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"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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March 1, 2022,
Volume 29 Issue 9
Word by Word 100 Years!
Our mission: to support local writers and promote their development through education, recognition, and community.
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President's Message
Mercury in Retrograde?
Or is it that the shortest month of the year has vanished like a random thought before I was done with it—so think of this as a hybrid, a meeting recap and the March message.
The February meeting story includes packed agenda, the first hybrid and a technical glitch.
A great big thank you to all who worked hard online and on site to pull off the meeting and to the members and guests for their patience. There are pictures and context on the February 15th Recap Page.
In the Tyvola Senior Center, time got away from us but not before:
- The announcement that Lisa Otter Rose will be our next treasurer, succeeding John McGillicuddy who is rolling off in June.
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Betsy Thorpe had a lively, eye-opening talk about editing and the types of editors all us would-be authors should call on as we build toward publication.
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We celebrated the winners of the 2022 Nonfiction Contest who were in the house to pick up their awards and read their pieces. For a limited time, there is a YouTube video. To view it, members please contact me at President or Membership Guru Axel Dahlberg, at Membership
We learn, we go on. It’s been two years since we celebrated contest winners in person. Our three winners: CWC members Lucinda Trew, Elizabeth Gaines and Lynne Williams, are pictured below. All women like those who gathered for the first story writing class, organized by club founder A. L Kimball, in 1922.
One hundred years later, this writerly start—
January, Anshu Gupta organized a five-session Flash Fiction 101 course taught by Annie Frazier.
February, we hosted Phillip Shabazz for Powers of Poetry workshops for Students, his teaching, writing and the insights of the students he engaged with gave my heart hope for the next generation of writers.
In March, the writers of CWC North are sponsoring Larry Sorkin's two session poetry workshop. He is giving it at no charge to mark our centennial. It was free to members but this one, like our calendar is full; read on you'll see.
Join us or if you are a former member this is a great time to re-up, here's how, visit the CWC Membership page.
Take Care
Keep Writing!
Caroline
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CONGRATULATIONS!
The Winners of the Nonfiction Fiction Contest Unveiled
(pictured right to left )
3rd-Lynn E. Williams-"Parallel Universe"
2nd-Elizabeth Gaines-"Don't Go Changin'"
and the winner is....
Lucinda Trew-"Mothers and Mirrors"
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Tuesday, March 15, 2022
on site & online
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Michelle Icard, who "studies middle schoolers like Marie Curie studied radium" has authored three books on the subject & will talk to us about tackling long form nonfiction.
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Visit the CWC Calendar of Events page for more on her presentation.
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On the 3rd Tuesday of the month (March 15),the meeting opens at 6:30 pm and business begins at 7pm.
Join us for the half-an-hour of social time to catch up with old friends and make some new ones.
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"This is the power of gathering. It inspires us-delighfully-to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughful-in a word, more alive."
Alice Waters
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CWC Meeting:
We Are Here at the Tyvola Senior Center,
2225 Tyvola Road
Charlotte
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Since COVID and its spawn remain part of the plot, we need your help to keep us all safe.
We ask that you provide proof of full COVID vaccination and while in the building to continue to social distance--without a mask, or with a mask--as fits your comfort level now that state and county mandates have been lifted and we lean into this new level of normal.
Members and guests, when you RSVP, you will be prompted to take a photo of your vaccination card and email it to
MembershipCWC@yahoo.com.
You’ll only have to do it once and we will have you on our VIP List. As you arrive for the meeting, we will check you off the list.
We will also accept showing vaccination cards at the door as a last-minute emergency—though prefer not to have to do this because we don’t want to have to turn anyone away.
If you have questions, concerns, or thoughts please CONTACT US.
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Charlotte Writers' Club
A Century of Shared Passion: Coming to Know The
Not-Known in Dialogue
on the Page
On March 5 &12, 2022
1:00-2:30 pm via Zoom
Larry Sorkin leads this two-session workshop to mark our 100th anniversary. Free He is giving us his time and talent and his technical know-how. CWC North is coordinating this event.
Attention Participants,
look for email from Larry with the Zoom link and other information prior to the first session of this workshop. Please remember that "participants will be recorded including their participation."
Find out more about our instructor and more about her course at the CWC North Workshops Page
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Elizabeth Smith Short Story Contest
is open until
March 15, 2022
Calling All CWC members & fiction writers in the Carolinas!
The submission period opened on January18th for your fiction short stories, 1500 to 4,000 words.
This is CWC's most prestigious award given to honor Elizabeth Simpson Smith by her husband, whom she met and married while they were members of CWC.
Bryn Chancellor, pictured above, is this year's judge. Visit the CWC Contests Page to learn more about the author of Sycamore and to enter the Elizabeth Simpson Smith Short Story Contest.
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Anniversary Congratulations
On behalf of Winston-Salem Writers, I am sending congratulations on reaching a milestone 100th anniversary! What an achievement to reach one hundred years of helping writers to hone their skills and reach their writing goals. Thank you for all you do to encourage and support your fellow writers.
Judie Holcomb-Pack
President, Winston-Salem Writers
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"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
Melody Beattie
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Virtual Writing Salon & Social Time
is back the new date is March 14, 2022.
Tiffany Grantham's prompts will spark writings that amaze you. Drop in and check it out. Be inspired to make it a habit by writers who have discovered the zen of this monthly write and social time.
This is your opportunity to
take 75 minutes to write. Shake the dust off the day and join in to see where the prompts take you!
There will be time to share if you wish, no pressure, no angst, just writing fun! Hope to see you there!
*Please register for this event.
Check out the details and how to register at Calendar of Events page.
Register Here
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Why I Write
“And so I write. I write my life. I write to escape real life. I write to live moments over again. I write to rewrite the moments I’ve lived over in a way that makes more sense to me. I write the moments to heal. I write the moments I hope never happen. And I write the moments I hope will happen.”
― R.B. O'Brien
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It Happened in 1922
This information is about the literary events and publications of 1922.
Under modern copyright law of the United States, all works published before January 1,1923, with a proper copyright notice entered the public domain in the United States no later than 75 years from the date of the copyright.
Hence books published in 1922 or earlier entered the public domain in the United States in 1998.
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1922 was a significant year for high modernism in English literature.
March 3 – F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Beautiful and The Damned was published in book form by Charles Scribner's Sons in New York; on December 10 a silent film version is released.
c. March 8 – The Czech playwrights Karel and Josef Čapek's play Pictures from the Insects' Life
(Ze života hmyzu, also known as The Insect Play, published 1921) is first performed at the National Theatre Brno. It is also first performed this year in English translation, in the United States.
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The chilling novella featured in Stephen King’s bestselling collection Full Dark, No Stars, 1922 – about a man who succumbs to the violence within.
"I believe there is a man inside every man, a stranger"
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Seeking Refuge:
How Stories Can Save Us
Thursday evening,
April 21, 2022 at St Peter's Episcopal Church in Charlotte.
The panelist will share the power of story in the lives of immigrants and refugees by referring to experiences and insights from their lives and their family's lives. Panelists are: Diya Abdo, Founder, Every Campus a Refuge, Banu Valladares, Charlotte Bilingual Preschool, Joseph Bathanti, North Carolina Poet Laureate 2012-2014, and the moderator is Gilda Syverson, Memoirist, Poet, Educator.
St. Peter's Episcopal Church is our host and CWC & CWC North are sponsors of this community discussion. Please register to be admitted to the program.
Visit the CWC North Events Page for more on our panelists and the program. Register Here.
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MEET-A-MEMBER: Michelle Brown | |
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I have been an avid reader and journaler since childhood.
Upon my retirement from the healthcare profession and during the height of the pandemic, I started writing again with intention.
I am proud to have had a published poem in the Of Earth and Sky Poetry
Anthology last year and published pieces on GracefulTruth.com, an online Christian blog of
which I am a contributing writer. I also have several health blogs I maintain
as well. I am happy to be a part of the local writing community!
To start a conversation with Michelle send her a message through the Member Directory.
Login first, then go to Member Directory.
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"The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of the member is the team."
Phil Jackson
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Michelle says:
When and Where Do I Write?
I typically write in the evenings, at my desk in my office or family room.
Favorite writing tool?
My favorite writing tool is the uni-ball 207 Retractable Gel Pen.
A favorite writing resource:
My favorite writing resource is One Stop for Writers.
Best Writing advice you’ve received and actually taken?
The best writing advice and one that I have actually taken is to read voraciously.
One thing I would like help with?
One thing I would like help with is clarity.
If you'd like to participate in Meet-a-Member please contact the newsletter editor,
Teresa Taylor or President Caroline Kenna.
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To learn more about Dawn Michelle Hardy, visit her website The Literary Lobbyist | |
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Coming In April!
An Online Workshop
Free to Members.
Dawn Michelle Hardy will lead the workshop via Zoom. An award-winning book publicist, literary agent & publishing consultant. She was featured in Forbes Women last month.
Watch the website and the mid-month newsletter for details about this workshop that is offered to members at no charge to mark our centennial.
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Student Engagement Initiative
Update
The student engagement workshops for grades 5-12 were a SUCCESS!
Phillip Shabazz did a masterful job of engaging and supporting the students that attended both sessions. The students, by their own admission thoroughly enjoyed participating and look forward to other CWC activties. Of course they were encouraged to participate in the short story contest; Axel and Darrell shared information about the upcoming contests and rewards that will go to the contest winners.
With the caliber of writing we heard from each of the students we are hopeful for the future of the literary world.
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"The future depends on what we do in the present."
Mathatma Ghandi
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The Role of Writers in Society
By Nicholas Conley
For writers, self-doubt is something we’re all too familiar with. It’s unavoidable, really. Whereas most careers are built on concrete evidence and a clear end goal for each day, writers usually have to operate from a sort of murky, hazy subconscious desire. Our goals are driven by a mysterious voice that sometimes chooses to speak to us, and sometimes doesn’t.
Really, it makes sense. After all, a professional writer is someone who has learned, over exhausting time and effort, to use their voice to communicate things in a way that people want to read. A fiction writer, meanwhile, is someone who applies these skills in such a way that people are interested when they make stuff up.
Writers aren't writers because we desire worldwide fame and lucrative amounts of money, however. We're writers because we're passionate about writing, and because we have something we want to say to the world.
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What's the Good Word?
Share your publishing news at MEMBERS' KUDOS
so we can celebrate too.
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Answer the Call for Volunteers:
Serve the Club on the Leadership Team
Thank You Lisa Otter Rose for being the first to answer the call to serve the club as the next treasurer, succeeding John McGillicuddy who will roll off in June, She contacted him after he spoke about the role in January. Lisa joins Axel Dahlberg, VP of Membership, on the 2022-2023 executive board Dave Collins will lead. Executive Board seats still open are Secretary and VP/President-Elect.
And for the Advisory Board
Thank You Judy Hovis, Elizabeth Gaines and Erin Van Dreason
for volunteering for the program team.
Dave, future president, and current "programmer extraordinaire" spoke in February about identifying and wooing speakers with "chatty' emails, working with each author to hone craft talks and then introducing them at the meetings. The perks are getting to know other writers and the writing community and getting a lot of good writing advice along the way.
We need you; your ideas, your enthusiasm, your time, talents and expertise to sustain and to grow this writing community. See the job descriptions in our Policies and Procedures document and think about donating a year or more to serve our club.
Below is the list of positions currently open or that will be vacated in June.
Webmaster Debra S. Wallin, will step aside in June to focus on her own writing. This is an essential service to our members. Be part of the team with Blair Peery. She will train and be your consultant. Contact her at Webmaster.
Contest co-chairs Darrell Horwitz & Adrian Calabrese are stepping down. Questions? Contact Contests.
Critique Groups Coordinator ( open now)
Social media/marketing/publicity, a co-position or a team (open now)
Co-workshops coordinator partner with Anshu Gupta
Contact her at Workshops
Please contact the current advisor or Caroline Kenna for more information.
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We're Waiting For You!
We've launched a second newsletter with all the rich club & community content & added this new feature below.
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We've Got You Covered!
Snap a selfie of your book cover and submit it to the newsletter editor. We will feature Your cover like we did Marny Mortimore,(writing as Ashe Taylor) YA debut, Death Date and David Radavich's German/English poetry Unter Der Sonne/Under The Sun.
The deadline is March 10th for the second edition.
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LIVE WITH DOLLY PARTON AND JAMES PATTERSON
Sunday, March 6, 2022 7:30-8:30 p.m.
A virtual book launch on YouTube Live
Purchase tickets from Main Street Books for access to the launch event and to receive a copy of the co-authored novel, Run Rose Run.
ABOUT THE BOOK
From America’s most beloved superstar and its greatest storyteller—a thriller about a young singer-songwriter on the rise and on the run, and determined to do whatever it takes to survive.
**Go to webpage to purchase tickets with credit card purchase MSBsEvent
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The Sally Buckner Emerging Writers' Fellowship | |
The Sally Buckner Emerging Writers' Fellowship awards $500 fellowships to an emerging NC writer between the ages of 21-35 whose work shows promise of excellence to a literary career. The fellowship rotates genres every four years and this year the Fellowship will support an emerging writer of creative nonfiction or fiction.
Submissions are accepted May-June 30 via email.
For submission information contact:
NCWNSallyBuckner Award
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"Young writers should be encouraged to write, and discouraged from thinking they are writers."
Wallace Stegner, American Novelist
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Write Your Poem
by Amy LV
Scoop up some words you find lying around, throw them high let them fall like confetti.
See where they land tune your ear to the sound of your heart. Now your poem is ready.
Write it right now on a paper in ink.
Take sweet time with this poem you're planting.
Years from today a stranger will tell you he found your wrods simply enchanting.
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All the World's Alive Again
Jennifer Gunner
The rabbit hops its gentle step
The lark sings lyric songs
All the world's alive again
Spring rights the winter wrongs.
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CWC Members Teaching @ Lit in 2022
Novel Structures Save the Cat, Hero's Journey & More, Tuesday March 15. Sign up here.
Novel Jumpstart,4 weeks asynchronous sessions Saturday April 3 to April 30. More here.
Irene Blair Honeycutt:
"I would almost say they saved me," --Trees as metaphor in Poetry, Sunday April 2. Register Here.
Judy Goldman:
Everything, Really Everything! Judy Goldman knows about writing creative nonfiction. Thursday April 21,2022.Sign up here.
Check out the rest of the catalogue here.
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Charlotte Lit:
Click on the image to see what else Kathie Collins and Paul Reali, CWC members and Co-founders of Charlotte Lit have planned for 2022.
Check out the list of CWC members teaching classes this winter and spring.
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NCWN Online Series
Poetry Workshop
Thursday March 17, 7:00-8:30 pm
"Subverting Expectations: Stranger Things, Duende & Writing Upside Down with Jennifer Givhan. Registration Here.
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Writing with Urgency: Creative
Nonfiction Master Class
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Belle Boggs, an NEA and NCAC fellowship recipient, will lead the Master Class in Nonfiction, "Writing with Urgency," at the NC Writers' Network 2022 Spring conference, Saturday, April 23 on the campus of UNC at Greensboro.
Conference registration is open. Registrants must apply to be admitted; for full application details & Instructions Here
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Charlotte Readers Podcast
Click on the image to see what CWC member Landis Wade, the host and creator of Charlotte Readers Podcast has in store for us in March.
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The Personal Story Publishing Project | |
Stay turned for the next anthology of personal stories Curious Stuff, coming this spring.
Visit Facebook@6minutestories to see who is telling their story on the podcast this month and listen to a few.
Click on the image to visit Randell Jones's website to learn more about the personal story publishing project.
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Open Mic Night at Mugs Coffee
Where members practice reading their work
Click the image to learn more and see who read at open mic the previous month. Open Mic is Every fourth Friday of the month
(Only Members can register to read - all others welcome to hear great stories!)
7:00-9:00 p.m.
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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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