Should You Write Only What You Know? Maybe Not.

Hey There,

I’m back again to share with you another peek at one more of our workshop presenters. Check it out.

 

 

 

 

ABOUT THIS SESSION: “Giving Voice to the Voiceless” with Paloma A. Capanna

Writers are often called upon to write for or about “others” – other people, animals, environment, and causes. This workshop will offer the opportunity to debate and discuss questions around whether to limit your writing to “what you know,” how to get those who are reluctant to speak on their own behalf to speak to you, and how your life – and that of your subject – can change as a result. It is recommended, but not required, that participants watch the documentary “Booker’s Place” in advance of the conference.

Ideal for intermediate to advanced writers, whether fiction, non-fiction, poetry or news media.

Paloma A. Capanna is the author of “Nearly Fifty,” a collection of essays about how to survive living life and all of its messy, unscheduled, impossible challenges.  After 25 years as a courtroom attorney, Paloma is now sharing her insights on how to be unafraid in moving through life.

Among current writing projects is the upcoming chapbook “#HurricanePoetry” for which she and Susan Schmidt will serve as co-editors of poetry written about hurricanes submitted by people across the state.  The publication will be a fundraiser for relief efforts on the ground in Carteret County, NC.

Paloma is also the new Emcee of the Carteret Writers monthly “Open Mic.”  The spoken word of poetry at open mic has been Paloma’s leading creative writing outlet for decades.  She is also a Board-Member-at-Large to this non-profit organization.

Paloma’s work as an attorney centered around civil rights issues on the privacy of mental health records from undocumented government intrusion.  She also forged inroads into the intersection of privacy, due process, and equal protection vis-à-vis the Second Amendment.  Cases in which Paloma represented individual plaintiffs have reached as far as the United States Supreme Court.  Paloma has published and spoken at national conferences about her field, and is the recipient of related awards, including the “Defender of the Constitution Award” from WYSL and the Shooter’s Committee on Public Education.

Paloma is a graduate of the State University of New York School of Law and she graduated magna cum laude from Wheaton College (MA).  She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Now, Paloma spends her time between the coastal life of the Southern Outer Banks and the rugged woodlands of Upstate New York.  She and her partner Kevin are the proprietors of Downton Antiques & Used Books (Beaufort, NC).  In her free time, Paloma enjoys walking the beaches of the Outer Banks which are inhabited by several, distinct herds of wild horses.

 

Have you decided which of the workshops you’d like to sign-up for? Remember to register soon or you’ll miss one great Writers’ Conference.

Here’s the link to our website for more information and to register for the conference. https://pamlicowritersgroup.wildapricot.org/

The links for our Facebook and Twitter pages are as follows:

https://www.facebook.com

https://twitter.com/pamlicowritersc?lang=en

Hope to meet you there.

K

Teens Writing for Teens

Hello,

The Pamlico Writer’s 7th Annual Writers’ Conference, April 5th & 6th at the Turnage Theatre in Washington, NC is fast approaching. If you haven’t already registered, you might want to consider it today. I have another of our wonderful line-up of workshop presenters to share with you. Check it out, it’s going to be awesome.

 

 

 

 

Teens writing for Teens: Exploring the YA voice

In this 75-minute hands-on workshop, teen participants will examine popular YA literature and explore the author craft and common elements that create the “IT FACTOR” in a quality Young Adult work. They will delve into establishing a consistent point of view, finding a unique voice, and exploring subject matter pertinent to the Young Adult audience. Participants should come prepared with a piece of their own work to revise throughout the workshop. Time will be set aside to share with peers. **Especially for Teens**

Eileen Lettick is a former school teacher and literacy consultant. She has presented locally and nationally to teachers and administrators on author’s craft. Ms. Lettick is a published children’s author and an active member of the Pamlico Writers’ Group and The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Her historical time travel, Sarah the Bold, was a finalist in the Tassy Walden Book Award. She is currently completing her first YA novel. She resides in Chocowinity, North Carolina.

For more information and to register go to our website: https://pamlicowritersgroup.wildapricot.org/

Here are two more links to check out for our Facebook and Twitter pages:

https://www.facebook.com

https://twitter.com/pamlicowritersc?lang=en

See you there,

K

The Healing Path of Poetry

Hey,

How have you been? Hope all is well at your end.

Have we piqued your interest in attending the writers’ conference yet, because this year’s line-up is pretty amazing and you won’t want to miss it. Especially if you have an interest in becoming a better writer.

Here’s a look at another offered workshop.

 

 

 

 

This workshop will talk about using words as powerful ways to reclaim and name one’s own truths in dealing with trauma. We want participants to embrace the transformative power of their own creativity. We will read example poems from 2 books: After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events edited by Tom Lombardo and The Why and Later edited by Carly Sachs. We will have 2 prompts with brief writing time and will give participants an opportunity to read what they wrote in response to the prompts. purpose of this workshop is to expand understanding and application of the poetic process as an instrument for healing. A form of cognition, poetry associatively connects the concrete to the psychic and is a means of sorting through life events. The creative process of poetry works gently to move us through the layers of denial and “old tapes” toward clarity, a new voice. The use of metaphor permits re-living of events without re-traumatization. From poems that address unfinished conversations with loved ones or abusers to poems that use an elevated voice to reach for strength, participants will write and get a chance to use what Joseph Campbell calls “the eloquence within.” Lucille Clifton, tells us “poetry is a matter of life, not just a matter of language.” And the truth is our quality of life depends on our ability to heal, and poetry can facilitate, illuminate, and celebrate the healing process.

Malaika King Albrecht is serving as the inaugural Heart of Pamlico Poet Laureate. She’s the author of three poetry books. Her most recent book What the Trapeze Artist Trusts (Press 53) won honorable mention in the Oscar Arnold Young Award and was a finalist in 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Her chapbook Lessons in Forgetting was published by Main Street Rag and was a finalist in the 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and received honorable mention in the Brockman Campbell Award. Main Street Rag also published her second book Spill in 2011. Her poems have been published in many literary magazines and anthologies and nominated for Pushcarts. Her poems have won awards in several contests, including at Poetry Southeast, the North Carolina Poetry Council, Salem College and Press 53. She’s the founding editor of Redheaded Stepchild, an online magazine that only accepts poems that have been rejected elsewhere. She lives in Ayden, N.C. with her family and is the executive director of Rocking Horse Ranch Therapeutic Riding Program.

Here are the links to our website for more information and to register for the conference along with links to our Facebook and Twitter pages. https://pamlicowritersgroup.wildapricot.org/

https://www.facebook.com

https://twitter.com/pamlicowritersc?lang=en

One more reason not to miss our upcoming Pamlico Writer’s 7th Annual Writers’ Conference, April 5th & 6th at the Turnage Theatre, Washington, NC.

See you there.

K

Hash Tag? Do you have one? Why it’s useful as a writer.

A little over a month from now Pamlico Writer’s will host their 7th Annual Writer’s Conference at the Turnage Theatre in Washington, NC. As promised here is another of our workshop presenters for you to check out.

 

 

 

 

 

What’s your Hash Tag?

Building Your Brand through Instagram

Have you struggled to use Instagram? Have you even ventured to setup an account?

Instagram is a great tool for authors to build an audience and build loyalty in the process. The popularity of the app has grown over the last 5 years and many have been afraid to start because they feel they are not photographers. A talent in photography is not a requirement, just a willingness to share with the world.

We will learn how the app works and how to find followers. It will be a hands-on workshop. Bring your cell phone with you and you will leave with an Instagram account that shows your personality and work at its best.

Tammera Cooper opened her Instagram account in 2013 and now has 1500 followers and 856 posts. For anyone who wishes to be on Instagram.

Tammera Cooper grew up on the Rappahannock River in Virginia watching the riverside community change with the times but remaining the same in spirit. The waterside lifestyle is in her blood and influences her writing every day.

Currently, she lives in Washington, North Carolina writing and sharing the small town’s history with her readers. She is a member of the Pamlico Writers Group, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and Romance Writers of America.

 

Check out our website for more information and to register for the conference. https://pamlicowritersgroup.wildapricot.org/

Here are two other links for our Facebook and Twitter pages:

https://www.facebook.com

https://twitter.com/pamlicowritersc?lang=en

See you at the conference.

K

Like to become a writer and learn how to get started? Here’s your chance.

Hello Again,

Time seems to be flying by as our 7th Annual Writers’ Conference, April 5th & 6th at the Turnage Theatre in Washington, NC approaches.

Here’s another peek at a workshop you might consider signing up for.

 

 

 

 

 

George Eliot said: “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”
Talking about GETTING STARTED can be overwhelming for any writer of any age, with experience or not. There are concrete ideas that anyone can employ that will help smooth the way as writers learn to create their own process.

In this workshop, participants will learn how to think about their work in a way to move ideas bouncing around in their heads onto the page. This may be different ways for different writers as they feel their way into what works for them.

We’ll also talk about how to distill the essence of your idea into a brief 3 or 4 sentence synopsis known as “the elevator speech-” with the idea that if you found yourself in an elevator with an agent or publisher, you could describe your work between floors to interest them. Participants who have an idea of their project will be asked to bring a 3 or 4 sentence summary of what the project they envision is about by thinking of the theme of their work. These should all start “This is a fiction/non-fiction book about–” and go on to bring the theme home.

For example, if you were writing The Wizard of Oz, yours might be: “This is a fictional tale of a young girl who goes on a journey to an enchanted land. Along the way she meets eccentric characters, helpful and evil, and eventually learns the true meaning of home.” That’s only two sentences but it distills the idea of the story with the theme included. For a non-fiction book, it could read something like this: “This is a non-fiction memoir of my days as a nurse. I describe the interesting and annoying patients I cared for, and the way the bureaucracy of paperwork requirements often keeps nurses from being at the bedside of the patients under their care. There are amusing anecdotes and heartfelt memories of the many patients from all walks of life who crossed my path.” That one is 3 sentences. Don’t obsess over this, but try to think of a way to describe your work so that a stranger could understand the main thrust of your project.

You should leave this workshop with renewed energy and ideas to put into your project!

 

Award-winning author Marni Graff writes The Nora Tierney English Mysteries and The Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries. Managing Editor of Bridle Path Press, she’s a member of Sisters in Crime, NC Writer’s Network, and the International Association of Crime Writers. Read her crime review blog: http://auntiemwrites.com. All books in PB, Kindle and Audible at Amazon and Bridle Path Press. Em: bluevirgin.graff@gmail.com. Graff and her husband live in rural NC with two Aussie Doodles, Seamus and Fiona.

With only a month left before our conference you won’t want to wait too long before you sign up or you’ll miss it.

Check out these links:

Website – information and to register: https://pamlicowritersgroup.wildapricot.org/

Here are two other links for our Facebook and Twitter pages:

https://www.facebook.com

https://twitter.com/pamlicowritersc?lang=en

Hope to see you at the conference.

K