Word by Word ... 100 Years! | |
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August 2022:
Mid Month News
Volume 29 Issue 16
Our mission: to support local writers and promote their development through education, recognition, and community.
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The CWC welcomes all genres and writers in all stages of the craft--from curious to accomplished. Click "Join Us" to learn about the benefits of membership and to sign up.
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CWC Website Redesign
has Begun!
The CWC Executive Board, advised by a technology committee, has chosen Establisher to bring our web design
into the 21st century. The Huntersville-based team was one of three interviewed for the job.
The new website,more visually oriented,will make use of animation, photos and bright colors borrowed from the club logo to draw attention to and make navigating the site much easier
The homepage has already been approved by the committee and we hope to launch the new site within two months.
Cost for the project has been covered by the grant we received earlier this year from The Infusion Fund and its generous donors--the City of Charlotte and the Foundations for the Carolinas.
Learn more about our partners below.
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Thank You to Our Partners!
Charlotte Writers Club is supported, in part, by the Infusion Fund and its generous donors*.
*To see the complete list of donors, go to the Foundations for the Carolinas website.
Scroll down below “Contributors to the fund include”
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Tickets Are On Sale Now!
The CWC at the Mint Museum,
2730 Randolph Road, Charlotte NC 28217.
On Sunday October 2nd, 6:00 to 7:30 pm in the Van Every Auditorium
100 Years of Words:
A Celebration of Books & Writing
with Therese Anne Fowler
Therese Anne Fowler, author of three New York Times bestselling novels, sits down with us to talk books, writing, fiction and the writer's life and to celebrate the release of her eighth novel, It All Comes Down to This.
We are working with Park Road Books to include a signed copy of Fowler's most recent book in the cost of admission to her October 2 talk.
Get your tickets HERE
- CWC members, you receive a discount on tickets for this event. Pay $30 and get a hard back book. Don't want a book? Then your ticket cost is $15.
- Non members tickets are $40 for ticket and a book, $20 for a ticket alone.
Please note there will be books on sale the evening of our event; however, you will not get the member discount if you wait until that evening to buy your book.
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Meet a Member: Charles Harned | |
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Bio:
Charles Harned graduated from Clemson University with a business degree and has garnered praise from the Southeastern Writers Association. An avid sports fan, he enjoys running, kayaking, and cheering on the Virginia Tech Hokies. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and works as a book coach in his professional life. His first published novel, A Day in Fall, is a contemporary thriller that embraces political intrigue, social change, and a healthy dose of espionage. More information can be found on his website, www.charlesharned.com.
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You Could be the Next CWC Meet a Member
Help us get to know you. Don't be shy, it's a privilege to have you as a part of Charlotte Writers Club.
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"Getting to Know You"
sung by Marni Nixon, for Deborah Kerr's character in The King and I.
"Getting to know you getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you
Getting to hope you like me.
Getting to know you
Putting it my way but nicely
You are precisely
CWC's cup of tea."
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Charles says:
When and where do I write?
I'm lucky enough enough to have a home office that serves as my primary writing space. When it's too nice outside to sit at a desk, I'll write on on my patio or sitting by the pool. As for the when of it all, I write any chance I get, but that tends to be in the evenings and at night. I find that I am more productive and creative at night, and I enjoy the peace and quiet.
Favorite writing tool?
I've been using Microsoft Word my entire life, so I think it's safe to say I'm committed at this point. Google Docs is great for collaborative work, but when I try a new software for writing I inevitably fall back into the old routine of opening a Word Document. Other than that (and this may sound old school) there's something to be said for plain old pen and paper. I enjoy writing on yellow legal pad and have heard feedback from authors who write their entire first draft by hand.
Favorite writing resource?
Again, this might sound odd, but Google Maps and Google Earth have aided me more than any other resource. I love working interesting and unusual locations into my writing, and being able to virtually explore without actually being there is a monumental help. Even when I've visited or lived in the place I'm writing about, I still find myself going back to Google Maps and accessing street view quite frequently. For a visual person, being able to transport yourself to almost anywhere on the planet is an amazing feat of technology.
Best writing advice given and actually taken?
There's no shortage of wonderful advice out there, and I think that speaks to how embracing and supportive the writing community can be. Writing is very difficult, and seeing any kind of commercial success can feel almost impossible at times.
The best advice I've received (and followed) is that if this is something you truly want to do, you must be resilient.There is lots of rejection in writing and setbacks happen. My first finished manuscript was, to put it kindly, not good. Neither was my second. But if writing is important to you, the only way to progress is to keep writing, reading and learning.
One thing I would like more help with?
There are so many good resources available, but one of my weak points is how to market effectively and build a brand. Neither comes naturally to me, and I’m always looking for ways to get better in this area. There are so many good books out there that I think setting yourself apart and building brand recognition have never been more important.
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To start a conversation with Charles send him a message through the Member Directory.
Log on first, then go to Member Directory.
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Support Ongoing Programs & Show Your Writerly Pride! | | |
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Donate at least $25 and we'll send you a FREE navy blue Gildan brand short-sleeved t-shirt made of pre-shrunk cotton material.
Feeling generous? Give $100 for 100 Years
and we'll send you two Free Centennial T-shirts, one to wear and one to share.
Your donation will help support our ongoing programs.
You'll receive this cool t-shirt with our logo celebrating a century of helping writers as our Thank You for your contribution!
Order yours today through the CWC Store. Click the picture of the t-shirt to access the Wild Apricot sign-in page. Choose CWC Donation. Contribute.Tell us what size or sizes you need and where to mail them.
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Student Engagement Initiative | |
Thank you to the CWC volunteers for your support this year. Axel Dahlberg and the Student Engagement Team look forward to an even greater 2022-2023 school year.
Want to volunteer for Virtual Office Hours and/or be part of the team that plans and carries out the writing series for the next program year?
Help Promote Our Student Engagement Efforts!
Post, Like & Share!
CMS students return for the 2022-2023 school year August 29, 2022.
*Remember to register as a volunteer or renew your volunteer status at cmsvolunteers.com
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Mystery Writing
What defines the mystery genre?
The mystery genre is a genre of fiction that follows a crime (like a murder or a disappearance) from the moment it is committed to the moment it is solved. Mystery novels are often called “whodunnits” because they turn the reader into a detective trying to figure out the who, what, when, and how of a particular crime.
The five components of mystery writing are: the characters, the setting, the plot, the problem, and the solution. These essential elements keep the story running smoothly and allow the clues to the solution of the mystery to be revealed in a logical way that the reader can follow.
A good mystery story has a strong hook. A great mystery should invite the reader to try to solve the crime, and a great opening is critical to piquing their interest. A mystery should start with just enough information about the crime to build intrigue from the first line.
How do you end a mystery story?
5 Good Story Endings Examples
- Take Them by Surprise.
- Play on Their Sentiments with an Elegiac Fade Out.
- Throw Them a Punchline.
- Leave Open Questions and Create Suspense.
- Repeat the Theme of the Opening Scene.
Your mystery novel awaits. Get started!
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"When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
Sherlock Holmes
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Efficient Ways to Improve Student Writing | |
Teaching writing is not only the job of the school's English department alone. Writing is an essential tool for learning a discipline and helping students improve their writing skills is a responsibility for all.
One way to be a part of the effective student writing community is to ensure students understand that their writing is valued.
- Stress the importance of clear, thoughtful writing.
- Tell students that good writing is rewarding.
- Remind students that they must make their best effort in expressing themselves on paper.
Give positive, but honest critiques. Provide guidance throughout the writing process, and pool ideas about ways in which writing can help students learn more about the subject matter.
Remind students that writing is a way of learning, not an end in itself.
But most importantly, remind them to just write, and to write from their heart.
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Fall in Love With Writing
There comes a point in every writer’s life when they can’t face the blank page again. Whether you’re a copywriter or a fiction writer, that darn blank page has an insolent stare you can’t take anymore. It’s definitely time for a break.
Many experts, authors we love, expound the virtues of stepping away from your writing. Give your brain a rest, then refuel it with books, articles, essays, blog posts, videos, etc., that cause a spark.
Suggestions to Help You Fall in Love Again...With Writing
- Write about why you hate writing right now. Write your feelings. It will help you connect to your emotions; even a best-selling author, fears something.
- Stop writing for approval. The beauty of writing isn't how gramatically correct or eloquent your prose. It's how you get your ideas across. The best way to focus on your ideas is to stop writing for someone else's approval.You must love what you've written first.
- Step away from your writing frequently. This may sound counter-intuitive, but stepping away and doing some mindless chore can help your brain relax and make more interesting connections.
- Find a writing mentor. A writing mentor or friend can help you find the fantastic ideas you have bottled up inside of you.
- Analyze good writing. What makes their writing good? One way to write engaging and compelling work is to picture an individual and talk to them. What would you say, what would you write to them?
In conclusion, writing isn't always easy and there are time writers get tired and frustrated, but those are the times to remember what it is about writing that you love. Perhaps it's not the writing itself that's frustrating you, but the topic about which you've chosen to write. Find your passion and your writing will become easier.
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Critique Groups are Meeting!
Have you found a peer group yet?
What are you waiting for?
New Groups Are Forming check out the list below
and the CWC Critique Groups page.
In Dilworth, A Mixed Genre Group:
The exact location and time to be determined by the members. This group already has two members and the leader hopes to recruit four more people.
Plaza Midwood: Non genre specific. Newcomers to the club are welcome.
Gaston County: (leader is willing to travel). Prose/Fiction group
Huntersville/Poetry has space for a couple more reviewer.
A member working on a Young Adult novel is looking for a partner or a group of like genre.
Members working on Memoir are looking to connect.
A new member seeks a group that meets between 9 and 5, Monday-Friday.
Don't see a partner or a group that suits you?
Contact Caroline to learn more.
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Open Mic Night at Mugs Coffee
5126 Park Rd. Ste 1D
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 held every fourth Friday of the month; next one is August 26.
(Only Members can register to read) all others are welcome to hear great stories!
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Register here to Read
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"The House Inside My Head,"
Sunday, September 11th, at 2 pm
Chris Arvidson's Poetry Chapbook Launch in Davidson
Please join us on Sunday afternoon, at the outdoor stage behind Summit Coffee, 126 South Main, for a travelogue through the life of CWC poet Chris Arvidson.
This is the Davidson debut of the poet, artist essayist and UNC-Charlotte instructor's first poetry chapbook, The House Inside My Head, published by Finishing Line Press.
The reading reading & conversation is co-hosted by Main Street Books, Davidson and CWC North.
For more about the Michigan native, her poems and her painting that graces the front cover of this chapbook, please visit
The CWC North Events Page
& Main Street Books.
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Answer the Call for Volunteers:
Serve the Club on the 2022-2023 Leadership Team
By Acclamation!
If you missed it, those present at our Midsummer Social & Annual Meeting elected this slate of executive officers for the 2022-2023 program year:
President David Collins, VP/Membership Guru Axel Dahlberg, Secretary John McGillicuddy and Treasurer Lisa Otter Rose. The Immediate Past President is Caroline Kane Kenna.
Congratulations All!
NEW VOLUNTEERS!
Elizabeth Ouzts joins Blair Peery as a web assistant. Lynne Williams will share Open Mic Night emcee duties with Debra Wallin.
Want to Get More Involved? These Essential Leadership roles are OPEN. Contact David Collins
- VP/President Elect
- Critique Groups Coordinator
- Social media, publicity and marketing team
- Contest chairs
- Co-program chair
The CWC is a volunteer organization and functions best when all of our leadership roles are filled. At the moment there are ample opportunities to do your part and one of these positions has to be “just right” for you.
See the job descriptions in our Policies and Procedures document and think about what you can do to help grow this club--and pitch in!
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We've Got You Covered!
Fresh Ink!
This month we're celebrating
A memoir and a collection of personal essays.
Congratulations!
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You knew in your heart from the start that you have a special purpose – your distinct calling, but how to find it? In this book I share the secret of how I found my unique purpose in life and share how divine clues are right before your eyes.
We are spiritual beings, made in God’s image, separated from other creatures by emotions and feelings that reveal a soul, a spirit within us. These uniquely human emotions give us a deep connection to our LORD and to each other. In this book I share my personal journey with tears and emotions. I discovered how tears connect thoughts with
emotions to help identify God-ordained desires that guide us. I hope my story will stir in you a new tender understanding of God’s deep love for you and help guide you in finding His special plans for your life.
Available at Park Road Books, Main Street Books, Pelican Books in Sunset, and Amazon.
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The Ruby Mirror is a lively, humorous and poignant collection of personal essays in which Lisa Williams Kline explores topics that preoccupy us for our entire lives -- religion, marriage, divorce, interfaith marriage, raising children, caring for elderly parents, and our own mortality.
Get your copy at Main Street Books, Park Road Books & on Amazon.
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Keep those Covers Coming. Let us Celebrate You!
Snap a selfie of your book cover and submit it to Teresa Taylor, the newsletter editor.
We are featuring a few each month.
The next deadline
is September 10th.
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What's the Good Word?
Share your publishing news at MEMBER KUDOS
so we can celebrate too.
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In Huntersville: Waterbean Poetry Night at the Mic, Wednesday, August 24th, 7-9pm.
Host and emcee Leslie Rupracht welcomes featured poet :
Mary E Martin
In addition to the featured poet there will be an open mic session too!
Click the flyer for more about how to participate in the open mic.
Waterbean Coffee is in the Northcross Shopping Center. Come to be inspired. Bring a friend and a poem!
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Mary Shelley was a British author who wrote the world famous 'Frankenstein'. The novel was a reflection of Mary's own sense of alienation and isolation. Frankenstein also proved to be an important mark in making literature contributions by women acceptable.
She wrote several other novels, including Valperga (1823), The Last Man (1826), The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck (1830), Lodore (1835), and Falkner (1837), and a travel book, History of a Six Weeks' Tour (1817).
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"I do not wish women to have power over men, but over themselves."
Mary Shelley
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"There are two powers in the world, one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both, that of the women."
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
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"The pen is mightier than the sword, the tongue is mightier than them both put together."
Marcus Garvey
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Smile and the World Smiles With You
Jack Ellison
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It's the first day of the
rest of my life
I'm feeling reborn
Filled with great anticipation
Wondering what exciting things
Lie just ahead
It seems it's all up to us
We're the ones steering the ship
If things don't turn out bright and cheery
We only have ourselves to blame
However I am not unique
Everyone controls their own destiny
I've learned this fact early on
There's a time honoured old saying
Smile and the world smiles with you
Cry and you cry alone
So very true!!!
So when you're feeling down
And it seems like the whole world is against you
Just smile to yourself
It doesn't matter who's watching
Soon the sun will come out
And you'll have a brighter cheerier outlook
To overcome anything this old world can throw at you
To be honest, there are times
I have trouble following my own advice
But then I remember these uplifting words
Smile and the world smiles with you.
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"She has the kind of smile that makes a man want to write very bad poetry, Dazzling and genuine as beautiful as the rest of her."
Elle Kennedy, Best selling NY Times and US Today author
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George Eliot was actually a woman. Mary Ann Evans wrote under this pen name because women authors were not as highly regarded as men were. As Geroge Eliot Mary Ann wrote Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Romola, Felix Holt, the Radical, Middlemarch and Daniel Deronda.
She was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era.
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"It is never too late to be what you might have been."
George Eliot
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Naughty, but Nice!
Before he made it as a writer, Salman Rushdie wrote copy for Ogilvy & Mather. He came up with several famous campaigns, inclusing "naughty, but nice" and "irresistibubble."
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"Literature is where I go to explore the highest and lowest places in human society and in the human spirit, where I hope to find not absolute truth but the truth of the tale, of the imagination, and of the heart. "
Salman Rushdie
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The Power of Writing
Adapted from Blue Pen Writing
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Even with today’s digital world, writing is more than just encoding characters and typing words. Writing is putting down in words your thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The golden era of supreme writing and the significance of literary works and figures may no longer at par to those centuries ago, but writing is still a powerful tool.
The Influence and Authority of Words
No one can argue to the supremacy of writing. For centuries, writing has toppled governments, won hearts and eased broken souls. Writing has been used not just to entertain but also for economical and political reasons.
But the highest power of writing is how it affects the person. You don’t have to be a best-selling author; the mere fact of jotting down and writing can do wonders for anyone. You don’t realize how much power you have when you write.
Writing gives you more confidence. In fact, highly intellectual people are more into writing their ideas rather than delivering them in speeches. It is through writing that you are not hindered with any kind of doubts to express what you feel and what you want to tell to others.
Individuals like introverts are given the chance to shine through writing. It is in writing that certain personalities that are uncomfortable with facing people this is where writers feel the most effective. That is when they write – when they say what they want with words.
Contrary to speaking, writing holds no barriers. The writer is freer to express, influence, and even argue. It is easier to crush down any fears and worries; you are less reserved when you write compared to other medium of communication.
Let your writing go down to the core of your reader. Convey and deliver your messages more effectively through writing. No one should underestimate the limitless power of writing. Thus, it is a responsibility to use it for something positive.
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Attention Playwrights:
The 2022 North Carolina Playwrights Lab will develop 2 original plays, written by NC playwrights, over 2 weeks in September with 2 staged-reading presentations for a public audience. At the heart of this experience is the opportunity for playwrights to receive moderated feedback sessions with a panel of 4 local and national industry professionals after each presentation of their work to inspire brave edits in the week between presentations and beyond!
Click on the image above to learn more about the 2022 Playwrights Lab.
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Autumn 2022 Submissions are pen!
The autumn issue, fall issue, whatever you call it, submissions for our next issue are open now until August 31st. Follow the link below to our submissions page (where you will find at link to Submittable.) Click the image above to read our previous issues. The Autumn 2022 comes October.
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Local Events
20-Teen Poetry Club-6-7 p.m. CM Library South Park 7015 Carnegie Blvd, Charlotte
23-Open Mic Night with Rock Hill Poet Laureate 11:30 p.m. 153 E. White St Rock Hill
26-Starbucks and Story: Let Us Write Your Life Story, Starbucks 4805 Sharon Rd Charlotte
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Novel and a Recipe
Inspired by Frankenstein Novel by Mary Shelley
get recipe at:
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/frankenguac
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Mary Wollstoencraft Shelley Quotes
From Frankenstein
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"Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful."
"If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear."
"I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel."
“It is true, we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attached to one another.”
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Frankenstein Tidbit
March 11, 2018 marked the two hundredth anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s ground breaking novel Frankenstein: Or, Modern Prometheus. Described as the first and arguably most influential science-fiction story ever written, Shelley’s protagonist, Victor Frankenstein and his monster, has permeated “our everyday culture from cartoons to Halloween costumes.
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Word of the Month
Sprezzatura
The ability to make one's actions seem effortless or to disguise one's true feelings, desire or meaning.
Sprezzatura Elegance
Wear the sunset, my erstwhile cap,
Worn it wrong though, the foe in front,
Sprezzatura Eleganza, -a light shines,
Within, from without is the reflection.
Sitting the barren mountain peak,
And below sleeps the dragon-glacier.
Once upon a time, once upon a time,
Rings in my ear, last year is last century.
Waving Cartesians, birds fly beneath,
In winters they fire coal, in summers breeze.
Sadiqullah Khan
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- Wilkie Collins
- Crime doesn't pay-overcoming adversity
- The Help
- Agatha Christie
- Breakfast at Tiffany's
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Support Our Members & Community Partners
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Beyond 300: The New Charlotte Readers Podcast!
Check out the new format Landis Wade, along with fellow CWC member Sarah Archer and Hannah Turner have developed here.
Click the graphic for the August lineup.
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Charlotte Lit
Click the logo to learn more about how CWC members Kathie Collins & Paul Reali, co-founders of Charlotte Lit, are spreading the words.
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The Personal Story
Publishing Project
Six collections of personal stories edited by CWC member Randell Jones--The latest is Curious Stuff, which include a number of CWC voices. Click the book jacket for more.
Anthology #7, Twists & Turns, is to be released in September.
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Save the Date for the Fall Conference 2022:
November 18-20, Wilmington
The Fall Conference attracts hundreds of writers from around the country and provides a weekend full of activities that include lunch and dinner banquets with readings, keynotes, tracks in several genres, open mic sessions, and the opportunity for one-on-one manuscript critiques with editors or agents. Conference faculty include professional writers from North Carolina and beyond. Held every year in a major hotel, the conference rotates annually.
Registration opens on or before September 1.
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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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"Great things happen to those who don't stop believing, trying, learning and being grateful."
Roy T. Bennett-The Light in the Heart
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