Great class with Carol Crawford at Writers Circle around the Table

Roger Carlton, Carol Lynn Jones, Glenda Beall, Kathy Knapp
Lorie McCabe and Bob Lew @ Writers Circle

It is always a joy to study writing with Carol Crawford, and I always learn something new. You would think that after twenty years of writing I would know all I  need to know, but anyone can learn something if they take workshops, listen and not let their ego get in the way.

Three of the students in the picture above have been students of mine at Tri-County Community College. I look forward to seeing them back in class with me later this year. 

Learning from an editor of writing gives one new insight about revision. With her advice, I think I will be a much better writer myself because I know what to look for in my work before I send it to anyone else to read. 

Why social media for authors? Tara Lynne Groth explains.

Tara Lynne Groth

Tara Lynne Groth

Saturday, August 6
10- 1:00 p.m.
Writers Circle around the Table
Hayesville, NC 28904 

Social Media for Authors

How can authors consistently maintain a presence on popular social media sites? Learn if the demographics of your readers are on Facebook, Twitter, or other services, how to plan relevant social content based on analytics, and if automated services are right for you.

We'll also break down the mystery of blogging and help writers make smart decisions about their online social presence.

Tara Lynne knows her stuff and is happy to share her knowledge and skills with others. She's very talented and a great teacher! -Beth B.

Tara Lynne Groth (www.taralynnegroth.com) is a writer in North Carolina. Before writing full-time she was a marketing manager, and before that, a public relations director. She instructs classes on book marketing, author marketing, freelance writing, as well as creative writing workshops. As a blogger and content creator she also handles content marketing and manages social media for clients. As a journalist, her bylines have appeared  in Blue Ridge Outdoors, Chapel Hill News, Draft, and dozens more. 

Tara Lynne received a scholarship in 2009 to attend the Southampton Writers Conference for fiction, her poetry has appeared in multiple journals and anthologies, she received honorable mention in fiction in the 2015 Carolina Woman Writing Contest, and was a semifinalist for the 2015 James Applewhite Poetry Prize. In 2014, her poetry was selected as part of a community art project in Winston-Salem and was used to inspire two sculptures. She has published three poetry books.

She is also the founder and organizer of Triangle Writers and Asheville Writers, two groups with more than 1,000 members collectively. In 2011 she launched her blog WriteNaked.net, which has grown into a popular destination for individuals interested in making their living from writing. On the blog she breaks down misconceptions people have about freelance life, includes interviews with publishers, provides behind-the-scenes scoop on writers conferences, and has nearly 1,000 subscribers - and she pays guest bloggers. 

Fee: $45

Registration: Complete Registration form at top of page, send with check for $45 to Glenda Beall, 581 Chatuge Lane, Hayesville, NC 28904. We also accept PayPal. See sidebar on blog.

Call 828-389-4441 or email: glendabeall@msn.com for more information. 

Deadline for registration: July 23. Hurry so we can be sure this class makes.

NCWN-West members at Festival on the Square

This weekend, July 8  - 10, Hayesville, North Carolina will offer their annual Festival on the Square. The festival begins Friday evening, July 8th, with a street dance. Music and many vendors will grace the square on Saturday and Sunday, July 9th and 10th. Included in this event will be our North Carolina Writers' Network-West booth, which will be on the North side of the square.

Several local poets and writers, members of NCWN-West, will be attending the booth, and will read periodically from their published works. Included in this line-up, are Tom Davis, Joan Ellen Gage, Mary Ricketson, Rosemary Royston, Marcia Barnes, Glenda C. Beall, Joan M. Howard, Bob Grove, and Lucy Cole Gratton.

Joan Gage

Be sure to come by the  booth and register for drawings that will be held on Saturday and Sunday. I hope my local readers will stop by and say hello and learn more about our writers' network.

http://www.clayhistoryarts.org/
http://festivalnet.com/43539/Hayesville-North-Carolina/Festivals/Festival-on-the-Square

Rosemary Royston

First Date was a Good One

JULY 4, 1963

Although I  had sworn off men that summer, I was persuaded to go on a blind date by a charming  young man, Barry Beall.  

He arrived in a convertible with another couple in the back seat. I was not impressed with  his looks or his car, and he seemed to be rude and arrogant as we rode into Albany and out to a rented house on the creek. I knew a crowd had gathered by the number of cars parked on the grass. I  also knew I would not know them. Being shy anyway, the ordeal of this party I had agreed to attend filled me with anxiety. My throat tightened and I hoped this stranger with the blond crew cut and nice smile would help me fit  in.

It didn't happen. We entered to a full chorus of Here's Barry, and he beamed. While I sat at the bar alone, he sat on the fireplace hearth and played guitar while he serenaded the girls and guys sitting on the floor in front of him. I wished I had listened to my instincts when he called. I wished I said no and then I'd not be sitting here in a  room full of strangers who did not know me or care whether I was comfortable or not. 

After a while, I walked down to  the water's edge and listened to the frogs singing. The dark ripples slowly nipped at my toes. The serene setting calmed my thoughts. I felt completely alone with the creek and the frogs. When Barry's hand touched my shoulder, I almost jumped away, not thinking it was him.

"Water's nice, isn't it?" I looked up at his remark. 

"Yes, it's dark and  looks deep."

"Would you like to go out on the boat?"

Awhile ago I had wanted to just go home, so I  don't know why I said, "Yes, that would be nice."

As we moved over the quiet water, Barry, who had been an Eagle Scout, maneuvered the flat boat with not one sound. The oar slipped in and out with barely a break in the surface.

Eventually he sailed us into a quiet cove. It was dark from the shade of the tall trees on the bank. I have no idea of what we talked about. I can't remember one word of the conversation, but I became completely enthralled. The chemistry between us was combustible. 

Later with friends we sat in the car and watched the fireworks, but I don't remember seeing them. I remember snuggling in the backseat, laughing at his cute remarks, and I remember the good night kiss when he  walked me to my door. 

I don't remember the minute I knew I was in love with Barry, but the  next day my sister-in-law, Mary said to me, "You are going to marry that man."

I had no intention of marrying anyone at that time, and I hardly knew this man. But I could not sleep for thinking about him. Before I came inside that night, he asked me to go home with him the next weekend to meet his father and mother. 

July 4th holds bitter sweet memories for me. July 4, 1963 was a day that changed my life and maybe it was the  most important day in my life. For forty-five years we celebrated the holiday and our own anniversary. Sometimes we were part of the boat parade on Lake Chatuge. Some nights we watched fireworks with our friends, but we were always in a happy mood.

That is, until July 4, 2009  when Barry was in Emory Hospital fighting for his  life. 

We talked about how much we wished we were with the Morings and the Clarkes that sunny day, and I said, "Next year, we will be there celebrating America's birthday and celebrating the day we met." But next year never came.

Hugh Barry Beall, the thief who stole my heart

A workshop with Carol Crawford, editor, teacher, writer and poet

Carol Crawford

Saturday, July 16
10 - 1 p.m.

Write How You Know 

Use life skills you already have to get your writing done.  Any big project can be overwhelming, whether it’s putting in a garden or writing a book. Break down the project into manageable pieces that are not so scary, and make a step-by-step plan of action to keep you on course.  In this workshop students will make a blueprint to begin a new project, create a worksheet for approaching it, and make a brief start on the writing itself. 

-Break-

Become Your Own Beta Reader

Learn habits and writing methods that will help you stand back and see your work more clearly. Discover how asking yourself the right questions about your manuscript will show you its strengths and the places it needs more work.  Overcome common mistakes that blur your story line and muddy your language.  Please bring three to five pages you have already written for revision.

Fee: $35.00 - 

Carol Crawford is the editor and owner of carolcrawfordediting.com. Carol has been teaching creative writing for two decades. She is the author of The Habit of Mercy, Poems about Daughters and Mothers, and has been published in the Southern Humanities Review, Appalachian Heritage, the Concho River Review, the Chattahoochee Review, and the Journal of Kentucky Studies among others. 

Carol has been program coordinator for the annual Blue Ridge Writers’ Conference since its inception in 1996 and holds a degree in journalism and English from Baylor University.

She loves all things literary: books, bookstores, poetry, word puzzles and libraries, Also, Baylor women’s basketball, snowy days, Tex-Mex, knitting, civility in debate, single-mission charities, needlepoint, Star Trek movies (except the first one), family reunions, all dogs, and cats on a case-by-case basis. 

She has never mastered cake-baking, but can produce a respectable scratch pie crust. She has a strong conviction that margaritas are not margaritas unless they are lime (peach or pineapple do not qualify), and the only Peeps worth the name are Easter Peeps.

She and her husband live in the north Georgia mountains with two rescue dogs of good heart but little brain. Carol is originally from Texas and visits it regularly for a fix of big sky, prairie and open spaces. 

Fee: $35 - can be paid with PayPal or send check to Glenda Beall, 581 Chatuge Lane, Hayesville, NC 28904  - Deadline: July 10

Poets Read at Writers' Night Out in Blairsville, GA

Blairsville and Hiawassee Poets to Read on July 8

Rosemary Royston and Karen Paul Holmes, both well-published poets, are featured at this month’s Writers’ Night Out at the Union County Community Center in Blairsville, GA. 

The two plan to do a coordinated reading, alternating their poems on similar subjects. The event takes place on Friday, July 8 at 7 p.m. followed by an open microphone for those who’d like to share their own work. The event is free and open to the public.

Royston, author of Splitting the Soil (Finishing Line Press, 2014), resides in Blairsville with her family. Her writing has been published in journals such as NANO Fiction, Appalachian Heritage, Southern Poetry Review, Town Creek Review, *82 Review, and Razor Literary Magazine. She’s the VP for Planning at Young Harris College and teaches creative writing and composition. Royston holds an MFA in Writing from Spalding University.

Holmes, founder and host of Writers’ Night Out, is a freelance writer and poet whose work will be included in the upcoming Best Emerging Poets anthology from Stay Thirsty Media.  Her poetry book is Untying the Knot (Aldrich Press, 2014). Holmes teaches at Writer’s Circle in Hayesville, NC, and the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC. She also hosts a poetry workshop in Atlanta. Publishing credits include Poetry East, Atlanta Review, Atticus Review, Slipstream, the Southern Poetry Anthology Vol 5: Georgia, and many more.

Writers’ Night Out is sponsored by NC Writers Network-West and takes place on the second Friday of the month. Prose writers or poets wishing to participate in the open mic can sign up at the door to read for three minutes. The Union County Community Center hosts the event at 129 Union County Recreation Rd., Blairsville, Georgia 30512, off Highway 129 near the intersection of US 76, phone (706) 439-6092. Food is available for purchase in The View Grill, but please arrive by 6 pm to get served.  For more information, please contact Karen Holmes at (404) 316-8466 or kpaulholmes@gmail.com.

I enjoy Abbie's writing about Wyoming

Wyoming

My Blogger friend, Abbie Johnson, lives in Sheridan Wyoming. I enjoy reading about  her life and her writing community. She recently attended a writing conference which she tells about and bought a book, The Dance House: Stories from Rosebud, which gives the reader a vivid picture of American history through the eyes of a native American. She reviewed his book on her blog. 

Abbie said, "We all should read books like this to understand how we, as a nation, did a disservice to Native Americans by forcing them onto reservations, placing their children in government-run boarding schools, and commandeering their land. Remember that Indians were here before any of the first settlers came to this country in the 1600’s."

I hope we never do this kind of disservice to any other group of human beings.

The book can be purchased on Amazon.com

What is an elevator speech? Why is it important?

"I’ve learned from experience that the elevator speech matters. It’s one of the most important parts of writing that I learned at conferences. My best pitch I’ve given hundreds of times. I have 45 seconds at reenactment signings before my patron walks away. If I can give the pitch, I sell the books."

from Deanna Klingel on her mini blog.

Deanna Klingel, author 

This prolific author got a late start on writing and marketing her books, but she is a real pro. Her books are loved by parents and grandparents who purchase them for their kids and I have read several of books. I expected them to be simple and on a fourth grade level, but Cracks in the Ice drew me in right away and I had to see what would become of the young skater. Her Avery Series books have turned teenagers on to reading. They can't wait for the next book she writes. 

She is talented but she is also a very hard worker. She writes but makes time to market her books. I think she is a wonderful example of what a serious writer should be and what one should do.
Deanna's website and blog will give you all the information you need to read about her, her books, and you can see what her readers say.