NOVEMBER 2020 Volume 28 Issue 3
CWC Mission Statement:
Charlotte Writers' Club supports local writers and promotes their development through education, recognition, and community.
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November is....
National Write a Novel Month
1-Author's Day
3- Cliché Day
13-World Kindness Day
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Curl up With a Good Novel
The Great Pretender
by Susannah Cahalan
Little White Lies (Teen/Young Adult)
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Clap When You Land
by Elizabeth Acevedo
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Check this out!
Our Nonfiction Contest is open; enter your 750-2,000 word articles, essays and nonfiction stories now through January 2, 2021 CWC's own
Judy Goldman is the judge.
Winners will be announced at the meeting on February 16, 2021.
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GENERAL MEETING: Tuesday November 17, 6:30-8:30 pm. via Zoom
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Author Publicity & Marketing:
A Publicists' Panel Discussion
Join us as three publicists who own their own firms and navigate the daily waters of the publishing world, share their wisdom and experiences, and answer your book publishing and marketing questions.
Visit the CWC Calendar of Events page to learn more about this program and the participants. Please RSVP. The ZOOM link, information will be sent upon registration.
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A New Century, a New Look!! |
"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.
Refined (after drawings by Picasso), it is modern in style and engaging. It invites the viewer to come share thoughts. To come hear thoughts. To engage, to grow, to imagine."
Designer, Gordon Smith.
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A Message from the President
Rebranding for the Next Century
The plan unanimously approved by the executive board, will be completed in time for our 100th birthday. The first step i rebranding the logo above. There have been at least three iterations of a logo in our club’s history. This one represents a shift in focus from place to people, our community, our stories, our words.The creator is club member Gordon Smith, said at the October unveiling that “Rebranding is a Process of Renewal— It is a process of rebirth, rejuvenation, revitalization, and provocation.”
The logo committee asked for proposals from three presenters--two offered us pen nibs and cliches, but not Gordon; he brought his love for the club and 30 years of advertising and graphic design experience to the project.
“For the Charlotte Writers Club,” Gordon writes, “The difficulty was to design a logo that maintained the club’s meaning, but at the same time enhanced its worth. Timeless, ageless, raceless, genderless. All that “less” means more today; to survive and to grow as a club in our second century, our mark must be relevant, engaging, and current. It must attract new members—all kinds of members, because a diverse membership enriches our experiences and makes us think differently. Diversity improves the quality of our writing. When we talk of rebranding the CWC, it is no small feat. We’re an organization of writers whose skills are varied and complex, but we share one overriding principal; we are all creators, and we seek to improve that which we create."
See the October Meeting RECAP for comments from members present for that meeting. Look for this new logo first, on online communications and the newsletter. Website refresh will take a little longer. Picture it on welcome banners and signs when we return to in-person meetings and for all our centennial celebrations. Personally, I can’t wait to have a tee shirt and a mug for my writing room!
Stay Healthy and Keep Writing!
Caroline
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Meet-a-Member
Randy Lee White
AKA GranRan has earned a Master in Arts from UNC Charlotte in 2007. He enjoys fishing, golf, and camping with the grandchildren. He has had stories and poems published in The Monarch Review, Gambling the Aisle, Sanskrit, Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, Unlimited Literature and The Helix Literary Magazine. GranRan has published, The Magical Meniscus, The eSmith Short Tales: Fables and Stories from Fairytale Land. Check out his Fairytale Land ONLINE.
When and where do I write the best?
I recline in front of the TV, pop in a music video or perhaps a movie I’ve seen a hundred times (background noise). I write on my laptop at all times of the day and night. I believe writing is therapy; it heals you if you seek the truth.
Favorite writing tool?
I’ve used Microsoft Word for many many years.
A favorite writing resource
I use two online resources a lot: Wikipedia, and The Free Dictionary by Farlex.These websites are free, but I donate money when they ask.
Best Writing advice you’ve received and actually taken?
Go for the main verb. He feared death is much more powerful than: He seemed as if to fear death.
One thing I would like help with?
I’m terrible at book promotion hands down. I would love some help in promoting my next book: “The eSmith Eye Story” which will be out late next year.
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A January Intensive with Sarah Creech
Start 2021 with a month long course via Zoom on scene writing. Please join us each Saturday morning in January (9, 16, 23, 30) 10:00-noon for:
Building Better Scenes: A Four Session Course with Sarah Creech. When you register you will receive the Zoom link in your reminder email.
The cost of this course is $120 for CWC members, $160 for non members.
Scenes are the building blocks of creative writing.
- Where does a writer begin and end a scene?
- How much significant detail should be added?
- How best to weave telling and showing together to create writing worth reading?
Explore these questions and more in this four-week immersive course on writing scenes. Sarah will focus on the art of summary, showing, and structure in creative nonfiction and fiction writing.Together we will study literary models in multiple genres to explore different methods to construct scenes.Each week participants will create and share work for feedback.
Sarah has published two novels with William Morrow. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in various publications including, Lit Hub,The Cortland Review, Writer's Digest, StorySouth, Monkey Bicycle, and the Washington Independent Review of Books. Sarah is an Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing at Queens University of Charlotte where she serves as the department chair.
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Celebrate those prose and poetry projects you've labored over.
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The Next Virtual Opportunity to hear CWC members share their work is Friday, November 20, 6:30-9 pm.
Readers who have pre-registered, have 10 minutes to share their work.
The virtual meeting link is sent to members in their reminder email. All are welcome to join, only those registered will read.
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Help Wanted: Co-Contest Chair |
We are looking for a Co-Contest Chair to fill the seat of Mack Staton who is stepping down after a year on the advisory board. Thank you Mack for your service to the club and best of luck on your new project.
Overseeing our contests is a shared position and a good way to dip a toe if you are interested in serving on the leadership team. Duties include: setting up and monitoring contests on Submittable, selecting qualified judges and shepherding through the judging process and reporting the results to winners and the club.
You'll have plenty of help getting up to speed from Immediate Past President and tech guru Debra Wallen and Co-chair Darrell Horwitz. You can reach out to the president, Caroline Kenna, or to Mack through our Members Directory or contact Anshu Gupta, the Vice President of Nominations. |
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Tiffany's Virtual Writing Salon
is a Huge Hit!
Join her via Zoom on Monday November 9, 7:00-8:30 pm, for your next opportunity to write spontaneously to given prompts. Learn more and register Here.
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Dave Collins, his book Accidental Activists, a Friday feature for CRP
CWC member Collins talks writinng and reads from his nonfiction book for a weekly "Under the Covers" episode of Charlotte Readers Podcast. Collins says Accidental Activists: Mark Phariss and Vic Holmes and Their Fight for Marriage Equality in Texas, is "first and foremost, a love story. It’s the story of Mark Phariss and Vic Holmes who, after the Windsor decision in June 2013, sixteen years after they met and fell in love, decided that the time had come to bring the fight for same-sex marriage to their home state of Texas."
The episode is part of Season 7 and CWC is one of the sponsors. Give it a listen.
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Coming in December!
Charlotte Poet Diana Pinckney, speaks during the general meeting on December. 15th, Releasing the Tiger in the Poem is her topic.
At that meeting, we will celebrate the winners the Ruth Moose Flash Fiction Contest. And hear their mico-fiction stories.
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More Opportunities...
- Guerilla Poets are offering Free, virtual poetry, music and art workshops. Check out the list Here.
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Resources, grants and places to submit your work at NCArts.org.
- Luck & Opportunity: A Call for Your Personal Stories
Randell Jones's 4th anthology will feature essays on the subject of Luck and Opportunity. Your stories 750-800 words! DEADLINE for entry is December 15, 2020.
- The Writers Workshop of Asheville TWWOA
- North Carolina Poetry Society emuse at NCPS
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November 19, 7 pm: A Virtual Author Talk featuring New York Times Best Selling Author Blake Crouch, for more Contact Abigail Hardison
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How to Write a Novel in 12 Steps
- Nail down a winning story idea
- Determine whether you're an Outliner or a Pantster
- Create an unforgettable main character
- Expand your idea into a plot
- Research, research, research
- Choose your Voice and Point of View
- Start in medias res (in the midst of things)
- Engage the theatre of the reader's mind
- Intensify your main character's problems
- Make the predicament appear hopeless
- Bring it all to a climax
- Leave readers wholly satisfied
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- Who first said, "Variety's the spice of life that gives it all its flavor?"
- Who wrote the first non-family biography of Mark Twain?
- Who wrote "Old Man the The Sea," and is considered the greatest writer of the 20th century?
Look for answers in the left bottom column
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November
by Blue Mountain
Orange pumpkins full and round
Cornstalks gathered on the ground
Blue skies and autumn-bright
Harvest moons and frost at night
Leaves racked high in great big piles...
November sights bring thankful smiles
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Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Gratitude turns what we have into Enough.
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Are You GAME????
Take the Novel Challenge. Ready. Set. Write 10,000 words (or more) in 30 days. Name your project and track your progress at NaNoWriMo.
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Verse & Vino
The Virtual fundraising event hosted by The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation goes LIVE on Thursday, November 5, see the line up of Authors & Books here
Sign Up for on-going events in cyberspace like these:
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 Pam Turner
Poetry In Pajamas, 2020, 12:00 PM – 1:00 pm
Every other Wednesday of the month. Poets of all experience levels are welcome.For more information please 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 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-three weeks for Thursday Group contact Darcey Mesaris
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Trivia Answers:
- William Cooper from the poem, "The Task
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Thought for Writers
Our job as writers is to make it as easy as possible for our readers to grab the next line and hold onto it for dear life.
Happy Writing!
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Support CWC Members & Community Partners |
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FEATURED LIT EVENT: PEN TO PAPER. |
Join on Tuesdays from 9:30-10:30 a.m. for a mini-lesson, writing prompt, writing time, and sharing. Free!
On Thursday, November 5, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Landis Wade is teaching How to Create Your Own Audiobook at Charlotte Lit
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Listen to this Special Episode celebrating our Spring 2019 contests winners. Becky Aijala and Lucinda Trew, for the Poetry Contest and for the Elizabeth Simpson Smith Short Story Contest, Janet Ford and Gary Powell.
Seven seasons,150 episodes and counting! Check out what's new HERE you may be surprised at how many CWC members' voices you recognize including Landis Wade, producer and host of the podcast. |
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The Writingest State Online Conference: November 10-14 |
Five days of literary programming including workshops and sessions on the craft and business of writing; a keynote; panel discussions; and open mics. Entirely online; appropriately socially distant. Want to learn more, go to NCWN.
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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
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