicable longing
For tender comradeship?
It is because I cannot all at once,
Through the half-lights and phantom-haunted mists
That separate and enshroud us life from life,
Discern the nearness or the strangeness of thy paths
Nor plumb thy depths.
I am like one that comes alone at night
To a strange stream, and by an unknown ford
Stands, and for a moment yearns and shrinks,
Being ignorant of the water, though so quiet it is,
So softly murmurous,
So silvered by the familiar moon.
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If you're you looking to get more involved or have an idea share it
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Ideas are worthless until you get them out of your head to see what they can do. |
Encouragement Quotes
"Words are our most inexhaustible source of magic."
"Your intuition knows what to write, so get out of the way."
Ray Bradbury, author of Farenheit 451
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So What is Writer's Intuition?
Writer's intuition is an (often) unconscious knowledge that comes from experience. Many people have given many names to the same concept: a gut feeling, reading the room, thin slicing, or instinct.
Writers who prefer intuition focus on theories, patterns, and connections, start with the big picture then zoom in on the details; but too much attention to possibilities can prevent a writer from providing enough facts to support their ideas.
Intuitive writers are imaginative. They see the world not as it is but as it could be. They rely on inspiration and focus on context. When planning a writing project, they think about the subject, jotting down ideas as they arise and considering a multitude of possibilities.
If you are an intuitive writer, you may tend to think in generalities. This may make it difficult to connect with readers. Some ideas to help are:
- Be specific.
- Include relevant facts and details.
- Say what you mean rather than simply implying it.
- Don’t make intuitive leaps without connecting the dots for your readers.
- Check with a peer to make sure you’ve shown connections clearly.
- Develop a daily writing practice.
- Try writing in community.
- Be open to surprises and strike while hot.
- Claim your workspace.
- Connect with a community.
- Use prompts.
- Set a timer.
Using visual prompts like pictures, artwork, postcards or even listening to music can help your intuition jumpstart. It may not be for all writers, but each person must find their own way to develop creativity, but some of these hints may start you a little quicker on your writing journey, but if by chance you do get stuck try the three act structure to release your flow..
- Setup
- Confrontation
- Resolution
Separate each as you write, one portion at a time.
Happy Writing!
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"Intuition is the whisper of the soul."
Jiddu Krishnamurti,
Philosopher and Author
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Book Titles for Intuitive Development
Signs-Laura Lynne Jackson
Intuitive Being-Jill Willard
The Happy Medium-Kim Russo
Many Lives, Many Masters-Brian L. Weiss, MD
Use Your Planets Wisely-Jennifer Freed, PhD
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“That stupid saying “What you don’t know can’t hurt you” is ridiculous. What you don’t know can kill you. If you don’t know that tractor trailer trucks hurt when hitting you, then you can play in the middle of the interstate with no fear – but that doesn’t mean you won’t get killed.”
Dave Ramsey,
Radio Personality
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How to Make Your Writing Funny
as told by David Sedaris
Humor is a device that can be used in many writing genres. Whether you’re a freelance writer for magazines, a blogger, or a fiction writer, knowing how to write funny prose and make people laugh out loud is a great skill to have. You don’t have to do stand-up comedy or be a sitcom comedy writer to spice up your stories with a little humor. Tap into your inner funny person and follow these tips for adding humor to anything you write.
- Accept that you have the potential to be funny.
- Master timing.
- Let funny come naturally.
- Use observational humor.
- Make fun of yourself.
- Embrace the impossibble.
- Write for your traget audience.
- Keep jokes short.
- Include an element of surprise.
- Subvert clichés.jokes about writing humor
Farmers would make great writers.
They really know how to work a plot.
OK, that's one. Now it's your turn.
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November is National
Novel Writing Month
National Novel Writing Month (often shortened to NaNoWriMo /ˈnænoʊ ˈraɪmoʊ/)[1] is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that promotes creative writing around the world. Its flagship program is an annual, international creative writing event in which participants attempt to write a 50,000-word manuscript during the month of November. Well-known authors write "pep-talks" in order to motivate participants during the month. The website provides participants, called "Wrimos", with tips for writer's block, information on where local participants are meeting, and an online community of support.
Focusing on the length of a work rather than the quality, writers are encouraged to finish their first draft quickly so that it can later be edited at the author's discretion.
The project started in July 1999 with 21 participants. In 2019, 455,080 participated in the organization's programs.
Writers wishing to participate first must register on the project's website, where you can post profiles and information about your novels, including synopses and excerpts.
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"Writing is the best to talk without being interrupted."
Jules Renard, French Author
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“Find the key emotion; this may be all you need know to find your short story.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald
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Got the Theatre Itch?
Check out these upcoming shows and save the date:
Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba
Saturday, Nov 6 through Sunday, November 14
11-year-old Daniel has escaped Nazi Germany and finds himself alone on the shores of Havana, Cuba. He meets a spirited girl with some painful secrets of her own. Through their unlikely bond, she introduces Daniel to the language, music and history of Cuban culture. However, once Cuba enters the war these two young friends are faced with some dangerous choices that will ultimately test their friendship. Part of The Kindness Project.
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“It is not only the living who are killed in war.”
Issac Asimov
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Getting to Know You
C lyde Edgarton was born in Durham, North Carolina and grew up in the small town of Bethesda, North Carolina. In 1962 Edgerton enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, eventually majoring in English. During this time he was a student in the Air Force ROTC program where he learned to fly a small plane. After graduating in 1966, he entered the Air Force and served five years as a fighter pilot in the United States, Korea, Japan, and Thailand. After his time in service, Edgerton got his Master's degree in English and began a job as an English teacher at his old high school. Soon after, he also earned a doctorate.
His first published novel was Raney. A few of his other novels are Redeye,Night Train (which was his tenth novel), The Floatplane Notebooks, Killer Diller, Where Trouble Sleeps, and Lunch at the Picadilly. As of 2011 he was professor at UNC Wilmington; he also has a street in Kernersville, NC named after him.
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"I think I would have written more books if I'd had fewer kids or had them earlier, but I think the books in general would have had a little less spark to them."
Clyde Edgarton
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What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “Pilgrim”? Perhaps, dour-looking early Americans sporting black-and-white clothes accessorized with buckled hats and shoes? This image of the first colonists to New England—popularized in the 19th-century—is based on a 1651 portrait of Edward Winslow, third governor of the Plymouth colony. But is it based on historical accuracy?
Not so much.
Pilgrims loved their colors as much as we do today. They wore everything from green to red and orange, only limiting their choices based on the natural dyes available to them. Read on to find out how the color-craving ladies and gents aboard the Mayflower actually dressed. While we tend to think of the Pilgrims as the kind of folks that Johnny Cash, “the man in black,” could’ve swapped shirts and pants with, color was a surprisingly common element of even the most devout Pilgrim’s clothes chest. Both women and men enjoyed a broad palette of colors, from browns to russets, greens to yellows. Scarlets and lavenders also proved popular colors for various items, from caps to petticoats.
How do we know this? From examining the Pilgrims’ detailed probate records. For example, one Plymouth colonist, Mary Ring, died in 1633 leaving behind some of the following garments:
- White stockings
- Blue stockings
- A red petticoat
- A violet petticoat
- Three blue aprons
- Two violet waistcoats
- A “mingled-color” waistcoat
The black-and-white palette that we see in so many Victorian-era depictions of Britain’s early New World residents says more about the Victorians than the Pilgrims. It speaks to their intense desire to romanticize the past and create an idealized esthetic around the Pilgrim’s spiritual belief in the daily struggle between the forces of good and evil. The color black was among the most expensive dyes of the day, and buckles represented another audacious sign of wealth. The average Pilgrim proved too poor to wear either of these. But Puritans loved to show off in shades of ebony with prominent buckles.
Over time, Puritans and Pilgrims became blurred in American history because they shared a similar back story. But while lavender cloaks and red petticoats would’ve been all the rage among the impoverished “first-comers,” the Puritans made black the esthetic standard.
Believe it or Not!
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"Be a worthy worker and work will come," Amit Kalantri |
"A good short-story writer has an instinct for sketching in just enough background to ground the specific story."
Lynn Abbey,
Fantastic Fiction Author
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Short Stories
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood.
The short story is one of the oldest types of literature and has existed in the form of legends, mythic tales, folk tales, fairy tales, fables and anecdotes in various ancient communities across the world. The modern short story developed in the early 19th century.
A short story is a different thing all together – a short story is like a kiss in the dark from a stranger.
Steven King
"A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build towards it."
"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."
Edgar Allan Poe
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“Short stories consume you faster. They’re connected to brevity. With the short story, you are up against mortality. I know how tough they are as a form, but they’re also a total joy.” – Ali Smith
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A short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage. A short story is a photograph; a novel is a film."
Lorrie Moore, Author of
Who Will Run Frog Hospital
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Verse & Vino: November 4th, 7 pm. Online
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation’s signature annual fundraiser. This celebration of reading, writing and the joy of libraries – shared with a community of readers and New York Times best-selling authors – Check out the line up & get tickets HERE
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Reading Challenge Book Club
book for November
is Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin, Aneesa Abbas Higgins (Translator) the debut novel from a French Korean author
and step out of your comfort zone.
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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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Curl Up With New
November Releases
- The Passing Storm-Christine Nolfi- Nov 1
- Tahira in Bloom-Farah Heron-Nov 1
- Her Name is Knight-Yasmin Angoe-Nov 1
- Skin of the Seas-Natasha Bowen-Nov 2
Young Adult:
- Well Matched-Jen DeLuca
- Jade Fire Gold-June C.L. Tan
- Dreams Lie Beneath-Rebecca Ross
Children
- Shady Baby0Gabrielle Union-Wade/Dwayne Wade Jr
- Science as a Superpower-William A. Haseline, PhD
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Go Tell the Bees (Outlander Series)-Diana Gabaldon
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A writer is simply a Photographer of thoughts.
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Knowledge is Power!
Charlotte Writers Club Members
CWC writers share your writing tips for the December issue to Teresa Taylor by November 15.
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The Gypsy Farm Fair
is waiting for you!
Saturday, November 13, 2021
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
6533 Fallston Rd.,
Lawndale, NC 28090
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Beating the Odds
William Styron was born on June 11, 1925 in Newport News, Virginia. His father was a shipyard engineer who suffered from depression and his mother passed away when he was only thirteen. A rebellious child, Styron was sent to a boys’ preparatory school soon after his mother’s death. Moving from school to school, he eventually ended up at Duke University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts. The next year he enlisted in the Marine Corps, where he became a first lieutenant during World War II.
After leaving the service, he moved to New York, where he supported his fledgling writing career working at McGraw-Hill Publishing. He also began taking classes with Hiram Haydn at the New School for Social Research. With guidance and encouragement from Haydn, Styron made his stunning debut at the age of twenty-six with LIE DOWN IN DARKNESS (1951). This novel launched his career and earned him the American Academy’s Prix de Rome. Told under the shadow of the Hiroshima bombing, LIE DOWN IN DARKNESS charts the tragic descent into suicide of a young woman raised in a troubled Virginia family.
He followed LIE DOWN IN DARKNESS with THE LONG MARCH (1957), SET THIS HOUSE ON FIRE (1960), and one of his most famous novels, THE CONFESSIONS OF NAT TURNER (1967). Published at the height of the civil rights movement, THE CONFESSIONS OF NAT TURNER is told from the point of view of the historical figure who led a disastrous and bloody slave insurrection which set the stage for the Civil War. Winning a Pulitzer Prize, THE CONFESSIONS OF NAT TURNER was both praised as a brave look into a rarely represented life, and maligned for what many saw as a clichéd conception of a black man.
Styron’s next novel did not appear for more than ten years. The tragedy of SOPHIE’S CHOICE (1979) is played out between a young Virginia writer and a Polish Holocaust survivor in an urban Jewish enclave of Brooklyn. It takes place during the aftermath of World War II, an era Styron describes as “a nightmarish Sargasso Sea of guilt and apprehensions.” In SOPHIE’S CHOICE, Styron weaves a fictional tale, profound in its engagement, with major recent historical events. Made into a popular movie starring Meryl Streep, SOPHIE’S CHOICE returned Styron to the popular eye as both a controversial personality and a major writer.
The same year as the movie SOPHIE’S CHOICE appeared, Styron produced a book of essays entitled THE QUIET DUST & OTHER WRITINGS. His next great work, however, was not until his 1990 book, DARKNESS VISIBLE: A MEMOIR OF MADNESS. Addressing questions of depression, suicide, and alcoholism, DARKNESS VISIBLE is a beautiful and personal account of the effects of depression. In a sense it is the continuation of his social and political concerns manifested in an investigation of the personal core of our lives in society.
Throughout the 1990s, Styron continued to write, publish, edit, and receive numerous awards for his contributions to American literature. Authoring A TIDEWATER MORNING: THREE TALES FROM YOUTH (1993) and FATHERS AND DAUGHTERS: IN THEIR OWN WORDS (1994, with Mariana Ruth Cook) and winning the National Medal of Arts and the Common Wealth Award, Styron has secured his place in the history of literature. His thought-provoking work will long remain important to readers interested in the serious workings of the mind and heart of contemporary society.
William Styron died on November 1st, 2006. He was 81 years old.
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"Reading - the best state yet to keep absolute loneliness at bay." William Styron
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"We don't know them all, but we owe them all."
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- Which president refused to recognize Thanksgiving?
- What does the poem Mary had a Little Lamb have to do with Thanksgiving?
- When did cranberry canning begin?
- Why is football a Thanksgiving tradition?
- Which president received a live raccoon as a Thanksgiving gift?
Look for answers in the lower right column of the newsletter.
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Shepherd's Center of Charlotte - Seeks Volunteer Poetry/Creative Writing Instructors
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
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“AFTER A GOOD DINNER ONE CAN FORGIVE ANYBODY, EVEN ONE’S OWN RELATIONS.”
Oscar Wilde, Poet and Playwright
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There's Nothing Like the Sun
by Edward Thomas
The south wall warms me: November has begun,
Yet never shone the sun as fair as now
While the sweet last-left damsons from the bough
With spangles of the morning’s storm drop down
Because the starling shakes it, whistling what
Once swallows sang …
‘There’s nothing like the sun as the year dies’, begins this poem by one of the early twentieth century’s greatest nature poets. considers the beauty of the late autumn sun in the month of November: ‘November has begun, / Yet never shone the sun as fair as now…’
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“Verse is the natural speech of men, as singing is of birds."
Edward Thomas
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Nancy Stohlman, author of
Going Short... an invitation to flash fiction
Do you love flash fiction?
Can you write 30 flash fiction stories in 30 days?
Join us for FlashNano 2021 this November and find out!
Created by Nancy Stohlman in 2012, FlashNano is in its 10th anniversary year. Learn more at
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Flash Fiction
Flash fiction is one of the most fascinating creative mediums in this day and age: incredibly difficult, but also incredibly rewarding. After all, flash fiction requires writers to effectively cramming a whole narrative into 1,500 words or less.
But when writers rise to this challenge, the results can be exquisite. This post is dedicated to those dazzling flash fiction examples. We'll cover works by the masters of the medium, from Franz Kafka to Joyce Carol Oates. Some stories are a few paragraphs long, some a few lines, and others only a few words — but all of them display storytelling ability that's out of this world.
Flash Fiction Titles
- Angels and Blueberries by Tara Campbell
- As the North Wind Howled by Yu Hua
- Baby Dolls by Becky Robison
- Curriculum by Sejal Shah
- Give It Up! by Franz Kafka
- Girl by Jamaica Kincaid
- John Redding Goes to Sea by Zora Neale
- Housewife by Amy Hempel
- Likable by Deb Olin Unferth
- My Dead by Peter Orner
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The 2022 Press 53 Award for Short Fiction deadline to submit your unpublished short story collection is December 31, 2021.
There is a reading fee. Click on the image above to review the guidelines and enter via Submittable or by mail.
The winning manuscript will be published by Press 53, and the author will receive a $1,000 cash advance and fifty copies of the book; all prizes will be awarded upon publication.
Veteran's Day Salute
"The willingness of Amercian's veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude"
Jeff Miller, Politician
The History
In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This site, on a hillside overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Washington, D.C., became the focal point of reverence for America’s veterans. Similar ceremonies occurred earlier in England and France, where an unknown soldier was buried in each nation’s highest place of honor (in England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These memorial gestures all took place on November 11, giving universal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War I fighting at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). The day became known as “Armistice Day.” Armistice Day officially received its name in America in 1926 through a Congressional resolution. It became a national holiday 12 years later by similar Congressional action. If the idealistic hope had been realized that World War I was “the War to end all wars,” November 11 might still be called Armistice Day. But only a few years after the holiday was proclaimed, war broke out in Europe.
From Armistice to Veterans
The first celebration using the term Veterans Day occurred in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1947. Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized "National Veterans Day," which included a parade and other festivities, to honor all veterans. The event was held on November 11, then designated Armistice Day. Later, U.S. Representative Edward Rees of Kansas proposed a bill that would change Armistice Day to Veterans Day. In 1954, Congress passed the bill that President Eisenhower signed proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day.
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"It is the soldier, not the poet who has given us freedom of speech."
Zell Miller, former Georgia Lt Govenor and author
"Strength doesn't come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you thought you COULDN'T!
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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
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
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
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
Crescent
Diana Abu-Jaber (Arabian Jazz) weaves the story of a love affair between a comely chef and a handsome, haunted Near Eastern Studies professor together with a fanciful tale of a mother's quest to find her wayward son in this beautifully imagined and timely novel, which explores private emotions and global politics with both grace and conviction.
Almond Cookies
INGREDIENTS
Cookies:
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1 cup unsalted butter soft but cold (you can make a thumbprint in it)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 teaspoons water
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, with a mixer cream the butter, sugar, and almond extract. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture 2 Tablespoons at a time to the butter mixture until completely combined (important!!)
Roll into small 1-inch balls and flatten slightly. They should look like a thick checker. Cook for 7 minutes (they will not look done) at 400 degrees on a parchment lined pan. Cool cookies until they are just warm and place sliced almonds on top of each cookie.
For the glaze: Combine powdered sugar, almond extract, and water. Drizzle a spoonful of glaze on top of the almonds and cookie.
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Trivia Answers:
- Thomas Jefferson
- The author of the poem Mary Had a Little Lamb, Sarah Josepha Hale lobbied for the holiday.
- 1912 by Marcus Urann which founded what is now known as Ocean Spray
- Because a game was played between Yale and Princeton in 1876. The day was adopted by the NFL in 1920
- Calvin Coolidge
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“But this too is true: stories can save us… The thing about a story is that you dream it as you tell it, hoping that others might then dream along with you, and in this way memory and imagination and language combine to make spirits in the head.”—Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried
Numerous writers have served their country during times of conflict, and their experiences inspired some of the most memorable stories in literature. Here are just a few of the US writers we remember on this Veterans Day:
- Ambrose Bierce-Union Army
- e.e. Cumings-US Army
- Issac Asimov-US Army
- Chaim Potok-Korean War-US Army Chaplain
- J.D. Salinger-US Army Signal and Counter Intelligence Corps
- Tim O'Brien-US Army
- Tobias Wolff-US Army
- Shoshana Johnson-Iraq War-US Army
- Jane Blair-Iraq War US Marine Corps
- C.S. Lewis, Bristish Army
- J.R.R. Tolkien, British Military
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ALL CWC VETS-We thank you for service and your gift.
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Support CWC Members & Community Partners
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CHARLOTTE READERS PODCAST
The month of November is a mix of five books and four craft talks. On the book front, Landis has a novel inspired by a 1937 true crime murder in the Appalachian mountains, a poignant and humorous memoir about teaching in the Jurassic, a literary mystery set in the 1920s on Ellis Island, a historical thriller focused on racial injustice in the post-Reconstruction South, and an American conspiracy set in the nation’s capital. Click on the calendar image to learn more including who he's talking to about craft.
The podcaster, author and recovering trial lawyer who is also a CWC member, hosts a community blog and a community vlog.
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The Personal Story Publishing Project
Call for submissions for the 6th anthology. The theme is “Curious Stuff—mementos, treasures, white elephants, and junk.” Stories about items in your possession—or things you once had and wish you still did (or not)—and the stories connected to them.
Your true, personal stories of 750-800 words sharing your lived experience, and leaving the reader a lesson or a laugh or a caution for us all. Deadline for entry is December 15 with publication in March 2022.
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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. Mask Up to Read & to Drop in for a listen!
5126 Park Rd #1D, Charlotte, NC 28209
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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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