The Franklin County Arts Council’s Writers Guild has scheduled their annual Day Retreat, a getaway to allow writers to learn, network, and focus on writing. The 2016 retreat is scheduled for May 7, 2016; however, writers are encouraged not to wait until the last minute to register! Space is limited and registrations must be received before April 15, 2016.
Enjoy a day focused on writing, on the shores of Falls Lake. The Day Retreat is being held in the Rolling View Community Building in the Falls Lake State Recreation Area, Raleigh NC.
The Day Retreat begins at 9am and ends at 6pm. Writers will eat lunch together — bring a bag lunch as food is not provided.
To participate in the Day Retreat, the fee is $30 for Franklin County Arts Council Writers Guild members; $40 for non-members, though for $10 additional ($50) you can become an FCAC member through November 2016.
For more information on the FCAC Writer’s Guild, or to download a Retreat Day registration form, visit www.fcacarts.org/writers_guild.aspx. To contact the group by email, send a message to Franklin County Arts Council or to the Writers Guild leader, Donna Campbell Smith.
Published writers are invited to bring their books to sell during the group’s lunch break. It is suggested that writers attach a list of their titles to the registration form, to better share their information with fellow writers.
Please note that entering Falls Lake State Recreation Area costs $6/car, so plan accordingly to pay at a gate. Also, note that if the State closes the park for any reason, such as bad weather, the Retreat Day will be rescheduled. Finally, Franklin County Arts Council states that they are not held responsible for cars or personal property lost or stolen or for injury to persons at Falls Lake State Recreation Area. Cars, or personal property while attending this event.
2016 Spring Writers Retreat Schedule
9:00 – 9:30am Check in, coffee
9:30-10:30 am Speaker – Nancy Peacock, “How to Keep a Writing Practice Going While Still Holding Down a Day (or night) Job”
10:30 – Noon Writing
Noon – 12:45 Lunch
12:45 – 1:30 Open Mic
1:30-2:30 Speakers – Tammy Falkner and Erin Knightly, “Finding Your Readership in Untraditional Ways
2:30 – 3:30 Writing
3:30 – 4:00 Open Mic/Sharing
4:00 – 5:00 Speaker – Deana Vassar “The Amherst Method, Creating a Safe Environment for the Writer”
5:00 – 5:30 Clean-up
6:00 Day Retreat Ends
The facility closes at 8pm. Anyone wishing to stay a bit longer to write may do so.
Speakers and Presentations
“How to Keep a Writing Practice Going While Still Holding Down a Day (or night) Job” with Nancy Peacock.
Nancy Peacock’s first novel, Life Without Water, was chosen as a New York Times Notable Book. This was followed by a second novel, Home Across the Road and her memoir A Broom of One’s Own. Her third novel The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson won the 2013 Shelf Unbound Best Indy Book Award and the 2015 Writer’s Digest Best Self-Published Book Award in the category of Mainstream Fiction. It will be traditionally published by Atria Press, a division of Simon and Schuster, in 2017.
Peacock has held a variety of jobs while pursuing her writing career. Among them: newspaper deliverer, waitress (not very good at it), bartender (better at that), costumer, baker, milker on a dairy farm and self-employed house cleaner, to name a few. She currently teaches writing in her studio.
Cheryl Strayed, best-selling author of Wild and Tiny, Beautiful Things says of A Broom of One’s Own”…an engaging, well-written, funny and poignant journey into Nancy Peacock’s generous spirit, humble heart and incisive mind. I am a writer too and I appreciated all the things that Peacock writes about the writing life…”
“Finding Your Readership in Untraditional Ways” with Tammy Falkner and Erin Knightley.
Romance writer, Tammy Falkner is a New York Times and USA Today best seller author who has over thirty published novels. Tammy lives on a farm in Franklin County with her husband and sons. Her romance novels have a huge following with hundreds of fan reviews on her Amazon pages.
Teaming with Tammy is Erin Knightley. Erin Knightley is the USA Today bestselling author of a dozen published works, including seven historical romance novels. Initially deciding to pursue a sensible career in science, she eventually came to her senses, leaving her practical side behind in order to write full time. Together with her tall, dark, and handsome husband and their three spoiled mutts, she is living her own Happily Ever After in North Carolina.
“The Amherst Method, Creating a Safe Environment for the Writer” with Deana Vassar
Vassar’s style is a little Southern Gothic and a little Southern Gospel. She is published in County Lines, the annual journal of the Franklin County, NC Writer’s Guild, and has placed in various writing competitions including the Resource Center for Women and Ministry in the South’s literary contest and was a semi-finalist in Sci-Fest LA. Deana’s dream of becoming an Amherst Writers and Artists Facilitator was fulfilled last year. She is most passionate about helping new writers find and honor their unique voice and assisting seasoned writers in honing their craft through the practices of the Amherst Method.
