May 10, Netwest Writers Conference - Reserve the date

Saturday, May 10, 2014

If you are a writer and you live in western North Carolina, North Georgia or western South Carolina, be sure the above date is reserved on your calendar now.

NCWN West will host and sponsor a writing conference at the beautiful new library in Sylva, NC. 

Speakers will be announced soon. Stay tuned.

Angela Leigh Tucker and Bill Ramsey - new book

My friend, Bill Ramsey, has written a book on the life of Angela Leigh Tucker, victim of an auto wreck that killed her husband and left her in a coma for a long time. She suffered a traumatic brain injury. I look forward to reading about this young woman who has overcome so much and is learning to be the new Angela2, as she calls herself now.

If you read this book, please comment here or send me an email and let me know what you think. See the website below to read more about Angela and her story in her own words.

http://angelaleightucker.com/

J.D. Salinger's effect on readers

"When we have a premise in mind for a story, we should ask ourselves what we’d least expect to happen and then see if we can make that unexpected turn convincing."  Lee Martin speaking about writing short stories. 

I watched a documentary about J.D. Salinger. He is not one of my favorite writers, but I am intrigued with someone who could sit in a room for forty years and write, alone, isolated from the world, with no plans to publish his work.

His The Catcher in the Rye actually provoked two or more young men to commit murder. John Lennon's murderer said Salinger's book convinced him to put on his people-killing hat and do the deed.

Perhaps Salinger's least expected happening became too convincing to some readers. His writing is said to be so real, he draws his readers deep into his stories, and they have trouble separating themselves from the characters on the page. His fans became devotees, and one man drove 400 miles just to talk with the author, but was disappointed when Salinger brushed him off. "I'm not a counselor," he said to his fan. "I have no answers for you. I ask questions."

Salinger, a recluse for most of his life, died at the age of 91 in 2010. After seeing his life story, I must read some of his work mainly out of curiosity.

Have you read The Catcher in the Rye or other work by Salinger?
What do you think?

Memories of Joan Fontaine and the Other Side of Silence

 Senior Women author Rose Mula. 

For anyone who is a fan of the vintage movies, black and white, and the great stars who were dignified actresses in their day, you will enjoy this post by Mula.

http://www.seniorwomen.com/news/index.php/memories-of-joan-fontaine

About seven years ago I met a delightful older woman online. She lived just outside our Netwest Region in western North Carolina but connected when she found our blog, www.netwestwriters.blogspot.com 

Joan and I have not met in person but have become friends. I like to follow her posts on the Senior Women site. 

Joan L.Cannon is a contributing author for Senior Women.

I agree with her sentiments in this article:

http://www.seniorwomen.com/news/index.php/the-other-side-of-silence

Have you ever met a very famous person as Rose did and become friends with them? Are celebrities of today different from those of Joan Fontaine's era?

Writing Contests in Fiction, Poetry and Creative Nonfiction open now

The North Carolina Writers' Network is holding four annual writing contests, three of which are currently open for submissions (and the fourth opens next week). Whether you write fiction, creative nonfiction or poetry one of these contests are for you. Some contests are for North Carolina residents only. Check the website for each one to see the guidelines. 

1.       The Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition encourages the creation of lasting nonfiction work that is outside the realm of conventional journalism and has relevance to North Carolinians. Subjects may include traditional categories such as reviews, travel articles, profiles or interviews, place/history pieces, or culture criticism. The first-, second-, and third-place winners will receive $300, $200, and $100 respectively. The winning entry will be considered for publication by Southern Cultures magazine. The deadline is January 17.

2.       The Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize honors internationally celebrated North Carolina novelist, Thomas Wolfe. The winner receives $1,000 and possible publication in The Thomas Wolfe Review. The deadline is January 30.

3.       The Doris Betts Fiction Prize awards the first-prize winner $250. Up to ten finalists will be considered for publication in the North Carolina Literary Review. The deadline is February 15.

4.       The Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition awards the winner publication in storySouth and $200. This contest opens January 15 and runs through March 1.

Robert Burns, poet, gave us Auld Lang Syne.

Why do we sing the popular Scottish song, Auld Lang Syne, as each year passes and each new year begins?

 Scottish bard Robert Burns brought us Auld Lang Syne.

He wrote the lyrics in 1788 but the tune we know now does not first appear with the song until after his death.He was inspired by fragments of traditional songs from earlier times.

Now countries all around the world sing this song, some with different lyrics, but with the same meaning as the original.

Read here the history of how this song became an international hit


Auld Lang Syne always makes me sad. Here is a poem I wrote:

On New Year's Eve I Cry

Auld Lang Syne provokes my tears.

Old friends, dear ones from

years gone by appear

at midnight in my mind.

Rowdy revelers, my peers begin

a bright new year.

They raise champagne and toast.

Unique moments good

and bad, will not come back

this way again. I grab

and hold on tight to golden

highlights darting by,

fleeting, disappearing

like foxfire in a mountain wood.

This party is a wake.

It must be mine.

                     ---Glenda Council Beall

Everything you want is on the other side of fear.  

                                                                                                    --- Jack Canfield 

Think about it. Is fear holding you back? What is the worst that can happen? If you fail, will it matter to anyone other than you? Will it matter in six months or a year?

Go for it!!

What will 2014 bring?

We will soon begin a new year.

Looking back on 2013, we have enjoyed the many writers and poets who have come through our doors this year. Joan, a student at Writers Circle said, "You have brought us so many good poets that we would not have been exposed to if it were not for Writers Circle."

That is our purpose  - to bring excellent writing instructors here to this area because we can't all travel long distances to classes and workshops in other cities. We keep our fees reasonable, but offer teachers enough to make the trip worthwhile for them 

This area is jam-packed with experienced published and non-published writers. Often we overlook what is in our own back yard. We don't want that to happen here.  We provide the opportunity for our local writers to teach what they have learned in their studies of poetry and prose. 
Around our table we give instruction to those beginning poets and writers who have not yet made the step to publishing their work. No one should ever be fearful of what they might encounter at this studio. We are non-competitive. We encourage each other and we give constructive feedback, in a gentle manner. 

The coffee pot is ready and some goodies are on the table. Ice tea is in the fridge.

We hope you will come and take a class with us in 2014.