Link to NCWN's Book Buzz for Buried Seed, a book by Martha O. Adams

Please find a link to NCWN's Book Buzz for the book, Buried Seed, by Martha O. Adams, at: http://www.ncwriters.org/2014-01-07-18-35-09/book-buzz/6853-buried-seed-by-martha-o-adams

NCWN-West--What I see in the future, by Glenda Council Beall

NCWN-West – What I see in the future

What a remarkable organization Marsha Warren built in western NC in the early 90s. Eight counties with representatives in each one, counties in bordering states where writers needed a community, and one person to head the group.

That was twenty years ago, and many of those early writing groups are still active here in Clay and Cherokee counties. Because of the program Warren created, beginning writers went on to publish poetry books, novels and memoirs. 

But we are in the twenty-first century and changes have taken place in society, even here in the Appalachian Mountains. The under-fifty folks research online, take courses online, seek all kinds of information from where to publish to how to publish. They find hundreds of sources for their questions. But there are no guarantees that what they read online is fact or correct. Recently I read an article on how to prepare a manuscript. Comments following this article disagreed with half of what the article said. “Today it is done this way…” “That is the old way. Nobody does that now.”

What are we to believe? Confusion reigns with all the various opinions on the Internet. Without experienced writers and poets to share accurate information, new writers can spend hours making mistakes with their submissions and all things concerning getting their work out to the public, the major goal of most of us. I am asked many times over and over, how do I prepare a manuscript, can you help me with a cover letter, what is a query letter and what should I say. Or I am asked, where can I take a class for beginning writers, is there a class around here for someone who has retired and is finally ready to begin writing which I always wanted to do?

NCWN-West has the experienced published writers throughout the region. We have qualified instructors for all genres. But how to get the word out is the question now. Few want to travel many miles to attend an all day workshop, it seems, although the opportunity to discuss writing, questions and answers, should be a priority. We learn so much from each other when we get together. But we must beware online groups where some of the people who give advice are not accurate. I have seen incorrect writing advice given online to unsuspecting newbies.

The future of NCWN-West, I believe, is bringing in men and women who have computer expertise. People who know how to set up meetings on Skype so writers all over the region can participate in discussion of the best ways to provide local writers with what they need here in the mountains.

We have a Facebook page for NCWN West that has been dormant for several years until this week.  We have well-qualified writers who want to teach online classes for NCWN-West members. But who will make that happen? We need members who understand the Internet and can help us get those classes online. These are our future leaders. In ten years there will be new opportunities and we must be ready to jump in.

Those of us who worked for many years as part of NCWN-West are ready to turn it over to perhaps younger, but definitely energized people who move us forward to the next level. Who will do that?

Help us find those who are willing and able to carry on our mission, but take us up a step.

Glenda Beall
glendabeall@msn.com
828-389-4441

Steven Harvey, Beloved Teacher & Writer at Writers' Night, Blairsville, GA

Don't Miss this Special Guest

Friday, October 9

Dr. Steven Harvey

Writers’ Night Out features retired Young Harris College professor, Steven Harvey, PhD, on Friday night, October 9. An open microphone will follow for those who’d like to read their own poetry or prose. The event takes place at the Union County Community Center in Blairsville and is free and open to the public. Food and drinks are available for purchase. The program begins at 7 p.m., but attendees should arrive by 6 p.m. if they plan to eat.

Harvey’s most recent book is The Book of Knowledge and Wonder, a memoir about coming to terms with the suicide of his mother. It was published by Ovenbird Books as part of the “Judith Kitchen Select” series.  A section of the memoir appeared in The Best American Essays 2013.  He is also the author of three books of personal essays, A Geometry of Lilies, Lost in Translation, and Bound for Shady Grove and edited an anthology of essays written by men on middle age called In a Dark Wood.  Harvey is a professor emeritus of English and creative writing at Young Harris College, a member of the nonfiction faculty in the Ashland University MFA program in creative writing, a senior editor for River Teeth magazine, and the creator of The Humble Essayist, a website designed to promote literary nonfiction.  He lives in the north Georgia mountains.  You can learn more about Steven and his work at his web site:  www.steven-harvey-author.com .

Writers’ Night Out is sponsored by North Carolina Writers’ Network-West and takes place on the second Friday of the month, April through November. Prose writers or poets wishing to participate in the open mic can sign up at the door to read for three minutes. In its fifth year, the event draws audience members from four counties. The Union County Community Center is located at Butternut Creek Golf Course, 129 Union County Recreation Rd., Blairsville, Georgia 30512, off Highway 129 near the intersection of US 76, phone (706) 439-6092.  For more information, please contact Karen Holmes at (404) 316-8466 or kpaulholmes@gmail.com.

Eighth Annual Blue Ridge Bookfest

Save the Date for the 8th Annual Blue Ridge Bookfest! Mark your calendars for Friday, April 22 & Saturday, April 23, 2016.  Don't Miss Out! Join our Newsletter List and receive monthly updates from  Western North Carolina literary circles.

How to Apply to Participate as an Exhibitor, Speaker or Workshop Author Applications for the 2016 Blue Ridge are open.  We had over 100 applications for 40 author spots in 2015. Be sure to get your application in early.  Click HERE for application guidelines and click HERE to open the online application form.

North Carolina Writers' Network-West Facebook Page!

Readers, please support NCWN-West Facebook page with your blog posts!  The link is: :https://www.facebook.com/North-Carolina-Writers-Network-West-205322886229367/timeline/

Literary Festival of Charlotte, NC, October 3, 2015, Authors Welcome!

We would be honored to have your authors participate in the festival on Saturday, October 3, 2015. There will be a community table set aside authors who are not able to travel, but would like to advertise and promote their works. But, we would also love to have authors who can attend join us for the day and do readings and signings. 
There are accommodations that can be made for authors who may need sponsorship support to purchase a vending table. We also have some scholarship scenarios to assist a few authors if the cost to purchase a space is a challenge. Attached is the latest flyer. All sign ups can be done online. www.charlotteliteraryfestival.org

Please call with questions.
704-906-0668
charlotteliteraryfestival@gmail.com

Rasheedah Hasan, Chair

Netwest Member Susan Snowden’s New Book Launches at Fountainhead Books

              

     

The Fountainhead Bookstore in Hendersonville NC will launch 

Susan Snowden’s new book,A Closet Full of Masks, on Friday, Oct. 2, at 

5 p.m., with refreshments and door prizes. Susan will also give a talk 

and sign books. (Call the store at 828-697-1870 to reserve a ticket.) 

Published by Archer Hill in Columbia, SC, the book is a novella and fifteen short stories, most of which are set in western North Carolina. From the back cover: “Susan Snowden’s wry humor suffuses even the most poignant of these stories, all set in the South—from south Georgia to the southern Appalachians. Thematically, she treats readers to a smorgasbord of tales whose  characters—young, old, affluent, poor—are struggling in various ways. Presented with a rare opportunity, an artist must face his insecurity; an uneducated woman searches for a way to win her son’s respect; a reclusive librarian seeks solace after the death of her father . . .”

            Susan’s been a member of the North Carolina Writers' Network since 1995 when she moved to the mountains from Atlanta. Her work has appeared in many journals and anthologies, and her first novel, Southern Fried Lies, won a 2013 IPPY Award for Best Fiction in the Southeast.

            A Closet Full of Masks is available at indie bookstores and from online sellers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.