Don't Miss This Workshop

What: Workshop, "Elements of Storytelling"

Where:  7540 Hwy 64 West (Grove Enterprise Building), Brasstown, NC 

When: Saturday, August 2, 10:00 am -12:30 pm

Have you ever agonized over a plot? Or wondered what difference choosing the correct tense or point of view will make to your story? Or maybe you know your characters, but have struggled with bringing them to life for your readers.

The workshop, "Elements of Storytelling", has been designed to help writers at all stages of development in creating and editing fiction, nonfiction, drama and narrative poetry. 

The workshop provides exercises that review the definitions and uses of basic elements of storytelling, such as story and plot, theme, character, setting, tense, voice and point-of-view, imagery, dialogue, and pacing. Participants are asked to bring examples of their work for use in these exercises. Course content materials will be provided. 

The instructor is one of the NC Writers' Network's Regional Representatives, Patricia Vestal, a retired publisher and educator, who has developed a writing course and workshop which she has presented at Hendersonville’s Opportunity House and other western NC locations. During her career, Patricia taught playwriting, film & game scripting, poetry, prose and journalism through theater groups and IADT (International Academy of Design & Technology) in Orlando, Florida. She also worked in New York City as an editor, writer and editorial and image researcher for major encyclopedia, textbook and newspaper publishers and earned her B.A. in Media Communications and her M.A. in Drama. 

Fees for the workshop, sponsored by NC Writers' Network-West, are $15 for NCWN/NetWest members and $25 for non-members. It will be held at the Grove Enterprise building at 7540 Hwy 64 West, between Murphy and Hayesville, on Saturday, August 2, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm. Although fees will be payable at the door, and walk-ins will be welcome, pre-registration is requested. To register, please contact the instructor, Patricia, at patriciavestal@gmail.com.

Come Hear Lucy Cole Gratton, July 12 Writers' Night Out

Don't miss Lucy!

She writes poetry and short essays of interest and misadventures about activities around her property on Lake Apalachia. The program begins with a social hour at 6 p.m. (dinner available for purchase) and reading following at 7 p.m.. There’s also an open microphone for those who’d like to read their own writing (limit 3 minutes of prose or poetry).

Union County Community Center

129 Union County Recreation Rd., Blairsville, Georgia 30512 

Behind Holiday Inn Express near the intersection of US 76 and Highway 129
phone (706) 439-6092

We usually meet in the upstairs ballroom (alternate location is A-B conference room on first floor). Click here for the map.

Is Hubris a Bad Thing?

By Bob Grove, NetWest Prose Critique Group Facilitator

I’m proud to be a writer and I enjoy reading my works to an audience; I think most of us do. That subject came up recently at my prose critique group, and the question arose, “Why is public display of our talent so important to us?” Without a moment’s hesitation, I impulsively answered, “Hubris!” Now that’s an interesting word, and I have no idea why it came out so abruptly. In retrospect, I was somewhat surprised by my spontaneous reply, so I decided to look it up. 

Webster defines hubris as “excessive self-pride; arrogance,” and Greek etymology refines its origin as “an excess of ambition.” But this sounds more like narcissism.

If admiration, or even adulation, is a requisite, am I a narcissist? I pondered that for a while until a psychoanalytical reference informed me that narcissism is “erotic gratification derived from admiration of one’s own physical or mental attributes.” I must admit that I am gratified by applause at a reading, but not that gratified.

There is, however, a more comfortable label. Egoism (not egotism) “emphasizes the importance of oneself in reference to other things...to understand one’s central place in the universe.” Now that sounds pretty good. 

Perhaps writers do share this very useful mechanism in an age of global disharmony. We have the ability to express ourselves and understand our place among our fellows. I like that. It’s a sign of contentment, reflection and introspection; all positive, beneficial characteristics. With this in perspective, egoism seems to be an admirable aspect of hubris. 

Reading our works in front of an audience is a performance art. Perhaps the Greeks were too critical in their disdain for ambition. As writers, we don’t expect to receive lavish monetary rewards. Appreciation is enough, and hubris may be the drive we need to get there.