Workshop for Becoming a Published Writer

On Saturday, May 17, at the Tri-County Community College, in Murphy, NC, Shirley Uphouse held a one day workshop on steps to becoming a published writer. Twelve attentive and interactive writers attended. Much of what Shirley covered could be found by surfing the net; however she handed out information to make the search a little easier and to expand on that information. Attendees were introduced to the Writer’s Market and its broad variety of publications, presses, and places to submit their work.

“To become a published writer, first one needs be a good writer,” Shirley told the group. She urged the writers to proof-read their work several times and read their work aloud to find unwanted word repetition. She recommended that the students attend writing classes, as many as possible, and to read…a lot.

After lunch, the instructor stressed the importance of publication guidelines - reading and following them explicitly. Shirley discussed the proper form for query and cover letters and for manuscripts. It was noted that the internet is a treasure trove of markets for writers.

Shirley’s work has been published in Smoky Mountain Living, Main Street Rag, The Rambler, the Appalachian Heritage and other magazines and journals. An AKC dog show judge for 20 years, she has published articles in magazines of interest to dog show enthusiasts: Showsight, the Chronicle, and for the last four years, The Australian Shepherd Annual.

Shirley will hold another one day seminar at the Tri-County Community College on September 20, 9:00am – 4:00 pm with brown bag lunch break. $35.00 limited space. Call Continuing Education. 828-835-4313. The seminar: Nuts and Bolts of good writing to polish your work and catch an editor’s attention. Call Shirley Uphouse 828-837-6007 for more information.