By Kay Whatley, Editor
Active writing groups provide authors and want-to-be authors with networking and guidance. Groups listed below are actively meeting as of February 2017, and are located in North Carolina.
While there are many other resources for writers in our state, the focus below is on writer’s groups with free public meetings.
Franklin County NC
The Franklin County Arts Council (FCAC) Writers Guild supports and encourages writers of all genres and levels of expertise. The group meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at the FCAC Gallery, 22 S Main Street, Franklinton NC. Meetings begin at 6pm. FCAC Writers Guild meetings include a writing prompt, critique time, and planning of events.
In addition to regular meetings, the group is planning their 2017 Spring Writers Retreat on Saturday, May 6, 2017. The location will be the Rolling View Community Building at Falls Lake State Park, Raleigh NC. The retreats include speakers, writing time, and networking, in a comfortable writing-friendly location.
The next meeting of the FCAC Writers Guild is March 23, 2017, 4pm. It is free and open to all who are interested in writing.
For writers and readers: FCAC Writers Guild publishes a literary journal each year, with submissions generally due at the end of Summer (August/September). Journals are available for readers in early December, sold at local events and through Amazon.com.
Contact Donna Campbell Smith via email for more information about joining the writers guild. They may be found online at fcacarts.org/writers_guild.aspx.
FCAC Note to Writers:
A February gathering by the FCAC Diversity Team is an Open Mic-Black History Month Celebration planned for February 25, 2017, 3pm. The Open Mic event is at One Man’s Treasure Auction House, 200 E Nash Street, Louisburg NC. The theme is “Freedom” and all genres are welcome including poetry, prose, and song. There will be a seven-minute time limit for each performance. The public is invited to attend and participate. This is a free event, including refreshments.
High Point NC
The Murder We Write writers group is based in High Point in the North Carolina Triad. The group is a Chapter of Sisters in Crime who operate under the Murder We Write name. Meeting monthly, their gatherings offer networking, advice, and encouragement to authors. While the group is primarily geared toward mystery and suspense writing, their members write in many genres.
For readers interested in North Carolina writers’ books, their member information includes links to their books: www.murderwewrite.org/members.html.
For writers interested in networking, Murder We Write holds free programs open to the public. See more at www.murderwewrite.org. Upcoming meetings are on Sunday afternoons, and include:
“How to Create Vivid Description without Clichés” is scheduled for February 19, 2017, 2-4pm. According to the website, Jennie Spallone will teach how to substitute high-intensity verbs for overused adjectives, verbs, and adverbs. The author of two written expression texts and three adult mysteries, and a former freelance journalist, Jennie taught Investigative Journalism to gifted middle-school students. Chris Roerden will also help identify clichéd plot situations, so bring your own not-favorite examples. Always free and open to the public at High Point Library, 901 N Main Street, High Point NC.
“Kill Your Characters with Poisons… Then Cure Them!” is March 19, 2017, 2-4pm. At this meeting, O’Teanea is an Herbalist, Reiki Master, and holistic practitioner of Onondaga and Scottish heritage. Her family traditions, deeply rooted in the Earth, plus her studies of biochemistry at Saginaw Valley State University, offer you many ideas for inciting incidents in your stories, whatever your genre. This meeting is free and open to the public at High Point Library, 901 N Main Street, High Point NC.
Winston-Salem NC
Online at www.wswriters.org, the Winston-Salem Writers group offers a variety of meetings. Membership is $36 per year; $24 for students. Some meetings and information are available to nonmembers. This is a nonprofit group, “and a member of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.”
Winston-Salem Writers is made up of people who write fiction, nonfiction, plays, and poetry. Their calendar includes writer workshops, critique groups, and monthly Open Mic nights. They also hold contests and offer an informative newsletter for writers and writers-to-be.
For readers, check out who is writing what through their Member Spotlight articles and archives, starting here.
Charlotte NC #1
The Charlotte Writers’ Club meets on the third Tuesday of the month. “CWC” meetings are held at Providence United Methodist Church, 2810 Providence Road, Charlotte NC.
Their next meeting is Tuesday, February 21, 2017, 7pm. Author Tommy Tomlinson, will be speaking. Details may be found on their calendar here. A subchapter, CWC-North, meets near Lake Norman. Their detail page is here.
The group is planning “2017 Carolinas WordFest,” a free, community literary festival and is seeking people to help organize it. A notice currently appears on their home page, www.charlottewritersclub.org, along with contact information.
For readers, a list of Members’ Books may be found here.
Charlotte NC #2
Charlotte Writers is a group dedicated to helping and encouraging fiction writers of all levels, experiences, and genres in pursuing their dreams of publication.
Their next meeting is a Saturday Critique Session, scheduled for February 11, 2017, 11am-2pm. The group is meeting at TacoMac SouthPark, 4626 Piedmont Row Drive, Charlotte NC.
More information about this group, and their Critique Sessions, Write-ins, and Socials, visit cltwriters.com/meetings. At this time, they do not charge dues to join.
For writers who are active group members, submissions are accepted for the group’s anthology here.
Washington NC
The Pamlico Writers Group (PWG), describes itself as “one of the oldest writers groups in Eastern North Carolina.” The group meets in the historic Turnage Theater, 150 W Main Street, Washington NC. Membership is $25 per year; high school and college student memberships are free. The group’s website is pamlicowritersgroup.wildapricot.org.
PWG meets regularly, plans competitions, and holds an annual conference. Their “General Critique Group” meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.The next meeting is February 14, 2017, 7-9pm, at the Turnage Theater.
Their Writers Conference is coming up March 17-18, 2017. The conference is $59 for non-members; $49 for members.
For readers, a list of their authors and author pages may be reached via this page.
Other Groups including Meetup Groups
Depending on the group, membership fees or online registration may be required. These groups appear to be active, with 2017 details on their websites.
- The Durham Writer’s Group — www.meetup.com/dwg-writers
- Triangle Writers Meetup Group and its subgroups — www.meetup.com/writers-797
- The Writers’ Workshop of Asheville NC — www.twwoa.org
- Writers’ Group of the Triad — triadwriters.org
- Burlington Writers Club (not year-round) — www.burlingtonwritersclub.org
- North Carolina Writers’ Network, which holds many readings and events — www.ncwriters.org
- North Carolina Writers’ Network-West’s Mountain Writers & Poets — netwestwriters.blogspot.com
