NOVEMBER 2014 | VOLUME 21, ISSUE 3

November Program: Indie Author Alex Pruteanu

Alex is author of the novella Short Lean Cuts, available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Powell's Books. He is also author of Gears, a collection of stories from Independent Talent Group also available at the aforementioned retailers. He has published fiction in NY Arts Magazine, Guernica Magazine, Pank Magazine, Specter Literary Magazine, and others. He has just completed his first novel, The Sun Eaters.

Alex is the quintessential Indie author. He will speaking about his journey as a writer, coming to the US from Romania where his father was a widely-published author, writing his novella, Short Lean Cuts and his novel, The Sun Eaters, and his plans for future projects. As an Indie author, he is knowledgeable about publishing opportunities for Indie authors both here and abroad, and will also share his insights into Indie publishing.

CWC Event at NC Writers' Network Conference

Join the Charlotte Writers' Club and North Carolina Writers Network on Friday, November 21, 12-1:30 p.m., for instruction, refreshments and writing in three genres: creative nonfiction, poetry and screenwriting. CWC members Gilda Morina Syverson, David Radavich and Patrick Lee will facilitate the free event at Queens University's Levine Center.

Parking in the nearby Wellesley Avenue deck is free to participants. No RSVP is required. Just show up. The program is a precursor to the NCWN's fall conference that opens in Charlotte later that afternoon.

A special thanks to the Queens University of Charlotte MFA in Creative Writing Program for providing the space.

Meet-A-Member: Tamra Wilson

Quick Bio:

Tamra Wilson originally hails from Shelbyville, IN but now calls Newton, NC her home. The 59-year-old is a Public Information Officer with the Catawba County Public Library System and has completed a BJ degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and an MFA from Stonecoast Creative Writing Program at the University of Southern Maine.

Find out more about Tamra's work by checking out her website at http://tamrawilson.com or by visiting her Facebook page under Tamra Wilson, Author.

1. What type of writing do you do? What challenges you the most and what comes naturally?

I have published extensively in both short fiction and nonfiction, and am a regular contributor to the food blog "WFAEats" based in Charlotte.

Endings always challenge me more than beginnings. I can easily begin a story, but I invariably get hung up crafting the ending.

2. How do you cultivate inspiration for your work?

I do keep a notebook of ideas, but most of my work has come from everyday life - passing comments, weird coincidences, humorous situations, family history or even email or Facebook posts.

3. What do you enjoy most about the Charlotte Writers' Club?

I enjoy the challenge of entering CWC contests, and on those occasions I've won, I have felt much affirmation. I am a three-time winner of the Children's Story Contest, yet I don't consider myself a children's story writer. Unfortunately, distance keeps me away from most CWC meetings, though I enjoy attending them when I can.

4. What writing advice would you pass on to other writers?

Read as much as you write, and write every day - whether you feel like it or not. Work on more than one project at a time. That's particularly true when you're delving into difficult topics or hit a snag. Having another project to work on will keep you going and may help resolve problems with the other piece.

5. In a sentence or two, what else would you like people to know about you?

I am a lifelong genealogy and history buff and do my own research. I recently documented my great-grandmother as an orphan train rider in 1860 from New York to Illinois. I hope to write a reimagined story of her life some day. I have a good start - I recently developed a PointPoint about her as one of my offerings as a Road Scholar with the NC Humanities Council.

CWC-North Event

Please join us on Sunday January 25, 2015 from 2 to 4 p.m. as CWC North celebrates the publication of The Medicine Man's Daughter at the Warehouse Performing Arts Center in Cornelius. Carolyn F. Noell will read from her memoir, published by The Bridge.

The Medicine Man's Daughter is a coming of age account of Dayou Tucker, a Liberian refugee who came to Charlotte to escape civil war. Jan Blodgett, archivist for Davidson College Library, says it is a "poignant and captivating story that reveals not just one woman's courage, but that of a whole community of friends and strangers whose lives are changed forever by knowing one another."

Noell is a retired teacher and counselor with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system. She and her husband Tom live in Davidson where she is involved with the Stephen's Ministries at Davidson College Presbyterian Church. Noell has also written a book of poetry, Weathered Pine.

For more information please contact Caroline Kane Kenna CWC-North liaison [email protected].

Annual Workshop: Recalling Memories for Your Family or the Public

Author and editor Margaret Bigger is offering her annual six-week course: Recalling Memories for Your Family or the Public. This opportunity is sponsored by the CWC and is designed for anyone considering writing a memoir or non-fiction book.

Classes will be held on Wednesdays from 2-4 p.m. from January 21-February 25. Classes will meet at Christ Episcopal Church on 1412 Providence Road.

The cost for CWC members is $60 and for non-members the cost is $72.

To register, call Margaret Bigger at 704-364-1788. The class is limited to 20 participants so sign up soon!

Membership

Our annual Members Reading program will be held on January 20, 2015. This program celebrates our CWC writers, sparks creativity, and inspires confidence. The key word is "Member." If you're not current on your membership, you're not eligible to share your work in this program. What a shame. Get on that.

Click here to join and then click here for the guidelines to submit your work to our Member's Reading program. We want to hear your story!

Join or renew today for the 2014-2015 year! We thank you for all that your support allows CWC to do for the literary community in the Charlotte region.

In This Issue

Memoir & Nonfiction Course

Membership

Calendar

General Meeting Location

Contests

Kudos

Writing Prompt